The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1916-02-02

see-four good horses and wagon
for example with four horses at $3.50
apiece, $500; the cost of shoeing and
harness is to be considered, the whole
will cost not less than $1,000, adding
in the cost of maintaining these horses
at $500 a month is $500 year and
you have to add that to the original
cost. In six years your thousand and
horses and wagon is gone, as they will
be worn out. The maintenance will
cost you not less than $500 a year
$500 per day. We may say that the
same team will do double the work
over macadam road as they will do
over a dirt road. So that the farmer
in the item of four horse team, wagon
and driver saves at least one dollar
per day by. the use of macadam road.
When the farmers have calculated the
saving of one item of transportation,
the taking of their products to the
market, leaving out the pleasure of
travelling over the macadam roads to
himself and to his family, leaving out
the advantages to the children in at
tending school, and his family attend
ing church, leaving out the features
of bringing him closer to the market
or to the mill on the basis of dollars
and cents, there is no better invest
ment to the producer than in the max
ing of cheap and convenient means
of bringing the farmers commodities
to the market.
But let us take broader and higher
view. Every man who casts his ballot
in the hope of receiving some pecunia-
ry or personal benefit, either in emolu-
ments of Office or some pecuniary ad-
vantage is menace. By that mean
that the man who votes simply to
keep up some political organization,
the man who votes at the call of a
boss, the man who votes for money
in hand is a menace to the liberty of
a free people.
This government rests upon the dis
interested devotion to high ideals of
citizenship. 1t is the foundation upon
which the republic rests because a
majority absolutely rules in this coun
try. And whenever that majority
ceases to be honest this government
will topple like house of cards.
What has preserved this govern
ment for hundred and fifty years or
more? | will tell you: The simple
citizen seated in cane bottom chair
on rag carpet before an open fire.
place, with Bible on his knees and
his family grouped about him, his head
bowed simply and reverently asking
God to guide him through the night,
and arising in the fear of that same
God at dawn to take up the simple
tasks of the day., He votes of no
thought of profit to himself, but for
the good of his family and the honor
of his country and the glory of his
God. This is the power upon which
this republic rests and must forever
rest.
Now we talk about this simple life,
its high ideals, and its noble purposes,
and yet there is in Kentucky a con-
tinual exodus from the country to the
town. / make no warfare upon the
city. / have lived in towns the most
of my life, but what | mean to say,
that what we need is more good peo-
pie on the farms in the country. 1t
will cheaper the costs of living in
town. 1t will bring more customers,
and new life and new capital to our
great cities.
1t is an invincible instinct for men
to seek the society of their fellows, to
gather as we have gathered here to-
day in great multitudes. 1t is as ma
tural as for cartridges to gather in
covies in the field, or birds in focks
in the sky. 1t is essential to the hap
piness, the mental and moral welfare
of mankind, just so much as food or
clothing. The thing that has de-
stroyed rural life, the thing that has
depopulated fertile lands is the loneli-
ness and isolation of life in the coun-
try, Our girls and boys who live in
rural districts are literally marooned |
In the winter without access to the |
postoffice, the church or the school, |
or to the doctor in time of sickness,
or to the store for the bare necessi- |
ties of life in any other way than on
a mule. belly deep in the mire. Our