VOL 31 SMITHFIELD, N. C., FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1912 Number 32 ONE DOLLAR PER YEAR. EDUCATION GOOD ROADS GOOD HEALTH PROGRESS FIVE CENTS PER COPY. MR. EDGERTONS LETTER When Johnston County was an in fant it thought as a child. It acted aB a child. There was no necessity for business systems because there was but little business to be trans acted. The entire time and services of a man was not required in any of fice. There was no use, therefore, in paying for his entire time. The plan then was adopted to pay him for whatever part of his time that was required to perform the vari ous duties of his office. They reas oned that he* should be paid well be cause he would have to leave his w'ork one or two days in each week and look after the business of his office. The fees, therefore, were not fixed on a basis of the actual work to be performed but were made lar ger because of the little work to done and the inconvenience to the Officer in leaving his work and going to Smithfield to discharge his duties as a County Officer. We have passed the juvenile stage in every department of devel opment with the one exception of our County Government. We are farming differently. We conduct our schools differently. We are manu facturing more extensively. We are using better roads. Time has evolv ed better and more business-like sys tems in the management of all our industries—except our County Gov ernment. wneu I 1UUH UjJUII tut! ICSUUl ces of our County and behold her in her onward march toward the front rank; when I observe her in her young manhood appropriating every jneans and device for a better and more perfect system of schools,' mod ern roads, better churches; When I see the intellects and business abil ity of our citizenship take first rank at every point, I am forced to con clude that the people have advanced phead of their County Government. I have no pet scheme. 1 have no axe to grind. I have no one to re ward, or whom I wish to rebuke. I plead for a change in the conduct of our County’s business system in keeping with the progress we have made in every other department of our development. Time would be cruel to evolve only such improve ments as would tend to enhance in dividual interests. Time and neces sity have joined hands and are now demanding that Johnston County en joy the benefits of modern, practical, business-like County Government. I can go no further until I state that there is and has been no County that has had better Officers, or that has adhered more closely to the sys tem required by law than lias the Officers of Johnston County. They have done ten thousand things that the law did not require them to do which meant great good to the peo ple. No change or system will im prove the efficiency of the individ ual or guarantee greater fidelity. We need our best men in Office. They should be paid for their services They should be paid well. They ought to be paid more than the same individual w’ould get in other employment for the reason that the dll tips nro rnr^rp PYaotinp* and more responsible and should require the very best that is in a man. The cost of a campaign, the legitimate ex pense, is heavy. The sacrifice one has to make in giving up his other business and assuming the discharge of the duties of a political office, the duration of which is always exceed ingly uncertain, is considerable. The pay should be commensurate. In two other letters, heretofore, I have tried to show why changes Should be made. I am now trying to show how they can be made. I do not believe the plan that I shall suggest will turn anything like the amount of money into the Treasury that some think ‘ will. I think the amount turned in will be small if the Officers are paid a reasonable Balary. i have no desire to see the Pay of the Officers reduced greatly. I just want to see a better system and our County adopt the manage ment that others ha*ve tried satisfac torily. i have taken some interest ih this mattter and have made inves tigations which assures me that no ' ounty which has adopted the salary *)stem would consider a return to fhe old antiquated fee system, if we have the plan of paying our ffleers a salary it would, of course, Necessitate the services of a County Auditor. As suggested in a former letter he should be required to audit and publish an ITEMIZED statement of every receipt and disbursement of each and every “Fund’' in Johnston County derived by taxation of the people, except municipal corpora tions. He should be charged with the responsibility of seeing that no