The Brunswick daily news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1903-1906, 1903-10-04

Has dlldIueu. L ne TACT IHaI Inc con-
vention unanimously Endorsed the ma
tional aid plan also indicates the trend
of sentiment in that direction
The Presidents entrance was sig
nailed by cheers from the assembled
delegates. He was introduced by Presi-
dent Moore. of the National Good
Roads Association, and spoke as fol-
lows:
Mr.. Chairman, Ladies and Gentle
men+When we wish to use descTipt-
i've adjectives fit to characterize great
empires and the men who made these
empires great, invariably one of the
adjectiyes used is to signify that that
empire built good roads. (AppIauseJ
When we speak of the Romans, we
speak of them as rulers. as conquer
ors. as administrators, as road
builders.
There were empires that rose over
night and fell overnight; empires whose
influence was absolutely evanescent,
which passed away without leaving
trace of their former existence; but
wherever the Roman established his
deep to-day, stamped on the language
and customs of the people, and stamped
in tangible form upon the soil itself.
Passing through Britain fifteen cen
turtles after the dominion of Rome
has passed away, the Roman roads
as features still remain. Going through
Italy, where power after power has
risen and Powered and vanished since
the days when the temporal dominion
of the Roman emperors transferred its
seat from Rome to COnstantInople;
going through Italy after the Lombard,
the Goth the Byzantine and all the
peoples Of the middle ages have ruled
that cOuntry-it is the imperishablc
Roman road that reappears. The habit
of road building marks in a nation
those solid stable qualities which tell
for permanent greatness.
Merely from the standpoint of his
torical analogy. we should have a
right TO ask that this people which has
tanned a continent which has built
up country with n continent for its
base, which boasts itself with truth
ms the mghtiest republic that the world
has ever seem which we firmly believe
will in the century now opening rise
to a position of headship and leader
ship such as no other nation has
ever vet attained fapplause) merely
from historical analogy, / say, we
should have Il right TO demand that
such nation build good roads. Gap
plause)
Much more have we right TO de
mand il from the practical standpoint.
The difference between the semi-bar
barism of the middle ages and the
civilization which succeeded it, was
the difference between poor and good
means of communication. And we,
to whom space is less of an obstacle
than ever before in the history of any
,sation.-we- who have spanned a CONT
nent, who have thrust our border
westward In the course of century
and q quarter, until 1t has gone from
the Atlantic over the Alleganies. down
into the valley of the Mississippi |
across the great plains, over the Rock |
les, TO where the Golden Gate lets |
Pacific, and finally to Alaska and the
Arctic regions. to the islands of the
Orient, the tropic isles of the sea-we,
who take so little account of mere
space, must see to it that the best
means of multiplying the existence of
space are at our command.
OF course, during the last century
nj tlN..,, a.nlI
growth in ono kind OF road, wholly
unknown to the people of old-the
iron road. The railway is of course.
something purely modern. Now, |
great many excellent people have pro
ceeded upon the assumption that, some |
how or other, having good railways |
are a substitute for having good high |
ways-good ordinary roads. A more |
untenablc position cannot be imagined |
Applausc) What the railroad does is |
to develop the country, and. of course |
its development implies that the coun
try will need more and better roads. |
(Applause,C
A few years ago il was matter. |
am tempted to say, of national humilia
ton that there should he SO little at
ton paid TO our roads-that there
should be n willingness not merely
to refrain from making good roads,
but to let the roads that We're i'll eX
istence become worse; and l cannot
too heartily congratulate our people
upon the existence of n body such as
this. ramifying into every section of
the country, having its communica-
tons in every state of the country,
and bent upon this cminently practical
work of making the conditions of life
easier and better for the people who
of all others we can least afford to see
grow discontinued with their lot In
life-the people who live in the coun-
try districts. (Appause)
The excessive. the wholly unhcard
of rate of our industrial development
during the past seventy-tive years. to-
gether with the good sides, has had
some evil sides. 1t is Il fine thing to
see our cities built up. but not at the
expense of the country districts. Cap
plause) The healthy thing is TO see the
building up of both the city and the
country. But we cannot expect the
best, the most eager. the most amhi-
tious young men to stay in the coun
try. to stay on the farm. unless they
have certain advantages If farm life
is life of isolation and mental pow
erty, life in which it is 4 matter of
great difficulty for one man to COM
municate with his neighbor, you can
dency 10 leave 1t on the part of those
very people whom We should most
wish TO see stay on the farm.