The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-10-30
"Friend of Education
Against Special Tax
BUT HE FALLS DOWN
Judge Di~eolyc- Injunction Asked for
by Little Bud Negroes
Did Not participate in lIsc-
ton That Levied school
Tax in NcNtOn Grove.
Tax in Ncnton Grove.

News mas been received from C.lE-
ton that Judge Jones has dissolved
| the temporary injunction in the New
ton Grove special tax litigation. The
case is one Of general interest. both
because it affects the special tax ques-
ton and because it SHOWS up that
friend OF education" Little Bud
George Butler who has been printing
column after column of criticism and
unfair CURES trying - prove that puo-
lie school management was extrava-
CANT and not wise.
What are the facts? Last May a
petition was presented for Il special
tax for school District No. -Four
| White" in Newton Grove township.
The authorities regularly called an
election on the petition, the election
was carried, and the tax was levied.
George Butler, as attorney OF the
board of commissioners, drew or die
t2ted the order for the election. Later
three Taxpayers, one Of whom had
signed he petition for the election,
employed Butler to try to defeat the
election. And this great friend If
public education" greatly distressed
because State superintendent JoyneI
was C~Nt-aVagdnt and wanting in wis
dom, accepts Il fee and tries to destroy
Il good public school i'll his own c0un-
ty. though to do so he must fight the
action of the board Of county commits
l%sioners which board acted upon his
advice, That's the sort of Friendship
the Buffers display for public educa-
ton, a fee Will induce them to go
back on their own record, on the
board that employs them, and upon
technicalities try to deny good public
school facilities to q people who voted
to be taxed for its support.
Butler in his complaint gave a dozen
technical reasons why the tax should
be declared illegal. OF course the
first reason he gave was that the
school authorities did not intend to
give the negro children as much of the
money as the white children. Still
harping on my daughter Mention
negro and a Butler is ready to shut
up a white school if he negro cannot
get as much public money for his
schools. The district was called Dis
trict No. 4 White" to designate the
boundaries, for the white and colored
districts do not embrace the same ter
Iritory, and not to deny u school of
equal term in the special tax school
district. There are six special tax
districts in Sampson and in not one
has the money of the whites gone to
the whites alone as Butler alleged was
the intention in the Newton Grove dis
itrict. There was no intention to ViQ
Hate the law, and in his zeal against
the school tax, Butler was extra zeal
Gus to serve the negro, to whom he
owes his political position. Butler
also alleged as a fatal defeat in the
detection that no negro had petitioned
for the election and no negro had
voted i'll the election! Fatal defect,
Butler n others of his ilk think
that negroes-and all the negroes
ought to voted in every election. They
have 40 chance except When they do
vote! But County superintendent Fer
rail- showed that no negro had voted
in any election in 4<eWtOn Grove for
four years and that the demand that
he vote in the school election was not
a fair plea against the validity of the
election. He evidently forgot the ne
gro had been d~iSfranchiSed. expects
him to vote again, and is making him
self solid with the cul!ud man and
brother" rushing to defend hin When
he has not been attacked! Or was it
from force of habit contracted when
the Republicans in North Carolina
adjourned the Legislature in honor of
Frederick Douglass and refused to adj
ljourn in ono of Robert f. Lee?
There We're n dozen bubbles in But
ler's complaint. Hon. George Roun-
tree, appeared for the School Tax, and
We're read, Butler did not nave a peg
to stand On. and. as Judge Jones up
held the tax, Butler concluded his
technical and WearisOme contention by
saying that at least he wished it I'M
iderstood he had brought the suit in
good faith.