The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1916-10-06
help KEEP UP
THE ROADS
Good Roads Are a Personal
Responsibility.

Perhaps no other feature of civic
reform or improvement of recent
years has attracted SO much atten-
tion as that of road building. All
over our broad land from ocean to
ocean, from the lakes to the gulf,
the wave of enthusiasm is rolling.
The people are realizing that they
must have better roads, and the
machinery of government in its
taxing capacity is being ever more
and more strained to meet this de-
mand.
But while there is certain re-
sponsibility resting upon the state
i'll the maintenance of our high
ways, we are in danger of forget
ting that even a greater responsible
ity rests upon us, individually, as
citizens. The reason why we some
times lose sight of this RESPONSE
bility is that we Americans have
gotten into the habit of working
out all such matters through the
medium of taxation. If we want a
new road opened, we levy a tax.
If we want an old road mecadam-
lied, we tax some more. If a
bridge is to be built, we impose
another tax. We tax and we keep
OH taxing, and this regardless of
the fact that we all know that the
hardest money to give up is that
which is paid in taxes. Many a
man will come to town and spend
in day enough to pay his yearly
taxes and think nothing of it.
But he will sweat drops of blood AZ
it were when the tax gatherer
rounds him up.
We depend too much upon taxes.
We should depend more upon in-
dividual and personal effort. A
lively neighborhood interest in
good roads is worth all of the tax
es you can wiring from unwilling
pocketbooks. A determination by
a united citizenship of county
that their roads shall excell is
worth more than all of the road
commissioners in existence. Road
commissioners work through de-
vious ways to reach their object.
1he united sentiment of people
work direct to the object. 1t de-
termines what is wanted and then
takes the most direct route to ac-
complish its ends.
Do you favor better roads in this
community? Then go to work
and arouse healthy community
sentiment that will demand them.
When that is accomplished good
roads will be the result.
And just few words more.
Realize your own responsibility.
Say to yourself, the roads of this
community belong partly to me
and owe a duty to them" Don't
depend OH benevolent govern
ment, national, state, county o.
township. but shoulder your own
responsibility. Then you will be
in fair way to get your neighbor
to do likewise.
Seven states will vote upon pro-
hibition November Z. They are
California, Montana, Michigan,
Nebraska, South Dakota, Idaho,
Missouri. The last named recent
ly secured a dry amendment OH
the state ticket through the initia-
: tive. The territory of Alaska will
also vote wet or dry. In Maryland,
the city of Baltimore and other
wet cities and county units will
vote separately upon the question.
} 1t is rather perplexing to some OF
Jour readers to find Idaho listed as
one of the nineteen states already
dry and also one of the seven to
vote in November. This is the ex.
planation: Idaho is now under the
! statutory prohibition. AT the
coming general election she will
vote on constitutional prohibi-
ton amendment.