Fourth Of July
. That to secure these rights, -Governments are
instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the
consent of the governed." Thus says the Declaration of
Independence. _
This grand old document, which appears in its entirety
elsewhere on this page says many other things worth re
membering. Every citizen should take the time to read
it. Once read, every citizen should take the time to ponder _
its true meaning and to consider how far we are drifting ''
away from the funamentals which this document and those
who wrote it established as a true guideline for this nation.
The Declaration of Independence is a heritage every
citizen should fight to hold. It is our best guarantee of
Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
l
We're Getting Some Help
It is gratifying to this editor that
other news media are commenting on our
current series of front page editorials
on the road conditions in Franklin
County.
While thii newspaper instigated this
push to get something done about deplor
able road conditions here, it-is not alone
in those who would desire to correct the
unfair treatment Franklin County (and
perhaps, some others) have experienced
? in the matter of highway fund expendi
tures ( , ?? I v
We are grateful to WRAL-TV in
Raleigh for their coverage and indica
tions that they will give it more cover
age.
We would like to thank The Ralei^i
Times for their coverage this week and
also, for indications that, they too, will
continue to look into the situation.
And we wish to thank our old friend
Henry Dennis, editor of the Henderson ,
-Daily Dispatch, for his kind editorial id
support of our efforts.
The Franklin Tines, as a rural semi
weekly newspaper, speaks loud at times,
but is not heard in some quarters in the
State capital. Louder voices are needed
in our quest for a better deal from the
Higlway Commission.
We are grateful for these new voices.
We hope others will see fit to join inr< ?
\
Safety Is A Word , Death Is A Fact
, Just prior to the July Fourth holiday
each year, the If. C. Department of Motor
Vehicles sends out to all news media a
host of editorial material urging extrd
safety during the holiday period.
These are good. They are handy and
already well written and many editors!
print them just as they are.
But, regardless ofthow strongly they
are put, they are nevertheless, just one
more (as is this qne) editorial reminding
the reader that they only have one life.
More vividly put, let us remind you
that in the newspaper business, one
follows and reports on the activities of
the local Rescue Service, State Troopers
and other law enforcement officers, wholfe
job it iS to investigate accidents.
Far too many times have we witnessed
the mangled and torn flesh of felloe
county citizens as they lay in serious
condition in the emergency room at
Franklin Memorial Hospital. Many
times, we have witnessed those not
fortunate enough to get there at all.
Safety may be just a word to most of
us, but death and injury is a cold stark
(fact.
Automobiles will kill you. Ifcis we
have seen. So, too, have many of you.
Motorbikes and motorcycles ar? even
more dangerous and are growing in num
bers, locally every day. The hazard is
ever present on our^ streets and highways.
One cannot be too careful Statistics
point out that the danger increases during
a summertime 'holiday The Fourth of
July is the biggest killer.
If you're going to drive over the
Fourth, keep one point constantly on
your mind. Drive carefully. The mangled
b^dy could be yours.
Can't Get Rid of If
Fast Enough
I y\c ? ?? v-1
The Frafl?Hn Times
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I
The Declaration Of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was adopted hy the Continental
Congress, in Philadelphia, on July 4, 1776. John Hancock was presi
dent of the Congress and Charles Thomson was secretary 1 copy of
'he ' Declaration, engrossed on parchment , was signed by Members of
Congress on and^after August 2, 1776. On January 18, 1777 , Congress
ordered that " authenticated copies, -with the names of the Members of
Congress sub scribed the same, be sent to each of the United States,
and that they he desired to have same put upon record." Authenticated
copies were printed in broadside form in Baltimore , where the Continen
tal. C ongre sst was then in session.
WHEN IN THE COURSE, of humon^
? vents, it becomes necessary for "
tone people to dissolve 'the political
bands U/hffh hflv* ?6hnecfed them
with another, and to assume among
the powers of the earth, the separate
and equal station to which the Laws
of Nature and of Nature's God entitle
them, a decent -respect to the opin
ions of mankind requires that they
should declare the causes which
impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self
evident, that all men are created
squal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable
Rights, that among these are Life,
Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
That to secure these rights, Govern
ments are instituted among Men, de
'iving their just powers from the con
sent of the governed. That whenever
any Form of Government becomes
destructive of these end's, it is the
Right of the People to alter or to
abolish it, and to institute (new Go
/ernment, laying its foundation on
such principles and organizing its
cowers in such form, as to them shall
seem most, likely to effect their
Safety and Happiness. Prudence,
ndeed, will dictate that Govern
ments- long established should not
ae ?hanged for light and transient
:auses; and accordingly all experi
?nce hath shewn, that mankind are
nore disposed to suffer, while evils
jre sufferable, than to right them
selves by abolishing the forms to
which they are accustomed. But
vhen a long train of abuses and
jsurpations, pursuing invariably the
lame object, evinces a design to
educe them under absolute Despo
ism, it is their right, it is their
Juty, to throw off such Government,
jnd to provide new Guards for their
uture security. Such has been the
jatient sufferance of these Colonie's;
ind such is now the necessity which
:onstrains them to alter .their former
jystems of Government. The history
>f the present King of Great Britain
is a history of repeated injuries and
usurpations, oil having in direct
ob|ect the establishment of an abso
"toie* Ty tunny uvct Suites ? TTT"
prove this, let Facts be submitted to
a candid world.
