St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1944-07-14

a court test OF the Georgia WI
were greeted at the doors of the
polling places, given application
for ballot forms on which to place
their addresses and signatures and
then told that their names were not
on the lists as secured from the
county registrar.
There was no disturbance from
the attempts to vote. 1t had been
clearly stated through the press
and radio that only a restricted
vote would be attempted and
masses of Negro voters were ad-
vised not to go to the polls under
the circumstances.
G. A. Scott, editor and general
manager of the Atlanta Daily
World and president of the Citi-
zens Democratic Club of Fulton
County; J. A. Bats, district man.
ager of the Afro-American Life
Insurance Company, and Henry F.
Shorter, barber and businessman,
appeared at precinct &C, which is
at the J. G. Harris School, 1444
Lucille Avenue S. W.
Cordially greeted at the door,
they were given applications for
ballot, which they filled out and
presented to Mrs. Ralph w.
Mitchell, white, a clerk. After look
ing at her lists, Mrs. Mitchell in
formed the trio that their names
were not on the registration list
furnished her. Scott, Bats and
Shorter thanked her and departed
as Photographers snapped pictures
all around.
Attorney Walden approached o.
L. Walker, white, the box manager,
and presented his poll tax receipt.
Mrs. T. H. Leather, manager in
charge of the Democratic registra-
ton list, was given the receipt and
after comparing the address and
name with her records, informed
Attorney Walden that his name and
address did not appear on the list.
Mr.. Walden asked why his name
was not there and was informed
that only names of white voters
were there. He thanked her and
left. Bacote, Martin and Hodges
went through the same procedure.
Later, Miss Irene Harris, execu-
tive secretary of the Phyllis Wheat
ley YWCA, attempted to vote at
this same polling place.
At Precinct A, Ward 8, at the
Benjamin Pharmacy, 1856 Mitchell
Street, five persons appeared, in
Guiding DR.. Ira De A. Reid, of the
Department of Sociology, Atlanta
University; DIR. Wallace Van Jack
son, librarian of Atlanta University:
DR.. Alfonso Elder, of the Depart
ment of Education, Atlanta Uni
Versity, and Mr.. A. H. Yancey of
Beckwith Street.
All experienced the same court
esq and refusal of the ballot.
Others may have appeared at the
same and additional polling places,
but these were officially reported
Tuesday evening.
The leaders of the Democratic
movement here said they had full
confidence in the business of their
cause and the achievement of their
objective in due course of time. It
was also indicated that the definite
court action would not be instituted
until after a meeting of the Georgia
Association of Citizens Democratic
Clubs.
However, C. A. Scott, president
of the Fulton County organization,
said meeting of the club would
be held Thursday night to review
the situation.
The meeting will be held at
Ebenezer Baptist Church, Rev. M.
L. King, pastor, beginning prompt
ly at $3.50.
Voters Stopped Outside of Polling
Place
In Screvens County where more
than six out of every ten persons
are Negroes, an attempt by Negro
leaders to vote in the Democratic
primary Tuesday met the unpleas-
ant rebuff of the County Demo-
cratic Committee chairman who
happens to be judge of the city
court.
AS they started upstairs to the
polling quarters, they were met by
County Sheriff Crumley who asked
where they were going. Told they
were going to vote, the sheriff re-
piled, "I suggest you don't go up
there" Rev. Holmes explained that
their action was to set up a legal
case. The Sheriff countered with
idea that the attempt would only
cause trouble, to which the minister
replied that no trouble would be
caused unless it came from some
body else, that they were not there
for trouble.
Friend of Negro"
The sheriff was quoted then as
explaining that he was a friend of
the Negro and asking where Holmes
was from. The minister told the
officer that he was born right
in Alley, Georgia, reared in Georgia