T
1
E ROBESON
J
IAN
Established 1870. Country, God and Truth. Single Copies Five Cent t
VOL XLIII NO. 25. LUMBERTON. NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, MAY 16, 1912. WHOLE NO. 2759
r i i , 1
ROAD LAW DISCUSSED.
Meeting of Citizens Held Here
Yesterday Consensus o f
Opinion That There Should be
Some Change Resolution
Adopted to Have Road Law
Drafted by Road Expert The
Tax Refund and Other Mat
ters.
A bunch of citizens from var
ious parts of the county spent
the entire afternoon in the court
house here yesterday kicking: the
county road law around.
In the call for the county executive-committee
to meet here
yesterday to select registrars and
poll-holders for the congressional
primary, an invitation was ex-tended-to
each township execu
tive committee of five and all
other citizens interested to meet
at the same time and discuss the
road law and any other subjects
about which there might be dis
satisfaction. A considerable
sprinkling of citizens from var
ious parts of the county every
township was represented except
Wishart's was present, but it is
probable that ntany who other
wise might have come had the
. itL a tbuLthe meetincr concerned
only the county and 'fownshlp
executiv ecommittees. After the
primary boards had been selected
the executive committee ad
journed and all citizens were
asked to assemble in mass meet
ing in the court house at 2:30 p.
r.i. to discuss the road law and
the offices of county superintend
ent of health and auditor, about
which some dissatisfaction has
been expressed. Maj. Geo. Hall
of Red Springs was elected chair
man of the meeting, Dr. N. A.
Thompson of Lumberton, secre
tary, members of the press pres
ent being asked to act as tem-
porary secretaries. Mr. rercy
Wilson, editor of the Fairmont
Messenger, was the only out-of-town
"editor present.
The road law was taken up by
townships and the consensus of
opinion was that some change is
needed, but nobody was prepar
ed to say just what. All but two
or three of the townships were
heard from and with the excep
tion of two or three all reported
bad roads and dissatisfaction.
Some suggested that it would be
better to go back to the law of
two years ago which, it was re
called by some of the speakers,
was also cussed at the time.
Some thought that the Mecklen
burg plan, each township to
spend its own money, with a pro
vision for free labor, was the
thing. This met with most ap
proval, perhaps. Most of the
speakers were in favor of each
township controlling.and spend
ing its own money, though two
or three speakers contended that
the present law is the best the
county has had, because it does
away with the objection that un
der the township system some
weaker townships have not much
money to spend, while others
have a larger amount does away
with that by grouping weaker
townships with stronger in dis
tricts. Attention was called by
some of the speakers to the fact
that the bad roads about which
there is so much complaint are not
altogether attributable to the road
law, for the winter was a bad
one on roads. There was no dis
position on the part of any one to
criticise the road commissioners.
All seemed agreed that they
. have been doing the best they
could with a rather unwieldy
law..
Mr. A. E. White made perhaps
the most practical suggestion.
He contended that neither he nor
anv of the others there knew
anything about drafting a road
law and that the thing to doc
would be to employ a road ex-'
pert, let him thoroughly acquaint
himself with conditions in the
county, and then draft a law to
meet the needs. Mr. G. B. Mc
Leod offered a resolution em
bodying Mr. White's suggestion,
as follows: That each township
elect 3 freeholders who shall
meet at the court house, select a
committee to take up the matter
of road building with the best
road expert they can employ,
and have him draft a law which
shall be submitted for adoption
or rejection to a mass meeting
of citizens of the county. Mr.
W hite offered to amend this by
allowing the chair to appoint a
AmmitteeJ).ut the? amendment
was not seconded and the resolu
tion was passed.
so mucn time was taken up
with the road law that little
time was left for discussion o:
the offices of superintendent o:
health and auditor. Dr. Bascom
Croom of Maxton, president o:
the Robeson Medical Society,
stated that the medical society
is responsible for this office, that
diseases and deaths that misrh
be prevented coat Robeson $1,-
000,000 a year, 320 per capita,
and for the county superintend
ent of health, who ought to save
the county at least 100,000
year in preventable sickness, to
say nothing of the uncalculable
value of lives that may be saved,
each man is asked to pay only
3 cents per year. The act creat
ing this office and setting forth
its duties was made a part of the
minutes and it was asked that it
be published. The auditor's of
lice was disposed or in tne same
way, that is. by making a part of
the minutes, to be published, a
report that had been prepared
for this occasion by Auditor Par
mele giving information concern
ing that office.
