French Broad hustler and Western Carolina Democrat. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1915-1916, 1916-05-11

Ip1S1IJ duQ ~0Qu1pH0n
Corporations that serve the publie
Lave been wisely n justly regulated
N the public interest, and there is
now saved annually to the people OF
the State in their freight bills alone in
specific reduction of Interstate and
iEtra-state freight rates in the last two
years not less than one and a half mil
lion dollars per year-an amount i'll
excess of the entire administration of
State government
1t is not accidental that after six
teen years of the most notable pro-
gress in the entire history of the State
in. all these lines of public effort, the
reports of the United States Census
Department show that".our State gov
ernment. is maintained upon a payment
of taxes by the people of this State
less per capita than that of any other
State in the Union. This result has
been achieved by the Democratic
party being true to its pledges Of the
utmost economy in the administration
of public affairs. IS Public office in this
State is still a public trust, and must
he administered with the utmost fdel-
ity to the public interest. s"
We find cause for 4congratulationi
that we have passed the period of APP
prehension that the State revenues
may not be- sufficient to meet the nee
essarily increased public needs of a
growing State. under a decreased rate
of tax levy for solely State purposes
and we have a balance in the Treas
ury; that the demand for an equaliZ-
ed basis of taxation has been conserva-
lively met, and that, with a modern
Inheritance tax statute large fortunes,
in their transmission, are already con-
t1ibuting substantially to the States
revenue and will in a large measure
take care of the increased needs of
the State for future progress. We
pledge the party to a continuation OF
the policy of strict economy, and OF
turning back into channels of direct
benefit to the people of the State every
dollar of public revenue raised by the
State that is not essential for a State
administration, for the benefit of pub
lie education, for State assistance in
public road construction, for safe
guarding the public health, and in lib
eral pensions for the remaining Con-
federate soldiers and widows and other
appropriate channels of serving and
conserving public interest. We de-.
clare and reiterate u firm belief i'll
he great bSLAOSl dIAC p1L1ClpI6 VI OIllSC
publicity in the receipts and expendi-
lures of all public funds by all State
officials and State =institu-.
tons SO that every citizen of North
Carolina can easily and intelligently
!acquaint himself with all reasonable
information pertaining to such receipts.
and expenditures or public FUNDS.
We challenge a comparison of this
clean. progressive Democratic record,
With the ,RtbIbncaA 4Tetorf which
preceded it--a record too well scared
into the minds of the people of this:
State to need review-Or with any pre-
vfous. or future service thatTcan 'rea-
sonably come from the present leader
ship of the Republican party, and de-
clare:
LIST. The development of public ed
ucation has been the chief pride of the
Democratic party, and nothing less
than an educated citizenship must be
the goal of our continued and untirins
efforts. Our public school term has
.been increased to a point much be-
yond the Constitutional requirements,
and we are building school houses at
the rate of ono for. every day that
passes.
/ End. The =, conservation of public
health is now recognized as a problem
demanding consideration of all enlight-
,ened governments. We rejoice in the
splendid progress made by our State
in combating disease among our poo
pile, in. reducing Jul death rate, in in
~creasing the sum, total of health, hap
pfness and efficiency of our citizens,
and in establishing a justif1able le-
cord as, compared with other States
of the Union. We advocate a contin-
iuance and strengthening of the hu-
name policy now in force in this State
for. the protection of the public health,
and the eradication of preventable dis
eases.
3rd. The construction n MAIN
Itenance of improved public roads is
one of the greatest problems in the
development of our State. and partic-
ularly In the development of rural
communities. Four years ago there
were only 5000 miles of modern roads
in the State. Today we have $4,000
tmiles of such roads, and every day
Isees the mileage extended. We pledge
our party to a policy of sympathetic
aid and encouragement to road build
ing in this State.
4th. We must ever be mindful of
the fact that the State derives it's
strength from its toiling citizens and
its rural communities and we pledge
the party to a continuance of the
policy of encouraging the best develop
ment of the rural community. Under
Democratic rule the conditions of
country life in respect to schools and
roads have been vastly improved, while
by means OF the State Department Of
Agriculture, the A. & M. College and
Farm Life Schools intelligent and help
full direction has been given to our
farmers, the result of which is mani
fest in the tremendous increase in the
variety and value of the farm products.
1t is a matter of fact that the value of
our farm products doubled from 1900