The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1914-03-05
Mr.. White S Statement.
To the Voters of Halifax County:

Some time ago l told you l would
be a candidate for Treasurer of Hal
fax county in the primaries to be
held sometime this year and now l
fulfill that promise.
do not base my claim on you and
ask for your support simply because
| have been Democratic voter for
thirty years, twenty-four years of
which time have been spent in hold
ing polls for my friends and the
party in some of the blackest town.
ships in the county and doing things
for the party and my friends for no
reward, and for which l never
thought of asking anything in re-
turn. l am asking you for your
support upon grounds higher than
this. might write pages of wha1
have done for my friends and for
the party, and still l confess l have
done nothing more than what con-
ceive to have been my duty. Ger
tainly it has been my pleasure. l
want to ask forgiveness, and ask
you TO be considerate of me in speak
ing these things Indeed / should
not tell you Of my political qualifi-
ations and what have done for my
friends for the party, but for the
fact that there are a great many
men in the county whom l do not
know and who do not know me. |
shall assume. however. that l am
thoroughly fit to be your next
Treasurer from a party standpoint
and from the standpoint of loyalty
t. my friends. | ask you to sup
port me because | believe you are
loyal TO me as | have been to my
friends and to the party. | believe
for the good of the Democratic par
~ and for the good of the commu-
nifty in which we live, that we should
sop. take stock and see where we
are and find out, if possible. where
we are drifting to.
| wish l could say something that
would arouse you to what conceive
to be your duty and my duty. viz
TO put our foot hard on this ten
dency to syndicate the Democratic
party, turn it over to few men
vino join Ill d conlpacL to coIItI vi,
shape the policies of the party and
delegate themselves the power to
: fill all the important offices by men
+ If their own choosing. / am aware
there are some people in the county
: who will think that am after some
oody's job, which is true. Let me
go further, though, and tell you
that l am as much entitled to the
place am asking for as anybody in
this county, and as proof refer you
TO my friend, the present occupant
of this office, who could not tell you
other than this, for have given him
six years of as loyal support as
shall ask him for.
| believe that we shoull do some
thing to make our party in this
county a progressive Democratic
party and we can never do this as
/ long as we continue the methods we
are pursuing. If we do not wake
up to sense Of our duty and take
he people into our confidence little
| more and the politicians little less
ur party will become affected with
the biggest case of dry rots you evel
? heard Of, and all the political doc
.ors in this county could not save it
You know and | know how hard i
is to get large per cent Of the peo
pie to attend our primaries. Wha
do you think causes this lethargy O
Indifference in the people about at
y lending the primaries? 90 My idea i
= hat we have gone on under the sys
|, tenn allowing a few people to meet
shape the policies of the party, nam
their friends whom they want to fl
A the different Offices, until grea
: many people have gotten tiredIan
disgusted and do not care whethe
they vote at all or not. These pee
ole are as good Democrats as you Q
[, and believe in good governmen
as much as you or /.
Gentlemen, l am not fussing wit
any body personally. 1t is the sys
TEN l am after, and the sooner W
adopt a different system the bette
it will be for the Democratic part
in this county. I am not attackin
any office holder in this county, br
hev themselves know that | ~
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