LOCAL EDITORIAL COMMENT
A Fight For Local Control: When Will It End? ?
The United States Department of
Justice has asked the federal court to
imprison the Franklin County School
Board. As far as can be determined,
this is the first time in the history of
this country, the federal government
has threatened to lock up a duly
elected and constitutionally es
tablished body of the people's repre
sentatives.'
The five members of the Franklin
Board of Education were chosen by a
vote of the people. Each are elected
county officeals. This Board, as those
before them, is made up of men of
gopd character, dedicated to the ser
vice of their community. None serve
for the small monetary *?ward.
Even in this day, when actions by
federal authorities have ceased to
shock the populace, this latest threat
is somewhat surprising. The Depart
ment of Justioe seems determined that
it and it alone will operate the schools
of Franklin County. It has, on several
occasions, presented its own plan of
school operations to the courts. In
deed, Franklin schools are today op
erating under a court ordered plan
which was, for the most part, written
by the United States Justice Depart
ment.
It is not enough for the Justice
Department, that Franklin is the'only
county in this section with a fully
integregated school system. It is not
enough that neighbo'ring systems con
tinue with freedom of choice plans
and token integregation while Frank
Ijn was made to integrate fully in nine
The FfaIMn Times
( ?*'f T ft TKwrU?T J H^rA !???, AM Of Pr tiwt|
Your Award Winning County Newspaper
Tuesday, January 21, 1969
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING
Franklin In School Controversy
Durham Morning Herald
The Franklin County school
system deseryes praise, not further
federal interference, for its efforts to
operate integrated schools under court
orders. The school system there has
experienced more than its .share of
problems arising from the integration
issue in recent years. It has, in the face
of difficulties, attempted to solve
problems. And to its credit, it has
made significant progress in that di
rection.
Yet the Franklin school system
(specifically its five-member board
and its superintendent) has again
found itself in controversy over the
racial issue. The U. S. Department of
Justice has charged that racial discrim
ination exists and has asked the U. S.
Eastern District Court to institute
contempt proceedings against the
school board members and the super
intendent.
The school board has emphatically
denied the charges. It has asserted in a
statement: "All schools and faculties
in the county system are fully inte
grated and there is no racial discrimi
nation whatsoever in any of the
schools or on any of the school
buses."
While there may be disagreement
between local anchfederal spokesmen
as to what constitutes racial discrimi
nation, there certainly is no occasion
to question the good faith of Franklin
County sGtipol officials. Although
they strongly contested a federal dis
trict court plan for school operation,
when their appeal was turned down
they pitched in with zeal, and despite
difficulties, to open schools last Sep
tember on the court -ordered basis.
The Justice Department, however,
didn't help smooth the path. It bad
FBI agents on hand, it will be recalled,
and removed them from the scene
only after protest to Washington. Just
as the FBI presence then can be
construed as a form of harassment, so
can the contempt action threat now.
Franklin schools have operated in
workable fashion this year, as farasis
known. They preferred freedom of
^-choice, but federal officials ruled
against that because Negro pupils were
choosing Negro schools. TAey ac
cepted the court-ordered plan reluct
antly, to be sure, but also as a fact of
life. Progress they have made presents
its own case for~allowing them to
work our problems witK5ut inter
' ference.
Since Ramsey Clark, as attorney
general, raised the latest controversy,
perhaps his departure will help clear
the Franklin air.
days.
It is not enough that the Justice
Department has had agents in this
county almost continuously since the
opening of schpols in the hope that
they might find some semblance of
the violence their attorneys told the
courts existed here in abundance.
It is, perhaps, disappointing to
them that Franklin, is instead exactly
as the. School Board represented it to
be throughout the long court case. It
must be disheartening to the hoards of
investigators that instead of finding a
violent people, they have found a
tranquil community, .just as the
School Board told the courts they
would. Dissatisfied with the federal
edict to be sure, the people of Frank
lin County are notably law-abiding,
nevertheless.
The Board of Education has issued
a statement terming the charges by
Attorney General Ramsey Clark "un
true." Parents of Franklin school
children know this. Anyone else who
has taken a look at the schools. The
strange thing is, that the squad of FBI
agents sent here by the Justice Depart
ment failed to see what everyone else
has seen. Since they did not y.isit the
schools, where did they get their
information?
The Board also calls this latest
action by the Attorney General, "a
form of harrassment." This hits the
nail on the head. This says it all.
Washington cannot stand to see this
county operating a school system
without the troubles it told the courts
existed here. It is making them look
bad. So, they want to stir it again and
to do so, they are picking at straws.
The Board of Education, with the
able assistance of a dedicated school
staff, fully integrated the schools here
in a period of nine days. Each student
in the elementary grades was assigned
according to an established educa
tional test, given the year before and
given impartially. In order that every
child would be exposed alike to the
teaching in each child's grade, team
teaching was installed and each child,
assigned to a classroom, based solely
on the child's own ability, receives
instruction from each teacher on the
team, regardless of the race of the
child or the teacher. In the high
school grades, children are assigned
according to the subjects they choose.
