LIVE STOCK BREEDERS. 141 



pointed for these special districts. I have the honor to represent the 

 Mississippi Valley States, and it is my duty to attend, as far as practical 

 within the limited amount furnished by the Department, these various 

 meetings if possible. I would be glad to go into every county and every 

 state to meet the people and board of supervisors, and if possible to stimu- 

 late an interest along this line. I am glad, indeed, to find that the State 

 of Missouri is aroused upon this subject. I am sorry to find, however, 

 that there is such a large area of this State that is in the mud, and I am 

 sorry to find that there are so few spots in the State, even in the very best 

 counties, in which you will observe good roads. Really there is very 

 little being done in the way of road building and road construction. The 

 poorer the county, the more necessity there is for it to get good roads, 

 because a poor county above all others cannot aflford bad roads. You 

 must have good roads to make anything out of your county. If you could 

 go into some of these other states, if you could go into Alabama, referred 

 to by Mr. King, and see what those people are doing, and I will leave it to 

 these gentlemen here if thcr.^ is a part of Alabama where the land will 

 compare with that of good old Missouri ; and still these people wall bond 

 these counties for $150,000 to $200,000 — vote it right oflfhand — and put it 

 into building their roads, and you can go there and it is just a delight to 

 get into their wagons and ride all around. Tlie pride of this class of 

 farmers is in showing their roads. They indicate improvement in every 

 direction ; the people look brighter, the farm houses look cleaner — every- 

 thing looks better — the darkies are more cheerful, and even the mules 

 look you more squarely in the face. It is so everywhere. You used to 

 be able to tell a man by the condition of his gate. It is the same with 

 the common roads. But it would be idle to spend time upon that ques- 

 tion. Every man I am talking to is in favor of improving the roads 

 and every man is impressed with the importance and necessity of having 

 them, and every man within the sound of my voice wants good roads. 

 But the misfortune about it all is, we just sit down and don't have. What 

 we want is action — practical action. Go down to the Legislature and 

 study the details of these laws and find where the fatal place is and have 

 that amended and make it practical so that you can go to work and do 

 something. You cannot set them, out by themeselves and let them work 

 alone ; you must have a law that has some force to it. The trouble about 

 enacting laws and legislation is that the man who is most enthusiastic 

 for roads is nearly always ready to surrender and lay down his prin- 

 ciples; it is not what is right, but what will count for something. He 

 needs to get action, he has got to have certain influences, the money must 

 come from somewhere. The wav to do it is to frame a bill that is prac- 

 tical, that means something, and have a legislature that will get out and do 



