DEMOCRATIC COUNTY
CONVENTION CALLED
To Meet in Smithfield Thursday,
September 9, to Name County
Ticket and Nominees for Leg
islature. George Ross Pou Is
County Chairman.
The Democratic County Executive
Committee met in the courthouse here
last Friday afternoon to fix the date
for holding ^Democratic County con
vention and selected a Chairman of
the Executive Committee. The meet
ing was largely attended. In fact it
was one of the most largely attended
executive committee meetings ever
held here, attesting the great interest
shown in the party’s welfare. It was
a representative body of men who are
alive to the interest of the Democratic
party and the welfare of the State.
The meeting was called to order by
former Chairman Ed. S. Abell, who
called Dr. R. J. Noble to the chair.
The first business of the meeting was
the fixing of the time to hold the
township meetings and the county
convention. It was decided to call
the township meetings to be held at
the voting precincts on Saturday af
ternoon, September 4. The county
convention to name a county ticket
and representatives in the next Gen
eral Assembly was appointed to be
held on Thursday, September 9.
The next question taken up was the
selection of a chairman of the Coun
ty Executive Committee to succeed
Mr. Ed. S. Abell, resigned, who has
been Chairman of the committee for
the past six years. Mr. Abell was
urged to reconsider his resignation
and take the chairmansnip again. He
has led the Democratic hosts to vic
tory three times and the Democrats
of the county have great confidence
in the success of the party at the
polls when Ed Abell is leading. But
he said that other matters made it
impossible for him to accept the re
sponsible position. Mr. Honeycutt
was urged to take the chairmanship
but he also declined. He said that
he would give as much time and help
to the success of the party this fall
as a private in the ranks as he had
ever given as a candidate for office.
Mr. Jas. A. Wellons was asked to
take it and he also declined assuring
the committee of his undivided sup
port.
Mr. George Ross Pou was then plac
ed in nomination and was unanimous
ly elected to the responsible position.
Mr. Pou was called on for a speech.
He arose and said he never made a
speech in his life and was not going
to make one then, but that he thank
ed the committee for the honor and
the confidence it placed in him and
pledged his best efforts for the suc
cess of the party at the polls in No
vember, and asked for the support of
the former chairman and leaders.
Then Mr. Robert A. Wellons was
named as Secretary of the Commit
tee.
In the selection of Mr. Pou as
Chairman of the Committee the Dem
ocracy has done well. His leadership
of the Morrison forces to victory in
the recent primary acclaimed him
as a young man fit to be a leader in
the ranks of the Democratic party.
As an organizer and leader in that
campaign he proved to be a great
success and his friends are looking to
him to be equally successful as a
leader of the Democratic forces in
the coming campaign. The selection
of Mr. Robert A. Wellons, of Smith
field, as secretary of the committee,
was a wise one. Mr. Wellons is a
young lawyer of force and ability,
alert, energetic and tactful he will add
strength to the party organization.
The action of the Executive Commit
tee in selecting these popular and
virile young men as leaders was a
wise one and will interest and en
thuse the young Democrats of the
county.
The township meetings to be held
on the 4th of September are called
on to, select an executive committee
of five active Democrats, who shall
select one of their number as chair
man, who will then be a member of
the County Executive Committee.
The township meetings will also nom
inate candidates for Magistrates and
Constables, and report the same to
the Chairman of the County Execu
tive Committee at once, together with
the names of the township executive
committee.
Under the Democratic plan of or
ganization every Democrat of good
standing is considered a delegate to
MR. L10YD RANSON CHOSEN
Charlotte Man to Have Charge
of County Y. M. C. A. Work
—Succeeds Mr. Bowman
At a meeting of the committee of
the County Committee of the Young
Men's Christian Association of John
ston County held in the courthouse
Friday afternoon Mr. Lloyd Ranson,
of Charlote, was unanimously elected
Secretary for Jjohnston County \to
succeed Mr. J. O. Bowman who re
signed to take up his former position
as Principal of the Selma High
School, having been re-elected to the
position. *
Mr. Ramson’s past experience as
Field Secretary for the State Com
mittee will be of great value to him
and to the Johnston County Commit
tee. He will enter upon his duties as
Secretary immediately. Mr. S. K.
Hunt, State County Work Secretary,
and Mr. Howard Hubbell,. Southern
Regional Secretary, were present and
made short talks at the committee
meeting.
