The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1908-02-08
SHALL The FARMERS HAVE AID
FOR HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT
r. The Fee Lance

- at It ttt Lance.
l bel ~ tu That class OF Amsric Al l,,.,,-
pie called farmers, "a class clusid.ren bv
many quite ts~entitsi TO tue wellare ,,f
the hatiuD, a class IRON u Inch the cities
get Their recruits To cave them iiou go-
lnH into decay, a Slssss Ia whOs,, kuil no
seeds oi auatchS have ever heen or ever
Will be piented
We hOid these truths to be- ~ fevident
hat the eohulusu Ot tie hignNays II
this country Is bad. that Thy az, not be-
luS imp owed ~ ~ 10 meet the Levd aud
Use required OF them, that The ,st.rl b,
wh'Ch these nie Ia ~nss are in,pf,,v-o l.
oau, that under the pft sent rNsl,tu tue, q
l. no hope iOr aay p,rmauent improve
inent Tor "a number VI yes.fs al least
GOOd rOaOs aIe Necessary 10 business
essay 10 pisa-u,e, nrcrssafy for
health, necessary iOr reputation aad "A
yOOu name. 1Ouu roads viii not c,ju,,,
to US 10 benefit aud bless. IKE sun-uiu.
vino and rain, Without * euse but wi.,
rqulte sy ste N uIOn-y abu labor u bullc
them.
In no country have good, permanent
ROADS ever been buut without old fnrd
super VISION n pHrtD iiOm state or
g-Derai government
We admit that uu' ing tLe last tWent, =
nve ears much money auu IaLor' have
Oeen eXpenued IA tue niguWals fur their
improve ment, but thu imprOv, m-nt has
not kept pace with the Increased amount
Of travel aud the Increased amount ol
freight carried over them, aud now they
are not as good AS they We're "A humber
oil years back and lot at all ii fJr heAv,
Z. affic
The highways Of the sR'iln in fact.
though act d. name. teiui = 10 tie va
ton, aud are for the use aud Ueneut oi
all The people aud not ior tne farmer
aioG,. Tie miliiOl are aud the auper
have Dual lights Ia the Use Ut the high
way 81 the CO Iutlts aud State " he tner
good oF bad
very large portion of the wealth ol
our State has never cOutti uteu to th,
Improvement OF the highways. tnouab
sharing Ia AL benstit- Of theal.
The imprOv, meuts Up 10 the prrsen,
time, win f~w excvpJioas, have all beei
made 10y the farmers aud olt the expens,
" the la mers alone. TIE farmers hAv,
expended In money and labor cariug N,
past centur. hundreds aud thousands o
dollars To make the roads We now have.
poor though they are. They have lai,
the iOuuuatiuu Tor most Of our hig wayi
and now call for aid Tor the supeIstruc
ture To make II, IN such as ths want
aud conditions require
without Aid the progress must neces
safily be slow Educated brains and ID
ucated experience are wanted as we'll a.
money. We want intelligent supervisor,
10 zee that the money appropriated /,
not wasted, but briuAs IA uOilar's wortl
oi good for every dollar spent Shall ia,
tarmer- have the aid that ughtfuly be
longs To thrm2
! We most earnestly ask the men VIII,
lrgislate Tor u to broaden their views u
the need Ui good highways If We are {,
have continued prosperity, and .direcl
money aud labor into channels that vii
permanently impiov~ our highways anc
bring benefits aud blessings To all oui
people and add auch To the growth .
our country.
Great loss has been sustained by rea
son Of bad roaus. In the future. uuies,
we have better highways, We cannoi
hope To successfully compete with pro
ducers in States which have highway
over which they can transport thell
products 10 market at one-fourth th,
cost OF carrying the same on our high
ways. Thus three-fourth of the cost o
transportation saved would in verJ
short time amount to enough to make
first-class roads of every important high
way In the State.
At this particular time we wish to re-
mind our lawmakers that this State has
been made wealthy and great by the
sons IL honest toll and not by those W he
profit by the labor Of the farmer auc
manufacturer by making exchanges and
| finding markets. Ana Yet. under ouI
present laws, they share equally with the
farmer in all the benefits.
Shall this enormous wealth, which has
10 the past been exempt from aiding
highway Improvement v hile receiving
it's benefits, be made to contribute its
proper share Ia the future. or shall the
farmers continue TO bear the burden
alone?
Has ingratitnde taken such a strong
hold on the people that the word justice
has no longer any meaning-iRgratitude
to the Creator, iDgratitude 10 the
toilers Of the natioD2 Let Us Danish the
word from our thoughts and look up-
ward aud forward. Let the word
paternalism have no terror In this dag
AID time TO frighten men who legislats
for u.s. Let US substitute for the word
patsrnalism the words gratitude aDC
I justice. When thess words by those WHIT
make our laws are well considered anc
have their full meaning the farmer viii
have aid In improving aud making pc
manent highways.
Yours for good roads,
s Judssln Clarke