, THE DANBURY REPORTER
Established 1872 Volume 72
Sales Tax and Political Corruption
EXPLANATION: Eight years ago in the great
campaign between Hoey and McDonald for Gov- j
ernor of North Carolina, this newspaper bitterly j
opposed McDonald and wrote editorials in the j
form of questionnaires addressed to McDonald,
which were circulated in every section of the |
State.
McDonald was defeated. We feel that we had a
part in his defeat. Now, after eight years, we
see the light another way. We think that we
were largely in error. We realize now that the
statements with which we were furnished by the
SAME CROWD that is fighting Ralph McDonald
now, were based on misinformation, and in many
instances proved to be untrue and of a marked
injustice to Ralph McDonald.
At that time the report was current, find circu
lated by irresponsible authors, that McDonald
was in favor of mixed races in schools, which re j
ports we know now to have been without found-,
ation in fact. We know now that he does not and
has never stood for any such principle. At that
time, a great prejudice had formed in the State,
agitated by the SAME CROWD that is fighting
him now, that McDonald was not a citizen of the
State, and that he was therefore an alien who
was not in sympathy with the ideals of North
Carolina. His record since then has proved this
charge to have been wrong, as his record will
show. Now since NEITHER CHERRY OR Mc
\)NALD ARE NATIVES OF THIS 'STATE,
* is charge may be dissipated. A number of oth
er charges were made against McDonald at that
time, and this newspaper helped circulate them.
We are very glad indeed to repudiate those slan
derous aspersions, and to say that in our judg
ment this newspaper with thousands of other
North Carolinians were mistaken and that we
did Ralph McDonald a great injustice in our fight
on him eight years ago.
By our own study of the man and his private
and political record, I have learned that McDon
ald is the poor man's friend, the helper, he should
be made Governor so he could help poor folks
more. He is the farmer's friend. Ask Forsyth
county (McDonald's home county) farmers.
They know him. He is NOT financed by the
C. I. 0. or any other special group. McDonald
does not now, he never has been in favor of mix
ing the races in our schools, churches, etc. Mil
lionaires putting up the cash, wheezy, buying,
purchasable ward heelers, county rings and even
the State RING AT RALEIGH, would do well to
NOT disturb the peaceful relations between the
race* in North Carolina by flaunting the very,
very wet tail of the political rumor skunk in the
faces of our common people who are sitting a'
home trying to make our boys learn for a fixed
unchangeable fact that the Governor of North
Carolina should not drink liquor in private life
or in public office —certainly not on "parties" or
on public occasions. If he dses, it's just BAD and
makes it more difficult for fathers and mothers to
train our little feMows, someone of whom might
want to be a Governor.
Any -c" . ; bk> reader knows that Cherry "laid
1 w vc y low—until McDonald published his
platform nu '.hen Cherry and his millionaire
•oporters hackers, Liberty Leaguers, Roosevelt
% ttrs, millionaire corporations, liquor makers,
ashed into the State newspapers and adopted,
"me-tooed" and copy-catted McDonald's plat
t'oi m EXCEPT the repeal of the so-called Emerg
ency Sales Tax.
But the rich boys who CAN PAY THE SALES
TAX with a Ha-ha, insist that the Sales Tax be
Danbury, N. C., Thursday, May 18, 1944.
kept tight on the saddle sore back of THE POOR
; who pay it with pain in their pocketbooks and
SHAME for Gregg Cherry and his rich backers
who would have the State DEFAULT on its
promise to the poor.
Yes, McDonald is still a fighter for HUMAN
RIGHTS —for rights of the boss-ridden laborer
to walk into the VOTING BOOTH, alone with
'his conscience and his God, and vote for a sober
!fried friend of poor folks or even for his unkind,
'unthinking boss, if he wants to, or not.
j Leaving out all the copy-catted "me-tooed"
'planks filched boldly by Cherry from McDonald's
published platform and by Cherry or somebody
else nail6d together overnight to make a very
"Promising" Cherry platform, there are two (2)
main issues which should be carefully, even
j prayerfully considered by the people of the State
Jin their selection of a Governor in the Primary
of May 27, 1944:
(1.) Do you favor a Governor who is opposed to
i the terrible ravages of the Sales Tax on the earn
!ing power of the State, and that takes its toll
from the pockets of the poor when they buy the
necessities of life in the stores. If you are wil
ling for this injustice to be permanently incor
porated in the tax structure of the State,
vote for McDonald's opponent, who wants the
deadly Sales Tax to go on. If you are in favor of
'lifting this burden from the shoulders of the peo
ple, vote for Ralph McDonald, who is and has
been fighting it for 8 years, and who says if he
is Governor he will use all his influence to stop
it. IT CAN BE DONE WITHOUT A LAND
iTAX, OR ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL tax.
