The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-09-24
OFFICES AS BAIT
FOR SALOON VOTES
Will Aldermen Wait to Fill
Police Vacancies !?
LADIES ARE ORGANIZING
Let Every Man See That He is Registered Before
Saturday---Registrar Scott Gets Copy
OF the Stale consti-
tuition.

There was report going the rounds
saloon forces were trying TO secure votes
against the dispensary through one of
the vacancies now existing in the police
fierce Of the city.
1t was said that, although there are
about twenty-five aspirants for the posi-
ton made vacant by the resignation OF
Policeman Bones, yet the major
ity of the Board Of Aldermen
will at the next regular meeting on Fri
day, October End, vote to postpone the
election OF a successor to officer Bones
until October 9th.
The dispensary election will take place
on October 9Th, three days after the next
meeting of the Board of Alderman. and
the idea IS that all of the applicants for
the vacant position on the police force
will vote the anti-dispensary ticket, in
the hope of gaining favor with certain
OF the aldermen who are for saloons as
against dispensary.
A reporter OF the News and Observer
tried to verify or disprove this report yes
terday. He asked Mr.. A. B. Andrews,
JT., of the Police Committee, if the va
cancies on the force would be filed at the
next meeting. Mr.. Andrews said he was
unable to say. The committee, he said
would report to the Board the two resig
nations and the suspension from duty, but
IT remained entirely with the Board to
determine what they would do toward fill
ing the vacancies.
Mayor Powell was then asked if the
Board would name the successors to the
policemen who had left the force at the
next meeting. He said ne supposed they
would, but he could not say positively
1t was a matter entirely with the Board
Asked if it was the custom to fill such va
cancies at the meeting Immediately fol-
lowing resignation or suspension, the
Mayor said it was, but that the Board
could do as it saw fit in the matter.
Now the question is, will the Board of
Aldermen at the next meeting fill those
vacancies on the police force? At any
rate this much seems a fact: If Raj
eigh can do without a policeman for
month, she can do without him all the
time.
Is there a plan on foot to hold out the
office of policeman as a bait to aspirants
in order to make votes against the dis
pensary?
force to be filled by the Board of AL
dermen. Will the selection depend upon
how aspirants stand on the dispensary?
The question was asked yesterday, if
vacancies on the police force can be held
open for electioneering purposes for one
month, is there any need of these posi-
tions being filed at all.
REGISTRAR SCOTT GETS A COPY OF
THE CONSTITUTION.
Registrar W. o. Scott who registered
negroes in the dispensary election without
requiring them to prove their ability to
read and write, said that he had never
seen the Constitution of the State of
North Carolina. Inasmuch as no copy of
the Constitution had been furnished Reg
istrar Scott. the editor of this paper yes
terday furnished Mr.. Scott with copy of
the Constitution, and addressed to him
the following letter:
Raleigh, n. c., Sept. %, 1903.
''Mr. w. Q. Scott, Registrar, Second Di-
vision, Third Ward, Raleigh, N. c.:
Dear Sir: Referring to our converse
tion in which you said that you did not
have copy of the Constitution of North
Carolina, and therefore could not test APP
p1cdUtS 10 register on Jnelr ability to
read and write any section of the Consti-
tuition in the English language | beg to
send you herewith a copy of the Consti-
tuition that you may apply the test to
all persons offering to register, except, of
course, those who register under the
Grandfather Clause. I beg also to call
your attention particularly to section u,
chapter 80, Laws of 1901, governing reg
istration, and particularly to the follow
ing extract from that section:
$ Every person presenting himself
for registration shall be able to read
and write any section of the Constitu-
ton in the English language, and
shall show to the satisfaction of the
registrar his ability to read and write
any such section WHEN HE AP-
PLIES FOR REGISTRATION AND
BEFORE HE IS REGISTERED.'
1.-The anti-saloon forces have a right to
insist that no person offering to register
under the educational clause shall be per-
WHAT'S THE USE