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THE CAROLINA INDIAN VOICE Hj|n
post office box i?7s PUBLISHED EACH THURSDAY Pembroke, n.c. ?37j ;
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VOLUME 9, NUMBER 4 9 25c PERCOPY ^ursday> December 10, 1961 '
CARL BRITT CHOICE OVER
HERMAN DIAL FOR
ROBESON County chairmanship
I ndians Morgan & Hunt vote for Britt
by Bnict Barton
LUMBERTON--1 knew it was going to
be one of those "crazy Robeson County"
days when I was awakened at home
Monday morning by a caller, "Hey, get
up, if we can get one of the Indians to
' vote for Herman we've got the chair
manship again..."
Of course it was impossible to get any
commissioners on the phone because
meetings seemingly were going on all
over "Crazy Robeson County," as one
wizened observer termed tri-racial Ro
beson County recently.
I climbed out of bed and hurried
toward the Robeson County Courthouse
where the County Commissioners were
meeting. The first item on the agenda
was "reorganization," the naming of the
chairman, vice chairman and chaplain for
the coming year-an annual ritual in 01'
Robeson.
They were counting the votes for
chairman as I walked in. Jack Morgan,
the Indian Commissioner from the Red
Springs District, nominated Cart Britt.
Also voting for him was J.W. Hunt, the
Indian Commissioners from Rowland.
Sammy Cox, one of the Lumberton
Commissioners, added his vote. And, of
course, Carl Britt, the Fairmont Com
missioner, voted for himself.
And Carl Britt had it. Herman Dial,
the long time, influential, Indian Com
Diatrict found himself holding hands
with strange bedfeflows-H.T. Taylor,
the other Lumberton Commissioners,
? : ? : I
and Bill Hern don, the St. Pauls Com
missioner.
An observer called it, "The strangest,
crazy quilt alliance I have ever seen in
all my years of observing Robeson
County politics."
Now get this. Voting for Carl Britt
were Morgan, Hunt, Cos and Carl Britt
himself. Herman Dial came up short with
three votes-himself. Bill Herndon and
H.T. Taylor.
Who would have believed it? A few
days ago H.T. Taylor, the white
Commissioner from Lumberton, was
quoted as saying in the local press that
he had "enough votes to be named
chairman." It was not to be. Taylor had
said he had committments from Sammy
Cos, Carl Britt and Bill Herndon, all
white and conservative commissioners
like himself.
It seemed like Herman Dial didn't
have "a snowball's chance in hell of
retaining his seat," as one of the boys
said in Town and Country Restaurant,
one of Pembroke's favorite watering
holes. It seemed like the three Indians
were left out of the politicking, like three
knots on a log.
But the action was just getting started
at this point. Reliable sources note at this
point Herman Dial, Jack Morgan and
J.W. Hunt approached Carl Britt and
offered -their sap post to feat far the
chairman's seat. ArJ.W. Hunt pot It,
"We shook hands on it (the committ
mentjand we gave our word." It looked
vji
jM
like the smart thing to do at the time
since Taylor seemed to have the vote tied
up unless Britt changed his mind.
After the vote Monday morning, J.W.
Hunt said it was the hardest vote he had
cast since becoming a commissioner.
Morgan affirmed the same sentiment.
But J.W. Hunt said, "I have to go to
church?unday... and I have to answer to
a higher power.... a man's word is his
bond."
Between the time the committment
was made to Britt and Monday morning,
Herman Dial changed his mind. In a
gathering in his office at the courthouse
before the meeting began Monday
morning, Dial informed the Commis
sioners that he would serve as chairman
if he was nominated, an obvious sign that
he had withdrawn from the pact with
Britt, Hunt and Morgan.
It is being said that countless
interested parties got into the act. Rev.
Charles McDowell, a black minister and
activist from Fairmont, is given a
considerable amount of credit for leading
the political pilgrimage to Britt as an
antidote to H.T. Taylor. Rev. E.B.
Turner, the black Lumberton City Coun
cilman, is also mentioned as favoring
Britt over Taylor for chairman. The Carl
Britt scenario was acted out by Britt
being named chairman Monday morn
ing- t
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Dial said he was deluged with telephone
calls prior to the meeting. Many sup
porters, like Saddletree's John Willie
Oxendine, actively worked in his behalf.
He was asked to keep his hat in the
political ring.
And it all unraveled Monday morning.
Bill Herndon nominated H.T. Taylor and
H.T. Taylor refused to accept the
nomination. He pulled out a statement
which read, in part, "...until recently. 1
would have gladly accepted the nomi
nation...but things have a way of chang
ing...especially in politics..." Taylor
complained, "...because of having lost
earlier, definite and repeated committ
ments to my support, I must regretfully
decline..."
