Alston Davidson "Aus" Watts (1867–1927) was a

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

politician. A Democrat, Watts represented Iredell County, North Carolina in the

North Carolina House of Representatives The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the North Ca ...

(1901 and 1903) and in the North Carolina Senate. In 1912, Watts did not support

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

for the Democratic nomination for President, but Wilson appointed him as a federal revenue collector for western North Carolina in 1913, at the behest of Sen.

Lee S. Overman Lee Slater Overman (January 3, 1854December 12, 1930) was a Democratic U.S. senator from the state of North Carolina between 1903 and 1930. He was the first US Senator to be elected by popular vote in the state, as the legislature had appointed ...

. His most important role, arguably, was as "chief lieutenant" to U.S. Senator

Furnifold Simmons Furnifold McLendel Simmons (January 20, 1854April 30, 1940) was an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from March 4, 1887, to March 4, 1889, and U.S. senator from the state of North ...

, whose powerful political machine dominated North Carolina politics in the early 20th century, according to the journalist Rob Christensen. Watts was instrumental in helping

Cameron Morrison Cameron A. Morrison (October 5, 1869August 20, 1953) was an American politician and the 55th governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1921 to 1925. Early life and career He was born in 1869 in Richmond County, North Carolina. In 189 ...

win the Democratic primary for

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

in 1920, using

race-baiting Incitement to ethnic or racial hatred is a crime under the laws of several countries. Australia In Australia, the Racial Hatred Act 1995 amends the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, inserting Part IIA – Offensive Behaviour Because of Race, Colour ...

tactics. After the election, Morrison appointed Watts as the first state Department of Revenue Secretary. He resigned in 1923 after police caught him in the company of an African-American prostitute. Watts returned to his hometown of Statesville, where he died four years later. Most of the state's Democratic Party leadership attended his funeral.

References

Rob Christensen, "What the obituary didn't say"
''News & Observer'', July 13, 2008

''Charlotte News & Observer,'' April 2008

* (June 30, 1913) {{DEFAULTSORT:Watts, A. D. 1867 births 1927 deaths People from Statesville, North Carolina Democratic Party members of the North Carolina House of Representatives Democratic Party North Carolina state senators American white supremacists State cabinet secretaries of North Carolina