money is paid out of the Treas ury except such as is authorized by law. He should be, ex-offficio, pur chasing agent of the County and pur sue a business-like and equitable course in making such purchases as are required. We should have one Treasurer and his books should be open to public inspection at all times. I have only briefly outlined a few things I would suggest. I have written these letters at the request of the Editors of The Herald. They are, as has already been said,, based upon some observation and much ex perience. I am ready to join forces with all Democrats who favor the adoption of any of the plans outlin ed, or any other plan, that will mean advancement. I shall write no more, unless it shall be in defense of what I have already written. Let the leaders, if they desire, begin the movement. We will follow. Respectfully, *' W. A. EDGERTON. Selma, N. C. Send in The Names At Once. Mr. Z. L. Leniay, Chairman of the Democratic Executive Committee of Johnston County, wants the names of all the township Executive Committee men at, once. Be Sure when you send in the names to name the chairman’ and secretary. He also wa«ts the names of all the Democratic nominees for Justice of the Peace and Constable. This is importantt and it is hoped that those who have not already done so will ■ end in these names at once. .Four Oaks .\e\i"S. Dr. Smith h s traded his Flan c r to Mr \lcnzo Parrish, of L>„ n, f r a Fo d. Mr. E. I,. Strickland has purchas ed a new Ford car from Mr. Alonzo Par- i h. Quite a number from here at tended the Primitive Baptist Asso ciation at Benson on last Saturday t id Sunday. Miss Leora Edgerton, of Ksnly, visited her sister, Mrs. Dr. Smith, last week. Mr. Chas. I. Pearce, of Smith field, was a visiter in town on last Friday afternoon. Dr. Smith returned on Tuesday night from Datta, S. C., where he had been to see a patient. He made the entire trip on his Ford car and reports no trouble, whatev er. Mr. Ernest Johnson, of Smith field, was a visitor in town last Sunday. Mr. Robert Johnson, of Smith field, v'as a visitor in town Sunday. Mr. Louis Levinson, of Fayette ville, was a visitor in town Sunday. My! but the “home-fellows” don’t have much of a chance. Mr. Ed Matthews, of Smithfield, was a visitor in town. Tuesday to see the “Alabama Minstrels.” Mr. E. B. Sanders visited friends and relatives in and around Clay ton last week. Miss Golda Creech, of Buie’s Creek, and her friend, Miss Pau line Hilburn, spent last Saturday and Sunday here with Miss Creech’s mother, Mrs. Laura Creech. Messrs. Bryan, Kivett, Parker and Hardy, from Buie’s Creek, were visitors of F. Hunter Creech Sun day. Mr. Hubert Lee happened to the misfortune to get his hand cut very badly in their cotton gin Fri day morning. Dr. Smith was called in to .dress the hand. He reports that Mr. Lee is doing nicely and will soon be well. Mr. Dalton Lee made a record trip the other day. He carried a patient, whose teeth were badly torn up, to Smithfield. From the time he got on his car here until he pulled up at Dr. Holland’s office it took him just fifteen, minutes. Four Oaks, Oct. 2, 1912. ’ Hon. Tom Settle, the Republican candidate for Governor, will speak in Smithfield next Monday, October 7th, at noon, FORECASTS VICTORY New York, Sept. 30.—With the Republican party from one end of t.he country to the other torn asun der by the activities of the Bull Mocse candidate, and with Demo crats working in complete, almost blissful harmony, indications a*t the present time, thirty-six days before election day, point to Democratic victory at the polls in November. In undertaking the most elabo rate Presidential canvass ever made by any newspaper, the Herald in structed all of its canvassers and all of its correspondents to “Get the truth.” For more than a month reporters have bean working from coast to coast. In the eleven States where these straw votes were taken—New York, Connecticut, Deleware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, In diana, Kentucky, West Virginia and Wyoming—Governor Wilson ran first in nine. The Bull Moose can didate was first in Connecticut and third in all but Ohio and Wyoming. In Ohio he polled 9 42 votes,* as against 818 for the Bull Moose tick et. Governor Wilson received 1,914. The fifth in Ohio is a lively one. ■"Herald reports show that if the Bull Moose candidate can show as much strength in November as be developed at the recent primaries, President Taft will lose his native I State. As in all States near the Ncrlitern border line, the farmers are very hostile to the President. In