The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1908-09-24
MR.. Cox's PLATFORM.
Confined from Page IL

|
even saVors OF a trust
1t Is not improper, since I have
been so misquoted and misrepresent-
ed as TO my attitude towards rail-
roads, to state that in 1885 the peo-
pie OF my community seeing the
great necessity for building a rail-
road south of us, 10 bring out the
large quantity of lumber In that d.
rection, organized the High Point,
Randleman, ASHORE and Southern
Railroad Company. and at a meeting
OF the acknowledgements OF my
neighbors and friends-T was elected
President and a director of the COM
pany and devoted much time and la
Dor. and some money towards the
completion of this road. Soon after
the completion of this road It was
sold to the old Richmond and Dam
Vile, and l have since retained the
place as director in this local COM
pany, and by reason of holding this
place as director, have lawfully car
lried an annual pass ever since. This
annual pass came to me legitimately.
and / have never seen any sufficient
reason why l should refuse 1t.
Outside of the investment in this
local road / have no financial inter-
est direct or indirect in any other
railroad. 1t is due me that / should
state positively that I have never
asked for, or received, a rebate from
any railroad company
[ am strongly opposed to rebates
or any sort Of discrimination, and,
speaking for myself. have never been
able to understand why the railroads
should give Virginia cities better
rates than they give North Carolina
cities.
This question should receiv the
continued and urgent attention of our
people until it Is corrected.
While railroads should be required
| to make reasonable schedules and
| give reasonable accommodations, we
should not overlook the enormous
| expense of their operation and their
great losses by accident and other
| wise. We should deal firmly and
| fairly with them and at the same
time not forget that they are the
and should be encouraged to extend
every reasonable convenience to the
people.
| I favor the fullest protection to
the railroad employee and the highest
| compensation commensurate with the
| risk he assumes and the services he
| renders.
Since my position upon the ques-
| ton of freight rates has been misrep-
resented, and my testimony before
| the Interstate Commerce Commits
| sion at Washington in the spring of
1905 has been SO wilfully garbled
| and distorted, 1 am giving to the
public in a separate document my
complete testimony before this Com
| mission, having no desire to conceal
any opinion or any statement upon
this, or any other question.
State Institutions.
I heartily favor a liberal policy to-
wards our higher institutions of
| learning. and ample provision for
the needs of our charitable institu-
tions, including generous provision
| for our Confederate veterans.
RefOrmatory.
| No higher or greater obligation
| rests upon us than that which we
owe to the youthful criminals of our
State. Humanity demands that we
should provide reformatories for
| their correction and training.
| Election Laws.
| I favor a fair election law, and be-
lieve that every elector should be
protected in his right to cast bal
| lot privately and without any sort of
| interference or dictation, and that
| the people should have a voice in the
selection of all of their public SER
| wants.
| Good Roads.
One of the most important and
pressing questions which now vitality
concerns our people, is that of ino-
provement of our public roads, and
demands our best thought and most
earnest attention.
Education.
There is no more important ques-
ton confronting us than that of edu-
cation of all our children, and I am
willing to go to the length of sub
scribing to the policy that the State
shall furnish. free of charge and un-
der proper regulations, to every child
in our public schools all necessary
text books, which policy has already
been adopted by many OF the most
progressive States of the Union.
firmly believe that the great cause OF
education should be eliminated from
the field of politics, and that the
time will soon come when the peo-
pie of North Carolina will demand II
to be taken and kept out of politics
| Let me observe that political and
economic conditions change by pc
RODS. This State has reached Pc
riod when economic conditions re-
quire change in the political govern
ment. We long ago passed the con-
valescent period in recovering from
the downfall of slavery and the dis
aster of the Civil War. In the move
ment to get away from these old