The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1921-05-13
By w. O.. SAUNDERS.

election in this city Tuesday,
Nay 10, gives Elizabeth City a
Mayor who was undoubtedly the
popular choice of the people and
Board of Aldermen who will
undoubtedly give Elizabeth
City a, business-like and econom-
ica1 administration. The proba-
bility is the new administration
will be inclined more to economy
than to progress. One can not
review the personnel of the new
Board of Aldermen and get any
thing approaching a vision of the
vast public improvements yet
needed to make Elizabeth City
the ideal municipality. There are
a lot of hard-headed money
grubbers iand money-savers on
this new Board.
Here is the ticket elected.
AIayor-W. Ben Goodwin.
Aldermen-First Ward: P. II. Will
liams and L. r. Foreman.
Second Ward: c. ". Stevens and L.
W. Anderson.
Third Ward: P. c. Cohoon and w
H. Jennette.
Fourth Ward: W. H. Weatherly and
Calvin H. Twiddy.
1t can't be called anybody's Board.
= iS in
ton to control majority of the Board
and it is a safe wager that he will be
the dominant member. But he has
some hard-heads to reckon with. L. r.
Foreman, W. H. Weatherly, W. H.
Jennette, P. G. Cahoon and G W. Ste
vens are self f-willed fellows and no bell
wether can carry the lot of them very
far.
Taken altogether it isn't bad Board
of Aldermen, bringing to the admins
tration of the city's affairs a number
of the city's most practical and sue
cessfu1 business men. They may not be
the citys most progressive men in ev-
cry particular, but they are with one
possible exception a trustworthy lot.
They &will hardly do rash thing or a
spectacular thing. They represent con-
servativeness, stability and that vague
thing designated as Normally.
A Hopeful Sign.
The election of W. Ben Goodwin to
the Mayoralty was one of the most
promising things politically that has
happened in this neck of the woods
since the war turned everything topsy-
turvy and numbed the public conscience.
Two men had previously announced their
candidates. for the Mayoralty. They
were DR.. Ike Fearing and Ira B. Par
ker. This newspaper declared last
week that neither of these men had
the enthusiastic support of any consid-
cradle part of the electorate and I then
and there declared that any good strong
man could announce his candidacy at
the eleventh hour and defeat the pair.
And this is just exactly what did hap
pen.
W. Ben Goodwin announced his can
didacy on Friday, May 6, and on Tues
day, May 10, he was elected by an oV-
erwhelming majority over both OF MS
opponents 1 say the election of Good
win was the most promising thing po-
Iitically that has happened in this COM
munity in recent years; it showed that
people are not altogether istless and in
different and that there is still lively
public interest in government. Good
win was not elected by any practical
political device or by propaganda. He
was elected solely upon his merits as
a man and citizen. He possessed the
public's confidence. He represented pur-
ity in private life and progresslVeness
in his civic relations His fellow towns
men swept him into the Mayoralty with
a very avalanche of votes, every one
an expression of approval and conh-
dence.
Who Is Ben Goodwin?
Who is this W. Ben Goodwin any |
way? He is a quiet, modest and retlr-
ing sort of fellow not to we'll known
among his fellow townsmen. He is ~
years old, was born in Chowan County, |
lived in Dare county until he was IL |
and has lived in Elizabeth City ever
since He worked in planning mill for |
several years and applied himself so |
thoroIy to his work that he might not
have attracted the attention OF any one
except his employees and fellow work
men. But his sobriety, his steadfast-
ness, his tact IN dealing with his fellow
workmen marked him early as man
possessing the qualifications of leader
and an executive.
The Improved Order of Red Men dis
covered his ability when that order
sought to establish itself in North Car
olina about 20 years ago. The Red Men
made use of his talents and he became
the most prominent and influential mem
Der of that big secret fraternal organ
ization in this state. He is the Great
Keeper of Records of that body in North
Carolina, which in other words means
that he is the Grand Secretary of one
of the most powerful secret orders IN
the state The Office requires the at
tention of a man of unusual ability and
DaVS oOod ca1aPV