HE HAS REFUSED HIS ASSENT TO
LAWS, *he most wholesome and neces
sary for the' public good. He has forbid
den his Governors to pass Laws of imme
diate and pressing importance unless
.suspended in their operation till his
Assent should be obtoi ned, ' ond when so
suspended, he hos utterly 1 neglected to
attend them.
He has refused to pass other Laws
for the accommodation of large districts
of people, unless those people would
relinquish the right of Representation in
the Legislature, a right inestimdble to
them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative
bodifes at places, unusual, uncomfortable*,
and distant from the depository of their
public Records, for the sole purpose of
fatiguing them into compliance with his
measures.
He has dissolved Representptive*
Houses repeatedly, for oppo.sing with
manly firmness his invasions on the
right* of the people.
He has refused for. a long time,
after such dissolutions, to cause others
to be elected; whereby the Legislative
powers, incapable of Annihi lation, have
returned to the People at large for their
exercise; the State remaining in the
meantime exposed to all the dangers of?
invasion from without, and convulsions
within.
He has endeavored to prevent the
population of these States; for that pur
pose obstructing the Laws for Naturali
zation of Foreigners, refusing to pass
others to encourage their migration
hither, ond raising the conditions of new
Appropriations of lands.
He has obstructed the Administration
of Justice, by refusing his Assent to
Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his
Will alone, for the tenure oi- their of
fices, ond the omount and payment of
their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New
Offices, and sent hither swarms of Of
ficers to harass our people, and eat out
their substance.
. He hos kept among 'us, in times of
peace, Standing Armies, without the
Consent of our legislatures.
He has affefted to render the Militory
independent nf* nnH I, ih. ? I
Power.
He has combined with others tp, s u b
ject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our
constitution and unacknowledged by our
lows, giving his Assent to their Acts of
Pretended Legislation. For ( quartering
orge bodies of armed troops among- us;
For protecting them, by a mock Trijil,
from punishment for any Murders which
they should commit on the Inhabitants
of these States: F^or cutting off our
trade with all ports of the world: For
imposing Toxes on us without our Con
sent:^ For depriving us in many cases,
of the benefits of Trial by Jury: For
transporting us beyond Seas to be tried
for pretended offences: For abolishing
the free System of English Laws in a
neighbouring Province, establishing
therein an Arbitrary government, and
enlarging its Boundaries so as to render
it at once an example and fit instrument
for introducing the same absolute rule
into these Colonies: For taking away
our ?harters, abolishing our most valu
able Lows and altering fundamentally
the Forms of our Governments: For sus
pending our own Legislatures, and de
claring themselves invested with power
to legislate for us in all cases whatso
ever.
He has abdicated Government here,
by declaring us out of his Protection
and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged
our Coasts, burnt our towns, and des
troyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large
Armies of foreign Mercenaries to com
plete the works of death, desolation and
tyranny, already begun- withj circum
stances of cruelty & perfidy; scorely
paralleled in the most barbai'ous ages,
and totally unworthy the Head of o
civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow
Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas
to bear Arms against their Country, to
become the executioners of their friends
and Brethren, or to fall them selves by#
their Hands.
He has excited domestic .insurrections
amongst us, and has endeavoured to
bring on the inhobitonts of our frontiers,
the merciless Indian Savages, whose
known rule of warfare, is an undistin
guished destruction of oil ages, sexes,
and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions
? We keoe Pe<i?ie?ed U? fted*es? m the
nost humble terms Our repeated Peti
tions hove been answered only by re
peated injury. A Prince, whose character
' is thus marked by every act which may
define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler
of a free people. Nor have We been
.-wanting in attentions to our British
^brethren. We hove warned them from
time to time of attempts by their legisla
ture to extend an un warrantable jurisdic
tion over us. We have reminded them of
the circumstances of our emigration and'
settlement here. We have appealed to
their native justice and manganimity, and
we have conjured them by the ties of
our common kindred to disavow these
usurpations, which would . inevitably
interrupt our connections tend correspon
dence. They too have been deaf to frie
voice of |ustice and of consonguinity.
We must, therefore, acquiesce in the
necessity, which denounces our Separa
> tion, and hold them, as we hold the rest
of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace
Friends.
WE THEREFORE, the Represen
tatives.of the United States of Amer
ica, in General Congress, Assembl
ed, appealing to the Supreme Judg^
of the world for the rectitude of our
intentions, do, in the Nome, and by
Authority of the good People of these
Colonies, solemnly publish ond de
clare, That these United Colonies
ore, and of Right ought to be, Free
And Independent States; that they are
Absolved from all Allegiance to the
British Crown, and that all political
connection between them and the
State of Great Britain, is and ought
to be totally dissolved; and that as
Free and Independent States, they
hove full Fbwer to levy War, con
clude Peace, contract Alliances,
establish Commerce, and to do all
other Acts* and Things which Inde
pendent States may of right do. And
for the support of this Declaration,
with a firm reliance on the protection
of Divine Providence, we mutually
pledge to each other our Lives, our
Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.
