f : a
/ RUTHERFORD
COUNTY FAIR
OCTOBER
2, 3, 4, 5 and 6
L /
VOL. X—No. 51.
* Max Gardner Scorns Safety
In " Political Storm Cellar "
FIRM IN STAND
FOR AL SMITH
k 4^
Tell* Forest City Voters He
Will Not Insure Great Ma
jority by Turning Back
on National Ticket
Denies He Doesn't Want Votes
of Those Opposing Smith
—Answers Mayor
Flack
One of the largest crowds ever as
sembled to hear a politician speak in
Forest City was present Monday
niglit at the Cool Springs high school
auditorium when O. Max Gardner,
Democratic nominee for governor,
spoke to the voters of Rutherford
county. f
r Mr. Gardner, who was born in
Rutherford county and whose grand
father, represented this county in the
legislature 64 years ago, was intro
duced by Rev. George R. Gillespie,
the entire audience rising and cheer
ing him when he was presented.
At the beginning of his address
he answered the open letter of
Mayor Charles Z. Flack of Forest
City, which appeared in several
state papers Monday morning, "in
order that there would be no mis
take." >/}
Mr. Gardner was given the strict
est attention throughout his master
ly address, and was frequently given
thunderous applause as he made tell
ing points against the Republican
party and took his manly stand for
the national ticket.
The meeting was opened by
County Chairman Ridings, who in a
few well chosen words explained the
purposes of the meeting. He then
called upon Rev. G. R. Gillespie to
introduce the speaker. Mr. Gillespie
was given hearty applause. He was
generous in his praise of our own
- beloved Max Gardner and strong in
his support and loyalty to our next
governor and the Democratic ticket
—state and national.
Mr. Gardner spoke as follows:
v
Mr. chairman, ladies and gentle
men, I am very grateful to my good
friend for his kind and generous in
troduction to the magnificient au
dience of my friends, my neighbors,
my relatives, my early associates in
life, and I wish to offer my grateful
acknowledgement for his very kind
and generous introduction. You can
never make a pretty woman happy to
tell her so for she knows about it al
ready, but to tell an ugly woman she
is pretty, makes her happy, so if N my
friend, Bro. Gillespie wants to make
me happy by his deliberate misrepre
sentations, I am happy.
I have been identified by blood in
>jVhis county all my life, and by every
tie that I now hold sacred, I feel
closer to Rutherford county than to
any other county in this State; and
it gives me pleasure and great joy
to come back and look into so many
familiar faces.
Before I commence my argument
of the evfening, I want to take this
occasion tb answer the questions ask
ed in today's papers by the Mayor of
this town, Chas. Z. Flack. (His an
swer is found elsewere in this
paper.—Ed.)
After reading his answer to Mr.
Flack's questions, Mr. Gardner con
tinued :
My friends I want to say in the
very outset of this speech that I will
try not to injure the feelings, nor
bruise the conscience of anyone in
this house. That is not my policy. I
have never taken the position that all
good people belong to the Democrat
ic party. I have neve* for instance,
believed that Heaven was occupied
exclusively by Democrats. I believe
there are a few Republicans there,
and I expect that before this cam
paign is over, I will wish they were
all there.
A Gesture of Opposition
The story I want to bring to you is
a joint story, or a story in parts,
dealing with North Carolina and with
FOREST CITY COURIER
Stands Loyally By Ticket
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O. Max Gardner, Democratic candidate for Governor, refuses to take
refuge in any political storm cellar, or insure his election at the expense of
disloyalty to the national ticket, he declares in an address Monday night
at Forest City.
the nation. The Republican party is
but making a gesture of opposition.
I did not know until the other day
that they were undertaking to make
a fight in this State. I don't think I
shall ever forget the first political
convention I ever attended. I took
Bro. Abernathy with me, a good old
Methodist preacher, and a Democrat.
I met him in Hickory, and he went
with me to North Wilkesboro. We
got to the convention and found that
the delegates were loaded to the brim
with everything but enthusiasm. He
stayed at the convention awhile, but
got tired and left. He was asked by
one of the delegates on the street,
"My friend, what are you a candi
date for." He said, "I am a candi
date for the Kingdom of Heaven."
The other man said, "You will sho'
God be elected; no one is running
against you." That is the way I feel
about the campaign. No one running
against me. Why should the Repub
lican party offer opposition in this
State.