After that. Bill Herndon turned around
and nominated Herman Dial. At this
point, Jack Morgan nominated Carl
Britt.
Interestingly enough, Herndon and
Taylor had both been sometimes even
bitter enemies of Dial during his three
year tenure as chairman. As the punster
noted, "Politics make strange bed
fellows." It is also rumored that there is
little love lost between Britt and Taylor.
But, of course, racism still runs
rampant in Ol' Robeson, as this news
paper noted in a front page editorial last
week.
The politicking over the chairman
ship's seat seemed to be a mere political
abberation. It said a lot about politics and
politicians in Ol' Robeson.
Some summations can be deduced.
J.W. Hunt and Jack Morgan give more
stock to the axiom, "A man's word is his
bond" than Carl Britt does. They kept
their word and voted for Britt in spite of
intense pressure from supporters of
Dial-mostly Indians. Carl Britt, the new
chairman, did not keep his word. He
reneged on his committment to H.T.
Taylor and, according to Herman Dial, *
I had not lived up to other committments
he had made over the last few months.
And Herman Dial proved anew that he
is one of the shrewdest politicians
Robeson County has ever seen. He
almost pulled it off. With Tsylor and
Herndon in his camp he only needed
"one of the Indian votes to pull the
chairmanship out of the fire," and he
came up one vote short.
Herman Dial said, during a conference
with myself, Morgan and Hunt following
the vote, "You have to play politics by
the rules. If a man breaks his word to me
I am not bound to any committment."
Dial also noted that he had an obligation
to those who wanlod him to stay In the
race. Morgan and Hunt asked Dial to
"tell (me) what happened." Dial did not
dispute the committment the three had
?ariier mads to Britt in lieu of H.T.
Taylor.
Who was rightf Herman DMT Or Jack
Morgan ami J.W. Hunt? It Is loft to the
But one irrefutable fact remains from
the fray. An Indian is no longer
Chairman of the Robeson County Board
of Commissioners.
Observers put in their two cents worth
following the vote. Said one. "a man's
word is more important than the color of
his skin." Said another. "Should you
make a pact with the enemyf" Another
said. |'lf you lay down with dogs you'll
get up with fleas." WW offer no
judgements on the above statements.
We simply offer them as a aampling of
comments following the vote.
?ut I liked J.W. Hunt's assessment
best of all. He said. "My word is all I'va
got. And I mean to keep it." It seemed
Uke he and Morgan were two of the few
participants who did.
Following the vote for chairman,
lammv Cimi wig namril vicr chairman
wwn e^m^ees^^me w w vuos^w asseees
and J.W. Hunt chaplain. County Alter
awy "Fete" Ward and clerk Unda
ngafi aiaanlatiuialii
?iPV WMNMMiVfi
Lowry
Announces
for the
House
Bernard Lowry
Long time Pembroke businessman
Bernard Lowry has announced his
intention to seek w seat in the North
Carolina General Assembly.
In addition to his many business
interests in the Pembroke area, Lowry
has completed 37 Yt years in the teaching
field. He has served for nearly five years
as a Magistrate with the 16th Judicial
District of the N.C. Judicial System.
Lowty's civic contributions include
serving as past president of the
Pembroke Kiwanis Club; Lt. Governor
elect for the Kiwanis District, including
29 dubs. He is a member of Pembroke
First Methodist Church where he has
served as teacher of the Adult Sunday
School for IS years. He is a past
president of the Pembroke Chamber of
Commerce. He served as a member of
Boy Scout Troop #27 for 20 years and
served 10 years aa chairman. Lowry is
also a veteran of World War II.
Mr. and Mrs. Lowry have a family of
four children; Bernard Lowry, Jr. who la
a captain In the U J. Navy; Joan who ia
librarian at Pembroke Junior High
School;1 Bono who ia In business in
Charlotte. NCi and Oary who la
employed with LOP ia Laurloburg. NC,
la making Ma announcement, Lowry
vaUiiBd dit (dlowkiB idlAMBti "It Ia
my dooiaa to do wad. and if efoMed, I
of ear dlearfot
West
Robeson
School
bids
scheduled
The Robeson County Board of Educa
tion met in regular session Tuesday
evening. They announced that bid
opening date for West Robeson would be
January 26, 1982 at 3:00 p.m. in the
Board Room.
James Sampson, director of driver
education for the county system, repor
ted to the board on his program. He said
that the course includes 54 hours of
instruction. "The aim," he said, "is to
prepare students to operate a motor
vehicle with minimum problems..." He
stated that East Carolina University, A &
T University and Appalachian offer full
certification in driver education.