TO RAISE BIG SLUSH £UND
Cox Says $15,000,000 Its Low
Mark and the Sky Its Limit
—Half Million Raised
South Bend, Ind., Aug. 19.—Charg
es that at least $15,000,000 are being
contributed to the Republican cam
paign fund by selfish interests were
made today by Governor Cox, Demo
cratic presidential candidate, during
the course of two addresses opening
the Indiana Democratic campaign.
“That *s its low mark,” he said,
“and the sky apparently is the limit.
In Ohio $500,000 was raised in the
twinkling of an eye. They have sub
divided America into seven districts,
and influential men representing self
ish and greedy interests are passing
the hat. They are trying to buy a
governmental ‘underholt.’ It is a mere
bagatelle compared with what the
contributors expect to get back.”
Pleas for the League of Nations,
denunciations of what he said was
the Republican plan for a separate
peace with Germany, promises of tax
reductions, and problems of the high
cost of living, were ?>ther features of
Governor Cox’s address.
He spoke to a crowd of several
thousand late today on the court
house square; attended a banquet of
the Indiana Democratic Editors’ As
sociation and addressed another large
crowd tonight at the Coliseum.
WILSON REGAINED WEIGHT
Washington Times Tells Some
Of Things That Chief Exec
utive Does Daily.
Washington, Aug. 19.—President
Wilson has regained his normal
weight of 179 pounds, according to an
article appearing today in the Wash
ington Times, quoting Rear Admiral
Cary T. Grayson, the President’s per
sonal physician, as having made the
statement today. The article also de
picts “according to Dr. Grayson,” the
things the President does in a “nor
mal day” at the White House includ
ing the following:
“Exercises his left arm by extend
ing it and withdrawing it.
“Shaves himself, sometimes with a
safety razor.
“Climbs stairs with a cane to exer
cise his leg muscles.
“Dictates rapidly and frequently
and writes shorthand notes of what
he wants done.
“Uses an indelible pencil to sign
most letters to departmental officers.”
At the White House it was said to
night that Dr. Grayson was out of the
city and not expected to return until
tomorrow. Secretary Tumulty was
also out of town and no other official
would comment on the article.
Governor James M. Cox, Democrat
ic nominee for President, has been in
vited to speak at the Harnett County
Fair at Dunn, on October 12. He has
left the matter with the National
Chairman, and the Dunn people are
hopeful that he will speak there on
the date named.
the County Convention, but the town
ships are asked to appoint a list of
delegates, that number to which they
are entitled whose business is to be
sure to attend the county convention.
The object of this is to \>jt sure that
every township shall be represented.
COMMITTEE FINDS FOR
MACHINE GUN COMPANY
Conduct of Durham Military At
Graham Most “Exemplary
and Soldier-Like”—Report Is
Sent to Governor T. W. Bick
ett.
Raleigh, Aug. 20.—Declaring that
the conduct of the Durham machine
gun company, which participated in
the late unpleasantness in Graham,
resulting in the death of one man
and :he injury of another while the
soldiers guarded negroes in jail on
suspicion, was in every way “most
exemplary and soldier-like,” the
special investigating committee to
day made its report, which follows:
“The committee appointed to inves
tigate the alleged assault upon the
jail at Graham, N. C., and the con
duct of the troops on the night of
July 19, 1920, submitted its report
to the governor. It is signed by all
the members of the committee, Col.
A. H. Boyden, chairman, B. S. Roys
ter and H. W. Whedbee. The com
mittee makes the following findings
of facts:
“The committee, after a careful
consideration of all the testimony and
of the facts and circumstances at
tending the ordering of the machine
gun company to Graham, N. C., finds
as follows:
“That the ordering of the machine
gun company to Graham, for the pur
pose of upholding the law and guard
ing the jail of Alamance county, was
justified by the conditions existing
in Grahii/n, at the time the civil au
thorities requested to governor the
sending of troops to Graham.
“That upon his arrival in Graham,
the commanding officer of the machine
gun company reported to the sheriff
of Alamance county, and immediate
ly established a guard liae around the
jail and posted sentinels.
“That the troops, while on duty in
Graham, were frequently jeered at
and a number of insulting remarks
were made to them from time to time
during their tour of duty, but the
troops made no reply.
“That on Monday there was appar
ent quiet in the town.