Everywhere you go the great
metropolitan papers of the country
tell the story of North Carolina.' The
story of this State is truly epic. That
is no fanciful story. There has been
nothing like it in all the history of
this state. It is the story of man
everywhere. The Governors of Tenn
essee, Florida, Virginia and other
states come here. The great scholars
of the universe come to this state to
study.
Educational Development
You take our process of education
There has never been anything like
the regeneration of Education,
now. In this state twenty-eight
years ago, the average school term
was thirty--eight days, and the teach
er's salary was $24.73 per month.
At that time the total school value
in this state was less than $1,000,-
000.00. Now it is $100,000,000.00.
29 per cent of the white people
could not read or write. They sat in
the bondage of illiteracy. That pre
sents a vanished picture. At that time
there were only thirty public schools
in North Carolina. Less than 2,000
boys and girls in the public schools in
the state. Then we had 1190 log
school houses in North Carolina. To
day we have none. North Carolina
today presents a picture of reformed
educational life. A life that shines
on and on.
Progress of Road Building
In 1921 we did not have any good
roads in this state. North Carolina
has a bond issue of $115,000,000.00.
7,500 miles of dependable roads have
been constructed in this state under
Democratic government. The re-
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF Fy&EST CITY AND RUTHERFORD COUNTY
FOREST CITY. NORTH CAROLINA THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1928
LOVELACE HEADS
' FOREST CITY BANK
Lumber Textile Magnate Suc
ceeds Clarence M. Young,
Deceased
i
j At a meeting of the board of dir
ectors of the Farmers Bank & Trust
Company of this city, held Friday
afternoon, Dr. T. B. Lovelace was
• elected president to take the place
: of Clarence M. Young, who died last
Monday of paralysis.
| J. H. Thomas, who resigned as
president July 10 to take .over the
executive management of the Chim
iney Rock Mountains, Inc., was elect
ed vice-president at this time.
Dr. Lovelace, who is at present
located at Macon, Ga., is one of the
best known men in this section of the
state. He is connected with several
large cotton mills in this section and
holds large interests in Gaffney, S.
C., mills. He is also connected with
several large lumber companies in
Georgia and Alabama. Dr. Lovelace
was associated with the late Raleigh
R. Haynes, founder of the large Cliff
side mills at Cliffside and was the
first vice president of this organiza
tion, a position he held until going
to Georgia. Dr. Lovelace was the
first to suggest the organization of
the Farmers Bank & Trust Co, which
is now recognized as the strongest
country bank in the Tenth Congres
sional district, and has been one of
the largest stockholders since its or
ganization in 1914.
markable thing about this is they
connect the county seats of this state.
At no time, has there been suggested
anything, anywhere, from any
source, that the hands of a single
man has been stained by corruption.
That is a credit to North Carolina
that will stand throughout the years.
I was talking with a Republican in
New York who was from Pennsyl
vania, a corrupt state. My friend in
troduced me and said I would be the
next Governor of North Carolina.
He asked would there be any opposi
tion. I said, "Very feeble." He said,
"I drove through your state going to
Florida and noticed the good roads,
and upon inquiry found that the
roads were built under the rule of
the Democratic party. I also found
that you had spent $100,000,000.00
for roads. You ought to be able to
(Continued on Last Page of This
Section)
GARDNER QUIZZED
BY FOREST CITY'S
MAYOR IN LETTER
Asked Whether He Seeks
Votes of Anti-Smith Fac
tion in State
The following questionnaire was
sent to Hon.' O. Max Gardner, Dem
ocratic nominee for governor, Sat
urday by Mayor Chas. Z. Flack, of
Forest City, who is a member of the
anti-Smith Democratic Executive
Committee, to be answered by Mr.
Gardner, in his speech here Monday
night.
The questionnaire follows:
\
Hon. O. Max Gardner,
Democratic Candidate for Governor,
Shelby, N. C.
Dear Sir:
It is reported that in your Bladen
county speech you stated that you
are supporting the Democratic tick
et, (from Constable to President)
and "will survive or perish with it."
There has been much comment in
this section, as well as probably all
over the State, as to just what was
your full meaning. It is claimed by
both those favoring Mr. Smith for
President, as well as those opposing
him, that you meant by this declara
tion that you wanted the votes only
of Democrats who supporting
Governor Smith for the Presidency.