Wilbur Smith also reported on the new
Industrial Arts program at Pembroke
Junior High. He introduced Charlie
Hartwell, instructor, who told the board
the various projects that were under
taken in the class. Industrial Arts teach
the technical aspects of industry, prob
lem solving, creativity, etc.
Mr. Albert C. Hunt, assistant superin
tendent. announced his retirement ef
fective December 31, 1981. Supt.
Purnell Swett said, "Mr. Hunt has added
a certain balance here....you have a way
of sayirig things that need to be said at }
the appropriate time... We are certainly
going to miss you."
Mr. Hunt addressed the board briefly.
Said he, "1 have enjoyed working here.
We have a good board and a good staff..
I have seen a lot improvement take
place...It is easy to preach, but when you
put it into practice, that's were the
problem comes in...I dant you all to
remember what the schools are built for
and who they belong to....The man who
holds the cat by the tail gets more
excitement than the fallow who just looks
on."
Supt. Swett said that he would not
immediately name a replacement for
Hunt. "I want to delay that to aome
future date to reassess the situation.,.,
there are euts expected In federal
programs for nest year, poselMy aa amah
aa 27 peraont...Thai wfl require a
programs...As always. I am gab* to da
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Maynor ^
named
Mayor
ProTem
Glenn Maynor
Lumberton-Dr. E.B. Turner, who secon
ded the motion naming Indian Glenn
Maynor Lumberton's Mayor Pro Tern
said. "This makes history. Glenn
Maynor is the first Indian to ever serve
as mayor pro tem. That's a fine thing."
Glenn Maynor, 35, was elected
unanimously. He is serving his second
term and represents Precinct 7. Maynor
said, "I love this city and I love serving
on this city council."
Indian
Caucus
adopts
North
Robeson
Parents
Resolution
At the regular meeting of the Robeson
County Indian Caucus Tuesday night, a
resolution presented by the North
Robeson Concerned Parents was adop
ted.
A presentation of the resolution and
discussion of the goals of the NRCP was
presented by Ms. Linda Hammonds,
Chairperson, or the organization. The
dicsussion revealed that the goal of the
NRCP was a unitary school district in
Robeson County.
It was the feeling of members of the
Robeson County Indian Caucus that it is
only fair that all children of Robeson
County be afforded equal secondary
educational opportunities and that this
could more equally be obtained in a
single school district for all of Robeson
County.
In other business discussed, the group
agreed that the two representatives to
work with the Robeson County Commis
sioners on re-districting be Attorney
Dexter Brooks and Chairman Llqyd
Locklear.
The next meeting will be January S,
1982 at a location to be announced later.
:f JAUUbb, HUN I &
^ BROOKS RECEIVE
OATH OF OFFICE
Pembroke-The first order of business
was the swearing in of Mayor James A.
"Pete" Jacobs and Councilmen Milton
Hunt and Larry T. Brooks Monday night.
The swearing in ceremonies, conducted
by local magistrate Jerry Cummings,
followed a series of protests by Council
man Sam Dial, who'lost in a closely
contested race to Jacobs, and Rev.
Dawley Maynor, Chairman of Citizens
for Better Government. Finally, after a
protracted hearing and recount by the
local board of elections, the election was
upheld by the state board of elections.
After a range of congratulations and
remarks by the winners, a short session
was held.
Councilman Milton Hunt was elected
as Mayor Pro Tern and Brooks was
designated to represent the town with
the local Lumbee River Council of
Governments. The council then retained
the services of Locklear, Brooks and
Jacobs as town attorneys and Ruby
Smith as town derk.
In other action, the coundl granted
Jones Intercable a SI.00 increase for
their Cable TV Service, beginning the
monthly rate to $8.00 per customer.
The council also authorized two
matters concerning the town's commun
ity development project: one would allow
relocation fees to residents effected; the
other allows repayment of S2.500 erron
eously over paid to the program.
The council then went into executive
session to discuss unspedfted matters
with the town engineer, Don Jacobs, and
the contrator involved in the road paving,
curbing, etc. on the CD project. The
council dedded to meet again Friday at 5
p.m. concerning the matter.
Attorney Dexter Brooks also reviewed
the Alfred Cook legal matter. A motion
for dismissal is expected soon in the
protracted matter. >?
Councllmen [l-r] MUton Hunt and Larry
T. Brooks make it official aa Maglatrate
iwbfw wirw.mu mm
Cummings read tfaem their oath of office.
[Bruce Barton photo]
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Mayor Jameo A. "Pete" Jacob* receive*
the oath of office from Magistrate Jerry'
Camming* u Mr*. Mildred Jacob*, hfa
' wife, look* on. {Brace Barton photo]
CHRISTMAS CANTA TA
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