Mr.E. J. Britt, county attorney,
made an explanation for the
county commissioners in regard
to the poll tax of 12.85, He con-
tenu.Lhafthelawjnadelfifiini-
datory on the commissioners to
levy this tax upon the written
request of the road board and
that when it was tested by Mr.
Frank Gough and found uncon
stitutional the order of the'judge
applied only to Lumberton, and
the commissioners, wanting to
treat all alike, passed an order to
refund the 85 cents excess to
every man in the county. Mr.
Gough contended that it was the
intention of his suit to include
every man in the county and that
if the order of the court did not
apply to every man it was a mere
technicality; and he emphasized
the statement that the fact re
mains that a tax levy which the
commissioners knew to be un
constitutional was levied and
that it was not refunded until he
brought suit.
A fuller account of this meet
ing, setting forth the complaints
made from each township, will
be published in Monday's paper.
It must be held over for lack of
space in this issue. Also the
statements of Messrs. Britt and
Gough will be given a little more
fully.
Suspected Negroes Jot Ones
Wanted.
It was mentioned in Monday's
Robesonian that Sheriff McNeill
had received a telegram from
Mt. Tabor asking that some one
be sent to identify a negro jailed
there and supposed to be one of
the negroes implicated in the
murder of Mr. J. G. Tolar at Mc
Donald last September. It was
thought that the negro arrested
wraa John Crawford; and shortly
after receiving this information
the sheriff had a message that
John Wesly, another negro sup
posed to have been implicated in
the murder, had been arrested in
Conway, S. C. The sheriff sent
men to identify and it developed
that they were not the negroes
wanted.
Robeson County Man Pardoned.
Robt. Roper, who was convict
ed at the July term, 1910, of
Robeson court for the crime of
assault and sentenced to two
years on the roads, was granted
a conditional pardon by Gov.
Kitchin yesterday on account of
his health. In the reasons given
for his pardon it is stated that
he has served over 22 months of
his sentence and the county
physician has certified that his
health is so broken that in all
probability he would not live to
complete his sentence, and that
further confinement would has
ten his death.
Congressman Heflin of Alabama
Speaks Here Tomorrow Eve
ning for Underwood.
Congressman J. Thomas Heflin
of Alabama will speak in the
court house here tomorrow eve
ning at 8 o'clock in the interest
of Oscar W. Underwood of Ala
bama, candidate for the Demo
cratic nomination for President
The Lumberton brass band will
furnish music for the occasion.
Congressman Heflin is said to be
an excellent speaker and he will
doubtless be given a good crowd
here;Y ' ... ;
PRIMARY BOARD NAMED.
Registrars and Poll Holders for
Congressional Primary Named
at Meeting of County Demo
- cratic Executive Commit'tee
Yesterday.
At a meeting of the county exe
cutive committee held here yes
terday the following registrars
and poll-holders were selected
to serve at the congressional pri
mary to be held June 18 (the
first named in each precinct is
registrar, the two
beinjr Doll-holders) :
last-named
Alfordsville. N. J. McRimmon,
J. B. Bullock, Jim Kitchin; Back
Swamp, W. N. Townsend, J. G.
Prevatt, J. F. Singletary; Britts,
A. L. Stone. S. G. Williamson,
W. H. Lamb; Burnt Swamp, Ira
G. Prevatt. R. A. Melvin. J. B.
HuoiDhrev: Howellsville. N. A,
Kinlaw. H. L. Andrews, N. C.
Graham: Lumber Bridge, D. Z
McGougan, J. L. Shaw, A. D.
Conolv: Smith's. D. I. Stewart,
D. Leach, P. H. Mc Arthur; Max-
ton, A. McL. Morrison, V. M.
McRae, J. S. McRae; Fairmont,
A. E. Floyd, A. F. Floyd, R.
Gainev: St. Paul, Marcus Smith,
L. H. Townsend, Walter Johnson;
Red Snrinsrs. N. A. Brown. G. A.
McKav. C. E. Zedaker; Pern
oroftehardO. Buiev
O. R. Sampson; Saddle Tree,
Ebeneezer Biggs. Frank Hum
phrey. M. C. Prevatt; Parkton,
Collier Cobb. Neill McNeill; C. L
Beard: Thompson No.l.W.D. Mc-
Callum, Arch Baker, D.W.Bultock;
Thompson No. 2, H. S. McLean,
F. M. Townsend, J. A. McMillan;
Wishart's. J. C. Stansel. A. E.