Since you are running for Governor
on the Democratic ticket and all
Anti-Smith Democrats believe in op
posing the election of Governor
Smith they are representing the true
Jeffersonian Democray of the South
and so far as I personally know it
has been the intention of all Anti-
Smith Democrats up to this time to
vote a straight Democratic ticket in
Township, County and State.
I belive it incumbent upon you
to let the Democrats of the State
know whether you are still standing
by your initial speech in Boone or
have you changed to the platform *of
Mr. Pete Murphy of Salisbury, where
by you want only the votes of Smith
Democrats?
It is the opinion of many,in Ruth
erford county that fully half the
Democrats of this county will not
vote for Governor Smith and it is
the opinion of many that fully half,
if not more, of the Democrats of the
State will not vote for ( ; Governor
Smith. May I ask, as a member of the
Anti-Smith Democratic Committee
from Rutherford county, that in your
speech here Monday evening
September 24th, you please make
your position clear all Demo
crats of the State just what you
did mean by the above declaration,
and whether or not you want the
votes of all Democrats in North
Carolina.
It is my information, Mr. Gardner,
that you were born in this good coun
ty and still have many relatives liv
ing here. I want to assure you, sir, I
have no intention of causing you any
embarrasment when you return to
your home county, but believing you
to be the clean two-fisted fighter that
all North Carolinians consider you to
be, I feel sure that you will be glad
to make your position clear in re
gard' to the above question.
CHAS. Z. FLACK
Mayor of Forest City.
MR. J. L. COWAN DIES AT
HOME IN DYSARTSVILLE
Dysartsville, Sept. 25.—Mr. J. L.
Cowan, aged 82 years, died at his
home Sunday after an extended ill
ness. The funeral services were held
Monday afternoon at Dysartsville.
Mr. Cowan is survived by three,
brothers, J. C. Cowan," of Rutherford-1
ton, and Robert and Edward Cowan,
of Dysartsville. His wife died sixteen
years ago.
Mr. Cowan was a member of the
Methodist church for sixty-three
years. He was one of the largest
property owners in his county. He has
a number of other relatives in Ruth
erford county. Several from Spin
dale and Rutherfordton attended the
funeral services Monday.
HON. 0. MAX GARDNER
WILL STAND BY PARTY'S
LEADER, ALFRED E. SMITH
In Answering Mayor Flack's Letter Says He Is
Unwilling to Drive Any Democrat
From Party /
O. Max Gardner replied in full de
tail to the questionnaire sent out by
Mayor Flack in his speech here Mon
day night. His fair spirit in every re
spect made a lasting and pleasing im
pression upon his audience and left
no doubt upon his stand upon the
questions involved.
\#
j Mayor Flack issued a statement,
found elsewhere in the Courier, Tues
day, in which he says he is well
pleased with Mr. Garder's reply.
In replying to Mayor Flack, Mr.
Gardner said:
. "When I reached home sunday
I received an open letter from my
good friend, Charles Z. Flack, of
Forest City, asking for an interpre
tation of my speech in Elizabethtown
in which I am reported as having
said that I was supporting the dem
ocratic ticket from constable to pres
ident and that I shall survive or per
ish with it. Mr. Flack writes that he
is an anti-Smith democrat and a
member of the anti-Smith executive
committee and he wants me to say
here tonight whether I am seeking
the votes of all democrats in North
Carolina and whether I have aban
doned the policy taken in my Boone
spetech.
"I am glad to give my answer to
his courteous letter and to make a
fair and honest expression of my
views. I have not abandoned the pol
icy announced in my opening speech
at Boone in which I said, that I was
ready to fight to the limit, not for
my convictions but for the right to
have my convictions and that I free
ly concede this right to the humblest
of my fellow citizens.
"It has been my policy, and shall
continue to be my policy to loyally
support the entire ticket of the
democratic party in state and na
tion.
"I announced in my second speech
of the campaign at Statesville that
I would strive to the utmost of my
ability to appeal to the loyalty and
devotion of North Carolina demo
crats, to preserve our party sol
idarity and to cordially and unitedly
support the entire ticket. I was
asked the same question there that
Mr. Flack has asked me here, that
is, 'lf there be democrats who will
not support Governor Stoith for pres
ident, do you want them to vote the
county, district and state democratic
ticket?'
