The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1908-04-16

The Washington eorr~zpoaesnt es
the Charlotte Observer senas his pa
per the following BIT OF infoFmatioa:
In the House Ga = rear sast siis
a coal black. middie-axod negro Of
the eornneld upo. clad in clerical
suit aud oellaioid collar.
Who Is the negro membeF1- ask
strangers
4 don't know Who he la the
average Congressman viii reply.
was here nearly three months
before | learned anything about the
old dark. thought ali along that
be Was an inside doorkeeper. weo
had tie privileges OF the Hoor. bat
recently / was told that no vas here
TO contest the seat Of Represeata-
tive George s. Legare. OF the First
district of South Carolina
The Hon. Aaron =. Prioleau" 10
the man In question. lie claims
that South Carolina has baneoed
aim out of his rights at the polls.
The vote In the district stood: Le-
gare. 1856: Prioieau. IS. and T. l.
Grant. /.
The brief fled by PEioleAu de-
clares:
The first ground OF contest 10
that at the general election held on
the 9th day OF November. 1905. for
Representative In the sixtieth Con-
gress. First district OF South Caro-
lima, the whole number OF votes cast,
counted and returned from the coun-
ties that compose and constitute the
said district for the election OF Rep
resentatives IN the Sixtieth Congress
were not the popular vote and will
of the voters and citizens of the said
district. as shown by the following
certificate from the Secretary OF the
State, which shows that there were
only 1924 votes cast in this election
and returned - the managers for
Representative In the Sixtieth Con-
gress from the First Congressional
district of the State OF South Caro-
lima, while the population OF said dis
trict Is 196.3s0, as shown by United
States census OF 1900"
After the Expense Money.
The government allows q contes-
tant $4,000 for expenses. Prioleau
has conducted two contests before
he started this one. He furnished
the affidavits and Congress gave him
the $4,000. In all, after this con-
test Is over. he will have received
$1,000 OF Uncle Sans cash.
Twenty-eight votes TO his oppo-
nent's 1885, The negro contends
that 1852 men, entitled TO vote an
der the constitution. were not per-
mitted to register.
Prioleau Is a good-natured darky.
He seems to see the humor In this
contest But has an eye for busi-
ness as we'll as a sense OF the rtdicu-
lous. The sum Of $4,000 each con-
test is not bad. 1t costs something
to get up affidavits. but Prioieau
does not mind that. He takes q no.
tary public In the buggy with him
and goes to call on all who would
have voted for him. He learned
from former contests that there In
money in such things. Then. too.
there is something In being permit
ted to go into the House and sit
with statesmen.
That's Mr.. Prioleau." visiting
negroes are told by their friends In
the Capitol. firing Of the easy-going
life here Aaron returns 70 the Pal
metto State and muses. with his con-
stituents.
The brief fled with the committee
of the House devotes 60 printed
pages, telling OF the wrong done the
contestant.
All hands are weary OF such con-
tests, and newspaper men do not
consider news Of him good copy.
Prioleau served three months In pris-
on for purloiping a letter from the
mails. . After all. IL 10 Just
as well for him to contest Two
other negroes in South Carolina have
contests OF the same sort, but Prio-
leau Is the favorite contestant.
Sometimes, when Prioleau forgeta
his exalted position, he bows to Mr..
Legare and says, Good morning.
Marse George. how Is you todayf"
The 1000 is good all the same.