The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-08
AN OPEN LETTER

Hon. Jake F. Newell,
Republican State Chairman,
Charlotte, N. Z.
Dear Mr.. Chairman:
Now that the election is over and
the official returns for North Caro-
lima have been made public and the
worst is known, we should certainly
learn some valuable lessons o
the results.
We find that the Republican vote
fell to the lowest in more thai
twenty years since before the wom-
en- were given the ballot.
The Republican candidate 1o1
governor received $4,000 votes less
than the candidate for that office
received in 1886.
7 predicted this would happen
when you decided that the candidates
for this office should enter a primary
instead of being nominated by the
Charlotte Convention. We shoulc
have had a State Chairman with
CUTS enough to tell two or three
soldiers of fortune seeking personal
advertising and individual publicity
to come down off their high perch
and bow to the will of the convention
for the good Of the party.
I have been a Republican all my
life and have never voted in a
Democratic primary or scratched a
ticket. I want to see the party grow
in this State instead of disintegrat'
ing and all but passing out OF
existence.
I think the best men in the State
and the most widely known men
should be placed on the State ticket,
for you know il we increase our
vote, we must get thousands OF
Democrats to vote with us in the
general election, and you will never
do this with men whom the average
Republican never heard of, much
less the Democrats.
This year we had the spectacle OF
a man running for governor who had
been living out of the State for
twenty years, so that a first voter
casting his or her ballot had come
t. the age of suffrage while Mr.
Mcneil WIS in Washington, D. C,
Several of the other candidates while
living in the State were just about
as we'll known.
I place the blame for this condi'
ton on the State Chairman and the
~so-called high command which con-
sisted of a few old fossils sitting
around State Headquarters hoping to
get one more last swig at the
trough of federal patronage.
You can't get anywhere going over
the State making a few worn out
speeches and singing revival hymns,
l Mess you have men and measures
to offer the voters worthy of their
suffrage. Voters, especially those
who exercise some independence in
their voting, want to feel that those
for whom they cast their ballots are
capable and worthy of their suf'
frage, whether they expect them tc
be elected or not.
In the past twenty-five years in
my humble judgment, we have had
only three State Chairmen worthy OF
the name, to-wit: John M. Morehead,
William G. Bramham and William
C. Meekins.
I recall attending a Republic State
Convention at Greensboro with my
father when I was a boy about 1902
and I saw pass before my youthful
eyes a galaxy of Republican stall
warts:
Virgil S.. Lusk
Romulus q. Linney
Jeter C. Pritchard
J. M. Moody
Spencer Blackburn
Thomas Settle
and many mcre. These were men not
puppets, and for me their accom-
plishments and public careers were
an inspiration. They have all passed
to their reward but if they are talk
ing note of the showing made by the
Republican leadership of North Caro-
lima in the year 1910, they must
hang their heads in shame.
So 1 think, Mr.. Chairman, you
should step down and follow your
High Priest, Bishop Cannon, into
oblivion, and as you go let your
mantle fall upon younger and more
able shoulders, for there is no in
dispensable man, but the earth is
strewn with the bursted bladders Of
the puffed up.
I see some fellow from Charlotte
by the name of Ralph Rollins writ
ing in the papers heaping encomiums
upon the heads Of your coterie.
Never hes7T of him. It's a wonder
his name was not on the State tick
ct, but I do agree heartily with his
closing words "You have d o n e
enough" So instead of singing "On-
ward Christian Soldiers" let us all
Join in singing that old Methodist
hymn "Hark From The Tomb, A
Doleful Sound" led by the State
lChairman. Brother Charlie Jonas
will Zine it out" and jine in the
chorus.
Sincerely Yours,
FRED T. TUCKER.
Wilmington.
r. XsH-J III