“That during Monday afternoon and
night, threats of breaking the jail
a ad taking out the prisoners, being
guarded, were made to the soldiers,
as well as in the presence of others in
the town; and these threats were
communicated by the soldiers and
others to the commanding officer of
the machine gun company.
“That the sentinels and jail were
fired upon by parties unknown be
tween 9 and 9:30 o’clock on Monday
night; that the sentinels, when fired
upon, and acting upon the orders
from their superior officers, fell back
to the jail and made report to the su
perior officers of such firing; that af
ter tho jail and sentinels had been
thus fired upon, and after several
shots were fired at the jail, the of
ficer in charge of the guard and ma
chine gun company gave orders to
commence firing; that several rounds
were fired by the guards from their
pistols and there were three volleys
from the machine guns of from 10
to 25 shots each; the fire of the ma
chine guns was from the rear and
side of the jail, and the fire from the
pistols was from the rear, sides, and
front of the jail; that no damage was
done by the machine guns fire; and
that several shots from the pistols
struck houses in the vicinity of the
jail.
That officers and men of the ma
chine gun company, under the orders
to protect the jail and guard the pris
oners, were fully justified ia return
ing the fire, when the sentinels and
jail were fired upon.
“That James Ray, who was killed
on the street near the jail, and Willis
Phillips and Clem Bradshaw, who
were wounded, were not members of
any organized mob, but seemed to
have been innocent or curious on
lookers.
“That the conduct of the officers
and of the men of the machine gun
company, from the time they reach
ed Graham and reported to the sheriff
for duty until they were relieved on
Tuesday morning, was in every re
spect most exemplary and soldier
like. The testimony satisfies us that
none of the soldiers was under the in
fluence of liquor and that there was
no unseemly or ungentlemanly con
duct on the part of any of them.”—
Greensboro News.
COUPLE CELEBRATE
THEIR SILVER WEDDING
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Franklin
Edgerton, of Kenly, Celebrate
Event at Their Home Friday
Evening from 8:30 to 12:00
O’clock.
Kenly, Aug. 23.—The celebration at
their Kenly home of the silver wed
ding of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Franklin
Edgerton Friday evening from 8:30
to 12 o’clock, was a great social event
and was attended by throngs of
friends and relatives of the popular
couple.
The house was profusely decorated
with potted plants, ferns, palms, cut
flowers and pine boughs. The porch
was decorated with hanging baskets
of flowers of different kinds which
made a pleasing effect in the shaded
lights of rose, while the lawn was
decorated with Japanese lanterns and
electric lights.
Little Miss Sarah Coleman and
L. C. Wilkinson, Jr., received the
cards. Misses Beulah Bailey and
Retta Martin directed the guests to
the puqph bowls, which were presid
ed over by Miss Emma Mathews and
Mr. Marion Woolard and Miss Gladys
Kirby and Mr. Elton Neighbors.
The guests were greeted at the
front door by Mr. and Mrs. L. C.
Wilkinson and shown to the cloak
room by Misses Margaret Hooks and
Lillian Wilkinson. The guests were
presented by Mr. and Mrs. P. M. Ez
zell of Smithfield. The receiving line
was composed of Mr. and Mrs. H. F.
Edgerton, Messrs. Yates and Claude
Edgerton, Misses Inez and Miriam
Edgerton, Mr. Jarvis Edgerton, Mr.
and Mrs. Walter Edgerton of Wilson,
Mr. L. F. Alford of Raleigh, and Mr.
and Mrs. R. O. Cotter of Smithfield.
The guests were shown into the
dining room by Miss Rena Edgerton
and Mr. Miller Bridger which was
presided over by Dr. and Mrs. T. L.
Ginn of Goldsboro, assisted by Miss
es Mildred Darden, Lucile Holden,
Lillian Edgerton, Betty Edgerton, of
Wilson, and little Misses Elizabeth
Woodard and Virginia Kirby, where
ices, cakes, bonbons, almonds, etc.,
were served. The dining room was
decorated in pink and green. On
the center of the table was a minia
ture bride and groom and minister.
The guests were conducted into the
registration room by Mrs. J. E. Stev
ens of Richmond, Va., where they were
requested to register in the guest
book, by Misses Katherine Curtis of
Greensboro and Lucile Howard of
Dunn, after which Miss May Wilkin
son gave the favors, boxes with dates
and initials hand-painted in silver,
containing wedding cake.
