The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-04-20

tin, Fusiopist, 3,622 and for Lockhart.
Democrat, 2,153?
A. Those figures are probably cor
rect.
Q. What was the aggregate vote of
the county in the Congressional election
of 1898?
\. ! lost interest after the election was
over and can't remember what it was.
q. Was it not G,341. that is for Bel
lamW Democrat. 1923 and for Dockery.
Fusionist, 2,S222
A. Probably so. | know the vote was
slightly in EXCESS of two years previous.
q. Isn't il matter of history that
in off-years the Congressional vote has
usually been smaller?
a. II is often the ease.
q. Does not the fact that the aggrc-
gate vote in 1898 was 500 larger than
the vote Of 1896 go to show that there
was no effectual intimation or suppress
sion of the vote in the year 1898?
Question objected to.
\. | do not think il does sir. If | lived
in some other section | should probably
think so; but knowing the facts | do
not think So
@. How do you account for the large
increase in the vote?
A. There was more work done of n
political nature than ever before. There
are in that county something like GOO
CroatanS. Only small number OF
those have heretofore voted. In 1895
pic-nics were given them every now and
then and leaders among the CroatanS
were appointed 10 90 among their people
and get them to register. This resulted
in bringing out the entire Croatan vote
q. Have not the CroatanS in former
elections been accustomed to vote mainly
the Republican ticket:
a. The majority of them have.
q. Did they not vote, generally. the
Democratic ticket in 1898?
\. About the same proportion as voted
the Democratic ticket in 1893 voted the
Republican ticket in other years.
@. About how many Croatan voters
are there in the county?
y. The race is pretty badly mixed
down there. 1t is claimed however that
there are between 800 and 600 voters.
q. Does not the change in the voting
of these Croatan Indians ~9ilicii You men
ton largely account for the change in
the aggregate vote in the county?
4. That change possibly effected the
result somewhat.
q. Do you not know that nearly the
entire Croatan vote was cast for Mr.
Bellamy in the Congressional election of
1888. Question objected to.
A. | do not know that / can say that
know nearly the entire vote was cast
for him; but he got the great majority
of it.
Q. DO you regard pic-nics as condu-
Give to- the intimidation or suppression
of votes?
A. | do not know that there was
any organized effort to intiniidate the
Croatans.
q. Did you take any interest in the
campaign of 1896?
A. Yes sir: the same as in other years
when | was chairman.
q. For whom did you vote in the
election of 1896 for Governor and Lieu
tenant Governor?
! A. | voted for Oliver Dockery and
William A. Guthrie.
q. You were then acting with the
Porulists in that campaign?
a. No sir: | was not.
@. If you were not thea acting with
Populist candidates for Governor and
Lieutenant Governor instead of for Rus
sell and Reynolds, Republican candi-
dates?
A. | did not vote for Governor Rus
sell because he was my personal enemy,
and the feeling was entirely mutual
had sworn that never would vote
for him owing to personal matter and
kept my oath.
@. Before whom did you take that
oath?
A. The only Being to whom man
can take an oath
Q. You mean you just swore to your
self?
A. Yes sir: to God and myself.
@. Did you take the same oath in
regard to Lieutenant Governor Rey-
nolds?
A. No sir.
@. Why did you not vote for him,
you being Republican and chairman
of Congressional committee and he
being the regular Republican candi-
date?
A. | had nothing special against Mir.
Reynolds; | simply voted the head of
the other ticket
@. Do You allow your personal antag-
onisms to influence or control your ac-
tion in voting or refusing to vote for
the regular nominees of your party?
A. Under ordinary circumstances, Ger
tainly not.
O. In 1896 did Mr.. Dockery, the
contestant, make speeches in his cam
paign for free silver and for Bryan?
A. 1t was so reported ut the time.
@. Did not this naturally have the
effect of alternating from him many Re-
pubicans who did not believe i'll the
doctrine of free silver. in his Congress
sional campaign of 1893 and does not
that account for his loss of votes III
many sections of the district.
Objected to by contestants counsel.
A. When Col. Dockery's candidacy
was first spoken of there was some
opposition from those who did not
agree with his views on the money
question; a long time before the district
convention, however, all opposition had
died out. The only opposition he had
at the convention was from two pros
pective candidates. After the conven-
ton made its choice these candidates
fell in line and if there was any more