The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-08-05
WILMINGTON. n. C.
HOW TOM JARVIS REDEEMED
PITT.

Nearly thirty years ago, We do not
recall the precise year, Captain Thos.
J. Jarvis became the chairman Of the
democratic committee of Pitt county,
at the instance of the leading workers.
He had supreme command. The first
thing he did was to organize anew
the county committee, retaining some
of the old committee and substituting
others, the old committee doing this
work as they were better acquainted
with the county than Captain Jarvis
as he had only removed into it two
or four years before. So he began
his work supported by the very best
working committee that the county
could furnish.
The next movement, and later IN,
was to divide the several townships
into sub-townships-three for each.
This was done by the county commit
tee. In each sub-township there were
three committeeman, one of whom was
chairman. This gave with the regu-
lar township committeeman, ten men
to a township. They were all careful
1y selected. Men of sense, of judgment
and industry were named for the
places.
The next step was by Captain Jarvis.
A clerk was furnished him. He
caused enough copies Of the registra-
made to distribute to all other town
ships adjoining. He also obtained
copies from other counties of ali town.
ships that jutted against townships in
Pitt. In this way every township
committeeman not only had the regis
tration for his own township, but for
all adjoining townships whether in
Pitt or some other county or counties.
This equipped them for safe work on
election day and shut out many a ras-
cal seeking to vote from other town
ships and perhaps other counties.
The sub-township committee were
to make a thorough house-to-hOuse
canvas in their respective territory,
20 have lists of all voters in their sub
townships, and notes as to what their
purposes and promises were, etc.
Before the election it was a~scertained
in every township who would furnish
a horse n a buggy or a carriage or a
wagon to be used on day of election.
All of the committeeman in a town
ship-ten-were to report for duty at
sunrise on day of election. On cleo
tion day at II o'clock the ten were to
meet for consultation. At 1 o'clock
vehicles were to start for certain re-
mote voters who had not reported at
that hour. At 3 o'clock other vehicles
were sent out for nearer voters who
had not come to time. There was
constant, faithful intelligent work.
When the polls closed the democrats
had agined over 300 votes and with
out any cheating. They had brought
out the stay Always, had got wavering
men to vote right. Such was Thomas
J. Jarvis's practical, common n
management.
There are quite 1000 in North Car
+olina who never vote. 1t is very GER
tain that in twenty years in no cleo
ton nave there been fewer stay-aways
than &C. 1000. Of these more than 30
900 would vote with the democrats.
There are thousands Of men who
do not vote because they have no way
but walking to get to the polls. The
way to win is not by mighty, contin-
uous, awful "jawbation," or by torch
light professions, but by downright
hard, honest, common-sense work
going from house to house and talk
ing face to face with white men in
their homes.