The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-07-11
THE SPIRIT OF THE
ROAD PROVES WINNER
bhn q. wooliey Tells OF the High
way That Leads to Ruin Through
Saloons Door.
DADS RULE THE woRLr
|meFfca Owes IL to Its People That
ITS T'horoughfares Shall He Made
Safe BY Eliminating the Rum Den.

Atlantic City, ~. j., July l0.--No
idress made a more profound inn
tession than that of John q.
Fooiley on THE Spirit OF the Road.
hich was delivered In the early
burs OF the National Anti-Saioon
eague Convention. II Is rs follows;
have been listening TO the voice
the greatest Of the prophets Tween
Rive hundred years have shorn II
no resonance. The freshness or the
nspoiled intellectual morning OF the
orld still breathes In every cadence.
be urge OF elemental power still vi
rates In every tone.
You, too. have heard 1t many times.
|ut Il win be good spiritual strategy
II us 10 open up the sounding gal
tries of our coyed and tired modern
Sinds together. and let this ancient
k8Al-Aeasied1 Titan h-the- opening
bite of this convention.
HIS thesis 10 a perfected democracy.
III contention is that democratic gov
rnnnent means distribution of right.
4 power, OF opportunity. Of response
llity, and that distribution is funda-
Rentnlly a road problem. Fits objec-
W 10 the merger OF religion and poll
cs, for the development OF a God
entered civilization wherein "all the
ations Of the earth shall be blest,''
nd which already Is crudely and po-
entiaiiy anticipated in cosmopolitan
merica.
Listen ana let me read to Won arti-
)e one. section one. OF an inspired con-
kitution for Christian dgeWocracs. in
ny age:
"A high road shall there be. 1t shalt
called the road set apart for right
GUS dealing. The foul thing shall
lave no legal foothold there. Way
hring men. though fools. shall not
10 wrong thereby"
We cannot make the whole wide
tlain OF life fooi-proaf. 10 be sure,
Ind the fool we have always with US.
Ne cannot make II brute proof. either
land many men, as yet. are mere
koxious animals We cannot compel
hen to be clean. honest, sober. In
Guntrious Bnt We can keee an au-
|horitatiye suggestion of clean, fair.
character constantly
Ina increasingly before the eyes of the
ksopie and beneath their feet. In the
nv and upkeep OF the Kings high
hay. flying. from end TO end, the ban
bred warning of the law: .No thor
SuGhfare for thieves."'
There you have the true meridian
kaee line for democratic social engi-
keering. certified by elementary COM
hon sense. the plain facts OF history
ma the highest scriptuai authority.
Rocks are the bones OF any nation.
5oiis are the muscles, where the fires
81 progress never die. But roads are
Ire arteries. veins and capillaries that
kleanse, nourish and knit together the
human particles and make the body
R91Jtic 4 living soul.
Roads Rule the World.
Moads rule this worid-not kings
Aof congresses. nor courts nor consta-
ple4 nor ships nor soldiers, The road
II me only royal lire In a democracy,
ne only legislature that never changes;
khe only c0urt that never does injus-
Sc. the only police force that meter
*x04pg. the only army that never anits,
kho first aid to the redemption Of any
bakion. the exodus from stagnation In
my society the cali from savagry In
my tribe, the high priest OF prosper
Nv. after NE order Of Melchisedec.
&ithout beginning or dayn or ersl of
Iife. The road II the umpire In. every
|ySr. and when the new map Ii made.
Y f1mply pushes on its KreAt cannpafRn
81 help. hope, brotherhood. efficiency
Ma peace.
q The Roman Empire has been dead
sof centuries But Roman roads stfIl
btrefch faneir mighty arms IN full
6a1ioftcent efficiency untuuched BY
Mid; Tor kings may come and dynAs-
~ 1aay "a. hut reads reign On FIR
The union or Engiara A. 4 ssssts@--ss
kyro hundred years ago, was not ~
Ifoked By. the fighttng Of their arnaie1
81 the bargaining Of their kings. hui
81 the laying Of the great north r0ad
(eSm London to marlborough and on
A Inward to the sea, IL = s$s
sllinnticn N ftrrt of All 4 rood
y ~ prpp oaffic15. Highways have ~.
i n 6o<e rinod - location ~ xn1-