j Cherry knows it can be done.
j (2.) Do you want a Governor who has the repu
tation of drinking in his private life and who on
j numerous occasions is reported to have been un
;der the influence even highly intoxicated while
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE of the General As
sembly, and on certain occasions embarassed his
friends by his unseemly acts and condition, or do
you favor & man who never touches liquor, who i>
opposed to it, and who says if he is Governor of
| North Carolina he will ask for a referendum so
!that the people of the State may speak? Take
jyour choice, vote for Cherry, or McDonald.
EDITOR REPORTER.
QUESTIONNAIRE
Question—Your name is Major Gregg Cherry,
I believe?
Answer—that's right.
Q. Where you from, Major?
' A. lam a citizen of Gaston county. The county
lof great cotton mills. More mills than any other
.county of the United States.
Q. Do all of these great cotton mill corpora
it ions, like the tobacco companies, contribute to
your campaign fund?
| A. I beg your pardon?
Q. You have a competitor in this race for Gov
ernor, Mr. Ralph McDonald, and I understand
that he has to rely on small contributions from
jliis friends to pay his primary expenses. You 1 >
not suffer with that handicap, do you, Mai.
Cherry?
A. If you mean campaign expenses—we do not
have to call on the man of little means, farmers,
'laborers, and small time guys. The bills are
(promptly paid for my campaign, in cash.
| Q. I notice that you claim to be the "Adminis
tration Candidate."
PUBLISHED THLRSPAYS
A. I am. Nearly all of the leading officials of
Raleigh are for me.
Q. How do you stand on today's political issues,
how do you stand on President Roosevelt and the
New Deal? As you no doubt are aware, the big'
shots of the State, the industrial barons, the
high power executives of the great plants and
factories, and quits a number of their satellite
politicians, are all unfriendly to President Roose
velt and his New Deal. Are they not your friends,
'hough?
A. Well, all big business is friendly to me be
cause they know I am not wild on taxation, an I
i they can trust me.
Q. But if all big business is pulling for you,
[please tell us why. Will they not expect favors
from you when you become Governor of the
State? Please tell me if you are not the fav
orite of big business, or are you standing for the
interests of the masses and the common man,
just like Roosevelt has always stood? Pleaso
answer frankly, and give us your position.
A. I expect to be the Governor of the whole peo
ple.
Q. But partial to the exclusive part? £
A. I did not say that.
Q. But what do you say? You know, Major
Cherry, that the interests of the big barons of
wealth and the interests of the farmers and the
laborers and the little man are separated by a
great gulf. If the big bankers and corporation
chiefs are financing you what have you to give
the small man when you come into your great in
heritance—the greatest gift of the people of
North Carolina, the Governorship. Can you treat
the little man square and satisfy your big bosses?
None of these super-privileged are helping Ralph
McDonald. You know that, Major. Please ex
plain frankly your position in this tremendous
situation of clashing interests.
1 A. I expect to be the Governor of the whole peo
ple of my State.
Q. You are the Administration candidate, eh?
j Then why did you not support our Governor
'Broughton in his contest for Governor; why did
I you oppose him when he ran, and listen, why,
|when you were Chairman of the Democratic
j party of the State, did Gov. Broughton remove
I you? Why did Broughton remove you from this
high and trustful position?
A. \\ ell, you see, it was like this. A new coming*
; Governor always lias the courtesy and privilege
jand time - honored prerogative of naming the
; State chairman.
I .
Q. But wny did ho not name you, Maj. Cherry.
• 'ou being the "Administration" candidate?
i .
Legionnaire
I Q. Mow, Major Cherry, pleaso tel wl en you
'i.rvnine a Major?
\. OL' COIU M? 1 was not a major in World "War 1.
! i was just ac v uin. Aftei the war 1 was r
iinajor in the \"m' il Guard but Idi ! not go
|:he nre-ent V- 1 :lu War like ltimxis Yale-nino
did. You seo my >_ige MUST }M i > KF r Y-
El).
i Q. You were one of that great AE r that went
:across in the World War No. I?
A. Yes, there was quite a bunc\ of u-. The Le
gionnaires of North Carolina recognize my valor
in the great crisis when they sua-Oied the Hind
(Continued on Local l*a e)
> *
Number 3,751