The guests were conducted to the
gift room by Miss Agnes Hales and
Mr. Hank Simmons. This room was
decorated in old blue and white. Tables
were arranged in the center of the
room in the shape of a cross on which
were displayed the handsome gifts to
the “bride and groom” from hun
dreds of friends in and out of the
state.
A delightful feature of the occa
sion was a musical arranged under
the direction of Mr. Harvey McNair
and Miss Eula May Edgerton of Wil
son, comprising popular selections
from the Edison and solos by Mrs. J.
J. Edgerton.
The bride was never more beauti
ful than in her gown of Parisian old
rose, brocaded with silver. Miss Inez
Edgerton wore orchid taflFeta with
silver trimmings. Little Miss Miri
am Edgerton wore ruffled yellow geor
gette.
The gift of the groom to the bride
was a handsome new model Cadillac
Suburban.
Fight With Knives in Smithfield.
Last Saturday two negroes who had
been working in Smithfield had a
quarrel. Sunday afternoon they met
at the Smithfield depot and thad a
fight. It began by their throwing
stones at each other and then they
got together and cut each other with
knives. One had a pocket knife and
the other a butcher knife. Finally
one made a great stroke at the other
to cut his throat but by quick dodging
the knife missed its intended course
and went dep down into the thigh of
the man who had it in his hand. This
negro is confined to his roo.m and may
not be. out for several days. Their
names are Joe Ilasken and Rundle
Butts.
WOMAN SUFFRAGE VIEWS
Expressed by A Native Tar
Heel—In Accord With the
N. C. Legislature.
Mr. Editor:—I see by today’s pa
per, that the Tennessee Legislature
has ratified the Susan B. Anthony
amendment, thus giving women the
right to vote in the November elec
tion. The result was a surprise to
your correspondent, and a source of
regret.
I consider the course of our own i
Legislature more nearly in accord with j
the traditions of Democracy. They
were asked to vote on a proposition,
upon which their constituents had
never had an opportunity to express
their preference. Believing that the
duty of all representative assemblies
is to record the wishes of the people
who elected them, they postponed the
consideration of the amendment until
after the people had had a chance to
say what they wished, at the polls.
Frankly, I am sorry that the ballot
was given to women at this time. The
questions wnfronting the Nation, are
so complicated and momentous, that
I deplore the fact that approximately
ten million new and untried voters
will have to solve them. I would have
much preferred to wait until the ship
of state had passed out of the pres
ent storm belt, and was in smooth
water, before we asked our fair new
sailors on board. The good teacher
noes not let the first year English
class begin with Browning, nor does
a good house-keeper tell her new cook
to make a fruit-cake for the first
meal.
Many strong advocates of woman
suffrage were (like myself) opposed
to its com mg through a constitution
al amendment, believing that each
state should have the right to de
termine the qualifications of its own
voters. But whatever may have been
our wishes or fears, woman-suffrage
is now an immediate fact, and the
philosophical course is to make the
best of it.
After all, there is no valid argu
ment against woman-suffrage, exeept
the doubt whether she wants it her
self. I have thought that the women
of North Carolina did not desire to
vote, though I must admit that I have
been amazed by the large number of
the most intelligent women of my ac
quaintance who have earnestly desir
ed it.
As to the objections to the right
of women to vote. The question of
her lack of the necessary intelligence,
we will pass over, for who among us
will be willing to say, that in genuine
intelligence—the ability to meet wise
ly the conditions of life, as they suc
cessively arise to confront each indi
vidual—his Mother was not the equal
of his Father?
Of all the adverse arguments, it
seems to m^ that those based upon
the Holy Scriptures, are the most Vul
nerable. The human writers of the
Bible with St. Paul at their head,
were ancient Orientals, and no man is
ever able to get entirely beyond the
influence of environment and age.
Their injunctions, implying the in
feriority of women—such as “wives
obey your husbands,” “keep covered
and silent in the assembly,” etc.,
were all the reflections of the Orient
al attitude toward women. Only one
Being has ever walked the earth, who
was entirely above all influence of
place or time or contemporaneous
teaching. And you may search ev
ery word He ever uttered, for a sug
gestion of the inferiority of women,
in vain. On the other hand, the
greatest commission ever given to a
human being, was given by Him, to
Mary of Magdala, and she carried
His message which has illumined the
ages. The men had all run away, but
she hunted them up, and delivered it.
