The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1907-06-27

Tor the future Of the mill himself pro-
vided it was kept independent. A
lew years ago, when it appeared that
the American Cotton Oil Company
and the Southern Cotton Oil Com
pany would control the cotton seed
market OF the South, and that they
possibly might combine and regulate
prices, Immediately Mr.. Horne as
sisted in the building OF an independ-
ent mill at Clayton, which mill is
now owned and controlled by Clay
ton people and run independently. Il
provides an independent market for
seed, and furnishes independent OF
other companies, fertilizers.
He is president of the Clayton Oil
Mills. In 1902 many North Carolina
mills favored going into IL combina-
ton, SO as to effect, it was said,
large economy. The proposition
was made to Mr. Horne to have the
Clayton mills included in the merger.
He declined to even submit the prop
ositiOn to the stockholders. The fate
OF that merger justified the wisdom
OF his course.
He was one OF the first men to ad-
vOcate the formation of home insur-
ance companies, both fire and life,
and to stop the outflow OF North
Carolina money for fire insurance.
He was one OF the early stockholders
of the North Carolina Home, and is
an officer and director in a number
of successful life and fire companies.
One of the rules of his business life
is to give the preference, where pIac-
tlcaDle to do SO, to local and inde-
pendent companies, rather than to
foreign companies or large combina-
tions of capital. AS far as it is pos
sible to do so, he taboOs trusts and
monopolies From the purchase of
the oil which lubricates his machin-
cry to the placing of material upon
his property, he always gives the
preference to local dealers and indie
pendent companies.
Mr.. Horne is unidentified with any
particular faction Of the party. He
is neither conservative nor radical, so
called. He is Democrat plain. If
elected to office he will not endeavOr
to build up any faction, nor to create
any personal following looking to
the future advancement. He will be
content to serve the people in the
office Of governor for four years, and
at the end OF the term return to pri-
vate life. He will not use the great
office of governor as the stepping
stone to any higher honors.
Mr. Horne will not make a canvass
of the State prior to the convention.
If nominated, he will take the stump
and ably uphold the Democratic
cause. He is able to make, and will
make a strong and vigorous convass
but he will not expect any business
people to come out and hear him
speak when he is canvassing for him
self and not as the standard bearer
of his party.
Mr.. .Horne's personal life is without
spot or blemish. No person, how
ever much he may differ with Mr..
Horne in politics or otherwise, can
be found who would impugn his per-
sonal honor or believe him guilty OF
an improper act. He has been a
sober, moral man all his life He was
a temperance man when temperance
and prohibition were not popular.
As far back as 1881 he voted for
prohibition. He has always stood
for temperance, for the home, the
school and the church.
He has always been a progressive
man; and, while by far the largest
taxpayer of his section, he has al
ways voted for special taxes for
schools and good roads, and has ia
vored everything that promoted the
welfare of his community, regardless
of it's financial effect upon him.
Mr.. Horne favors the strict enforce
ment of the laws passed by the last
General Assembly regulating rail-
roads, and requiring them to give
better service at reduced rates. He
believes in holding corporations to
their duty and within the law, and
doing this with a strong, bold hand.
He has always favored strict regula-
ton of corporations; and always
favored requiring railroads to per-
form their duties vigorously, and at
the lowest pOSSlUlt idIeS, anu l0
never rode a mile on a railroad pass,
believing that railroads should serve
and not boss. More than thirty
years ago when when the rates on
cotton between Clayton and Raleigh
were too high, he organized a wagon
train and sent the cotton through
the country, until the railroads in
disgust, asked him to name what
he thought was a fair rate. This he
did, and this rate between Clayton
and Raleigh has never been exceeded.
He has always opposed the granting
of special favors to railroads: In
1885 he was member of the State
Senate. The Richmond & Danville
railroad proposed to build to MUIR
IL ,N,,1l 70 froD