Israel, J. Ed. Tyson; Rennert,
A. C. McGougan. B. Tolar, D.F.
Webster: Lumberton, W. Len-
non, M. W. Floyd, A.H. McLeod;
Orrum. W. N. Nye. J. K. Atkin
son. E. C. Nye; Raft Swamp, W.
C. Townsend. H. F. Townsend,
Joe Townsend: Sterling's, K. M.
Barnes. D. R. Hardin, J. G. Lew
is; wnite House, u. m. nogers,
wr . -r t m r T
Oscar Page. A- W. Harrington
Chairman Geo. B. McLeod pre
sided at this meeting, which was
attended by many more citizens
than the executive committeejfor
Mr. McLeod, in calling this meet
ing, had requested mat not oniy
the chairman, but all members,
of each township executive com
mittee, and all other citizens in
terested, attend for the purpose
of discussintr the road law and
other matters of public interest,
Every township was represented
except Wishart's. The rules gov
erning the congressional primary
Drovide that the 3 electors for
each township be appointed from
lists filed by the candidates. Mr.
McLeod read a letter from Mr.
N. A. Sinclair, one of the candi
dates for Congress, in which he
appointed Mr. R. A. McLean to
name his electors. Congressman
Godwin was in town yesterday
but was not present at the meet
ing.
In his remarks at the outset
Chairman McLeod referred to
the desirability of having full
and free and friendly discussion
of any matters about which there
is dissatisfaction and referred to
a communication in The Robeson
ian of the 13th inst in which Mr.
rank Gough of Lumberton said
the boss" must be driven out,
and he said he' wanted to intro
duce Mr. Gough to the boss the
people of Robeson county. Just
before the meeting closed Mr.
Gough offered a word of expla
nation, saying that he had not
referred to the executive com
mittee, that things would be in
better shape if the executive
committee had been consulted
more about what was done. The
business of selecting electors oc
cupied the committee some two
hoursrand about 1 p. m. the
committee adjourned and a mass
meeting of citizens was called to
be held at 2:30 p. m. to discuss
the road law, and the offices pf
county superintendent of health
and auditor. This meeting is re
ported elsewhere in this paper.
Members of the press were
asked to act as assistant secre
taries Mr. J. A. McDougald being
secretary. The out-of-town edi
tors present were Messrs. D.
Scott Pool, of the Robeson Mes-
senger, St Paul, and Percy Wil
son, of the Fairmont Messenger.
A bronze stitue v of Charles
Duncan Mclver, first president
of the State Normal and Indus
trial College ' at Greensboro, was
unveiled in Raleigh yesterday in
the presence of a large crowd. 1
ALL FOR ROOSEVELT.
State Republican
Elects Delegates
Convention
for Rough
Rider bitter attacks on Taft
No Change in Chairman
ship. Raleigh Dispatch, l'th.
In a State convention marked
by bitter attacks upon President
Taft, North Carolina's four dele
gates at large and four alter
nates to the Chicago Republican
convention were instructed today
to vote for Theodore Roosevelt,
nrst. last and all tee time , so
long as his name is before the
convention.
A declaration in favor of
Koosevelt by Isaac Meekins, one
of the uninstructed district dele
gates from the first district,
makes certain for Roosevelt 23 of
the State's 24 votes in the Chi
cago convention. Wheeler Mar
tin, the other uninstructed dele
gate from the first district, was
not bound by the State conven
tion's action.
The delegates at large are Dr.
Cyrus Thompson, Jacksonville;
Thomas E. Owen, Clinton; Rich
mond Pearson, Asheville; Zeb V.
Walser, Lexington.
The alternates: Thomas S.
Cheek, Camden county; H. C.
E&vinj&s&W
Surry; George Pntchard, Marsh
all. A resolution presented by
Richmond Pearson, former min
ister to Persia, and a Roosevelt
leader in the State, adopted amid
great enthusiasm in the conven
tion, declared President Taft
withdrew 10 North Carolina post-
office apointments from the Sen
ate March 17th for the apparent
purpose or awarding them "to
the factional leader who shall de-
liter the largest number of dele
gates for Mr. Taft".
