The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1916-05-27
VAROAMAN ON GOOD ROADS.
Mississippi Senator's Address on Floor
National Body on an Inter-
esting Subject.

| MIs IICSlOCllly d1I InISOdAhSAJ
desirous that this bill shall be
passed, because | think great good
will result from legislation of this
character. | believe a dollar ju-
diciously invested in good roads
| a road that leads to the happy
country. home-will bring larger
returns to- the American people
all the people-than dollar in
vested in any other way. 1t is ut
terly impossible to develop any
part of this republic without add
ing to the total wealth of the
American people. You can not
give prosperity and happiness to
others without yourself enjoying a
larger measure of happiness and
prosperity than you give to others.
Every home which is constructed
and maintained, every field that
is cleared and put under the plow,
adds materially to the wealth of
the republic in more ways than
one. believe that the country
home is the enduring foundation
upon which free American institu-
tions rest.
81 think the real strength of
this republic depends more largely
upon the character of the men who
till the soil than it does upon any
other class of our citizens. The
products of their hands feed and
clothe the world. The purity of
their lives, their lofty, moral
ideals, and their unselfish patriot
ism makes them the great dynamo
which vitalizes, inspires, and i'm
pels to proper effort the whole
body polite. To me, one of the
discouraging signs revealed by the
recent census is the fact that 81
per cent of our population today
live in the urban districts. | hope
that may never take so narrow a
view of the function which / am
to perform in this government as
member of this body as to lead me
to be controlled in casting my
vote solely by the pecuniary profits
which may flow from my action
to- my immediate constituency,
the men who elect me to serve
them here. l can serve Mississip-
pi best when my vote adds to the
prosperity and happiness of the
people of every other state as well
as my own.
''In the realm of real patriotism
there is no partisanship, and the
man who is worthy of the people
who. elect him to membership in
this body will not prostitute the
functions of his place to serve par
tisan ends or promote personal ad-
vantage, The amendment ncePos :
ed by the senator from Montana
(Mr. Walsh appeals to me. 1t
contains merit, and | have been
trying to discover some reason
why should not support it. | do
not like to differ from the able
and prudent chairman of the post
offices and post roads committee,
the senior senator from Alabama
(Mr. Bankhead), who is in charge
of the bill. The only excuse /
have been able to discover for not
voting for the amendment other
than the one assigned is that it
may cause some, senator to vote
against the bill and probably de-
feat it's passage. No, l do not
want to do anything that will him
der or delay its passage through
this body. | want it to become
law; but believe it is wise econo-
my for the congress to conserve,
to protect the interests of the
United States in these western
states, whose conditions have been
SO graphically and viyidly describ-
ed by the able senators from those
states. It means the opening up
of homes there. 1t means the in
crease of population. It means
putting under the plow those fer,
tile lands. 1t means adding to the
sum total of American wealth. 1t
means more to eat and more
clothes to wear for American peo-
pie; and, as / said a moment ago,
you can not do anything in this
way that will help Montana and
Idaho without helping Mississippi
and Alabama.
"I have no sympathy with the
selfish doctrine taught by some
senators that these appropriations
fought to be controlled by the
amount that the state contributes.
Why, Mr.. President, New York
and some other states do not need
any help from the general govern
lment in road building. They are
rich beyond the avaricious dream
of the ancient princely plunderer, /"
and therefore sufficient unto them
selves for any undertaking. But
those states that have grown so
lfabulously rich in the last few
years did not produce all the
wealth that they now enjoy. Ev-
cry acre of land in the United
States pays tribute to New York,
land that is true of many of the
northwestern states, particularly Of
this republic. The fields and the
forests have paid tribute, the graz
ling lands of the west, the mines
of unmeasured riches have all add
ed their countless millions to the
aggregate wealth of these favored
states. It strikes me, Mr.. Presi-
dent, that the best investment that
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