The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-01-24
THE CONTEST IN
NINTH DISTRICT
Crawford OverWheIms Pear
son With Evidence.
PEARSON'S POOR CASE
EVIDENCE FROM THE DOCKERY-
BELLAMY CONTEST.
CRAwF0RDs CHANCES LOOK BRIGHT
With Majority Of the Election officers Ap'
pointed by Pearson's Party, It is Absurd
to Charge That He Did Not
Get Fair Treatment,

From @ gentleman who was present at
the argument of the contested election
case of Pearson VS.. Crawford, before
the Election Committee No. 3 of the
House of Representatives, representa-
tive of the News and Observer has OBJ
tion of the contest.
The contestant, Pearson, based his
claim upon several general propositions
and upon certain specific objections TO
the votes Of certain precincts. He copied
In his brief long extracts from the testi-
mony taken in the case of Dockery vs..
Relamy, to show, as he alleged reign
Of terror in Eastern North Carolina, and
the terrible effect of the speech of Sena-
tor Illlnian in the Sixth district, and
from this testimony. taken in another
case. he argued that there WAS Il similar
state Of terror and consequent intimida-
ton an the ninth district. He also claim
I'd that the lynching OF a negro in the
town of Franklin, Macon county, on the
night before the election, had Il disas-
trous effect upon the Republican cause.
He also alleged bribery in several pre-
cincts In Buncombe and i'll one III Mitch
ell county.
4 For his specific oDjections he relied
chiefly upon the fact that the registration
in South Wayncsville precinct i'll Hay
wood county, was held i'll an office some
$50 or 200 yards distant from the polling
place. ad that the officers of election
neglected to remove certain old tickets
which had been voted IN the election OF
1896 from the ballot boxes before re-
ceiving the ballots. He claimed that one
of the inspectors OF election in Black
Mountain township unlawfully placed Ger
tain ballots in one of the boxes; that the
negroes in enc Of the Asheyflle negro
wards were intimidated and that there
was bribery practised i'll Buncolnbe; that
certain letters were sent out to Republi-
cans in various parts Of Buucombe coull-
ty asking them to call upon certain cleo
tors at their precincts to get the money
Mr.. Pearson had sent out for them, and
that these letters were bogus. Mr.. Pear
son opened his own case, and Mr.. Set
tie made the concluding argument.
1t seemed TO every Democrat and APP
parently to some of the Republicans pres
ont that the answer of MIR. Crawford
and his counsel to these charges was per-
fectly Overwhelming. 1T was shown that
the race issue was not relied upon by
Mr.. Crawford in his campaign, though
he had IL perfect right to do 50, hut that
he preferred to yentilate the record Of
Mr.. Pearson. 1t was shown by incon-
testiblc evidence. largely from Repub
Leans, that Mr. Pearson was very weak
with his own party and did not receive
the Republican vote of the district. The
lynching at Franklin was shown 20 be
an uprising of the people of both races
and all parties because of the rmspeaka-
bly, odious/ crime of negro who had at
tempted to commit rape on the wife of
the Republican sheriff and upon the wife
of a leading minister. during the same
night; that the lynching was utterly free
from partisan meaning and that tho Re
publican party actually made Il gain at
the precinct, ard heavy gain III mn add
joining county, which was alleged to have
been affected fby it, and held its own in
another adjoining county.
Senator Pritchard confessed that the
incident had no effect in Madison county.
Not even the most reckless partisan can
claim that the lynching entered into the
election. The evidence OF Democratic
bribery was hardly worth considering. 1t
did appear and was admitted that the Re-
publican Congressional chairman paid two
hundred and twenty-five Republicans in
Asheville alone, whom he was pleased TO
style "a working committee" two dollars
apiece a day or so after the election.
This was the only specific evidence of
bribery that amounted to anything. So
far as the specific attack ON South
Waynesvile is concerned it was shown
that there was no fire at the polling
place and that the books were kept in an
office near the polling place ard that ev-
cry voter in the precinct had an oppor-
tunity to register. and the registration
was unusually full and that not single
person was kept from registering. De-
ciSions of the Supreme court of North
Carolina were read to the effect that the
registration was entirely legal
1t was shown that the election was in
the hands Of a majority of Mr.. Pearson 5
friends, Populists and Republicans, and
that the votes which had not been re
moved from the box were county ballots.
two years old and that they could readily
be distinguished from the ballots Of 1898.
ard could not 10y any possibility have
affected the result any more ito use Mr..
Pearson's favorite cxpression) than "a
last years bird nest"
So far as the charge concerning Black
Mountain is concerned the testimony Of
several witnesses proved the utter falsity
of the charge, and the impossbility that