LIVE STOCK BREEDERS. 143 



had just as well get away from the idea of toll gates — we had just as well 

 wipe that off the slate for the people will not stand it. Kentucky and 

 Tennessee tried to get rid of them until eventually they accomplished it. 

 They tore them down — the people would not stand them. The county 

 ought to buy them. The solution is an equalization of the taxes. Get 

 away from this idea of putting it all on the farmer. I want to say to you 

 with all due respect to thefarmcrs and their methods and the advancement 

 they make, when I see the conditions of the road and know they have 

 been in the hands of the farmer for a century and a half, and the result of 

 their work, it does not commend them to have this work any longer. They 

 have either got to improve their methods and evolve something them- 

 selves, or they will have to go to the legislature and have them adopt 

 some new methods. The most sickly thing I know of is the demagogue 

 going to the farmer as if he was a sickly, sentimental know-nothing and 

 lie had to go humming around sniffling to some one. The farmer is the 

 very first man to spit on that sort of a fellow, and his days are limited. 

 He likes a man who has some backbone, and likes something that gets 

 results just like everybody else. You can fill the statute books full ot 

 laws and leave it to the farmer to pay the tax on his own land and con- 

 fiscate his own property, and you will never have good roads. You must 

 go to the merchants, railroads and big corporations that prosper upon 

 the prosperity of the farmer, those who ci'*e interested, and who get the 

 profit that comes from them, to pay something for these roads. There 

 ought to be something back of the building of these roads, and when you 

 get away from the idea that the farmer ought to pay all the taxes, \ on will 

 have good roads. They talk to the farmer and say. pay your money and 

 we will have good roads. When you go to town and these merchants be- 

 gin talking about the bad roads, you tell them "You chip 'n and we will 

 have good roads. I am not going to build all these roads for you." That is 

 the proper way to do it. Tt is the right ;M'mci])le to aj)ply. Thi-; bill 

 comprehends that idea. I would like very much indeed if it has your 

 endorsement. It is the endeavor to equalize the proportion everywhere 

 so that ]\Iissouri stands just the same as Massachusetts, New York, Cali- 

 fornia or any other state in the Union. TSiis bill might not be perfect; 

 I do not know that I could pick out any flaw in it ; the principle is right ; 

 the Government has a great interest for roads. I know that in France, 

 Germany, England and Spain, where they have magnificent highways, 

 where the country is checkered with beautiful roads, beautiful homes, 

 are found on every side, the peasantry are just as happy as they are in 

 the streets of your crowded cities of today, from time to time the Gov- 

 ernment has aided in the construction of the roads. I know that that is 

 where the result comes, and I want to say to you, gentlemen, that if you 



