The Lincoln times., 1954-11-01
SEDBERRY


judge J. c. Sedberry is his Dem
ocratic challenger who is making
his first bid for a national office
A PRESBYTERIAN and father of two
married daughters. he was born II
MONTGOMERY County. moved tC
Richmond County upon gradua-
ton from the University of North
Carolina Law School. and served
that county as Recorders Court
Judge and state senator. He moved
to Charlotte 10 years ago and is
Judge of the Recorders Court here
These are the principals in the
scraps which will determine ex-
tension or humiliation of the first
considerable Republican beach,
head in North Carolina since 1928
The odds are with Republican
Jonas in the 10th and Demo-
crat Alexander in the Ninth.
But they have become SO mar
row that wagerS are not abund-
ant. particularly in the Ninth.
The 10th District anticipates
from $4,000 to 100000 votes, COM
pared to l43.577 in 1852 when Jo-
mas got 81 per cent of the total
vote to smash Democrat Hamilton
c. Jones by 21. 279 votes.
Never. in an off-year election,
has the 10th polled more than Ga
las.
1t is generally conceded that
to beat Jonas. Democrat Sed-
berry will have to pile up ma
iority of 5000 or more in Neck
lenburg.
PARTY ISSUE
This time Jonas has not the big
pull of the Eisenhower name on
the ticket but he has two-year
hard-work record to be approved
or condemned. If it is condemned
it will be a rejection of the Repub-
lican administration rather than
Jonas himself.
Mecklenburg will be the answer
in this district as it was in 1852
when half the Jonas margin came
from this county. He beat Jones
AZ ,845-32 ,298.
The county this time will poll
about 10000 votes instead of the
1913 in 1852.
Both candidates have been eager
but neither will shed a personal
tear in defeat. Mr.. Jonas. who
chose to conduct perSon-to-per-
son campaign. has not taken a
days vacation in two years, is near
total exhaustion. HeiS caught in a
winning web which he would not
have sought in the beginning ex-
cept for demands on his party.
Mr.. Sedberry was also consider
ably less than eager. ready to step
aside in favor of any other party
approved candidate until it was too
late. Bigger names had refused to
risk tackling the formidable vote
getting Jonas.
NO PREDICTION
Nobody can predict how the vot-
er will weigh the arguments. how
much they have been impressed by
the influx of national party lead
ers and their words.
Nobody can predict whether the
decision will be the result of face
to-face impression of the candi-
dates. upon the state of a personal
bank book, or the weight of cam
paign money.
Nobody knows how the voter
will interpret the Republican farm
program, the ultimate effects OF
its tax bills or who he will credit
or blame for unemployment, the
end of the Korean War and sharp
descent Of farm prices.
Nobody knows how many viii,
vote the party, how many will vote
the man: whether they find more
feasible giving Republican con-
gresham to a Republican Presi-
dent or Democratic congress
man to Democratic Congress.
The Democrat loyalty oath
may attract or repel votes ir
wholesale lots and the weight Of
this party's argument that Dem.
ocratic Congress would give thi:
state four chairmanships is of in
determinate Importance.
COMMITTEE MEMBER
So is the fact that Jonas, com.
/ paratively close to Eisenhower, i!
a member of the important Ap.
! preparations Committee.
Jonas will lose ground in Burk,
because of the popularity of U.
Sen. Sam Erwin Jr. of Morgan
ton Where he had majority o
1900 before, he may only breal
even or even lose by a small mar
gin to Sedberry.
In Catawba, the odds are al
even to a Jonas majority of /.
900. He had a 5000 majority il
1852.
In little Mitchell and Avery h
is rated a 81 choice and not mucl
less, even by the local Democrat
there opposing him and that woul,
amount to about 1000 majority.
Lincoln County will count it
majority in the low hundreds. eth
er way.
That brings it to Mecklenburs
If the total is 10000 votes an