Evening journal., 1912-05-09

from the character. the intelligence, and
the virility of the men before me, mus.
result in the improvement of your roads, I,
and in the confirmation and the accept
ance and the full discharge of the obli-
CATION which you people assume in ac-
ceptng the magnificent gift Of General
DUPONT.
Roads and Progress.
Il would not. for a moment. discuss
with an audience of this intelligence the
advantage OF improved roads, good roads,
and as good roads as you can get. Every
man here who reads. knows that all the
progress OF civilization the world over,
in all ages, has resulted and has only
advanced contemporaneously with good
highways of every character.
Caesar could never have advanced the
outposts of Rome and carried the civiliza-
ton of that enlightened section of Italy
into the waste and barren fields of the
barbarians without roads that had ante.
dated him, that had preceded. The civil
lization in that part OF the world dates
practically to the establishment of high
wavs of that character, and though Caes-
ar has done many things that history is
somewhat uncertain about the advantage
Of, no one would deny the value of the
roads, and they stand as an enduring
monument today of his greatness and-to
/ the achievements of that era.
"As we go right down through history
Napoleon could never have set up the
pinnacle of his great military power
without the assistance of those same
roads. General Kitchener never could
have reclaimed the body of the gallant
Gordon in the middle of the African con-
tinent, the Sudan, without first advanc.
ing the roads. And you, gentlemen, can.
not place your State in the forefront Of
prosperity and claim that you have dis
charged your obligations TO the natural
inheritance that your State has afforded
you without making your roads com
mcnsurate To the greatness of the state
and making them compare favorably
with the roads Of other states.
Practical Question.
I'VE are dealing with practical ques
tion. not a problematical matter, not ;
theory, not an academic proposition, bu
with demonstrated fact. The object
lessons are so numerous, so perfect,
: clear, that any man can read them as HI
runs. There is no question about the valu
of this investment from any standpoin
that you may care to approach it from
] would argue it with man who want
a dollar and half for every dollar h
. invests, and l will prove it to hin
that he cannot do better than TO inves
his money in this character of security
] can prove it to every man who has al
interest in a higher civilization that h
cannot raise the level of his citizenshi
, unless he gives it am opportunity of con
stant, uninterrupted communication wit
. its several units
! II can settle the question of the hig
! cost OF living by the introduction and th
extension OF good roads through thi
4 State and the other states of the Unioi
. The farm boy would stay on the fari
q with the education of college if he ca
enjoy what he is entitled to have-tf
: right and the facility and the means
i meeting his neighbor at all points, j
n respective OF people, whom he has a rigl
e to know and be concerned about.
Keep Them on Farms.
e "Gentlemen, you can't keep educate
Il men on your farms; you can't NAL
3 them serve the purpose of feeding poop
r. IN the cities without you give them son
of the comforts and some OF the IN.
% uries which you gentlemen of the citi
is have reserved for your own peculiar il
terests.
,e "Ihe general government has Civ,
" them the railroads. the telephone cor
"a pany has given them the telephone. an
n. they are not content and expect to
n marooned eight or nine months out
Z the year on sand-hill with an impas
80 able road connecting them or separatii
:, them from the points or centers Of i
= terest which they have a right TO Wis
- Gentlemen. the railroads and the tel
phone, with good roads, give them e
tcrtainment for their towns wheney
they want to visit them. and they W
". take TO the land OF Delaware and I
VI land of every State in the Union, if tn
en- are given what they were denied in The
DE youth. They won't stay in your citi
re and accept conditions that don't col
pare fsvorablv with the country. v
or have the breadth and the horizon
or plenty of space; VIC have Gods gre
y grass; we have the canopy of heav
on which isn't interierred with by smol
so dust or other noises that so disturb II
ly sensitive ears when | am compelled
as make YOU visit; but our youth is
ell spired and il wants to broaden out;
nd wants TO come in contact. and Just
IL YOU give them the facility TO nc
lot around uninteruptedly between ca
other and enioy some of the thin
which You people place a premium up
lb- they are going to stay on the FAR
OF and they are going TO raise The best c
.er izenship that any country in the wo
TO can be called upon. In times OF sire
ith in times OF great need you 20 TO
re- country boy. He has the advantages