The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-03-09
1 NEGRO LAWYER
ON RAGE PROBLEM
JACOB MOORER OF ORANGE
BURG AMUSED COMMITTEE.
Election Contests Heard-South Car
olina Gases Before House Com
mittee on Elections-Amus-
ing Speeches Made.


5:-The house elections committee
considered the race problem today.
They had lots Of fun, though Jacob
Moorer. a negro lawyer from Orange
burg. insisted that it was serious
question. Jacob Moorer, however, was
the one who caused all the fun.
The committee heard the case OF
Aaron ?. Prioleau. contestlng the seat
Of George S. Legare Of the First dis
trict. and the case Of ''the Rev. Isaac
Mvers.:' who would be congressman
instead Of J. O. Patterson. The
grounds of these contests are, IN or1et
leaving out Of consideration the
fact. that all contestants are allowed
$4,000 for expenses, regardless OF the
merits of their cases-that the elec-
.t;on laws Of South Carolina and the
constitution of that State dlsfran-
ehise men ON account OF race. color
and previous condition. all three; and
that even If this be not so. the ne
.roes. who are in the majority, are
not allowed to vote according to the
law. AS there was nothing new IN
this contention, the committee hay
ing heard it oft. before, it was hard
for them to take the matter seriously:
so they Just set themselves back III
their seats and enjoyed the per-
formance. asking questions now and
then. generally, facetious ones. about
interracial relations in South Caro-
lima.
Jacob Moorer represented the Rev.
Isaac Myers and his address was the
feature of the occasion. Moorer IS
typical southern negro Of the better
type, of more than the average IN
telligence, and with a good deal OF
the native mother Wit characteristic
of his race and cline. He is Of full
African blood, medium size, young
man. about 80, and his makeup was
IN full accord with his part. He wore
black Prince Albert coat that seem
aa to have been worn on several oc-
easions before, the edges slightly
frazzled, two rows Of large spher1-
cal buttons standing out in bold re-
lief. His standing collar did not ex-
actlv fit his rumpled "biled' shirt,
and his aged black four-ln-hand era
vat was on crooked. \ pair OF steel
spectacles came down over his tiat
nose. But his face was a peculiar,
pleasant one, and the wrinkles around
his mouth and below his coal black
eyes betoken good nature. lie, was
verv earnest in his plea that the ne
gro in South Carolina IS denied JUS
tice at the ballot box on rather be-
fore he gets to the ballot box.
"Why don't you take the matter
to the supreme court?" asked the
chairman.
*"As a rule he replied lit takes
money to go to the supreme court,
and the class of people that this law
affects in general haven't got much
of that.'
EDO you mean to, say suggested
member, ''that it takes more money
to take case before the court than
it does to make contest like this
before congress?'
"Wall, yes'r, my opinion is that
it takes more money and more brain. "
When he was telling how negroes
were not allowed to register while
white people were, some one asked:
care there no republicans among the
white people?"
II kin count 'em on my fingers,
sir"
"What, only ten in the whole
stateg'
':Jes er about, sir, OF less.'
Mr.. D. S. Henderson who repre-
sented the other side in the contest,
observed here that there were ~
white republicans in his town.
"Who's your national committee
man?' some one asked.
"Mr. John G. Capers, SIR
"a white man," declared Mr.. Hen
derson with an air of triumph.
But the negro's black eyes twlnkled
and he convulsed the committee and
all the spectators, by, observing:
"Yes'r, I know, but he amt ten.'
care there any republican office
holders in South Carolina?'