The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1926-07-09
AYDLETT LOSES
HISLAST TRENCH
IN CITY AFFAIRS
Couldn't Make a Goat of Mayor
McCabe And Is Dropped
From School Board

public schools of Elizabeth
City have labored disadvant-
ageously and ignominiously for
years may have been broken
Monday night when the Board
of Aldermen of Elizabeth City
refused to return E. F. Aydlett
to the School Board.
Aydlett has bedh chairman of
the Board of School Trustees for
more years than any one can well
remember. He has aspired in his
day to many public offices and was
for a short season Z. S. District
Attorney. He aspired to the Fede-
raj Judiciary, to the gOvernorship
of the State and to Congress. He
never landed one Of the juicy plums
on which his heart was so long set,
but he held tenaciOusly on to the
chairmanShip of the Board of
Trustees of the Elizabeth City Pub
lie Schools.
His last term of office expired
in June. The term of one of bis
right hand lieutenants, Nat" Leary,
expired as well. The matter of re-
appointing them or their successors
came before the Board Of Aldermen
I Monday night. Aydlrtt had his
friends on the Board of Aldermen
four of them. Mayor McCaIc was
|, also committed to him. Aydlctt had
Alderman Davis, Morgan. Kramer
and Bright. AGAINST Aydlett were
Aldermen f. J. CohoOn. i. e.
Cohoon. Jerry Hughes and Leslie
Armstrong. There was a tie which
Mayor McCabe. committed to Ayd-
lett. could have broken in Aydlett'S :
favor. But Mayor McCabe didnt
vote.
The Mayor washed his hands OF
the business and put 1t squarely up
TO the Board. Mayor McCabe is
young but he Is not lacking in poll
tical astuteness he knows his town; ;
he knew the public discomfort with
and hostility toward Aydlett. Mayor
McCabc passed the buck. Friendly
toward Aydlett as he is, he WASH I
going to sacrifice his Young political
life and bring the wrath Of the town
down upon his head by taking full
responsibility for putting Aydlctt
back on the School Board. For this
Aydlctt will never forgive Mayor
McCait.
r. r. Aydlett, J. G. B. Ehring-
haus. W. ". Woodley, Jr.. and ID.
Guy Brockctt were placed in nomi-
nation for the vacancies. EhrinG-
haus. former solicitor Of the First
Judicial District and one of the best
liked and most respected towilsmen
was elected by six votes on the first
ballot. Then came the fight for
Aydlett. Eleven ballots were cast
and all were tied. Mayor McCabe
stcadfastly refused to break the tie
The situation seemed hopeless
when it was suggested that new
nominations were in order. c. p.
Brown. Mrs. W. l.. Cohoon and w.
w. Woodley. Jr.. were nominated
for a second balloting. Woodley
was finally elected, Aydlett having
been eliminated altogether.
w. W. Woodley, Jr., assistant
cashier of the Savings Bank "
Trust Co. easily won over Mrs.
Cohoon and Mr.. Brown because the
School Board is in need of secre-
tory and the Aldermen had that fact
we'll in mind. Either Mrs. Cohoon
or Mr.. Brown might have better
qualified as trustee, but young
Mr.. Woodley possesses excellent
secretarial ability and the Board of
trustees has been without a secre-
tary since the death of the late w.
Harvey Jennings.
And so passes E. F. Aydlett from
his last strategic position in the
public life of Elizabeth City. He
was defeated without any big noise.
This newspaper purposely refrained
from stressing the fact that his
term of office had expired because
TO have done so might have rallied
Avdlett's few remaining friends to
have brought greater pressure upon
the Board of Aldermen. Those of
rs who we're cunning for Aydlett
odopted his own quiet tactics and
heat him at his own game.
The Board of Trustees Of the Eliz-
abeth City Public Schools is now
composed of eight members. They
are J. C. B. Ehringhaus. W. w.
Woodley. Jr.. DR.. c. B. Williams j.
c. Swayer. W. I. Culpepper, DR..
s. W. Gregory, B. S. Sawyer and
IDr. Walter W. Sawyer. These will
now nominate a chairman.
Who will be the next chairman;
street talk inclines toward Mr..
Ehringhaus. He is eminently quail
fled for the Craftsmanship and has
q sober grasp of the educational
,,en1s + nic ctr, &c iC !ndrstrlcns.