VOLUME 39 •* jWI SMITHFIELD, N. C., TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1920 Number 70. THURSDAY’S CONVENTION Verdict in Raleigh is That Democratic Candidate Made Telling Speech Women Pleased. The Herald feels that it owes its readers an apology for the meager and unsatisfactory account of the County Convention last Thursday, as well as for the hurried comment on the speech of Mr. Morrison. * The only reporter whom this paper had on the grounds, was the lament ed Mr. Lassiter. His notes extended, of course, only over a part of the pro ceedings and in the excitement caused by his sudden illness, they were not brought to the office. So we were en tirely without information concern ing the events of the day one hour before time to go to press. Two friends of The Herald knowing the situation, came to our assistance, and dictated from memory, the few notes from which our stenographer was able to furnish the short account which appeared in Friday’s paper. We are fortunate in being able to give our readers a more detailed descrip tion of this very important gathering in today’s Herald. We also reproduce below in part, a criticism of Mr. Morrison’s speech and its effect which appeared in Sat urday’s News and Observer. Raleigh’s political contingent, aug mented yesterday by mild mannered politicians here to attend the meeting of the Trustees of the University, was agog with discussion pro and con on the Smithfield speech of Cameron Morrison, the democratic nominee for governor of the state. That it met the approval of leading citizens was reflected in the views of men of many shades of opinion. It did not please the Republicans, to be sure, for it largely dealt with an ex position of the fallacy of the cam paign John J. Parker, Mr. Morrison’s Republican opponent, is making. What is more important, it did please a great many of the ladies. It pleased the newly enfranchised voters enough to justify the prediction that the hesitant ones of yesterday are champions of Democracy today. Most of the new voters are thor oughly in record with the Morrison statement that the women of North Carolina need no invitation to come into the Democratic party. Few there are who have expressed any purpose to align themselves with the Republican party in North Carolina. Even among the strongest oppon ents the Democratic candidate had in his two heated primary contests was an expressed feeling yesterday that the Smithfield speech was an able de liverance. For it to have taken the turn of an assault on the “shame less” campaign the Republicans are waging this early in North Carolina, was generally regarded as timely and telling. On the campaign for his party, there is no man in North Car olina superior to the Democratic can didate and, while speaking against the elements—the elements including a tiresome night ride from Wilming ton—he eloquently maintained his reputation as the premier stump speaker ot Carolina. Meet Parker! Chairman Warren does not believe it would be practical. He doesn’t believe in joint debates anyhow but if the party would turn Mr. Morrison loose the betting part of the Smlthfield audience would wager their tobacco crops that Park er would hoist the white bag before the rejoinder. Mr. Morrison’s reply to the Smith field inquiry about the women paying poll tax has been liberally construed to mean that he is opposed to the imposition of a poll tax on the new ^ voters unless it is necessary under the terms of the constitution. Some of his friends yesterday, after talking ^ this phase of the matter over with^ him, went so far as to predict that; he will recommend that no poll tax be placed on women in his first ad dress to the General Assembly. Morrison supporters here yesterday approached as to the probable num ber of women votes against him in the election, were inclined to believe that the opposition to him among the Democratic women of the State would be negligible. “Are they going to vote against him because he was opposed to suf frage?” one of them asked in re sponse to a question. “Do you sup pose that the anti suffragists, who were in a majority propose to vote against the Democratic candidates who were favorable to suffrage? Such procedure would be out of all reason. Some of the leading suffragists of the city—questioned yesterday as to WARNING NOT HEEDED Warehousemen and Farmers of East ern North Carolina Hold A Meeting in Wilson. At a meeting held at Wilson, North Carolina, by the Tobacco Association of the United States at which was present representatives from the va rious markets of eastern North Caro lina including dealers, warehousemen and farmers, the following resolutions were adopted. First. That under the circumstan ces of the unprecedented large crop of tobacco being grown in 1919 and sold at the highest average ever known and that every incentive was thus given to increase the tobacco produc tion and as these prices were unduly high considering the size of the crop and the circumstances of the central European countries which take con siderable quantity of bright tobacco being debarred by the great depreci ation of the rate of exchange, every thing costing them five or six times as much as compared with the Amer ican dollar and the further condition that there has been a sufficient stock of tobacco accumulated for all practi cal purposes that everything points to much lower prices even if no more tobacco is produced than in 1919. Second. Under the prevailing con dition of high labor, fertilizer and ev erything that contributes to the mak ing of bright tobacco it has been