The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1911-10-20

him from all competition of free Ia
Dor and free capital, as nobody wants
to get out and build roads.
/ believe in working convicts on
the roads and it would be an incen-
tive to any farmer not to commit a
crime that was liable to put him In
the penitentiary, because If there Is
anything a farmer does hate to do,
above all things, it is to work on the
public roads.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, after
all that has feen said, this congress
the ways to build roads, believe
the only way to succeed is to get into
politics; for unless you do get into
politics 70 r legislators, and, by the
way, Mr.. Chairman Congressman
Sweet of Michigan), you being con-
gresham, will say few words for
your benefit. As l had occasion t.
pass through Washington, D. G., a
few months ago, called ON my coh-
gresham from home, also my sena-
tor, Mr.. Poindexter. They were aw.
fully glad to see me and my wife,
shook hands with US and gave us a
nice chair to sit down in-by the
way, the chair was furnished by the
government-and were indeed aw-
fully glad to see US; awfully glad 10
furnish one of their clerks to show
us through the Capitol down into tho
congressional library, because the Or
/ Il la nv vy{cft I'M n
Washington who had never seen the
congressional library, taken in there,
behold sight that amazes them.
They are COMPOUNDED and don't come
to until after they leave Washington.
Mr.. Congressman knows all of this,
and, for fear you might ask him for
something that would benefit good
roads, or something else, he knows
that furnishing you clerk to show
you around town is the easiest way
to get rid of you; and as rule peo-
pie go away from Washington hug
ging themselves and saying, What
a nice congressman we have there p
On the other hand, Mr.. Chairman,
you being congressman, you can
vouch for the tr thfulness of my
statemtnt. That all other interests
have lobbyists in Washington whom
you meet every day around your ho-
tells, around your offices, accompany
you to the theatre and make them
selves generally a good-fellow all
around. You see them constantly
But the poor fellow at home, who
needs the roadside farmer, the
country minister who tries to lead a
procession-a funeral procession,
and should the team not be a good
one conveying corpse to the GEN.
etery, it is stuck in the mud-they
are at home working to produce the
money to pay the taxes TO keep you
in congress. Of course you hardly
ever think of this until it comes time
for your next campaign. You start
out through the country to visit all
your constituents, tell them what you
try to do for them, that those other
fellows down there wouldn't let you
do anything. That what you'll dc
if they send you back won't be a
little; l know this to be a fact and
so do you, for the reason that the
organization l belong to pays a man
to stay in Washington all the time
congress is in session, to look out for
our interests.
Therefore, Mr.. President, l would
recommend to you that every good
road organization in this land hold
| their conventions when your legisla-
| lures are in session in the several
different states; also have somebody
in congress lobbying for good roads
for national support-the national
aim.
Why, Mr.. President, the congress
of this United States will have spen,
five hundred millions of dollars on
the Panama canal before it will be
finished and fortified, and l will ven
ture to say that, as an investment,
it never will pay one-half of one per
cent of the invested; whereas, if our
national government would appropri-
ate five hundred million dollars every
time they meet for national highways
the benefits and interest on thu
money would be something beyond
the average mans or woman's con-
ception.
AS you know very well, congress
men and senators have so much OF
Uncle Sans money to be apportioneo
out to the different localities and this
is usually put out in a way to catch
the most votes. This old hobby of
rivers and harbors is about worn out.
| think 1t is time congress took UP
the question of building good roads.
Now, Mr.. President, ladies and
gentlemen, all the railroads in the
United States have been built from
the peoples money. The railroad
protector or organizer will come
along to organize the big trans-con-
tinental railroad. He puts it on pa
per that he is bonding his railroad
for money to build with, but it is no.
bond on the railroad; it is a bond
on the people who live in the tengi-
tory where the railroad is to be con-
structed. The people of this great
state of Illinois have paid for every
foot Of railroad within the confines
of its state. Now, why can't they pay
for the uilding of roads for them
selves? The average farmer in the
state of Illinois pays more in the
way of time and feed to his team,
wear and tear on his vehicle to haul
his products to the railroad, than he
OayS the railroad comnanv to haul II