Henderson Newspaper Comments
. On Times' Road Editorials i
HrniU'rium D nil it iDtapatrti
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29. 1966
Improvement Long Overdue
The Franklin Times is using front
page editorials to direct attention to the
terrible condition of some roads in Frank
lin County. Those even casually fami
liar with the situation can verify the
Times' conclusions, and the need which
it is stressing. The articles are im
pressively illustrated to support claims
that are made.
On' a number of occasions, the Daily
Dispatch has called attention to the con
dition of NC .V) in Yancc County, leading
toward Franklin County and l.ouisburg.
Our conclusion has been that more than
this agitation is necessary in order to get
results. There must be a political voicc
that can speak loudly enough to he heard,
and so far as Vance is concerned very
little of that exists.
NC 39 in Vance has only a narrow
pavement and the road is crooked, dan
gerous and a threat to safe travel \\c
would assume that the only reason no
more accidents happen than do is that
most of those who use this highway are
familiar with the hazards and are on
guard against tbem. From Henderson to
the county line, the road winds and
twists in the same general routing as
when it was firstjtaken over by the State
It seems that jjis good a job as possi
ble is being done j in maintenance . Hut
major repairs and improvements are ur
gently needed,, iifcluding elimination of
some of the dangerous curves tha_t exist.
Other section^ of the State seem to
have the ear of the highway commission
and ,are getting results. Vance and
Franklin need some one with prestige
and influence to go to bat in getting what
is required. I'ntil there is some pres
sure of this character there will he little
prospect for betterment.
So far as our end of the line is in
volved, we are ready to join the Times
in citing conditions and demanding re
dress.
Contracts arc let at intervals for mil
lions of dollars w<*th of road wock. but
virtually none of it is in Vance County,
and apparently about as little also iji ,
Frtfriklin. Some very serious attention
needs to he given by the two counties
and by the highway commission to this
area.
Action hy the county commissioners
could be effective t.o this end if made j
and repeated. Somebody's feet must be
held to the fire if we are to get what we'
are entitled to.
The Times shows illustrations of ^
roads in Franklin County, and immediate
improvement that is so noticeable when
the Nash County line is reachcd. We
have observed this condition for a long
lime and have commented on it. But it
seems that a louder voice is needed to
produce desirable aixl beneficial re
sults Perhaps Vance and Franklin -might
join hands in a determined approach to
the problem. It couldn't do any harm, and
may be the only means of getting the im
provements to which the two counties are f~
entitled
You Bet Your Life
"Tm Kool Irfcal. Let's htvt IhimK r?g?th?r."
Tht 1ra*?1mri Sohlr Snin
HOUSEWIFE'S
LETTER TO
PRESIDENT
Rep. William H. Harsha ( R.-Ohio )
has made public a copy of a letter to
President Johnson from a housewife
who wasn't taken in hyLBJ's homey
little lecture on family economy. She
asks some pointed questions, to wit:
DEAR MR PRESIDENT :
"" I put on my glasses and got out
my lead pencil as you advised.
We are on a salary and try to live
within our means. We used to eat beef
and pork and then beef, then chicken\
and then tuna fish, and finally ham-^
burger casserole. Milk prices have
advanced so skim milk is now in
cluded in our diet as is oleomargarine.
We eat more canned vegetables than
frozen and only fresh ones when in
season and are cheaper.
We eat more cereals instead of eggs,
and hacon is not included on our
grocery list. Just what do you advise
us to cut out? To stop eating seems
to be the only answer to our prob
lems if we follow your advice and
say to ourselves, "This is out of our
price range." Send me your recipe
books, please.
It seems to me if you and your
advisers would cut down on non
military spending it would help. It
seems wrong for people to be told
to do without while "the povernmcnt
for tty people" spends and spends'
and Has a larger deficit "Budgtt every
year. Practice what you preach. '
If unemployment is at the lowest
percentile in yean, why do we have
to be continually taxed to support
piore exorbitant welfare programs?
If you raise taxes, of course I will
be able to buy less ? Irts food, shoes,
clothing and less saving for the edu
cation of my children.
I resent being told to cut out un
necessary spending (which I did, long
ago) when the Government b spend
ing my money as If H were going oat
of style.
I think it is about time that the
wastefulne? of spending programs
compounded by inefficiency be
stopped. You are wasting my hard
earned tax money while inviting In
flation and national ruin.
Joyce H. McGee
CORSICA, S. D., GLC8E:
"The rubber stamp Congress,
having run out of thlnga to con
trol, la picking on the clock,
and now car-making. A ?et
of rulaa frdm Washington on
how to make automobllea will
make safe drlvara, according
to the bureaucrats."