The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-03-14
WANTS WHITE MEN DlSFRAN.
CHISED.

Democratic committee with view to as
certaining the number of white men who
had not paid their poll tax. The only pur-
pose the Democratic committee had in
view, says the Chatham Record, was to
send a man to every delinquent white tax
! payer in the county without regard to his
party, and inform him of the Importance
of paying his poll-tax and urge him to
do so in order to vote After Sheriff John
son had verbally refused the request. this
letter was addressed to him:
'.Pittsboro, n c., March TO- 1902
ITO j. J. Johnson. Sheriff of Chatham
county, Pittsboro, n. C.
Dear Sir:-The Democratic party OF
Chatham county wish to give every white
man in Chatham personal information as
to the requirement of law that he must pay
his poll tax on or before the first day of
next May in order to register and vote at
the next election. In order to give this in
formation and thus aid the white voters
OF Chatham to vote, regardless of their
past party affiliations, the Executive
Committee of the Democratic party of
Chatham hereby demand of you, as you
have refused a verbal request for that
purpose, an opportunity of looking over
the books of tax receipts in your possess
sion and in the possession of your depu-
ties so as to ascertain therefrom what
white men in Chatham have not yet paid
their poll tax for the past year.
While we can only make this request
officially in the name of the Democratic
party, yet we feel assured that we eX-
press the wishes of all fair white men
of every party in trying to secure to them
! the right to vote at the next election.
wv. l.. LONDON,
Chairman of the Elk. Com. of Chatham
county.
IF. c. POE, Secretary"
The Chatham Record gives the sequel
Instead of promptly complying with
the request asked in the above letter,
Sheriff Johnson positively refused, saying
L am not going to grant this request to
you, for 1 do not propose to give you
boys such an advantage as this would be
to your
Now, what do the white men of Chat
ham think of Sheriff Johnsons refusal?
Answer at the polls next November!
Sheriff Johnson and the court house
ring will no doubt notify every negro who
has not paid his poll tax, but he refuses
a similar privilege to all white men.
White men of Chatham, what do you think
of this?
LET it be remembered that the Demo-
cratic Executive Committee did not ask
for and wish for the names of Democrats
hut Of oil N1yhit I'd Of
their past party affiliations The commit
tee wished to notify every white man
whether he was a Democrat, Republican
or Populist, so that all, white men might
be notified in time to pay their poll tax
and thus be enabled to register and vote.
1--WE urge every man in Chatham who
reads this to appoint himself a commit
tee of one to inquire of every other white
man in his neighborhood if he knows of
any white man who has not paid his poll
tax And if you find out a delinquent 60
to him at once and urge him to pay his
poll tax by the first day of May.
This outrageous action of Sheriff
Johnson ought to raise such storm of
Indignation in Chatham as to'cause every
white man to pay his poll tax and vote
to clean out him and all the court house
ring at the next election.
I'm his refusal Sheriff Johnson did not
act unadvisedly, but acted after consul
tation (of course) with Mr.. Robert H.
Dixon. the chairman of the Populist Coun-
ty Executive Committee. We cannot think
that the fair minded members of the
Populist party in Chatham will endorse
this advice and action of their chairman.
Unless the Populists of Chatham repu
date and denounce this action of their
chairman and sheriff they can no longer
claim that they are in favor of giving
all white men full and fair opportunity
to register and vote. And yet they have
been bowling about Democrats depriving
negroes of their right to vote!'
Hon. Thos. Settle, one of the first Re-
publicans in the State, long ago pointed
out that no white man could be disfran-
chised by reason of the amendment in
this State unless the Republicans procured
it. We now see that Chatham county
Republicans are seeking to disfranchise
white men by refusing information which
would prevent their loss of the franchise.
The Record truly says that the action of
the Republican sheriff in Chatham shows
that "he wishes to deprive as many white
men of their votes as he can BECAUSE
MOST OF THE WHITE MEN VOTE THE
DEMOCRATIC TICKET
The example of Mr.. London and Mr..
Poe is one that is to be commended to the
chairmen and secretaries of committees
in every county in North Carolina.
The counties are organizing Good
Roads Associations. Edgecombe, Pitt
and Orange are the latest and Mr.. L. j.
Ra1cseur has issued a call for a meeting
in Shelby to organize Good Roads As
ISOLATION in Cleveland county on March
oath Let the good work go on.
The Baltimore Sun reports that
charges are preferred against the Ger
man Ambassador because he was in cor
respondence with Mr.. Bryan's friends
during the campaign of 1900. That isn't