Pennsylvania, one of the piv otal States in the great contest, tnere are indications or a ctose liguu New Jersey and New York are placed in the Wilson column. Figures obtained in the voting contest show that the Bdll Moose j candidate is pulling the great bulk I of his strength from the Republi cans. They show that Governor Wilson is winning mere from the Republicans than he is losing to the Bull Moose ticket. For instance while 4,150 Republicans, who four yeans ago voted for Tiaft, will this year, according to their statements, vote the Bull Moose ticket; only 678 Democrats will swing to the Bull Moose. Debs loses twenty to the third termer. Out of 24,895 votes polled in the eleven States named, the Republican loss from 1908 is 5,997, while the Democratic gain over 1908 is 2,254. Should the ratio thus far slmw1 in tl: ■> voting contests contin ’.e, it would indicate that Governor Wil son you Id carry more States than were ever before carried by a Pres idential candidate. It should be pointed out, however, that the bal lots have not yet been taken in some parts of the country where the President is regarded as strong. Staid old New England is wob bling. Maine shows a tendency to be for Wilson. Connecticut seems at the present moment almost cer tain for the New Jersey Governor. Vermont and Rhode Island are in the balance, both wih Wilson ten dencies. Massachusetts is placed in the Wilson column. New Hamp shire alone of the New England States is given to the President. None to the Bull Moose candidate. Indiana and Illinois are witnessing spectacular fights. In Indiana the in vestigators place Wilson in the lead, with the Bull Moose running second Illinois is a veritable hot bed of uncertainty. The Bull Moose leads in straw ballots thus far taken. Gov ernor Wilson does not appear to he stronger than he was during the primaries. In the four great Stages between the Dakotas and the coast Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, ; and Washington, the situation is found to be most interesting. The great army of “new” voters number ing more than 200,000, will deter mine the result in Washington. The; are regarded a«< friendly to the Dull Moose candidate.—-New York Herald. big circus coming. I Spark’s big circus is coming to Smithfield. Friday, October 25th, is the day«> It is claimed that they hav< a solid train of twenty cars, nearly 400 people and 20 or more animals, domestic and foreign. This is the biggest show that has come to Johns tap County in many years and no ! doubt a largo number of people will be here on October 25th. GOV. KITCHIN COMING — Saturday, October 12th, is to be big day for Sniithfield. Governor, Hon. W. \V. Kitchin, will On that day our distinguished be the guest of our town, and make a speech in the interest of his cand idacy for the United States Sen atorship. The Kitchin Campaign Committee for this county, with Mr. L H. Allred as chairman, is planning for a big barbecue, and also to have a brass band here that day. The peopl% of the county regardless of their choice for senator, will delight to honor our Governor, and it is expected that a great crowd will be here from every section. Governor Kitchin is one of the finest speakers in the State and never fails to entertain his auditors. A challenge has been made to Senator t'iuimons, through his cam paign manager for this County, Mr. W. M. Sanders, to be here and meet the Govrnor joint discussion. Let the people turn ouj, and hear the Governor's address. A Race In Picking Cotton. A few days ago Mr. Oscar Stanley, j who boards here and goes to school ^ made a visit to Mr. Archer Barbour, of Clayton township. On Mr. Bar bour 's land lives Mr. Oliver Moore, who has the reputation of being the best cotton picker in that section, i Mr. Stanley and Mr. Moore decided to race one day in picking. Last Fri day was the day selected. They be gan early and picked until dark. Mr. Moore picked 510 pounds and Mr Stanley 504. M UlnDH Associatioral Meeting. — The BaptistWcmen of the Johns j ton association will hold their usual ; missionary meeting at Clayton on j Wednesday October 30th 1912. The 'women of every church as well as the members of the missionary socie ties wiii be asked to attend. Boy Killed By Fall. Wadesboro, Sept. 30.