The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-12-11

Of commerce that leads out among
the farmers that IS far more import
ant than each Of these, and without
this little avenue Of commerce none
of these other great avenues could eX-
ist for moment, that is, the little
country road. Then why, why spend
millions and millions of dollars to i'm
prove rivers and harbors and to help
railroads and neglect the farmers
lines of commerce. the lines Of COM
merce that are keeping up this coun-
try? Why9
Someone has spoken Of the benefits
Of good roads. T shall not detain you
for that. I shall say that good roads
will save time and labor, wear and
tear, and give US cheaper and easier
transportation. Those questions have
been touched upon and I shall not de-
tain you.
One thing I want to say is this, af-
ter we have got the sentiment, when
we get the funds, we have got along
with that, Legislation, local legisla-
ton, I am not talking now about ma
tional aid, T am not talking about ma
tional legislation, but I am coming
down to local legislation. Before I
say that, I want to say this, that Is,
in the early days Of this Republic, the
roads, a great many Of them, were
built by the national government. The
national government paid for them.
After the advent Of the steam rail-
way it was thought that the railroads
would take the place Of the public
roads to a great exter and they quit
building public roads, they turned the
whole matter Of maintaining public
roads over to the State and from the
State the whole subject of the roads
has fallen to the counties and there
it rests today in a great many States.
Now. a thing We want to do is to get
our people thoroughly reused in the
subject Of country roads, so that they
will vote in favor Of men who are in
terested in good roads, and vote
against men who oppose good roads.
And there is a fine sense of Judgment
to detect who is the right kind Of man
to elect. because there are Judas Is
carrots among the politicians as we'll
as among other people. As I said
awhile ago you can't find a man but
what is in favor Of good roads, but if
YOU question him as to his plans you
will find that his plans are prohibi-
tory and impracticable, and if put in
operation they would defeat the very
purpose that he tells you that he fa-
vors.
But now how is the poor little rur-
al carrier going to manage that ques-
tion? We are told We must steer
clear of politics, and so we must, but
I tell you, Mr.. President, it is a great
temptation when you see a candidate
going around over your country talk
ing good roads and you know full we'll
that that candidate is not going to
do a thing for good roads, and you
know another man who will, and you
know he is honest, it is a great
strain on YOU to keep from going into
politics and boosting the man YOU
know will give you the good roads.
Now, I am done except this, and I
have been excepting for some little
bit now. It is a great question Of
economy, how to keep people from
flocking to the cities; that is one Of
the great questions we have been con-
tending with for years. Why do peo-
pie leave the farm with all it's attrac-
tions and move into the busy scenes
Of city life? Why? Because we are
living in an age Of progress. We are
living in an age when people wish to
be up with the times. They move to
the town. they tell you, to educate
their children: to be in closer contact
with the age in which they are liv-
ing. Now. then. there is but one way
to turn this great tide that is sweep
ing toward tn it,ovcten ?Lhatttrof
ing toward the city, one way to turn
them back to the country and to rur-
al life. and that is to give them the
attractions upon the farm that they
have in the city: give them the tele-
phone line: give them the best school
facilities that are possible. Give them
the r. F. D. service. which they al
ready have. so that they can have
their dailv papers to read: and last