The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1927-04-08
POLITICS SOME TIMES
TAKES STRANGE TURNS
Here is jerome Flora, With Never Political
Thought in His Head, Finding Himself
In Demand For The Mayoralty

young Elizabeth City man who
never had a political ambition
in his life and whose very ma
ture shrinks from politics and
publicity suddenly finds HIM !
self the political hope of hun :
dreds OF his fellow townsinen
who want him to ANNOUNCE
himself for the lnayoralty.4
And Jerome Flora, is wondcr-
ing what it's all about.
For several years Jerome Flora
has been chief of the Elizabeth City
Fire Department. IT is an enormous
Job. but Jerome Flora has made
much Of it. lie has made the Eliz-
abeth City fire department Que OF !:
the most efficient fire fighting
organizations. In the State. All or
the old time petty jralousies and
chickering's that made the fire de-
partment joke in former days
have disappeared under the leader :,
ship Of Jerome Flora.
But jerome Flora never dreamed
that the chieftancy Of city fire
department might be stepping
stone to the highest political honor
a city can bestow upon one OF It's
citizens. 1t never occurred to him {
that thoughtful citizens had kept an
eye on him for years and had come
to regard him as u solid. sober, de-
pcndable. conservative and fearless
fellow who would some day fit into 4
better position in the town.
For years Elizabeth City has y
been making progress slowly but
dctcrminedly in the matter Of better
government. Once or twice 1t has
nearly succeeded in getting the city
administration out of politics, only
to see this or that group or cOterie
of self-seeking politicians make a
farce OF the administration OIL Tue
cli!s alairs. -
Another municipal campaign Is at
hand. Elizabeth City is entering
upon new era OF economic aud
ri Iin nrnprpSS II IL imuOrfHnf o
that the city elect a Mayor aud
Board OF Aldermen that Will be
above petty wliiics and sell ad-
vancement. Two candidates for the
mayOralty appear. One OF them Is
j.. G. CabOon, n former member or
tho Board of Aldermen. The other
is w. Il. cnlpepper.
Billy Cnlpcpper Is likable Fellow.
Take him by himself and the town
is for him. But the town can't take
Billy Culpppprr by himself Billy
Culprppcr Is The t1ildidate Df cheap
and sinister politicians who place
self interests above the best inter-
esis of their city. Billy Culpepper !
is the candidatc OF the ward heel Y
crs. He is the candidate of Louis /
Anderson. lie Is the candidate of
Nix Morgan. He is the candidate
.,f T.. NJ Davis. He is the candi.
dotr of cycry uoIiticiau who Is hos
file to every movement for the bet 4
torment of local notifies and CITY Z
administration. There isn't any
mistake about that. And any one |.
who knows Billy Culpcpper knows !,
that Billy stands by bis friends.
There are hundreds of good and
thoughtful citizens who, altho they Y
personally like Billy Culpepper, are Il
sure that his election would be Il Z
political calamity, involving the
town in another two years Of
scandalOus misgOvcrnment.
Opposing W.. r. Gulpeppcr Is i.
e. Cahoon. Phillip CahOon Is a seri- h
ous-minded. honest and patriotic
citizen who has served the city Z
notably as an alderman for many /.
years and who has an Intelligent
grasp of the city's problems. The
ErOple have faith in him. But "
CahoOn Is Il sick man. NO sick Inan
can he expected to make success
full campaign against Billy Cuipep- ]
per who has behind him all the re-
habllilalpd clements OIL Inc 0id sec Z
and Ward political machine that I.
was the despair OF the good citizen