—Lester Horne 1 a fifteen-year-old boy, fell from a scaly bark tree near Peacliland Sat j urday and was killed instantly. He I was alone, but the body was found in a short time. He fell a distance of 1 fifty feet and his skull was fractured. Speaking at litui -da Church. Mr. 1). C. Smith informs us that 1 arrangements have been made for some good singing and speaking at ■ Betheoda Baptise church first Sun day in October morning and after ; noon. Mr. L. H. Allred will speak ! there at 11 o’clock. Her Majesty The Hen. I Cotton is king in the South, but in the West and other sections of the country a strong pretender to the throne is the hen. Eighteen billion eggs, valued at one and seven-tenths cents each, was the extent of her in j dustrial labors last year, making the chicken business greater than the steel business. The annual per capita : egg allowance for 1910 was two hun dred eggs were laid in one year for every man, woman" and child in it. and if every one consumed his por tion it cost him $3.40. » The hen gave work, profits or en joyment to every class of man in the country and to practically every man of everv class. The dealer from . whom the farmer purchased his chick i en feed, the farmer himself, the mid dlemen who handled the eggs, the railroads and their employes who ^hipped the eggs in 6,500 full capacity freight cars, the retailer and the purchaser at the corner grocery. Great is Biddy. May she reign for ever.—Richmond Virginan. EDITOR CHAMBLISS TO PREACW Receives and Accepts a Call to the Pastorate of Wilson Baptist Church. Wilson, Sept 30.—Rev. T. W. Cham bliss, editor of the Charlotte Chron icle, preached in the First Baptist church of this city last Sunday, morn ing and evening, and after the even ing service there was a. conference held and Mr. Chambliss was called to the nastorate which he accepted. will' tender his resignation aa editor of the Chronicle and If accepted return, to Wilson at once. _ l GRADED SCHOOL OPENS The Turlington Graded School opened Tuesday with an enrollment of 238 pupils. The higher gradees are full and the lower grades are similarly numerous. The Third and Fourth grades enrolled some 70 boys and girls. This made it impossible for the teacher who has charge of j this room to do successful work, consequently the grades had to be divided, and the Fourth Grade will come in the morning from 8:45 to 11:45. The Third Grade will come from 12 to 3. The pupils have enterend on their work fully determined to do good work. They have had a vacation of over half a year and are well rested. They should do good work at once. Parents are earnestly urged to make the children study their lessens at. home. Unless they do, the teachers cannot possibly teach them with any measure of success, i The i 'me at school is too limited to permit long preparation of lessons. It is also evident that the par ents must cooperate with the teachers. Home training precedes school training, no teacher can I possibly instill in the child Ideas j (f order, industry, work, self-respect) ill the mind of the child, if it is I permitted to do as it pleases at home. In the higher grades the respon sibility of their work is thrown as much as possible on the students themselves. They are sufficiently old to realize the need of work. ' Corporal punishment or other pun-!1 iishment is useless in the case of* the adult student. Non-adults should be encouraged in their studies' by i tiie parents rather than forced. We! urge on the parents an occasional visit to the school, an occasional discussion of their work with thV boys and girls. We urge also the; prompt attendance of the children,; the rare permission to stay at home,) or be absent from school. In only f the most urgent cases should par ents interfere with the right and; the duty of the children to study. j We have before us a splendid ■ year. Let us parents and teachers make it the beet in the glorious an-! nals of Turlington Graded School. A. VERMONT. News From Benson. Hew on, Oct. 2.—News was re ceived here today that Mrs. Z. B. Stewart, of Chapel Hill, died yes terday morning. Mrs. Stewart be fore her marriage was Miss Lizzie Campbell, of Sanford. She was a woman of rare culture and refine ment and was liked by all who knew her. Mr. and Mrs. Stewart lived in Benson till about one year ago when they moved to Chapel Hill and had made that place their home since that time. She leaves a husband and two small children, besides a host of friends, to mourn her loss. Her remains will be laid to rest in the church yard at San ford tomorrow afternoon. Mrs. Brazilla Stewart, wife of Mr. W. A. Stewart, who lived about four miles south of Benson, died of malarial fever yesterday about noon. She was about 50 years of age and for a long number of years had been a consistent member of j the Prim it vie Baptist church. She | was a sister of Mrs. M. C. Benson, of