Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1920-05-14
JUSTICE TO ALL
GARDENERS PLATFORM
Don't Want to be Governor if He has to
Get There by Pandering to any one
Class or Element.

, Class or Element.
In order that our readers may
know where Max Gardner stand.
!, we print the following taker
! from his speech at Kinston or
May 4th.
In the face of attacks made
, upon me for failure to answer
the series of questions propoun.
, ded in the QUESTIONABLE SUBJ
, mitted by the officials of certain
organizations in North Carolina,
| most emphatically assert that
| stand squarely upon my declar-
ations and that | have no apol-
ogy to offer to any class or
group, for the deliberate course
pursued. | notice in the Char
lotte Observer, a telegram from
Mr.. j. F. Mcmahon, Secretary
of the State Federation of Labor,
to labor leader, in Charlotte,
stating that since my refusal to
answer these questions, the
duty of Labor is clear. Mean
ing thereby to slaughter me at
the polls.
"Fromarticles appearing in the
labor papers, 1t is manifest that
some of the Leaders of the State
Federation of Labor have deter.
mined to secure my defeat, be-
cause | am unwilling to have my
hands tied and be subservient to
them and their organization.
They are circulating throughout
the State a partial report of my
legislative record, emphasizing
my apparent hostility to labor and
absolutely ignoring my service in
its behalf.
Il am willing for the people of
North Carolina to decide whether
any one group or element shall
control and dominate the State
or whether the whole people
shall continue to govern North
Carolina.
IF the officials of the State
Federation of Labor have the
right to submit a QUESTIONABLE
seeking to pledge a candidate for
Governor upon numerous differ
ent propositions, then every
other organization in the State
has a similar right, and if the
merchants of the State, the
manufacturers and bankers, the
wholesale dealers, the great
body of unorganized farmers,
and laboring people generally,
who belong to no orgaization,
should all exercise their right to
insist upon pledging a candidate
he would be pledged in advance
upon every conceivable question
and would be so hedged about
that it would be impossible for
him to exercise that freedom of
thought and action in Office that
is so essential to a faithful and
intelligent discharge of his pub
lie duty.
II boldly declare to you today
that | shall be elected Governor
absolutely unfettered by public
pledges and private promises to
any class or group or | will not
be elected at all.
my conception of the high
office of Governor of North Car
olina is the open way to untram-
melled service to the whole peo-
pie of the State. | like the
thought Of freedom of action in
office. | covet the opportunity
of approaching the performance
of all public service absolutely
unfettered by pledges and un-
hampered by promises.
Glass distinction, class con-
seriousness and class appeal
should have no place in a democ-
racy. My conception of social
industrial and political justice is
embodied in these woods, Equal
ity of Opportunity. propose if
elected Governor, to exert my
self to the end, that every citi-
zen in North Carolina has a fair
chance and an equal opportunity.
| abhor the idea of riding into
office by pandering to any one