Henderson daily dispatch., 1939-07-11
Voting House in Wake Is
Likely Only One in State
(Continued From Page One1

democracy. Instead of monarch
with golden crown and jeWeled
sceptre, surrounded by dignltarles IN
gorgeous uniforms carrying gleam-
| ing swords, there are several plaln
citizens in everyday clothes guarding
the ballot boxes.
To enforce the mOnarch'S decree is
the military power of Kingdom, re-
presented by the armed guards. 10
enforce DEGREES of the ballot box is
the majority will of common folks,
represented by the election officials.
The building at Cairo isn't large.
It isn't very prepossesSing in, appear
ance But that simple sign across its
front, like a princely coronet, pro-
claims to all who pass by that here
originates the sovereign will OF free
people, that here is the symbol OF
the mightiest power on earth.
This has been a voting place for
long time On election days cit
liens of Middle Creek township gath
cred at a country store or neigh
bors' house to cast their votes. About
forty years ago two railroads traVer-
sed the neighborhood. The post Of
flee at Cardenas was discontinued
as one was established at Varlna,
about a mile to the south, where the
railroads crossed. The little COM
munity of Sappahaw, mile further
south, became the thriving town of
Fequay Springs. A voting place was
set up there, but half the township
still votes at Cairo.
North Carolina has rather flexible
rules about the location Of voting
places. They are established by State
authority within rather loosely de-
fined geographic boundaries, but the
, exact location of the voting place is
left to local election officials. Vacant
store rooms, barns, garages, hotel
lobbies, bed rooms and front porches
are pressed into service.
So at Cairo the voting one time
would be at country store, and
again at nearby home. That work.
ed fairly well so long as only three
or four ballot boxes were needed,
and when one man could legally de-
poSit the ballots for half dozen of
his friends
The "Australian ballot law in
1929 changed all this. Under it
voter could cast, legally, only his own
ballot. Not only that, but he could
not legally mark it except in spe-
cially constructed private booth. The
"parlor" was not big enough for the
booths and boxes The registrars and
pollholders began looking around for
a place to hold the 1880 election.
There just wasn't any suitable place.
The situation was anomalous. Here
was sovereign ready to make
l.; ;,o 81 [<.N7
was no place from which his decree
might be issued! Some one had an
idea
w. ]. Ballentine, popular merchant
and funeral director of Fuquay
Springs, known to half dozen coun-
ties as "Mr. Joe," had a large canopy
tent which he used over new graves.
That tent was set up in grove at
Charley Williams filling station, the
voting booths were erected under it,
and the election was held in order |
But not without some wise-craclxs.
One or two defeated candidates saw
an unfortunate connection between
the grave canopy and their buried
hopes. They didn't like it and said
So
Then it was that Mr. Williams pro-
posed to erect building for the use
of the voters. The idea met instant
approval. So by the next voting time
the building was ready for use. 1t
was designed to take care of the
boxes and booths in full compliance
with State law. The booths were set
up and have never been taken down.
The voting problem at Cairo has been
solved. The sovereign electorate
doesn't have to scramble around
every year to find place to vote
There are still some wisecracks
about the loafing benches out front.
There are some jibes about the cold
drink signs on the building. There is
even an advertisement of the same
tent for the election.
But that's all right, too. Informal |
ity may be carried to extreme, but |
unapproachable dignity is just as
fatal to the spirit of deal democracy
as careless informality.
While this is a throne room, it is |
not one to be approached in fear by |
craven or servile subjects, for the |
subject is also the monarch. If there |
is throne, it is his own, and he has |
perfect right to loll in the shade at |
its feet, without having to cringe in |
the shadow of its authority
There may be finer places in the
State in which people vote, there |
may be more splendid trappings and
more dignified conduct around the |
polls But nowhere is there any more
pride in the right of free suffrage,
and nowhere is the spirit Of the elec-
ton laws more vigorously observed |
than in this special voting house az
Cairo, just about fifteen miles south |
of the Capitol building at Raleigh.
Umpire says major leagues are
just like minor circuits. Except, of |
course, there are lots more fans to