The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-07-24
MIR. OLIVES NOTABLE VICTORY.

Wake this year Will end in a notable
victory for the principles espoused by
NJ. Percy j.. Olive. u Apex
We desire to call attention 10
the great service rendered by Mr..
olive by putting his candidacy upon
his advocacy Of public policies and
discarding the old methods Of pulls
and handshakes and like methods that
bcIittlcd the dignity OF the position. \
Senator should be chosen for what he
will do for The people n not be-
cause he kisses the babies, treats to
cigars, lends money, and otherwise
gcts next TO" the average voter.
As long as the menace Of negro rule
was upon us, the Democrats could
not, before nominations, safely dis
Icuss the questions upon which they
differed, but the freedom the amend
mcnt was designed to give was to end
the necessity Of putting pressing
questions like temperance, railroad
rates. insurance regulation and the
like in the background, and to make
it possible to fight within the party
for needed reforms. We are no lon
Iger afraid, if we discuss railroad rates
or temperance. III the railroad ana
saloon forces will join hands with the
NEGRO part and defeat the Democ
racy. That is the independence and
freedom the amendment vas adopted
to give us and thai is the sort we are
enjoying.
When he himself a can
didate for the Senate, Mr.. Olive dc
50 upon q platform that dealt with
live political issues of vital impor-
lance to the voters of Wake county
and the whole State. He knew that
he must contest with a man who had
already been III the field for a whole
year and a man fertile in
who had already received the pledged
support of many voters. But, mas
much as that candidate had made no
declaration of principles and the peo-
pie generally did not know where he
stood upon any public question, Mr..
Olive and those who agreed with him
believed that Wake county ought to
send no man to the Senate who would
not PlolllISt " Slpllu Will the people
in the conflict between the public ser
vice corporations on the one side and
the people on the other. lie pitched
his candidacy on q high plane and
kept it there until the polls closed.
Here is the platform upon which he
asked the suffrage of the people of
the county:
in asking the suffrage of the peo-
pie, | feel that they have the right
to know the attitude of the candidates
with reference to the public issues
that concern them most. a legislator
is chosen to carry out the wishes of
the constituents. If elected it will
be my highest aim to properly ex-
press by my votes the wishes of the
people of the great county of Wake.
My position upo the leading is
sues before the people, briefly stated,
is:
81. | favor the reduction of passen-
ger fares to Il rate not to exceed 2 IL
cents Il mile, and such other reduc-
tons in transportation charges as can
be made consistent with giving to the
railroads a fair return upon the actual
invested. AS evidence of my
position on his question, it is proper
for me to state that, as a member of
the House in 1905 | supported as a
member of the Committee on Rail
roads and Railroad Commission the
Laughinghousc bill to reduce fares,
which passed that body, but failed in
the Senate.
-. | favor important and far
reaching changes in our insurance
laws to the end that, while all in
surance companies must be treated
fairly. they must be strictly regulated
so that the people of the State may
40 caJvnI frnI, o~tn,tta, tha ,nJiou-
holder fully protected and that the
insurance scandals that have shocked
the country may be ended. The in
Surance companies should pay their
fair shares of the burden of the state
taxation. / favor such legislation as
Will help to build up strong home life
and fire companies 50 that much of
the money long sent to other States
may be kept at home to add to the
states wealth and prosperity.
"3. AS a member of the House of
1905 / earnestly sought to carry out
the wishes of the people of Wake
county along the lines of temperance
legislation. | supported the Ward
bill and other good laws proposed by
the friends of temperance.
II. | will advocate advanced legiS-
latiOn to promote good roads tfod
Wake county [ believe the time has
come when the law should be changed
so as To aDOilSl personal service on
the roads. Experience has shown
that good roads cannot be built I'M
der the old system, and if we are to
make progress in roa building 1T
must be done by men trained tor II q
work and paid from the public purse.
In cooperation With the other MEM
bCrS of the General Assembly from
Wake in 1905 | helped to secure the
passage of the law that has this year
given $4,000 of the d~ispensarN
for road building in Wake county.
'>5. | favor such changes as expert
enCe has proved are needed to make
the magiSterial system more efficient
insure speedier justice and re-
|duce court expenses.
"6. | favor paying salaries to coun-
ty officers and putting the, surplus tees
in the county road fund
When that declaration appeared, the
supporters of the candidate then in
the field took turns in ridiCuling and
d~enouncing the new and u~nheard-of
:-r -,