The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-04-24
OUR RALEIGH LETTER
STATE CONVENTION OF INDEPENDENT
NEGROES A FAILURE.
Senator Pritchard Strong With Better
Class of Negro Leaders-The Pell
Tax Question - English Tobacco
Trust at Raleigh
From Our Regular Correspondent.

From Our Regular Correspondent
RALEIGH, y. C.. April u. 'O2.
The much heralded State convcn-
ton OF ''independent" negroes which
was to have been pulled off i'll such
great shape last week according to
numerous announcements was a
bowling farce and has left hardi.; ii
memory behind it,
Some seventeen darkies outside OF
Raleigh and Il small gathering OF
Raleigh colOred politicians out OF Jobs
constituted the convention OF the
oftice-hungry crowd. Somebody read
"a speech denouncing Senator Prit-
chard for appointing in the places OF
ObiectiOnablepO stmasters and others
III the East men more acceptable to
the public in the several communities
involved, and pretty much all OF those
present seconded the notion. And
vet the vote of ayes constituted "a
mere handful. SO the negroes did
not come over to the Democratic
party on this occasion. and those
who are supposed to know say that
Senator Pritchard is strong with the
better class OF negro party leaders.
PAID YOUR POLL TAX YET?
The poll tax question is creating
great deal of interest Just now among
the politicians. professional and
otherwise There are less than ten
days in which to pay this tax, as re-
uuired by the new election law. and
vet probably less than one-half the
voters in many counties have com
piled with the law in this respect.
| The news from Guilford county, for
instance. is to the effect that at the
| end of last week some 1900 voters.
white and black, had not paid their
poll tax This sort OF thing is preva-
lent all over North Carolina, and one
hears on all hands inquiries and eX-
| pressiOns of doubt as to whether the
| Constitutional amendment is as good
Il thing as we Democrats expected it
to be at the time OF its adoption.
1t is Il rare thing to find either
Democrats or Republicans nowadays
discussing the passing of the Supreme
Court on the Constitutionality of the
amendment The Republicans seem
to be making no effort to get up a
ease agreed" for the Supreme Court
to pass upon. In fact, | have heard
politicians Of both parties say they
were entirely satisfied If the other
| fellow" was
That makes the poll tax situation
even more troublesome than before.
and in some instances theprepayment
| of the tax by Otfice-holders and candi-
dates for office seems to be the only
way out OF the difficulty. 1t is a bit
ter pill for the politicians generally
to take, but from general appear
ances take it they must.
ENGLISH TOBACCO TRUST AT RALEIGH.
The $50. 100000 capital Imperial
Tobacco Company. of England, has
formally entered this State and will
compete with the American Tobacco
Company. 1t will have buyers at
each market. 4 license tax of 81 900.
State and county. was paid here. and
the entry OF the company officially
made The American is making
things lively III England. and. i'll fact,
Europe generally, and now the I'm
perial proposes to make things lively
on this side of the water for its
"American cousin
LLEWN AM.