POLITICS AS USUAL!

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TO THE PUBLIC

Mr. Elmer Walker’s recent imitation of a malicious and spiteful spinster at a sewing circle does me a grave injustice.

            There is just enough truth in part of what he says to make it dangerous. He approached me on the 12^th inst. and stated that he had put my name on a ticket, the week before at the court house, to run for county surveyor. I told him that I did not want the place and could not run, he insisted, even after I told him that the chances were that I would be unable to qualify if elected. He stated that if I did not qualify they would take care of that. He stated that the ticket had already been sent to the two papers in Elizabeth City. I made myself as plain as is usually necessary when talking to those having human intelligence. … to the average man that would have been sufficient. … done without my knowledge. If he did not state the truth, then he slipped one over on me by making me believe that I was being notified and not that I was being asked if I would run on a ticket that was being “slated” by him personally. …[H]e bears malice toward Mr. John Walker, the present county surveyor, and wished to use me to work an injury to him, even if it left the county without an official surveyor.

            … [I]f the majority of the members of my party want me then, that way, I will be proud to serve. If they do not want me I will not whine, whimper nor “sling mud.” Politics is not my way of making my living right now. I was trying to follow my profession and quietly attend to my own business, and not meddle with others, when Mr. Walker, as it appears now, appointed himself “dictator” of our county and decreed that I run for county surveyor. …

            … Elmer Walker, who was only a short time ago very anxious to “affiliate” his name with mine, so anxious that he put his name with mine without my consent. There is one truth he utters, my name has been taken off his ticket. I took it off.

            I voted for Mr. Elmer Walker two years ago and for that reason alone feel that maybe I am “mentally inefficient.” This suspicion began to dawn on me about a year ago, when I found that Mr. Walker was “swallowing whole” everything the manufacturers said about the desirability of tractors for road building. I was mentally efficient enough awhile ago to keep Mr. Walker from influencing the road commissioners to buy a tractor they did not need and could not use. Even when he was so “morally strong” for one that he objected to my being considered for road superintendent, because I was opposed to the tractor deal, before I could state that I did not want the job.

            … [I]s he trying to imitate the former leader of “the Bull-Moose” and hold that all men who do not agree with him are liars? I am willing to let the public judge who has lied in this case.

RUSSELL E. SNOWDEN.

Snowden, N. C.

September 30^th, 1916

[Elizabeth City Advance [Elizabeth City, NC] 5 Oct 1916