The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1906-02-08
judge Burkhead on Good Roads.
Douglas County Herald,

! llONSLUDtsD JAN IAh1
There can be nothing so dear to the
people Of this country as their home
surroundings, and these cannot reach
the high American aim without good
roads. The building OF good roads i,
al improvement that will not only las'
forever, but one that will enhance the
value OF real estate and the value OF
everything that is produced on the
farm, and be a saving of millions to the
producers You may call me what you
please, but | believe in internatiopa'
improvements. Make this grand old
commonwealth bloom like a garden by
! making the public roads what they
should be, and call the proposition one
Of Democratic, CoXey or Republican
! origin afterwards, but make the inn
provement first, and thus make the
people even more happy and contented.
Make this one question an issue. and
demand legislation and you will get it.
Why should the national or state gov
ernment hesitate TO do what is of such
vast Importance TO everyone? The
people own the government and the
greatest benefit to the greatest number
should be meeted out, but il the people
who are the most interested remain
quiet and fail to assert themselves,
men who are directly interested in
other projects will assert themselves
and the money Of the government and
OF the state will continue to be spent.
as 1t has in the past. How many men
in the l4th Congressional district, who
want the best of roads, and we all do,
have got together on this question and
demanded action BY Congress. How
many of us care enough about 1t to do
so? You may say that that man has q
hobby, he is road crank, and you can
say with equal force and truthfulness
that "Sivcr Dick" Bland was silver
crank, and had hobby. You can put
the same declaration to yourself. II
you want anything why not ask for it?
II we have right to it, why not dc.
mand IL? Nothing of this kind wa
avnp dom, nj bnnt n nj In
Congress, with the aid Of the state,
should get back to the cradle of al
material wealth; TO the starting point
of all transportation: to the infant OF
all industries; send the money back to
the heart Of the nation, from whence il
cane, to build roads over which to
start the provisions Of the world, anu
thus strengthen the corner stone, in-
stead of donating large sums of money
TO aid the fellow who has climbed over
the infant and reached the top story
and lives in af1luence. No man should
object to another, in an honorable way,
climbing up, but he should not BE-
favored more than the one who re-
mains cn the ground floor and contin-
ues TO produce what the other fellow
eats. Square deal talk is ali right, but
square deal action is better. There is
a wholesome lesson in the phrase, 'Do
religion" II all the money that has
been spent in cleaning out rivers,
money that was absolutely thrown
away, that never benefited the gov
ernment, had been spent on the public
roads Of the land. there would not be Il
public road in the country that the
heaviest loads could not be carried
over it. And there would not be a
church or school house in the land
that could not be comfortably reached
at all times, and the same is true Of all
local markets. The rich corporation
are prepared to take care of all trans
portation after it reaches their depots,
and glad TO do so for valuable cOnsid-
GRAFTON. No need OF helping them
they can make fortunes helping them
selves. II this don't find its way to the
waste basket you may hear from mo
again along these lines.
Yours for better roads,