The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-12-04
WISE SUGGESTIONS.
Desirable Legislation, Not on Party Is
sues, Which Congress and the
Legislature Should Enact.


officer shall abstain from taking any
share whatever in the controversies
raised between political parties further
than as citizen to cast his ballot for
the men and the principles of his
choice. But shall ever hold in high
honor the declaration of the Roman
homo sum, T1ilGGL hun1aoi o. me aLienune
putO," that is TO say being a man,
every thing that concerns the welfare
OF my fellow men shall always be of
deep interest to me-" There are many
matters of grave interest to the public
welfare, connected with proposed &C
tion either by Congress or the Legisla,
ture, upon which political parties are
not aligned. AS to these, my opinion
having been asked, see no impro
priety in giving it.
INTEREST.
l. This Legislature, not dividing
upon party lines on the question, will
doubtless pass q bill restoring six per
cent as the legal limit for interest Ex,
cept in few of the years since the war
this has been the always recognized
limit in North Carolina for two hundred
years. Now when the profit on every
thing else is cut down there remains no
reason why money should receive un
diminished and high profits When
bankers form syndicates to force the
government to issue bonds bearing 8
per cent. interest, and North Carolina
4 per cent bonds are above par, 6 per
cent. certainly is full value f Jr the use
of money. There can be no doubt that
this has been the sentiment of the peo
pie of North Carolina for ten years
past, Probably a majority in each of
the last four Legislatures has come to
Raleigh intending to restore the old 6
per cent. rate of interest. This was
turned into minority on each occasion
after they reached here. But it is dan
gerous for the representatives of free
people to deem themselves too wise to
execute the wishes of those who elect
them. The only authority for any leg
islation in our country is that it ex
presses the sentiment of the majority
of the people. Besides, the alleged ad
vantages to North Carolina of paying
a higher interest than all the neiRhbor
Ting States from Massachusetts to Geor
gia, have never materiali1ed.
FREE PASSES
g. In the Constitution of the State of
New York, just ratified by the people
at the polls, there is paragraph in
stringent language forbidding any pub
lie officer to receive or use, directly or
indirectly, any free pass or transpor-
tation, from any transportation com
pany, or any frank from telegraph or
telephone company. A similar consti
tutional amendment should be adopted
by our Legislature irrespective OF
party. If adopted, it will beratified by
overwhelming majorities at the polls.
The corporations cannot object to this
as they say these favOrs are given with
no intent to influence officials and are
a sore tax upon them. The people will
be glad to vote for such an amendment.
That the great State of New York-as
we'll as several others-has seen fit to
incorporate this provision in the
organic law is sufficient evidence that
this is no trivial matter. Give the peo
pie of North Carolina chance to vote
upon such an amendment at the polls
and it will be seen how few will vote
against it.
ELECTION OF o. g. SENATORS
3 Twice by almost unanimous vote
of the lower House of Congress an
amendment to the Constitution Of the
United States has been adopted provid
ing for the election of Senators by the
people. Resolutions of many conven-
tions of all political parties have en-
dorsed this amendment including, il I
recollect Alright, the Democratic State
Conventions held this year in OHIO,
New York and Massachusetts. The bill
is now before the Senate for action. It
would be the expression of the popular
will if our Legislature, irrespective OF
party, should pass resolutions of in
structions to our Senators to vote for
it. If they are already for it, they will
not object to having their views on this
matter, which has never been party
one, endorsed by the representatives of
the people. The best interests of the
Republic urgently require this reform.
POSTAL, TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONES
4 The Postoffice Department should
be modernized and furnished with the
best appliances known to science in