The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-09-03

white men, while OF the twelve VINO
added their names one-third were ne
| groes, one black as the ace of spades.
| This was a case of injecting the ne
gro again into questions for settlement
at the polls which is felt to be an
outrage by the people who desire to
avoid any more of the "nigger in the
wood pile" business.
The names withdrawn from the Pc
tition were L. w. Lancaster, W., p.
Belts, d. F. Fort, Jr., G. HI. Brough-
ton. M. G. Jones. w. l. Bridgers. c.
F. p Brown, Justin S Jones, w. d.
Terry. F. A. Watson, Sherwood Hay
wood, F. w. Richardson, w. F. Belts,
E. II. Lewellyn, M. r. Haynes, l.. d.
Bagwell,. E. S. Doolittle.
The names added were W. M. Now
ELL r.. j. Conrad, Jno. r.. Banks, n.
H. Moore, John Scarborough, w.
Moore, III. L. Pool and the following
negroes, j. E. Hamlin, G. w. Hoover,
DR.. II. Watson. Walter Harris and
Robert Matthews.
The attorneys who spoke for the
For Saloons petition were Col. T.
M. Argo and Mr.. William B. Jones,
while opposing the petition were
Judge T. B. Womack, Mr.. r. n Simms,
Hon. Richard H. Battle Mr.. Josephus
Daniels, Mr.. F. w. Habel and Mr. n.
speeches made, lengthy arguments
being made by Messrs Argo and Jones
for and Messrs. Womack, Simms and
Battle against.
The contentious of the advocates as
finally boiled down were that parties
who desired to add or withdraw their
names could do so in person, and that
parties who had not paid their poll
taxes on or before the first of May.
-
allowing that such could not vote, In
this City Attorney Snow agreeing.
Twice they offered supplemental list
of petitioners and twice withdrew this,
asking that settlement of the queS-
ton be made at the meeting. By Mr..
Jones it was claimed that he repre-
scented 927 petitioners who composed
FOUR ifths of the morality of Raleigh
and that he also represented a major
ity of the voters.
The opponents to the petition agreed
that parties in person could add to or
withdraw their names from the petit
ton, but steadfastly maintained that
no man who had not paid his poll tax
on or before the first of May, 1905,
was able to legally be considered as
able to sign petition, as he could not
vote in the election and was therefore.
though registered. not a ovter. 1t
was declared that the effort to do this
was to needlessly "harass and bedeviF'
the people of Raleigh who desired to
be rid of twenty-four open saloons.
But say, l got here just in time to
and who held that present conditions
were better for morality than those
which were trying to be brought upon
the city.
There were motions, counter motions
and many remarks made, but the sub
stance of the argument is given The
question of allowing parties to add OF
withdraw their names was settled by
a unanimous vote. while by a vote OF
five to three the aldermen decided to
reject from both registration books
and petition all names of parties not
eligible to vote in the city election, II
ordered.
Judge Womack declared that reg
istered voter is a voter only when he
has legal rigt to vote. and that with
poll taxes not paid as required by
law. no man was a voter, that the law
is prospective and not retrospective.
that on the law the comma after the
words registered voter" simply
meant land" the further qualification
being that he was registered at the
preceding election, the full requisite
being that he not alone be registered
but be ar'voter" as defined by law. In
replying to this Col. Argo declared
that the comma meant no such thing.
and that il a man was properly on the
registration books at the last election.
and voter then, that he could sign
whether he had paid his taxes in time
or not, and whether he could vote IA
an election ordered or not.
Mr.. F. w. Habel presented an aft
davit from Deputy Sheriff (Parham
that he had examined the tax book
and that his report showed men on
the petition who had not paid thell
taxes in time to become oVters. Inc
number of such was stated to be 10.
and it was offered by any needed evi
dence to prove these had not paid L.
time to become voters this year Tn
affidavit and list of names was received
on motion of Alderman Grimes, and
later on motion of Alderman Jacksol'
the board agreed to strike from the
petition and registration BOOKS the
names of all who had not paid theii
poll tax as required.
In the argument of Mr. K. N. Slmms
he statet\that he and those with him
represented at least two-thlrds OF the
voters of Raleigh, as the For Sa-
looms" petition had on it barely
third In his argument Hon. Richard
Battle declared that he stood for mo.
rality and the women and children OF
Raleigh. 1t was in reply to this that
Mr. W. B. Jones declared that he rep
resented four-ffths of the morality III
the 927 names originally on the list
and with these a majority.
Finally an effort was made by Col
Argo TO have the supplemental petit
ton received, but this was opposed
by Mr. Simms who insisted that IL
this be done those who deserved TO
withdraw their names COLD also do
this by petition. In the end the mat
ter was settled by Col, Argo with
drawing the supplemental petition al
together and making his announce
ment that he would go higher up
and seek the courts IN the matter.
After reaching the results as stated
the petition and the affidavits as to
10 non tax payers was referred
again to the subcommittee this to
report at meeting of the Board to
be held next Thursday night at eight
o'clock. AS the matter now stands
the petition For Saloons is defeat
ed by the enforcement of the tax pay
ing rule.
The Upchurch Charges.
The charges of Alderman Up
church against the dispensary were