The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1904-09-10
coon ROADS.

III MS 1~tAAHtHSN 0f
said;
81 shall recommend new laws on
the subjects of roads, aud shall ca
deavor to provide a system whereby
good roads can be built from q end
Of the state to the other. AS n of
the steps in that direction, l shall ad-
wise that the railroad commissioners
be made state highway commissioners,
with authority to look after and over
see the construction Of public roads. -
nMr. Folks enabled TO make good
this promise, his name viii be re-
membered In this connection when
every other effort and every other
achievement OF his life have beer for
gotten. Without meaning at all to
disparage the efforts which Mr.. Folk
has put forth looking to greater In
tegrity in the public service, it must
be said, If experience is a reliable
guide, that the results will be tran
Sient, so far as they are accomplished
by statutes and prosecutions. But
no state ever lapsed from good roads
to bad; and if he can inaugurate an
era of road building, propagate a sort
of mania for perfect and permanent
roads he will find a comfortable place
awaiting him in history.
And why should it be impossible to
accomplish this result? The time is
surely ripe and conditions are crying
out for betterment. Missouri is the
fifth state in the union in wealth and
population. In explored possibilities
it is the first. In the character of
roads it is the worst in this latitude
and one of the worst in any latitude.
1t is not poverty or debt that stands
in the way. Exclusive Of school tax
we have found that 10 cents on the
500 valuation yields abundant
revenue to sustain an admirable state
government with its excellent penal
and eleemosynary institutions; while
In Kansas and Illinois so cents, and
10 Nebraska As cents on the 500 is
required for the same purpose. In
coal and the really useful metals,
iron lead, zinc, Missouri ranks with
the first, and it's agricultural region
is unrivaled. 1t has seven or eight
Of the finest of the great trunk lines
Of railroad traversing its territory. 1t
has two of the great cities Of the con-
tinent and two Of the great rivers OF
the world. But its roads would not
be a credit to Bolivia or Argentine
Republic. Its roads belong to the
age of the OK cart and the wooden
mould board pillow.
And what is the result Of this state
of affairs? Land owners are pouring
, into the towns and the country Ii
! given over to tenant %husbandry. The
freest, the noblest, the wholesomest
occupation Of mar is d%lscredited an6
a pusilanimous town bicycler Scorns q
t country Jehu. Fine country roads
means fine stock, fine country homes
line countrY,people.
The robust virtues have ever beer
virtues Of countrY-men and whole,
some sentiments belong In higher
degree to those who live far from
the jargon Of trade. Rome in two
thousand years did not produce
poet or a patriot, and no song wa
ever written Of a city home.
II VIC are ever to have good roads
In Missouri the matter is to be pressed
now. When this becomes a state OIL
y tenant farmers 1t will be too late.
We will have tenant fences, tenant
farm houses, tenant roads. Ia that
day we will have city morals in oul
legislatures, in our courts, 10 all ouI
public life. City politics will domi-
nate the republic aud the spirit Of
imperialism and exploitation will
run riot in this country as it has
done 10 England since the invention
OF the steam engine and the Inaugural
tion Of the age OF pig iron.