Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1916-07-28
In Campaign to Serve Iowa.

In Campaign to Serve Iowa.
| am sensible OF the great honor be
slowed upon one when he is elected
governor Of this great state. am
not in this for honor, however. ! am
In the campaign to serve Iowa if
uAe Ind would feel that by stand
Ing for those things which mean prog.
resS and being defeated. have serv.
"a Iowa to a far greater extent than
by trimming my sails to the wind.
standing for no progress, even though
by so doing l might be elected; and
would also feel that possibly as much
honor had come to me if defeated on
platform Of service as would come
to me in my election on platform Of
reaction. Let me repeat as sincerely
rs know how that l am not unmind-
fpl Of the honor eyehed to bsipg gov
srnor Of Iowa, but let ne say Just a.
frankly, and you accept it as just as
sincere a statement that whether
Inn elected governor of Iowa is really
not SO vito matter to me. do
feel, however, that it is vitality Inn
portant to the tax payers Of Iowa that
bome one should be elected who has
some interest In their welfare, and
will apply business principles to the
conduct Of the states affairs; some
one who will stand for what he
thinks is right before any and all au-
diences and compromise himself on
no proposition just to get votes I
an sure we understand each other
and that If after full discussion OF
what think the state needs you agree
with my views, then you are with
me. II when you know what am for.
you do not agree with me as to policy.
then you are against me; and that 10
the basis upon which the campaign
should be made.
All for Good Roads.
Now with this preliminary, I wish
10 call your attention to statement
I find in another call for one OF these
tax payers meetings. 1t is as follows:
"We believe in good roads the same
Is every one in Iowa does. We want
the best roads we can afford"
I take 1t that this statement 10 IN
authoritative one and that we can
agree that every one in Iowa wishes
good roads and appreciates the value
Of them.
Some say that dirt roads are all that
are necessary, but believe the mum.
Der who will urge that our Iowa roads
during the larger portion of the year
are all that are necessary are but
few and the agitation over the roed
question is because the fact is genst.
ally recognized that dirt roads IN
iowa are not enough.
Iowa is away behind other states
In the matter Of good roads. Why II
this true? The records in all the
states show that Iowa tax payers pay
more each year In taxes for bridges
md roads than any other state In the
union with two exceptions. and that
other states have more
miles Of improved roads than Iowa
for q smaller amount of money spent.
Surely there is something wrong.
Surely we have not been getting value
received for our money. Surely this
would indicate that II properly spent
we could have the improved roads on
pur present expenditures. Twenty
Xix other states have them for the
same or less money than we have
been spending.
Minnesota and Missouri on two
sides of us each have three times az
many miles OF hard roads as we have.
yet they raise less money Ach year.
has i've times as many
miles, Ohio and Indiana each have
ten times as many miles of hard road
as we have and all on less money than
We pay for mud.
There is no one Of US who has not
seen many times in Iowa when We
could not visit our neighbors because
Of the bad roads; could not get our
produce to town; could not with any
degree of comfort on occasions attend
church, and have seen buggies, wagons
and automobiles miyed in our roads.
Just the other day some men stole an
automobile, got ter miles from town.
mired in the mud and could get no
farther. Upon inquiry Of a farmer
for team to pull them out, they were
arrested. This is at least one time
when an impossible road served
good purpose, but 1t illustrates the
condition into which our roads get at
times because If anybody ever tried
to get through them these men did.
There are but few who will argue that
our roads under our present system
are satisfactory. would say that
ninety-fve percent Of the people in
the state of Iowa are demanding bet
ter roads, and, as the tax payers
league urges, want the best roads
they can afford"
Hills Should Be Cut Down.
l am going to take it as an accept
ed fact, then, that we want better