President Taft has underesti
mated the pride and self-respect
of the Republicans of North Car
olina," the resolution continued,
in supposing that we would par
ticipate in a political auction
whose object is to make mer
chandise of men. We unhesitat
ingly repudiate, resent and re
buke the whole proceeding and
all parties thereto."
The only Taft man to address
the convention was Walter Hen-
1 I I S A.
ry, wno said ne wouia support
Roosevelt if nominated. His open
ing remark thas he "stood here,
300 pounds for William Howard
Taft," sent the convention in an
uproar. Attacks upon President
Taft by other speakers were
cheered by the convention, as
were all references to Col. Roose
velt.
There was no test of strength
upon the subject of Presidential
endorsement, the Taft forces
yielding to the Roosevelt leaders
at the start. Zeb V. Walser,
head of the Roosevelt State com-
mittee, was made temporary and
permanent chairman of the con
vention. Following the instruc
tion of the delegates at large, the
Roosevelt forces attempted to
make a "clean sweep" of the ex
isting State organization.
Richmond Pearson was endors
ed for National committeeman,
defeating Marion Butler, former!
United States Senator, h. u
Duncan, the incumbent, was not
re-nominated. i
An attempt to depose John M.
Morehead, a Taft leader, from
he chairmanship of the btate
committee, was defeated after a
prolonged fight. The convention
decided not to take up the sub
ject at present.
Disposition of Postoffice Case
Against B. F. Stephens.
Wilmingrton Star, 16th.
The case against B. F. Ste
phens, a young white man of
umberton, charged with viola
tion of the postal laws, was the
most important to receive atten
tion at the morning session. The
young man, who was formerly a
clerk in the Lumberton postoffice,
was indicted on two counts, one
misappropriating funds and the
other altering the records and
making false records. Through
his attorney, Thos. L. Johnson,
Esq., the defendant entered a
plea of submission to the second
countinthe bill of indictment. The
plea was accepted by the district
attorney and prayer for judg
ment was continued - upon condi
tion that the defendant make
good the shortage, about $300,
and pay the costs. He is given
until the next term of court to
fix up the matter.
RURAL CARRIERS' CONVENTION.
, Arthual Convention of Rural
!,. r., a
Mra vw is naaui.iaLiiJii its
be Held in Lumberton May
30.
The annual convention of the
Rural Letter Carriers' and Post
masters' Association of Robeson
county will be held in Lumberton
May 30. The following pro
gramme has been arranged:
Address of welcome by R. O.
Edmond. assistant. postmaster of
Lumberton.
Response by F. B. Dunn, of
Lumber Bridge.
First subject: Is our organiza
tion worth anything to us as car
riers and postmasters? If so,
what mean's can we use to get all
to enlist? To be discussed by
carriers ot Ked Springs and Fair
mont.
T 1 1 .
XNext suDject: Does it pay
carriers to be obliging and ac
commodating to their patrons
where it does not - conflict with
tne postal regulations : or do no
more than the law demands?
Discussed by carriers of Lumber
ton and Maxton.
Election of officers for the en
suing year. Election of dele
gates to State convention.
,Itis.earnestlyeqwestAT4ht
every postmaster and carrier at
tend this convention.
P. M. & R. L. C. of St. Paul,
Com.
Mr. J. W. Carter Not a
date for Re-election. -
Candi
In a communication to the editor
of The Robesonian, received this
morning and too long to be pub
lished in full today's paper, Mr,
J. W. Carter of Maxton, who
has been a member of the board
of county commissioners for the
past twelve years, during eight
years of that time chairman of
the board, states that "it is my
purpose not to be a candidate
under any circumstances but to
retire at the end of the present
term." It is regretted that Mr.
Carter s communication was not
received in time for publication
today. It will be published in
full in Monday's paper.
A Boy Scouts' Rally This Eve
ning.
The Lumberton troupe of Boy
Scouts will hold a rally at the
court house this evening at 8
o'clock. Rev. A. D. McClure.D.
D., of Wilmington, will deliver
an address on "Lumberton's
Most Valuable Asset-The Boy".
Other features will be drill and
flag salute, first aid and signals
by the Boy Scouts, music by
Lumberton's brass band, songs
and instrumental solos and short
talks by some local speakers. No
admission fee will be charged
and all who are interested in
boys and young men are urged
to be present.
Scottish
Meets
Society
of America
Springs May
in
Red
22d.
The Scottish Society of Amer
ica will hold its annual meeting
at Red Springs on Wednesday,
May 22nd. The annual address
will be delivered by Dr. Hill, of
Mississippi, at 11 o'clock a. m.
