“Fight Over Negro
Vote” from the May 28, 1914, issue of the Western
Carolina Democrat and French Broad Hustler,
Henderson, N.C.
Asheville, May
23—The reduction of the popular vote of Robert R. Reynolds by 10 votes on the
allegation that 10 negroes cast their ballots for him when they were not
eligible to participate in the Democratic primaries and the appointment of
delegates to the Waynesville convention featured today’s meeting of the
Buncombe County Convention.
The Gudger forces,
well organized and contesting every point, won on every disputed question from
the Reynolds forces, who lacked organization and whose leaders stated that they
had decided to make no bitter fight for the 10 votes as the convention vote
would not be affected.
At a meeting of the
committee to pass on the challenges of the Reynolds men put forth able
arguments to show that the 10 negroes had been voting the Democratic ticket for
years but they had few supporters and the report of the committee was against
them. The Buncombe vote in the convention will be cast as follows:
R.R. Reynolds,
36,838; J.O. Harrison, 249; Walter E. Moore, 824; James H. Merrimon, 7,858;
J.M. Gudger, 31,217. Resolutions were adopted condemning the allowing of the
negroes to take part in Democratic primaries.
Reynolds and Gudger
forces concede that a convention fight will decide the winner, and both said
they will go into the convention in the lead.
Rutherford for Reynolds
Rutherfordton, May
25—Offical returns of the county convention here Saturday give Rutherford
county to Reynolds by a small convention majority and a popular vote of 90 over
J.M. Gudger Jr., the official vote being as follows: Reynolds, 22.23; Gudger,
21.89; Merrimon, .53; Moore, .1`2; Harrison, .23; out of a total of 45
congressional convention votes.
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