The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-03-02
Kansas Comment
ROAD RULES.

Road Hogs" - an expres6ion met
with frequently all over this country,
ana by its users means variety Of
things There IL the road hog who
Insists on slkimming along at danger
Gus speed: the road hog who refuses
to let you pass or to give any Of the
road when you meet him; and the
man who turns the wrong way when
these the last mentioned IL certainly
the most dangerous. You swear at
the man who gets you in q narrow
place behind his walking team ana
then refuses to give an inch. while you
grind along on low ana eat his dust:
and you try to zee how close you can
come to the man who knows his team
IL not afraid, 80 holds the middle Of
the road ana lets You get past in tho
ditch q best you may: But these men
they are going to do. or rather what
they are not going to do, and act ac-
cording1y. 1t IL the man who turns
| to the left when you start the same
way, or to the right when you expect
him to go to the left. who causes the
real danger. FAR too often motor We
htcles especially pass on the road at
q rate Of speed higher than II really
safe. If both parties know what the
other IL going to do. however, there
Y no real danger. ~ q rule: Turn to
the right" IL the universal road rule
in meeting veichles in this country.
observed both in city ard country
driving. And lead vehicle, right,
rear vehicle. left IL the rule when one
suto would pass another or an auto
road laws. requiring slower animal
drawn vehicles to give half the road
to q following auto ana that on the
left side. Failure to do this IL punish
able by fine. and any accident result
ing from failure to1give the road when
the following vehicle asks for 1t il
chargeable to the driver of the We
hfcle refusing. There are many far
mers who seem to have an Unborn
hatred Of the man who drives an auto.
the ditch or hold him back and make
him ''eat their dust" The farmers
ought to realize that the automobile
men are doing moro for them in the
way Of good roads than any other
class, or than they can expect to have
first learn what the road rules are and
then observe them.-Wichita Eagle.
A NEEDED REFORM.
Senator Gore - innocent and penni-
less-by decree Of the court. Technical
decree OF the court, but practically he
is. because. owing to the modern adj
ministration Of law, it took all of his
modest competence to employ the at
torneys and collect the evidence neces-
sary to secure the verdict that was rem
dered by tho jury. Senator Gore was
innocent but the public had no way Of
knowing he was innocent until the
facts were brought out in court and
! the world was permitted to see the
f1imsy texture Of this attack on his
character. The court procedure was
necessary since his enemies carried out
the plot they did. and 1t IL fine that
he could rehabilitate himself through
legal process. The objection is not to
that-but to the enormous cost Of tho
procedure. Yet Senator Gore had thou
sands where many litigants had but
hundreds. or even nothing: IL the
court procedure pauperixed Gore, what
Is to be said Of what It does to thou
sands less able even than the blind
senator to defend themselves in court?
1t makes a farce OF the free justice
supposed to be guaranteed under q re-
publican form OF government. The
Gore case will serve then, to awaken
the public mind still more to the neces-
sity of simpler and less expensive legal
processes. In this part Of the world
the Kansas City Star IL leading in the
agitation for the reform. The bar
should help In working out the reform
but unfortunately the bar IL the most
reacttonary institution in the country.
But sooner or later. either with or
without the aid Of a majority of the
members OF the bar. this reform will be
aecure0.-Ph1llfp8 County Poat