The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1905-05-25
A PRESSING QUESTION.


the 56th Congress will not reach con-
sideratiOn of the question OF National
aid to good roads, but it is about as
certain as any uncOnsummated thing
can be, that it will be recognized dur
ing the life of that body. There is
prevalent in the minds of thoughtful
men such unanimity of sentiment and
| conclusion as to the necessity for
good roads, and the fact is so well set
tied that there can be no systematic
construction of roads without govern
ment operation, that it is hard to
see how it can be much longer delay
ed. While agitation for good wagon
ways is as old as the first settlement
in our system of civilization, it has
been until within the past few years
| subOId inate to the wonderful extern
sion of railroad Ines. In the earlier
days of the republic the duty and OBJ
! legation of the government to aid in
| the construction of wagon roads in
| the States was not seriously denied.
| The necessity for government aid is
admitted almost everywhere, only
four or five of the wealthier States
| pointing to the exception, and these
without exception advocate govern
ment cooperation. President RoOse-
welt not long ago, speaking on the
subject, declared good roads the
main hope of retaining the energies
of our young people in the country,
and thus stop the flow from country
to city; where every avenue of bust
ness is already overcrowded. Other
eminent men contend for good roads
on the ground that the farmer, the
first and most important producer of
wealth, ought to be placed in position
to hold his crop and market it at the
| most favorable opportunity, whereas
under bad roads he is virtually under
compulsion to sell it as soon as it is
| matured. because the roads may be-
come impossible at any time during
the fall, winter or spring. The intel
ligent people Of town and city plead
for good roads because food they con
sumo must come from the farm and be
paid for according as it is able to
reach the market. The farmer, She
mainstay and dependence of the gov
eminent in every emergency, feels
that his substance is annually swal-
lowed up in the unhappy conditions
that deny him reasonable market
communication at his best time to
sell He is disconnected at his lot
when remembering that he pays so
per cent. of all the taxes, and yet re-
ceives no direct consideration at the
hands of the government, while un-
numbered millions haye been given
from the National treasury to better
conditions everywhere except upon
the farm. The man who digs out of
the soil that which sustains all pro-
gress and prosperity knows that while
government aid has been lavish ed
upon railroads and ocean going com
merce, net one dollar, since the con
struction of the old Cumberland road,
has been expended by the United
States TO facilitate commerce between
the farm and the market. 1t is no
wonder. in view of all this, that the
agricultural classes look upon the
N,4;Dnnl 70 Good Roads
ment as promising their long deferred
material salvation. 1t is no wonder
that the farmer has gotten up from
the bedrock of his free-thOught and
reason fully aroused to the fact that
unless he can have better roads his
business is failure, and must there
fore be abandoned; and it is this that
gives strength to the cause of better
roads, BECAUSE we are all dependent
on the farm. The question of Nation
al aid to good roads is absolutely
above and beyond the realm of party
politics. 1t is advocated by strong
men of every political faith, and no
man desiring the best in the material
deyeloment and continuing great
ness of the country will seek to inject
into it any element of party prejudice.
To do so would be to detract from
proposition at once seriously impor-
tant to the commercial, industrial
and social advancement of all the
people in every part of the land, and
would be a sacrilege to be despised.
The Good Road question is Il pressing
question which, soon or late, will
have to be recognized by National
aid in cooperation with the st ates
We hope the 59th Congress will enact
into law the Observation-Disclosures bills,
with the provisions of which the
country is already more or less famil-
lar.