The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-08-20

ever a prospective voter approached the
polls. he was, like the PrOdigal Son, es-
pied ''when he was yet great way of.
ard workers ran to meet him and offer as
sistance in deciding. Should he show any
hesitancy as to the kind of vote he would
cast, a great crowd would gather around
and follow him to the polls. Having
voted, this tender solicitude for him
would cease, and he would find himself
the most neglected man upon the ground,
while other new victims were seized and
marched to the polls as he had been.
The Religious Editor was learning. He
now shifted his position to see whence
came these voterS-Squads OF white men.
squads of negroes, mixed squads Though
by their dress and rough faces wou would
have judged them poor, they came in
arriages-rubber-t tired phaetons drawn
by spanking pairs. The Religious Editor
inquired the meaning of this, and was
told that all the carriages in the city
were hired to haul voters to the polls.
He was learning rapidly.
The negro voters showed a preference
for the rubber-tired and more elegantly
upholstered vehicles. In fact, some OF
them declined to ride in the more COM
mon ones. Then there were two or three
elegant private turnouts-aIl busly en-
gagged in taking negroes to their voting
places.
The Religious Editor was learning and
the crowd of workers was increasing in
numbers.
On one side stood Alderman Drewry
with DR.. Sale, Clerk Smith, Alderman
Hamilton, Commissioner Blake, Inspec-
tor Jordan and Officer Banks. They had
as their lieutenants half dozen negroes,
city employees and others skilled in ward
politics On the other side were Messrs.
W. ~ Jones, ]. N. Holding, George Fow-
Ter and a squad of experienced negro
workers. The battle was determined. No
voter could get to the ballot-box without
an interview with both sides, and often
sharp words were thrown across the line
, Fl IS is at the city lot.
4 rub.,erired carriage dashes up to
tic gate. The crowd surges in that di-
, rcct.cr. A negro and two white men get
out. Several bond negroes surround the
black man; the two white men follow
The negro votes
Another soul made happy" exclaimed
some one among the bond workers. The
two white men vote.
civil rights and social equality, all
ents, a negro politician.
The Religious Editor is now learning,
lesson he does not like, but entertain
ing. with st. Paul, the awe that our
rulers should inspire, especially those
appointed upon the Order-of the Garter
principle, he, instead of presumptuously
crticisng their actions, studied the saga
cious silence recommended as sanity by
the inimitabe Cervantes. Then he fol-
lowed the example of the Lacedemonian
young men who were ashamed to show
sorrow in public and went off behind a
nearby building to hang his head in sor-
row Others had got there before him,
but not to shed tears. To man in great
grief it looked like they were buying and
selling votes.
All day long, here and elsewhere, this
sort of thing seemed to be going on,
and seemed to be confined princi-
pally to the colored voter though if
Madam Runner he not liar. there were
others. Be it said to the credit of some
of the colored men, however, that they
resisted offers of money or place and
voted their convctions-some for and
some against the bonds.
Yesterday was the last whack the ig
norant negro is 10 have ut the ballot box.
and he made the most Of it. If he didn't
always get the high price he asked, he
usually got something.
II doesn't want nothin' fer my vote,
but / orter he paid fer my time, seems
ter ME lack" was the way he usually
stated the proposition to you. If you
oidn't care to pay, why the other side
did and thus it went The colored
workers on both sides were paid well. ]
am told.
On the theory that "the laborer Is
worthy of his hire the city employees
were likewise present and active. Most
of them were assigned to special work,
stuck to it we'll. The higher officials
showed peripatetic propensities Believ-
ing, with Aristotle, that life is nothing
but motion; and with Spencer, that the
primordial element of all intelligence is
simply change" they went from place to
place and back again, always putting in
their efforts where they believed they
would do most good.
But in none of these respects did they
have any advantage of the anti-hond-
men, who hauled negroes, spent money
and time. and worked as hard as men
we'll could At least tia! is the impress
sion the Religious Editor got. and he
thinks the Pot will not this morning, nor
any other morning, have right tn "all
the Kettle black.