The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1927-05-13
Elizabeth City Voters Use Their Heads
This Newspapers Long Old Fight For Elimi-
nation of Partisan Politics in Elizabeth
City Has Borne Good Fruit

+! Elizabeth City has developed
a wholesome political consci-
encc. The 19-ycar-old fight of
The Independent for clean nom
partisan policies has not been
in vain; it again bore fruit i'll
the municipal election on Tues
day May 10, with the election
of J. b. Flora for mayor and
X. T. Venters, d. Ray Kramer,
]. J. Hughes and i. J. Cohoon
for the city council.
The new mayor and councilmen
take office on the first Monday i'm
June which will be June 6, 1927.
II was a remarkable election.
With all the prevalent dissatis-
faction with the administration Of
the city for the past two years.
three members OF the city council
were reelected, an Intelligent elec.
torate affirming Its faith in Council.
men Kramer. Hughes and CohOOn.
, And a fourth member Of the pre-.
sent administration might have been
returned. But a funny thing hap
pened in the First Ward. l.. B.
Armstrong, up for reelection in the
First was not returned. Just five
days before election X. Il. Venters
was announced as a candidate from
the First Ward.
The entry Of Mr.. Venters into the
contest came about this wise: DIR.
Clnude Williams and his neighbour
Stark Gordon Cmce upon Il time had
4 row over a dog. Or 1t might have
been chicken We have a hazy
recollection that the doctors dog
ate one of Mr.. GOrdon'S chickens
and Mr.. Gordon impoumled the doc
tors dog. And that brought on a
real row between neighbours. This
happened several years ago, but
neither DIR. Williams nor Mr.. Cor
don Is the kind to get over "a case
of neighbourly hate. They are
what might be called Hundred
Per Cent Americans. Indeed DIR.
Williams might he called a Two
Hundred Per Center.
Now Stark Gordon was running
for Alderman against Armstrong in
the First Ward and DR.. Williams
was afraid Gordon might win over
Armstrong. SO DR.. Williams
brought out Venters at the eleventh
hour.
NobGdy else would have picked on
X. II. venters. But we shall present
" soc that" Doc. Williams made n
wiSc choice. X. II. Iehters Is a
modest. unpretentious citizen who
by years Of hard work and stick
ing to business has won for himself
a reputation as a good business
man and a good citizen. That's the
place he occupied in the commun-
ity mind.
And Elizabeth City was I'm a
thoughtful mood in this election.
Candidates were being carefully
scrutinizcd and their qualifications
weighed as never before. And be-
cause Il. #. Vcntcrs had establish
cd himself in the towns confidence
by years of good citizenship and
mipding his own business. the town
voted for yentcrs. giving him 72S
votes against 244 votes for Gordon
and 52l votes for Armstrong.
The New Administration
Il. II. Venters will be the only
new addition to the City Council
which begins its administration
under Mayor Flora OH June q. The
council will then consist Of the fol-
lowing members: Il. Il. Venters and
Nix Morgan, First Ward: ID. Ray
Kramer and Noah Bright, Second
Ward: J. J. Hughes and T.. II.
COnger, Third Ward; L. J. CohOOn
and T.. VI. Davis. Fourth Ward.
Morgan, Conger and Davis are sery-
ing out the second year Of four
year term.
Mayor Flora will enter office with
a majority Of the city council favor
able to bis idea of non-fractiOnal
IL W. T.. Culpepper
have had but two members of the
Continued on Page Two)