The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1903-12-17
GOOD ROADS

paper on one of the most important sub
jects affecting the American people to-
day. 1t seems to me like your commit
tee made mistake in putting one on
the programme who is being talked OF
as road crank. You know people don't
like cranks. never have liked them
very we'll myself since my daddy licked
me and made me turn the crank to the
grindstone, but if we were all little
more cranky on the subject l don't
think we would have such muddy roads.
If you will bear with me will give my
idea about national aid, and last but not
least, what the people should do and my
plan for making good roads. Old men
tell me that dirt roads are very little
better than they were Is years ago. If
they are any better don't know how
they ever got over them.
During the three-fourths of a century
the development of manufacturing and
other industries of the country, particu-
larly of railroads has been wonderful.
Yet we people who live in the rural
districts still travel over the same
muddy roads. Now it lies with the peo-
pie to say whether we shall have good
roads in the next 5, 10 or 20 years or
whether we and our prosperity shall
continue to travel through mud the rest
of our lives. This government belongs
to us. Men come to us every 2 years
asking our votes in order to represent
us in the halls of congress. Hundreds
of millions are taken from the treasury
of the United States and spent in the
Philippines, while we travel the same
muddy roads. Congress has just appro-
priated s3,OO0000 to be used on the
roads there to give them employment.
Now when candidate comes before
us seeking our votes to elect him to
Congress, let us ask him if he will vote
for an appropriation of S20000,000 by
the government to improve tho roads
throughout the country so that our mail
can be brought to us by the rural free
delivery. 1t took few farmers in con-
gress to make up the House of Repre-
sentatives On the question of giving the
people free delivery of mail in the rural
districts. We have been spending
s17,OO0,000 year to deliver the mail to
the people who live in cities, 4 to 10
times day. People who have beauti-
full streets and electic railways so that
they can ride chere in 5 minutes or
walk there in ten, because in nearly all
large cities they have sub-stations
every half mile or SO. Yet we people
whogliye in rural districts 5 or 6 miles
from the post office have to walk or do
without our mail. When the farmers
demanded this the opposition said, 1--WE
cannot do that, it will bankrupt the
government" and today the free rural
delivery is nearly self sustaining. 1t is
required that 100 residents live on a %
mile route to get r. F. d., and if you
have a bad road and no bridges you will
not get it.
| hold that the farmer who lives in
the back woods is part of the govern
ment and has the same rights as the one
in the more thickly settled section, and
he will get them if he will only demand
it of the representatives in Congress
We want to organize in every township
and county in the United States. We
want to tell the government that VIC
want good roads and we want them tc
help us. l will tell you why we have
not had any aid in the last rs years, il
is because we have sent men to Con
gress who live in cities. They get bill!
They have the rivers and harbors i'm
proved. We want the principle Of ma
tional aid recognized. Then we wan
to go to our representative and tell hin
we want that principle recognized, ant
we will not stand by him unless he does
hen we will get 10, 20 or S50,000,00O
We have surplus in the treasury ane
yet we poor farmers in the rural dis
tricts have bad roads.
Men who live in the cities don't OBJ
ject to have their property taxed to i'm
prove the streets, because it enhances
the value of his property, it's the hide
bound farmer swho lives in the countr,
that objects. give iloosened the hide OF
a few of them this summer myself. In
here to tell you it took lots of flashing
to do it, but when did get it done i
changed the color of their glasses. W.
will say raise tax of $4,000 in town
ship, the state $4,000, and the govern
ment $4,000 making total of $4,000 t.
spend in that township. Whose road i
it when it is done? 1t is our road. VIII
deos the work on that road? We hav
teams we can pay on our taxes with
few days work. That $4,000 is put i
circulation in the township and count