The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1906-04-12

Pc1A Ahas 0aPt1Ak AaA6 AAukAUuSG
dwelt upon one topic which was not
once mentioned In his letter. "Watch
the Senate ). the railroad and insur-
ance trust anxious to control it."
That was the heading, bat. as We
have said, there was no reference to
insurance. 1t was put there for O
low and selfish purpose. Every hon.
est and intelligent man in North
Carolina knows that there can never
be such thing as q life insurance
trust. The very nature Of the BUSH
ness prevents 1t.
The best citizens of North Caro-
lima ought TO be elected to the legis-
lature. We need the best men from
every calling and profession and &C.
cupation, men who have made a
success In their own line of work.
The News and Observer tells us that
we must not elect men who are in
terested in corporations or who may
have money invested in any COM
pany affected by legislation. Such
plan would eliminate almost every
man in the State. No banker, no
manufacturer, no merchant, no lead
ing farmer, no capitalist or property
owner could sit in the legislative
halls-only the hoboes, riff-raff and
the men without means or brains.
A legislature of that type is what
the News and Observer desires; that
is the only sort Of legislature it
could control. We would
have a Senate without ability or
prominence. We need a Senate
which is representative of the peo-
pie, representatives Of all classes.
Clean men from all walks of life
should be elected. A banker does
not 60 to the general assembly to
champion the business in which he
is engaged. A manufacturer is not
there to represent the manufactur-
ing industry alone.
Let US have in the Senate lawyers,
doctors, farmers, merchants, insur-
ance men, manufacturers, mechanics,
bankers, editors, preachers and teach
ers; let us have men from every
calling provided they are honest,
conser vative and sane. Why should
we deny admittance to the cotton
mill people? Some of the men en-
gagged in cotton spinning are doing a
great work in North Carolina. Take
for instance, Mr.. w. A. Erwin, Of
Durham. See the kindness and ut
most consideration with which he
treats his operatives, how he builds
churches and school houses for them,
and how he labors for their welfare
and happiness. The State would be
honored by electing man of that
stamp to the Senate. Why not have
a banker in the Senate? He under
stands finances and can make valua-
BILE suggestions in framing revenue
laws. Why not have farmer who
has been successful and who has
money to invest? Why not have a
who is enterprising and
who has stock in corporations which
have helped to build up the commu-
nifty in which he lives? The Will
lard bill, creating department of
insurance, was drafted by an insur-
ance man. Under this law the taxes
hx1 ipc,1ro MOO oopo no. Mo, IN
creased from $4,000 to more than
100000 annually.
The Senate of North Carolina is
the place for safe and sane men. TIL
is the safety valve out Of which the
crude and hasty steam of the lower
house must escape. We want no
We have no apologies
to make for the railroads. IF they
have attempted, unwisely, at times,
to influence legislation, it was be-
cause they have been bounded and
prosecuted and driven to the wall by
the News and Observer and the
mental dwarfs it could control.
They are justified, no doubt, in de-
Tending themselves.
But today the eye of the capitalist
Is turning towards the South, not,
however, to fleece the people, but to |
ind place for safe investments. |
The capitalists are not coming to !
rush the masses; they are not com.
ng to ride over the laws. But capi-
al will not find its way into State
where laws are enacted by wild men
who lean toward socialism and an
Irchy. The future of North Caro-
ina depends upon conservative
Senate. A conservative Senate. is
lot one composed of rabid takers.
There is just one thing to consider.
f we hope and strive to upbuild
North Carolina we must elect the
eaders of thought to the legisla-
ure. We must elect men with
,rains, not men with empty speech
nd shallowness. But we must move
if we elect hoboes and
iff-raf that would be like putty in
he hand of newspaper that would
acrifice the State and everything to
,ratify its selfish and its grating
Good men in the Senate
annot be controlled by corporations
n demagogues. }
enator Butler to Address the Two Lite
rary Societies at Chapel Hill Commence