deemed wise and appropriate to put these facts before the producers of bright tobacco with the expressed opinion of the leading tobacco men that the production of any larger quantity than was made last year would be frought with the danger of very much lower prices possibly less than the cost of production. Third. Therefore the farmers are urged not to plant any crop that will produce more than was made last year, taking in consideration that the crop last year was considerably cur tailed by excessive rains. If 470,000, 000 lbs. produced in 1919 created a surplus sufficient for the price of to bacco at the end of the season to be reduced without the last year’s rains the surplus would have been 125,000 000 lbs. more. The Government estimated 15 per cent increase for 1920 for North Carolina which with an average yield would bring the crop up considerably over 600,000,000 pounds with the possible deplorable result as to the values and therefore there is every apparent reason that the crop should be materially reduced as compared with last year in order that no more pounds of tobacco shall be produced. Fourth. Be it further resolved that these resolutions be sent to every leading bright tobacco market in Vir ginia, North and South Carolina and steps be taken to promulgate and get before the farmers as far as possible the action. (Signed) L. M. CARRINGTON, Pres. Tobacco Asso. of the U. S. The Smithfield Fire Deartment Has any one stopped to think about the present fire fighting equipment of Smithfield? We have all the hose necessary but have no means of getting it to a fire except some good Samaritan comes along with his fine automobile and lets anybody hang on and try and pull the old worn out reel from the back of his car. Today we have one reel in fairly good condition while the other one has a smashed wheel. Efforts are be ing made to remodel this reel but should we have a fire, what would be come of our property? There is no organized company, nor paid man to look after the little we have and as you know1 the hose are here and there. Citizens, let’s get together and try and devise some means of getting an adequate fire fighting apparatus and fire company for Smithfield. A CITIZEN. reports that they expected to vote for Parker—not only denied emphatically that any number of the new voters would vote for Parker but declared that Morrison would be the benefici ary of the new vote. Through Democratic committees in every township and precinct in the State, the women are to be enrolled for voting in the coming elections. Chairman Thomas D. Warren is now engaged in planning a series of town ship meetings for bringing to the at tention of the women the importance of registering when the books open. Democratic speakers in every county will be pressed into service within the next week or ten days. AN IMPORTANT DECISION Attorney General’s Decision Allows Board of County Commissioners To Levy Additional Tax Attorney General Manning has ren dered a decision allowing the Board of County Commissioners to levy ad ditional tax, if the 10 per cent in crease set by the revaluation act is not sufficient to run the schools six months. Writing to the State Tax Commission, the Attorney General says: “You ask the opinion of this office upon the following statement of facts: In_county the board of educa tion has made out a budget under the six months’ school law, in which is stated the amount of money necessary to raise in that county to run the schools for the constitutional term of six months. A 10 per cent, increase upon the amount of money levied and raised by the county in 1919 will not meet the sum which the board of edu cation has found necessary to run the schools of the county for the full term of six months in 1920. Has the board of county commissioners autho rity to exceed the 10 per cent, limit of the revaluation? “In our opinion it has, if the addi tional levy is necessary to run the schools for the six months’ term. The constitution itself imposes this duty upon the board of county commission ers, and even if the legislature had attempted to prohibit the additional levy, which it has not done, the con stitution itself would control.” FROM CAPITAL OF BEULAH Items of Interest to Residents of Kenly—Ix*eal, Personal And Otherwise. Kenly, Sept. 8.—Mr. Swink of China Grove is the guest of Mr. Dobbin Bai ley. Mrs. Mary B. Swink of Raleigh is visiting her sister, Mrs. P. D. Grady. Miss Frances Hales left yesterday for Rowland where she will teach this season. Mrs. H. M. Grizzard returned last Thursday from Wilson where she un derwent an operation at the Moore Herring Hospital. Mr. J. M. Standi left yesteday for Wilson where he will be operated on at the Moore-Herring Hospital. Dr. and Mrs. J. W. Woodard left Monday for Morehead City to attend the wedding of Mrs. Woodard’s sister. Miss Jessie Leeason of Norfolk, Va., is spending a few days with her moth er this week. Several of our townsmen attended the tobacco sales in Wilson yesterday and leport very unsatisfactory prices for the golden weed. Dr. and Mrs. R. A. Turlington re turned Monday night after an extend ed trip to Fayetteville and White Lake. Miss Lucile Holden left today for Louisburg where she will enter the Louisburg Female College. Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Bowman have returned after an extended trip to Wadesboro. The Missionary Baptist Sunday school gave a picnic at Holt’s Lake Thursday. Mrs. J. M. Oneal of Selma spent the week end with Mrs. P. II. Etheridge. Three Iredell Men to Die. The Governor has declined to inter fere