Evening journal., 1914-09-29
court PUTS THE
GAG ON MR.. Smith
Commissioner Tries TO Open
Road Squabble, But Incl
dent is Voted Closed
STILL DENIES
COLONIZATION TALK

Levy Court Commissioner Martin e.
Smith started the ball rolling" again
in Levy Court this morning, when he
arose Immediately after c. c. Hop
kins, the court clerk. had finished
reading the minutes and declarod Il
never made a charge Of colonization
Of negroes in New Castle hundred in
this COURT"
Mr.. Burris remarked that he was
not present when Mr.. Smith had made
the statements and therefore could
not discuss it, but the members who
were in the court at the time could
speak for themselves.
My charge was very different from
that" repeated Mr. Smith.
Mr.. Groves moved that Mr. Smiths
statement be put in the minutes, and
acting President Scott desired to
know Mr.. Scotts pleasure in the mat
! ter.
Mr. Smith explained. that be wanted
the minutes corrected as to the state
ments he made. He then said that
the resolution in the minutes quoted
/ of negroes"
81 never aim to make inaccurate
statements" Mr.. Smith declared, "and
/ don't care to have a statement l
never made attributed TO me- What
did say was that ] don't propose to
have county money used for political
: purposes, and ! incidentally remarked
that ! had heard that a great many
strange negroes were In my district
That's where they put words IN my
mouth"
Mr. Gooding stated that in prepar-
ing the resolution he had given Mr..
Smith the benefit of the doubt as to
/ whether he charged colonization or
said that colored men were brought
into the district for political pur-
poses. THE inference is the same
In either case,' he declared.
Mr. Groves then moved that Mr..
! Smith place his statement in writing,
disclaiming that he had made the
charge, and also "disclaiming every
other bad thing he has said since
I he has been member of the court. -
This motion prevailed.
Mr. Smith then submitted the fol-
/ lowing written statement:
'rhe commissioner of the Fifth
district disclaims having made any
charge of colonization of negroes in
the Fifth district, but did say that un-
4 necessary road work was done with
Y out his consent for political purposes;
that he had been advised that there
are a good many strange negroes in
the district, and that he did not pro-
pose to have the county funds used
7 for political purposes"
II object to that statement eX
7 claimed Commissioner Fouracre.
/. "Nlr. Smith, in his statement. hai
Z ignored the report of the COMMITTEES
|, which was appointed by the presi
dent of this court to investigate thu
matter"
Mr.. Fouracre explained that the
president of the Council had appoint.
ed two Democrats and one Republican
, on the committee to get a fair in.
vestigation He said that Mr.. Smitl
had again declared unnecessary worl
was being done in his district thu:
putting his judgment above that o
the county engineer and the commit
tee who Investigated the matter.
Mr.. Smith stated that the commit
tee had not properly investigated the
Z conditions in his district and ha,
2 gone out of their way to make a ioll
Z out of the whole thing, rather than
z seek the proper source to get th'
right information He again contend
ed that unnecessary work had beel
done in his district
"Mr. President, how long is thi
thing going TO keep up?" exclaime
= Mr. Burris.
1T is all done for the benefit o
Z the newspapers"
z Mr.. Groves then moved that tn
z whole matter be indefinitely postpon
z ed. which motion prevailed