The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-02-24
Laid Before Members of
the Legislature.
THE new ELECTION Law
Compleseo, by the Democratic Caucus.
To be Rec RATED and Again Submitted
TO the Ca nous Great Pressure on
LegfsIaserx TO Vote For and Against
Reinstaaag h Wilson's N Railway
Commisssonels-Fight Over Dispen>
sarfes
Messenger Bureau,
Raleigh, y. c., February p

~C
There is a smallpox scare at Forest
Vile, neal here 4 negro arrived yes
Ierday from Norfolk, who said he had
slept with a man who had smallpox.
Four other negroes came with him. All
We're quarantined, as were the negroes
at Forestvilie with whom the men
came in contact, and today fifty persons
We're v~accinated-
The revenue bill, vas laid on the desks
of members of the legislature today. 1t
provides for a general state taX-of q 2-3
cents, a pension tax Of 2 1-3 cents and
a school tax of Is cents on the 500 of
property. The poll tax is s1.29.
The new penitentiary executive board
asks that a fine of $1,000 be imposed on
CAPTAIN w. II. Day for his holding the
office of superintendent after the Office
had been abolished. This is all a. tesS
Of the aw. 1t is nor. at all probable
that judgment will be given for any
penalty.
The democratic caucus last night dis
posed of the new election law. The
judges of election are not TO be of one
political party, but Of different ones;
there will. be no requirement for the
presentation of certificate of registra-
ton as a prerequisite to voting; a uoll
NNN A~SSA - ~ SNAAo
places will. be open, not closed; ballots
will be on white paper, plainly printed
in Roman letters and without device.
This legislature will elect the state
board of elections, of five members,
and this board will choose the county
boards of efection, each Of three men,
bers. The state board will meet here
the first Monday in next May and or
ganiZe. The county boards are to meet
the first Monday in May, 1909, and Or
ganize, and fix the election precincts
and also appoint all registrars and
judges of elections; n registrar and
two judges at each polling place; the
judges to be of good moral character,
able to read and write, and, as stated,
Of different political parties. The
changes made last night were so num-
erOus that the bill will be redrafted by
a committee and presented to the eau
Gus by next Friday night, so that the
adoption will be final and the measure
perfect. 1t is an excellent election law,
clean and fair
The ~dispensary bills pour in. Nearly
all succeed. So far only one has been
rejected-that for YOungSville, q small
town. The pressure for the Charlotte
dispenSary is powerful. The saloon men
are putting up d strong fight against
it. An effort to induce the democratic
caucus to agree that no more dispense
ry bills shall pass proved a signal fall
ure. The caucus decided that it was
none of it's business.
There is a great deal of interest in
the matter of the reinstatement of Maj.
J. w. Wilson and S. Ohio Wilson as
railway commissioners. A special eff
fort has been made to rouse sentiment
against Ohio Wilson, populist. This has
gone to great lengths. 1t was said by one
of Governor Russe1l'S counsel against
the Wilson's that letters had poured in
upon the members, urging them not to
adopt the committees report in favor
of reinstatement. On the other hand,
there is a pressure OF have the report
adopted as an act of simple justice. 1t
is significant that no open attack is
made on Major Wilson.