Every member of the Society,
as well as all others, is invited.
Road Bond Issue Defeated
in
Cumberland County.
At an election held in Cumber
land county Tuesday a proposi
tion to vote a bond issue of $200,
000 for roads was defeated by
the small margin of 108 votes.
Middling cotton today, H
cents.
Congressman H. L. Godwin
spent a few hours in town
yesterday, presumably looking
after his political fences.
Mr. J. P. Stansel, - formerly
of Lumberton, now of Wilming
ton, has been employed to audit
the books of the town. He be
gan work on this job Tuesday.
---Mr. and Mrs. R. C. Law
rence and their children and Mr.
and Mrs. . K. M. Biggs left yes
terday morning for , Wake For
est, where they, will attend the
college commencement Today
at 11 o'clock a life-size portrait
of the late Prof. J. B. Carlyle is
to be presented to the college
and Mr. Lawrence is to make
the presentation speech.
LOCAL BRIEFS
It being a legal holiday the
banks will be closed Monday.
License has been issued for
the marriage of Martha Tyner
and Alex C. Johnson.
The First National Bank of
Lumberton has been designated
as the depository for the postal
savings from the Fairmont and
St. Paul postoffices.
Mr. Rory McNair, who lives
on route 5 from Maxton, in this
issue of The Robesonian an
nounces himself a candidate for
the office of county commission
er. The Robeson Tobacco Co. of
Fairmont has been chartered
with authorized capital of $20.
000, with $4,250 subscribed by J.
P. Brown, A. J. Floyd. B. W. v
Pitman, R. L. Pitman and oth
ers. The Seaboard authorities had
a carload of crushed rock and
sand unloaded in front of the
local station this morning,, and it
certainly adds much to the pleas
antness of things underfoot in
damp weather in those parts.
MissRuth Normententertain-
Mr. and Mrs. Frank "McLeod in
honor of Miss Annie Burton
Stainback. A number of games
were played and in general it
was a pleasant time for a large
crowd of the young folks.
Miss Irene McLeod, who
graduated this year at Elizabeth
College, Charlotte, came home
last evening. She was accompa
nied home by her mother, Mrs.
Geo. B. McLeod, who since Sun
day had been in Charlotte to wit
ness the commencement exercis
es of Elizabeth College.
There will be an ice cream
supper baturday evening at the
Jennings cotton mill village,
northwest Lumberton, for the
benefit of the Sunday school re
cently organized there, the pro--
ceeds to be used in the purchase
of an organ. It is expected that
there will be a voting contest al
so. The public is invited.
-The Carolina Lumber Co.,
which for some time has been
operating a saw mill at the old
Humphrey Williams mill site on
the river just across the Sea
board Railroad, has installed a
planing mill. The planer 'was
fitted up last week and the com
pany is now sawing and planing
lumber.
-Mr. Joe S. Thompson has
purchased from Mr. H, O. Edens
his interest in the liverv stables
on fourth street, lormerly
owned by them jointly, and is
now sole owner. Mr. Edens
will continue at the stables as
manager this week, after which
Mr. Thompson may decide to
take active charge of the busi
ness himself.
Miss Irene McLeod. daughter
of ex-Sheriff and Mrs. Geo. .
McLeod of Lumberton, was a
graduate in expression at Eliza
beth College this year and was
among tnose mentioned as re
ceiving "first distinction" in
that course, her grade being
next to the highest in that de
partment 96.50, the highest be
ing only 96.75.
Mr. R. C. Moore, who for
some time had held a position at
Aycock, Fla., came home Sun
day. Mr. Moore says that the
rainfall in Florida has been very
heavy this spring and he came to
the conclusion that the Old
North State" affords better
health for man; hence his return.
Me says that they are .having
ots of chills and fever in .those
parts.
For the benefit of Lumber-
ton's new brass band it was ex
pected that there would be an
ice-cream party or festival at the
court house tomorrow evening.
but it had to be postponed on ac
count of a political speech that
is to be made in the court house
at tliat time, for which the band
has asreed to furnish music Ihe
date of the ice-cream festival has
been changed to Friday night of
next week, and to this it is hoped
that the entire population of the
own will turn out as an expres
sion of appreciation of the ef- '
orts the boys are making to give
Lumberton a brass band that ,
will be the superior of any band
!in the State.
-hi