The sun., 1919-09-02

which will have the effect Of reducing
exorbitancy In profits. AS n matter OF
fact the State IL apathetic regarding the
League Of Nations. Mr. Wilson's In
sistence upon the priority OF the cove
nant over all othor legislation does not
enthuse the most ardent of Democrats
The league takes third place in compe-
tition with the prices OF necessities and
labor dlssenslons.
For the first time North Carolina is
facing statewide labor troubles. She
has not been immune from strikes or
unionism by any means. but the State Is
now facing real problem In her cotton
mills. The strike contagion has spread
Into the fields and the mills and the
warehouses throughout the South. No
fewer than a half dozen cotton manu-
facturers told me that they foresaw
early labor troubles. Labor organizers
have finally awakened the cotton work.
ers in the fields and in the warehouses
and just as soon as the American Fed
Grafton OF Labor can work out scheme
to unionize both the blacks and the
whites without offending the latter or
visiting a menace upon the former the
erstwhile freedom OF the cotton industry
from unionism will cease.
Trying to Foresta1I Strikes.
The cotton mills are already quite
well organized. Their programme in
cludes an early demand for substantial
Increases In pay and decreases in work.
Ing hours. Some of the larger, manu-
facturers have forestalled the threatened
walkouts by unsolicited raises in pay,
but the additional rates are not suf-
iicient to meet food and clothing de-
mands, the workers say.
1t will be here that North Carolina
viii feel the greatest effects of existing
conditions and the Democrats fear labor
troubles at this juncture
You can make the rounds of Char
lotte's most prominent business men, ig-
noring their political Affiliations, and get
very fair idea Of how general the dis
satisfaction Is.
AS Mr.. Delaney represented the city
element. 90 does ]. f. Newell, a lawyer
" Charlotte, represent the farmer and
he hills folk of that typical section of
he State. Mr.. Delaney is a Democrat
and Mr.. Newell Republican. There
are for daylight hours when there are
not dozen persons in Mr. Newell's
waiting room. asked Mr.. Newell what
the sentiment of his clientle was.
I'll tell you what Wen do" he pro-
posed. "Tll introduce you to the men
who come in and Wen ask them without
preliminaries what they think of politi.
cal conditions in the State and the coun-
try"
The first was an old chap named
Green. Mr.. Green is a farmer who has
been successful to the extent of nearly
half millHn dollars. He is about 10
years old.
Conditions have never been so ur-
pleasant, despite natures abundance"
declared the old man. There is every
physical reason why this country should
avoid the era Of depression and unrest
that they say must follow every war.
1t seems to most of us out my way
hat the powers that be are unable to
cope with the situation. The young men
party. I guess they are right. I'm a
Democrat, though"
New Political Order Wanted.
A dozen of Mr.. Newells clients were
interviewed. and with one exception they
declared themselves anxious to set a
new order Of things political. Whether
they viii carry their convictions TO the
polls. however. is another matter.
One OF the lamentations of the Re
publican leaders has to do with the
failure of prediction Republicans to
stay put long enough to vote Republican
stances. where out of a hundred voters
who assured him that they would vote
Republican just two actually accom-
plished this feat Inquiry in several
sections OF the State called the follow
ing polling conditions:
Despite law and statute, there will be
at least ten Democrats within a few
steps of the ballot boxes. In most in
stances they form a line from the door
OF the polling place to the box enclosure.
The prospective voter will have to trav-
erse this line to mark his ballot and
deposit 1t.
Along comes Jim Smith. Jim Smith
has promised by all that is holy that he
will vote the straight Republican ticket.
He leaves his home or his place of en-
ployment convinced that he is going to
adhere to his given word. Jim is met
just outside the polling place by a Dem
ocratic worker.
"Howdy. JIM" cries the worker /;
heard you were Akin to vote Niger.
How conner"
Jim's chin assumes a firmer angle and
he allows that votings his business.
"Sure enough, J m! Sure enough" is
the cheorful response. "Ain't no law pre-
ventin' a white man votin' Niger. Any
of the boys inside'u tell you that"
And the boys inside do tell Jim all
that and more. BY the time Jim has
received his ballot and reached the mark
ing shelf he has had 1t impressed upon
him that his proposed vote is going to
relegate him to that class where pigment
is the only claim to distinction from the
Ethiopian.
No Chance for q Protest.
The result 10 that Jim in nine cases
out of ten throws In his moral reverse
and becomes an eleventh hour Democrat.
You can call II suasion, persuasion or in
timidation. You can talk about invoking
the la ". and the answer will be: what
law" You can rant about contest 'ng
the election and asking the courts to in
tercede. You'll find that you haven't an
iota of friendly evidence nor any re-
course to law. because any contests must
be reviewed and passed upon by legis-
lature so overwhelmingly Democratic
that 1t Is virtually unanimous. What are
you going to do about It?
The answer Is ''Nothing!"
A Republican district worker starts out
TO line up his voters. He naturally seeks
the tax lists that he may obtain a list
of the districts eligible Republicans
Even II he gets the lists, which he does
not, he will have about as much chance
getting the names of his theoretical fol-
lowers as he has of getting any one to
listen to his protests. OF course, this
state CT affairs does not obtain in every
district, but 1t is in evidence in the
greater number of districts. The cities
are especially we'll fortified against Re-
publican proRress -