The gold leaf., 1902-10-16
OUR RALEIGH LETTER
NEWS POLITICAL AND OTHERWISE FROM
THE STATE CAPITAL.
Joint Canvass Betws en- Hon. Locke
Craig and Senator Pritchard Closed
Saturday - State Fair to b. the
Greatest Yet Heid-Bad Biunders OF
Re2istrars-Oiher State Matters of
Interest.
RALEIGH. y. e., Oct. 13, 1902.

RALEIGH. y. T.. oct. 10, 1opz.
The Joint canvass between Senator
Pritchard and Hon. Locke Craig
closed Saturday, but the fight for the
may be said to be in its
prime Just now and it will be kept up
till the Legislature settles it. Most
of the members of the General As
sembly will come to Raleigh in Jan
uary not only unpledged but without
having settled in their own minds
which one of the half-dOzen and more
aspirants for the SenatOrship it will
be best for the State and for them to
support.
The most notable utterance, bear
ing on future political alignment,
which the closing week OF the Joint
debate called forth, was that ofSena-
tor Pritchard in reply to the printed
assertion of some negro churchmen
who visited President Roosevelt re-
Gently, to the effect that the President
disapproved or did not endorse the
course of the North Carolina and
Alabama "lily whites in debarring
negro delegates to Republican con
VentlOnS.
Senator Pritchard, who doubtless
knows the real feelings of Mr.. ROose
welt in this matter, seemed to ques-
ton the accuracy of the statement
given out by the negro Bishops ct
ais, and then added that he was
making his campaign along the lines
which his Judgment Dictated" and
that he ''was not taking orders from
any one" All the Senatorial candi-
dates willnow pursue their individual
canvass of the State separately, on
their own account, and in their own
way.
GREATEST OF ALL STATE FAIRS.
Two weeks hence and the great
Semi-Centennial State Fair will open,
and the management is bending
every energy to make the fiftleth
annual event OF the North Carolina
Agricultural Society the greatest
Fair ever held in this State-with
bright and cheering indications of a
glorious success. The Society has
never had a more energetic and sue
cessful Secretary than Mr. POgue,
who is most admirably assisted by
Capt benson, the Assistant Secretary
and Treasurer, while President Long
is measuring up to the full standard.
| have already pointed out many of
the attractions in these letters, but
it would take hall of your paper, Mr.
Editor, to even casually allude to
them ALTO say nothing of one of
the happiest OF all inducements with
many, viz, the meeting again of SO
many friends from all quarters OF the
State. 1t is time you were getting
ready for the most en- ioyable week of
the year And we're expecting you,
all of you.
SOME BAD BLUNDERs OF REGISTRARS
Voters are registering very slowly
in this neck O. the woods. Only ten
days left in which to attend to this
important matter. Senator Simmons
has gone to Wilmington, where he
speaks tonight. The letter of Chair
man Simmons, scoring the Ruther-
ford registrar who refused registra-
tion to an intelligent negro solely on
the ground that he misspelled a
word, and advising him to recall the
applicant and register him, is gener-
ally commended. Other errors of
misguided registrars in other coun-
ties are now being reported, on a par
with the above cited case. Such con-
duct only Injuries the Democratic
party, the suffrage amendment and
the cause of white supremacy. The
negroes qualified to vote under the
new election law should be promptly
registered when they apply. Every
registrar should read Chairman
Simmons letter on this subject.
and be governed thereby Both the
law and Democratic integrity are in
vOlved and both demand Il faithful,
honest and intelligent execution of
the new Constitutional Amendment.
Indeed, the legality and existence of
the Amendment itself depend upon
it.
To quote the expression of promi-
nent and well known Democrat:
''There is no need whatever, from any
standpoint, OF giving to this law a
strained construction Nor is there,
from any point of view, any occa-
sion for it's arbitrary enforcement to
the extent of doubtful construction.
If the applicant "can read and write"
in a manner equal to the ability in
that respect of the ordinary citizen,
he is eligible within the meaning of
the Amendment.
VARIOUS MATTERS OF INTEREST.
The Fries cotton mill merger plan,
referred to last week, is now being
perfected A committee has been ex-
amining minutely into the financial
and physical condition of the 10
plants which have already Joined the
combine, and will finish up the work
early this week This is done under
the following clause of the option
agreement signed by the mill com
panies involved: "No plant or busi-
ness shall be purchased in the organ
izatiOn of the new company except
with written unanimous approval as
to the desirability of purchase and
as to the proprietary price of the fol-
lowing named persons: T. W. Pratt,
Huntsville, Ala; S B. Tanner. Henri
eta, n. C.: John W. Fries, Winston
Salem, n. C.; c. 6. Latta. Raleigh,
n. C.; A. W. Haywood. Haw River.
y. c."
The superintendent of Public In
struction has made a compilation OF
county superintendents reports
which shows that the total enroll
ment in the rural public schools dur
ing 1902 was 291. .727. This is a
gain of about 100 over 1901.
The Southern Railway, Seaboard
Air Line, Atlantic Coast Line and
Norfolk and Western have made a
rate of one fare and fiftycen coupon
admission to fair grounds for the