"As leader of my party in this
campaign, I do not hesitate to an
swer I most assuredly do. If a
democrat cannot vote for me for
governor, Ido not want him to pun
ish Zeb Weaver by not voting for
him for congress. If a democrat
cannot conscientiously vote for Gov
ernor Smith for president, I do not
want him to punish the democratic
sheriff of this county, nor the dem
ocratic state ticket, by declining to!
vote for either.
"Some of the best personal and j
political friends I have in North Car
olina are opposed to the election of
Governor Smith and while I differ
with them, no words shall fall from
my lips to drive anyone of them into
the republican party. I can under
stand how a democrat might vote
against me. I can understand how a
democrat might vote against Gov
ernor Smith, but frankly I cannot
understand, cannot penetrate the pol
itics of a democrat who votes the re
publican ticket for Hoover. Just re
member when you vote for Hoover
you are not voting for a man, but!
voting to put the republican party in j
power.
"It has always been the policy of
our leaders to enlist every vote pos
sible for the democrat ticket, but
party leaders have never made a
campaign appeal based on a split
or divided democracy and I hope
never will. I never ask any demo
crat to vote for me and not vote for
any other democrat, and I have
20 Pages
120 COLUMNS
V. -J
SI.OO Per Year in Advaac*
GARDNER'S REPLY
IS SATISFACTORY
I TO MAYOR FLACK
I
i . _
Will Holdi ,All Democrats to
County and State Tickets
Is The Mayor's Opinion
In an interview Tuesday, following
Hon. O. Max Gardner's speech here
Monday night, Mayor Chas. Z. Flack,
member of the Anti-Smith Democra
tic Executive Committee, said:
J
\ "Mr. Gardner's reply to my ques-
I tionaire asking him if he still stood
j by his Boone speech or had adopted
I Mr. Pete Murphy's platform, whereby
he wanted only the votes of those
Democrats who would support Gov
ernor Smith, was perfectly satisfac
tory to me. As long as Mr. Gardner
adheres to the text of his reply last
night and delivers speeches as ho de
livered in Forest City, I am sure no
Anti-Smith Democrat will have any
criticism. Nor should any Smith Dem
ocrat have any criticism. Speeches
like Mr. Gardner's last night will hold
all Democrats to the county and state
tickets irk my opinion."
I
I
j YOUNG VOTERS' CLUB
TO BE ORGANIZED
A meeting will be held in the court
house at Rutherfordton Thursday
j night (tonight) at 8 o'clock, for the
j purpose of organizing a young peo
j pies' democratic club. Young voters
jof Rutherford county, "of both sexes,
are urged to be present. Mr. J. S.
Massenberg, of Hendersonville, will
be present and make a short talk.
Short talks will be made by several
others. The young democratic voters
clubs 'r^naril y for young peo
ple from / 30.
SUCCESSFUL MONTH
FOR KINDERGARTEN
I
j The merry sunshine kindergarten,
opened September 3rd with twenty
two pupils and has had an average
daily attendance of twenty. Miss
Nell Young the teacher is highly
pleased with the progress the chil
dren are making. She has room for
five or six more children and if any
parents are interested, see her by
Monday, October Ist, the beginning
of the second month.
\ never set up such a rigid standard
!as to • prevent even a republican
from supporting a democratic can
didate.
"This position is without doubt
the policy of Governor Smith, him
self. He has been elected governor
of New York four times and while
[he always stood solidly behind the
national ticket, he was never heard
to say that he did not want the vote
of democrats for governor. who
would not support his party's nom
inee for president. He has always
received thousands of votes his
democratic presidential candidate
could not command.
"No one realizes better than I
that I could be elected governor by
an unprecedented majority if I
would compromise my nomination,
surrender my loyalty to the national
ticket and duck into a political
storm cellar while the lightning flash
and the thunders reverberate, but
I cannot and will not pay the price. I
have tried for 20 years to equip my
self by training, study and experi
ence to make for North Carolina a
good governor. I was unanimously
nominated by my party for governor
and I say in all humility without the
least defiance, that I would go down
to defeat before I would desert the
leader of my party in this campaign."-