Mexico weekly ledger., 1905-09-21

III iuCAl AGHLCIt Wv AZ
petition printed in the LEDGER q few
weeks ago is sufficient proof. After al
diligent anyass OF several days about
sixty names were secured, a few Of
whom were farmers, a few town poll
tieians some OF whom owned horses
and some OF whom are the owners Of a
very little OF anything. The thousand
and one citizens Of the progressive ele-
ment who were approached and refused
to c~ountenance this moss back-ism are
not taken into consideration, but
when you do consider them it Is quite
easy TO see that the moSs-back element
is quite Insignificant either In num-
bers or moral weight. The automo-
bile is one Of the late inventions with
too much utility to be discarded, it Isl
here to stay Just as is every contriy-
ance OF approved usefulness. The
person who becomes used TO the auto
mobile will never return to the SLOW
and announcement travel OF the horse
no more than will he discard the rail-
road and its advantages, yet the horse
will always have his niche in useful
ness, neither the vehicles propelled by
steam or electricity will supercede him
nor will the automobile but the auto
mobile will aid man in his business
and pleasure and become a permanent
vehicle in the industries OF life. These
same moSs-backs and their ancestors
opposed the use Of the reaper, the car
rage, the railroad. the electric car,
the steam t~hresher, and all Of the
other improvements for the better
ment OF mankind. A horse viii now
and then scare at 1t, especially In the
hands Of awkward drivers, but among
the farmers where there is an inteili-
gent handling OF horses there is not
the slightest danger or trouble. Us
ually the horse is timid because the
driver Is and this is due to a lack OF
knowledge of the horse and how to
handle him. This reminds me OF the
lady whose horse when being properly
handled did not scare but stood COM
posed in the presence Of the auto and
when she discovered this expressed her
disappointment by saying: We'll, II
my horse amt afraid | am and that's
ust as bad"
The most regretful thing about the
Judges agitation is the impression he
has created OF our people away from
home. He has gotten his mossback-
ism into the papers all over the coun-
try, and while the fact OF opposition
to the machine within itself is not so
much people away from here, viii re-
gard this as representing the compos-
tie sentiment OF the greater number
Of our people thereby giving them a
false impression Of Us.
Twenty-Five years ago Missouri was
known throughout the United States
as the "robber state" yet there was
but one gang Of robbers here which
confined its operations to only one or
two counties and composed Of not over
a half a dozen men. Unfriendly
sources TO the state paraded this one
gang till the impression was extensive
throughout the country that all Of the
people OF the state we're robbers or In
sympathy with that crime.
This opposition 10 the automobile
will be looked upon as a symptom OF
moss. back-ism in our county, it will
retard immigration which will keep
down the prices Of cur lands, it will
divert homeseekers away from Us be-
cause 1t will be taken as evidence OF
our want Of progress. For a number
Of years we have been asking ourselves
why our real estate is not as high
priced as 1t is in other states similarly
situated. Just such things as this
going abroad about us coming from a
comparatively few is why such c0ndl-
tions have happened and will continue.
Now we are being laughed at both in
and out Of the state. Only yesterday
a letter was received by a MAT Of this
county from4a personal friend In a
distant state calling attention to the
auto protest Published in a Chicago
paper.
The letter stated that the news
Item had been read in . public place
10 a tone OF derislon for Audrain cOun-
~. much to the regret OF The writer,
who had- formerly lived here. and
knowing our people did not consider
the protest a fair example Of IA in
telllgence. What We want is more
progress, more autos, better roads and
less opposition 70 up-to-date civiliza-
ton II there we're fault TO find With
the operation Of the machines IN our
community that would be another
question which can be regulated by
the Automobile law Of this state, but
Judge Kendall himself compliments
the owners in their management Of
the machine and puts himself down
squarely as opposed to the use Of 1t on
The roads and streets lie forgets
that the owner Of the auto has the
same right on the public pad with his
machine as has the owner Of the
horse or OK with his means OF transit.
Ii is a matter Of equal right Of the
highway and appfehend will finally
be compelled 70 give away Just as all
moss-back-isms have Ia the past and
always win when coming into contact
with the intelligent experiences Of the
more progressive element. II is to be
regretted that the Judges disposi-
ton to advertise himself as a leader Of
a movement will result In doing our
county harm and place our people in q
very unenviabie attitude before other
a~omunnfflos fhrcuohnu tho eann-