The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1920-03-12
WAS IT A FALSEHOOD OR
MERE MISQUOTATION -?

A MERE OIAAAON
cR Puch Makes Statement Denying
CHARGES Based Upon Alleged 0uota-
s;en of His Speech
u.s SWORN AFFIDAVITS TO OFF,
SET BUSY UNTRUTH
fivch las been said about speecn
,.h,ch made at the PasquotahK re-
nnhI;ccn County Convention OH Feh-
rrory 2ist. wherein it has been re-
norfed that purposed to "ou'etIy
round up the Negroes OF TINS STATE
and vote theni in the next eiectioh'
- has heen further said that there
were affidayits from reliable men VINO
heard my speech supporting the qao-
tation used.
# anpears that four men signed
p,ner (which was not sworn to "hen
disnIayed at Plymouth on FEBRUARY
25+h, which has been referred to as
afFidaVits.
# further appears that this mis-
0uoted statement found its way IN tne
ro,umns of the Independent, wnic"
nubIished quite an article concern
inn the same in it's issue of FEBRUARY
9th and consequently founo us way
Into the papers of the state.
At this writing, ! shall simply state
that , did not make any sucn stdte-
mont IS has been quoted; that wnetn,
er purposeIy or otherwise, the sa'9
ouotation is a false representation VI
~, sneech. misuuoted and untrue.
To support this statement OF oeh'd'
hc,.. oro eworn affidavit by man
wbc took notes on my speech, "hic"
criminal notes are appended to MS AM
5avi+ that have twenty-five addition
81 sworn afHdayits by some of the most
reliable citizens Of PasquotanK co""-
ty, out of the thirty TWO pei eo"''
which is the total number prese"' ~
The convention at the time the spoec'
was made. which affdavits state tnat~'
did not make such statement as Ids
been accredited to me.
As matter of common 1aiFnes>
and a consistent regard for the truth
respectfully request and expeet tn"
this statement be given as nearly III
same amount of publicity as the erro"
ems uuotation has been given. re
spectfuIIy,
C. r. PUGH.
Mr. pusb's statement is very dlgnlli
and might be convincing in the aosen
NJ orhar evidence. but this newspaper
r.vrs If can show. not only that
prah was sy-footing for the Neg
vote in North Carolina, but that
llaus were not only known to put
-, fnu annroval of the Republic
National Committeeman John -ho'
l!orchcad. and the Republican ~>"''o
G..alr.an VIII II. Hays.
f. hrpin with under date OF eo.
la.y Mr.. pugh circulated a letter III
..t fli. district in which he Sald:-
II have just returned from me
York City where was called IN
conference with National Chdi' III,
Viii II. Hays, or Friday Feb. o. W,
resnac+ tn the situation in this STA
Our National Committeeman, Jonh
E10rehead. was invited to the con1e
eaee, E,.:: sickness prevented his
lnE. You NAV rest assured that
Hays. .T::e boy wonder from Indian
Understands fully the situation In u
ssata in JetaE.'
=. COW Of this letter is in the poss
ias 81 this newspaper. The feaoer
uoro th;.c Mr.. Pugh said Mr.. Hays
H.~~tandS fully the situation in this
jl Gsf:iI." The detail is not given
II wi!! appear later. ~ =,
ndtr date of Feb. 13, 1920 ,
Chairman John Motley Morehead CT
lated Il letter among the Republlcan
tI.i> district a copy of which is IN ?
c>~ou Of his newspaper. In that IL
Nr Morehead said:-
What you perhaps do not Know
that if the plans of the present 81
organization carry, Mr.. Pugh as
chairman of the State Committee
devote his entire time, beginning
mediateIy after the state convent't