The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-09-24
Negroes Themselves Have
Decided 1t.
PRIMARIES LAST NIGHT
THE RING HAD IT'S WAY AT EV-
cry PRECINCT.
HAM JONES' FATE SEEMS IN DOUBT
His Friends, Though, Say He's All Right,
Loge Harris was Legislative Nominal
ton. Contest in Outside East.

tion-' Contest in Outside East.
The negro mas sat in judgment on his
own case and has condemned himself.
Last night the negroes of Raleigh met
in primaries and formally declared that
they were not fit to rule.
1t was not question of candidates
in the Republican primaries last night
1t was whether or not colored man
should be put on the legislative ticket
nominated.
The decision was unanimous and
against giving the colored man any rep
resentaton on the ticket he is expected
to elect in November.
To be sure there was not a negro in
Raleigh that did not want this done, and
a goodly number of the leading colored
men made strong fight for it. But
the bosses and the court house ring had
ruled otherwise, and it was as they said.
They made up the list of delegates.
named the persiding officers and sent
out their heelers and negro office-holders
to see that their instructions were car
ried out.
In every ward the administration ticket
was elected, and the programme of the
machine went through. In most places
the trick was done without any difficulty
In some. though. there had to be con-
siderable application of the gag rule and
questionable method.
For instance, at Sawyer's Hail, in the
Third ward. DR.. Leak and Prof. Cape.
hart made a fight in behalf of their
race, but they were showed under by Il
vote of A to 8. This was the vote by
which Joe Brann. the Governors Office
boy, was chosen chairman over l.. Is.
Capehart, who favored putting negro
on the ticket. BY practically the same
vote Andrew J. Rogers, one of Dan
Young's clerks. was chosen secretary.
His other clerk, George Tonnoffski sat
on the rostrum, but took no active part
in the proceedings. George King, night
Waterman at the State Manure Pile.
was also present to see the thing well
done, and Tom Bailey graced the scene
for few moments with his presence.
After the election of administration
delegates, Leak and Capehart We're
Modified to some extent by allowing
them to introduce and have adopted the
following resolution:
Resolved. That the delegates from
this primary be, and hereby are instruct
ed to work and vote for a eolored man
on the county ticket
In speaking of this resolution, Leak
said it was plain that things had been
cut and dried for the primaries: that
the court house ring was running things,
and the wishes of the voters were not
being considered.
This made Joe Brann and Andrew
Rogers and other administration men
present mighty nervous, and they sought
to head off the Doctor, but he wouldn't
be headed off.
IAN agreement has been made" he
said, referring to the Loge Harris con-
ference the night before, by which no
negro is to go on the ticket. This has
been done because the Populists asked
it, and the committee appointed to wait
on the Populists have assured them
that their wishes should be respected"
Joe Brann and Rogers jumped to their
feet to denounce the Doctors state
ment as false.
Keep STILL" commanded Leak, point
ing to Joe. IF I'm not hitting you, why
do you keep on hollering? What I've
said is SO, and / can prove it by the
best Republicans in this town, both
white and colored The ticket you have
elected here tonight WAS made out by
the bosses before this meeting met, and
you know it, and it was made for the
purpose of keeping a negro off tbs
county ticket
The Rev. Davis spoke much to the
same purpose. 1t was really Il very
fine argument, adroitly put and insinuat
ingly honest. There was about to be &
stampede to the negro-side and so the
resolution was allowed to go through
everybody knowing that with the dele
gates just elected it amounted to moth
ing.
In the other division of this ware
there was also a lively time. Seyera
times Il fight was narrowly averted
The egro-on-the-ticket question was
discussed both before and after the cleo
ton of delegates. On both occasions il
got black eye, and the resolution above
was voted down almost unanimously.
DIR. ScruggS and Isaiah CrawsoI
were the, champions of negro-on-the tick
ct side of the question in this ward
But they made little impression. Peter
Cobb, janitor of the court house, was
chairman, and held things well dow
for the administration.
In Outside East the resolution was
also presented to the primary, but i
failed to pass. Dave Lane championeC
it. The administration had everythin;
its own way here, as elsewhere 1t il
reported that contesting delegation
will come up from this precinct, headed
by Dave Lane, and ask to be seated
In the fourth ward things were yer!
quiet indeed. For the first time in man,
years there was no fight at PosmaI;
Hall. Perhaps the presence of Log
Harris there accounts for the change.
Outside West and one of the divisions
in the First ward have not been hear,
from. The delegates chosen in the Othc
precincts, though. are given below
Out of the 33 delegates Ham Jone
was last night claiming "A. Green
friends denied the correctness of Jone,
figures, and claimed for Green 10 votes