our town, and Mr. D. B. Hen-1 ning, of near town. She leaves a husband and several children to miss her. Her remains were laid j to rest this afternoon at the family i burying ground. Eleven Couples Admitted Their Guilt. Walking up to the ticket window of a moving *cture show in Wilmington Eel., an excited individual informed the young woman ticket seller that his wife was In the theater with an other man, and that he was going to kill both of them as soon asthey came out. The stranger’s declaration was heard by several' persons, a crowd collected and there was much excite ment for a time. The ticket seller notified the manager of the theater, who mounted the stage and announc ed that a man was outside waiting to kill his wife and the man who was with her. The manager advised the couple to leave the theater by the rear exit, and within two minutes eleven couples had hurried from the theater by way of tho back door, Ex. REPUBLICANS MEET The Republicans of the county met ;<-re yesterday yand held a conven* non in the court house to nominate candidates for the county offices and die legislature ticket. Short speeches tvere made by Messrs J. C. Stancil md A. L. Barefoot after which the .invention was organized by making Mr. A. L. Barefoot chairman, and Mr. R. D. Langdon and Mr. H. B. Pearce Jr. secretaries. The principal contest of the conven tion was for the nomination off Sher iff but it resulted in Mr. J. T. Cole's nomination . The votes on first bal lott were C. R. Stott 23 J. S. Jet frays 27 J.T . Cole 57. Mr Robert Fitzgerald of Pine Leve was nominated tor Register of deeds d Mr. Sam ii. Massey of Smithfield lor treasurer. Dr. George Parker of Benson wos nominated for Coroner Vann Penny, of Elevation, for surveyor. Messrs. E. F. Pearce, of Boon Hill, A. F. Barbour, of Eleva tion W. J. Morgan of Meadow,Berry Godwin, of Pine Level, and D. M. Lee of Cleveland, were named for county commissioners. Mr.. Phillip Lee, of Ingrams, and Mr. Walter Batten, of Beulah were nominated for the House. The attendance was much smaller than for several years, and the del egates seemed very much disorgan ized and restless, there being much passing in and out of the court house during the entire session. The fact that the party in the county is split over Taft and Roosevelt was very evident in the convention yesterday. A count at the opening of the con vention showed only 123 persons in attendance. Another count about mid way the proceedings showed only fifty' present. Later a few others came back. Several of the nominations seemed to go begging, as there was more de clining of nominations than ever be fore in one of their Johnston County conventions. No nomination was made for Judge of the Recorder’s Court. Mr. J. D. Parker the only Re publican lawyer in the county, de clined to be nominated, saying that conditions in the convention indicat ed that he would not be elected if he' made the run. The ticket named at the convention ymsterday is doomed to the certain defeat that hr>3 been their lot’in the years gone by. The Fuller Stables Improved. Mr. -F. H. Parrish has completed the job of repairing the old Fuller stables. They are remodeled all over He enlarged the stables making ce ment foundations and floors, recover ed the entire building putting in several skylights, built two offices and a rat proof grain room and har ness rpom which are nicely paint ed, besides a njule pen and a cattle pen and a large number of stalls for horses. The old Fuller Stables are now some of the best and most con veniently arranged stables in the county. The Persimmon Crop. There Is a large persimmon crop In this section this year. Almost every little tree is loaded with the fruit. We never saw larger per simmons that those on the trees now. They are almost as large as small apples. The worth of the persimmon crop to hogs is underestimated Far mers could raise an almost unlimited quantity of them by setting in pro-' per places the little trees which come up voluntarily for the hog raiser. Did it ever occur to you that it would pay to save the persimmon crop? Where trees are out of reach cf hogs and there are children to pick up the persimmons, it would pay to go tc the trees two or three times a week and gather the persimmons which have fallen. PARKER-PIERCE. Mr. and Mrs, A. L. Parker, of Asheville, announce the engagement and approaching marriage of their daughter, Helen Vinson Parker, to Mr. Char’es I. Pierce, of Smithfield. The marriage will take place at the home of the bride’s parents, 67 Chest nut street* the latter part of October.