I have never heard the most violent
Anti say that Mary ought to have
been in her home, that day. She
probably did not have a home.
Another argument has been, that
women might vote to bring on a war,
and not be able to fight it. As a mat
ter of fact, and speaking generally,
the ones who vote for wars, never do
fight them. The ancients had a max
im, “Old men for council, and young
men for war.” The grey-haired fath
er sits in the hails of state, and with
bowed head, and breaking heart,
casts the vote which sends his young
son to death.
But there is another fact, which
shows the injustice of this contention.
The number of deaths, in battle, in
MEN ENTER STORE IN
CLAYTQN FRIDAY NIGHT
They Were Discovered andl
When They Attempted t&
Make Their Escape A Young
Man Named Jones Was Shot
Fatally.
Last Friday night Mar. Marshall
Holland’s store at Clayton was enter
ed from the rear by Robert Tyson
and a young man named Jones, a son
of Mr. L. H. Jones of Mount 01 ire.
These young men had been painting
at Clayton. They were in the store
putting some goods into bundles.
Messrs. Hal and James Ellis entered
the store and asked the men to sur
render. They both made an effort to
escape. Jones was shot through the
body and fell to the floor. Tyson
broke through the glass front, cutting
himself severely and was forced to
surrender. He is here in jail to await
trial. Jones was taken to Mount
Olive by his family and lived just
long enough to speak to his mother
and tell her he had to die. It seems
the two young men had been break
I ing into stores for several years. Ty
son says he had told Jones several
times that it would be better for them
to quit but Jones would not agree to
it.
TO HEAD THE JUNIORS
D. W. Cobb Named As State
Councillor at Annual Con
vention in New Bern
New Bern, Aug. 19.—With the con
clusion of the business session held
this morning and which ran on until
in the afternoon, the thirtieth annual
State Council of the Junior Order,
United American Mechanics, which
has been in session in this city since
Tuesday night, came to a close today,
and this afternoon the <500 or more
delegates from all parts of the State
who have been in attendance returned
home.
The election of officers for the en
suing year resulted as follows: D. W»
Cobb, Goldsboro, State councillor; J.
L. Mendenhall, Greensboro, vice coun
cillor; A. A. Davis, Hope MiHs, con
ductor; I. P. Powell, Winston-Salem,
secretary; J. H. Gilley, Winston-Sal
em, assistant secretary; K. L. Long,
Concord, outside sentinel; Fred Mills,
Concord, inside sentinel.
The following national representa
tives were selected: Numa R. Reed,
Wentworth; Woods Kellum, Wilming
ton; C. F. Alexander, Charlotte; J. R.
Carver, Winston-Salem; T. C. Mohn,
Charlotte; W. A. Cooper, Raleigh.
The place of the next meeting was not
decided upon, this being left in the
hands of the executive committee,
they will make a decision later on.
| It is expected, however, that Wilming
ton will be chosen for the 1921 gath
ering, that city and Asheville having
both made bids for the gathering.
Mr. A. G. Johnson, of the Farmers
Warehouse, went to Wilson yester
day to attend a meeting of the To
bacco Association of Eastern North
Carolina. The Association was call
ed together to consider the postpone
ment of the opening date of the mar
kets in Eastern North Carolina.
the armies of the United States dur
ing the Spanish-American and the
World wars, was 70 thousand, (I am
using round numbers) An average
yearly rate of about 3,500 for a period
of 20 years. Over and against these
figures, Mr. Editor, there is a pathetic
record. Estimating from the death
records, which are kept only among
56 per cent of the population of the
United States, thirteen thousand wo
men lose their lives in child-birth ev
ery year,—260 thousand in 29 years.
So while, in 20 years, seventy thous
and men gave their lives to protect
humanity, during the same period,
two hundred and sixty thousand wom
en gave their lives to perpetuate hu
manity. Who shall say which was thu
greater service?
Let North Carolina welcome her
new voters, throwing around them the
protection which she has always given
to the weak and inexperienced. Let
the men of the state, be patient witla
their ignorance of political mattent
and be ready to help them choose the
safest course. And above all, lag
them sympathize and cooperate with j
their dominant and inborn desire te>
make the world sweeter and am |
holy.
Smithfield, Aug. 19. N. TV