First Time In Salem That William T. Younger Was Chosen Mayor – Humorous Incidents Accompany The Election
From the 1938 centennial edition of The Times-Register
More than fifty years ago, or to be exact, in 1886, the town of Salem in an election held that year for town officials, experienced the first use of a “secret” ballot, so far as known, in this section of the state and perhaps the whole South.
It seems that as far back as a half century ago, almost every incorporated town and county seat in the State had office-holder cliques, usually organized for the purpose of perpetuating members and their immediate friends and supporters in office.
Salem was no exception to the rule. The “ins” were so strongly intrenched in the control of the election machinery that for years the “outs” despaired of ever being able to break the power of the local machine.
Back in those days the only qualification for a man to vote was to be 21 years old and registered. There was no poll tax requirement and as a consequence white and colored alike composed the electorate. Of course, there were both majority and minority faction in the political life of the town. Most colored voters were ready for anything or anybody that did not beat the Democratic label and quite a few of the colored gentry were qualified voters, and they with a number of prominent white men of both Democratic and Republic persuasion decided that the time was ripe for a change in municipal affairs.
This story brings to mind an election held fifty-two years ago when the late William T. Younger was first elected mayor of Salem and sweeping changes were made in the complexion of the town council. The late Colonel Robert H. Logan was mayor and was a candidate for re-election. It was in this campaign a secret ballot was cast by those opposing the regular ticket.
It was necessary to do some quiet scheming in order to put over a plan in which so many people had to participate and at the same time keep the plan a profound secret from the town office-holding clique and their friends. The scheme adopted was engineered by five men, three of whom were the late John M. Oakey, J. Al Find and C. M. Webber. Names of the remaining two of the quintette are now unknown. The initial meeting was held at the home of Mr. Oakey when a ticket was selected and the machinery set in motion to bring the plan to a successful issue. Mr. Younger who was named to head the ticket as mayor had served for three years on the town council.
The first consideration to confront the “schemers” was the matter of printed tickets bearing the names of the independent candidates. Prior to the Constitutional Convention in 1900 which materially chanced the election laws of the State, ballots for elections were printed locally. The “regular ticket headed by Colonel Logan had been printed in a local printery and copies of same were easily obtainable. It was necessary to have the “irregular” ticket printed on like paper and of the same proportions as to size.
Ballots Printed In Roanoke
It was no trouble to obtain paper from the stock used by the Salem print shop in preparation of the regular ballots. This paper was taken to Roanoke where Frank O. Webber ran a small print shop and new tickets printed bearing the names of the independent candidates. At a subsequent meeting held by five “conspirators” it was decided that each man should take ten of the tickets and select ten lieutenants. Each lieutenant was then provided with five tickets to be distributed to voters known to be favorable to a change.
The work was so well done and the secret was so profoundly kept that the opposition failed to realize that anything other than the ordinary was happening until the polls had closed and the judges and clerks began counting the ballots.
When the election judges began unfolding the ballots for the count, when one of the Younger tickers was opened, one of the judges exclaimed: “Here’s somethin new to me.” An observed of the county representing the Younger ticket dryly remarked: “I guess you will find a good many more like it before your are through.” He had made a good “guess”. When the ballots were completely tallied, the “regulars” were found to be snowed under.
In county the ballots, the judges found an order on a local firm for some mails. It seems that a citizen had sent a colored man who was also a voter and had been supplied with one of the “secret” ballots, to the hardware store. The darky, through mistake, being unable to read and write, voted the nail order, necessitating a return to his employer for a second order.
Outcome A Surprise
The outcome of the election was a stunning surprise to defeated candidates and their friends who felt assured of victory until opposition was first discovered when the counting of ballots started after closing of the polls.
The deposed officials including the major, sought the solitude of heir homes immediately after the results of the election were known, and were so mortified over their defeat that several days elapsed before the would again venture forth.
It would seem that the election of Mr. Younger as mayor was a wise move on the part of the people. he was re-elected to the position at each succeeding election covering a period of twenty years when he refused to stand another term of office.
The result of the balloting was as follows: W.T. Younger, 241; Z. Boon, 237; John Chalmers, 241; J. A. Finke, 139; R. H. Ligon, 139; W. S. Baskerville, 132; R. H. Logan, 81; J. A. Francis, 81; Chas. D. Denit, 74; R. McClelland, 100; A. M. Shipman, 16.
- M. Shipman got 16 votes although he stated he would not serve if elected. Messrs. Younger, Boon and Chalmers were on all tickets printed and for this reason Messrs. Younger and Chalmers got 241 votes out of 242 that were cast.
– Prepared by Lingjie Gu