No race is involved. How much
simpler could it have been done? Does
the Justice Department say it would
be more in the child's interest to have
assigned by race. Should Franklin
County school officials take one white
and 'one black child and seat them in
rotation throughout the system, with
out regard to the child's ability to
learn? Is the Attorney General more
versed in education than local school
professionals? How far is the federal
government going to go. Has the day
come when Washington can chose the
seats for each child in the system.
When will it chose the books,, the
instructors, and when will it invade
the homes?
Franklin County had made the,
adjustment. Schools are operating in
an orderly fashion and while some
what hampered, children are never
theless receiving some degree of in
struction. The fog had settled. Even
the long-harrassed Board itself had
settled down to the serious business of
planning for future consolidation and
upgrading of the county's educational
system. Such things as new buildings,
land purchases, additional courses of
instruction and many other long neg
lected aspects of education were once
again given the attention thy deserved.
Now, however, ? the Board, the
teachers, the students, and the people
must turn their efforts into swords
and prepare for another long and
costly battle to maintain some sem
blance of local control of a school
system built, for the most part, by the
sweat of their own brows.
And one gan only add, when, oh,
when, will it ever end?
"If* briiutifiil rounlry? pity ran'l lake our ryi* off the road to ktc it.**
We finance
I- cars, new
and used
Loans for
consolidating
old bills
And for ~
home repairs
and additions
And for
Z-r^acations, .
travel
And for
medical
expenses
...All at
low bank
rates.
FIRST- CITIZENS BANK
TW CfiN DO BANK WITH iHt CAN DO KOf>U! *
c ? _ <
LETTERS TO
To The Editor:
Being Invited to have a one
man show of my paintings
and drawings at the Ingleside
-Moulton Community Club
was something I shall always
appreciate.
The -community merits
commendation in creating
and developing a center
where civic, cultural, and rec
reational projects can be
sponsored and encouraged.
Dedication of time and ef
fort go before the realization
of projects such as this one.
From the hub of this attrac
tive setting I look forward to
seeing far reaching develop
ment for the enrichment of
all the Uves of the com
munity.
Sincerely,
Belvin Finch Wal
ters
148 W. Elm St.
Mt. Airy, N. C.
i 27030
r
"COME
Jr T?
PF THINK
OF IT..."
' by
frank count
I ain't never beeji .recognized before. 'Cpurse, some folks
recognize' me on the "streets. They yell, "Hello Frank." That's
my name. Frank. But. I ain't never been recognized by no
Governor before . . . and in front of all them people.
I started not to go. 1 ain't never felt at home in Chapel Hill.
But, 1 knew that the Governor would be tore up if 1 didn't
show up after he went to all that trouble. 1 figured if he could
take the time to get all dressed up and conjb his sideburns, I
could at least show up. -1
When I walked in, everybody just turned and stared. I
thought at first, they were looking at my overalls. Thy were
new and scratching the life out of me. But. later I found out
the Governor was late and they were looking for him. Don't
know why they just kept on staring at me . . even after tfie
Governor got there. He didn't drink and 1 didn't neither ... so
we just talked. Soon's I walked up to speak and be friendly,
them dressed up people would move away. I washed my
^.feet .". . so I didn't have bad breath ... but nobody seemed
like they wanted to be friendly with old Frank.
I kinda figured they liked my overalls. They were new and
they wire scratching. I ain't never going to wear new overalls
to nothing else like that thing.
Frank With The Governor
But, I think the Governor like them. He smiled when they
called me up to get the award. Them Judges . . . bless
them . . . said this is Qne of the best columns in North
Carolina . . . coulda told them that long before now.
"How're the cows", 1 asked the .Governor, trying to be
friendly. "They're fine, Frank", he said. He read the name on
the certificate. He didn't really know me before. He didn't
know 1 seen him reading my name. "How's the little woman
and all the children", I asked being as polite as I could.
"Fine", said the Governor. "Jessie Ray is over there", he said.
"How're things in Franklin County", he asked as the man
with'the list kept wiggling like he was in a hurry. "Same as
always", I said. "Finest place in the world", we told him. "I
like Haw River", he said. "Why'd you move to Raleigh,
then?", I asked. "Don't know", he said. "Jessie Ray wanted
the kids to see the capital. Figured it'd be cheaper to move,
than to visit", he explained.
%
He begged me to come see hhn, but I told him I didn't
never go to Raleigh. I ain't never felt at home in Raleigh. I
know he was dying to ask me whei>e I got my overalls. First
stripped ones he'd seen. They's the\newest fashion. That's
what the store man said. I tried to get\ome blue ones, but he
insisted that if I was going to meet the, Governor I ought to
wear the latest thing. I bought the stripped ones. Glad I did.
They' was a big hit at Chapel Hill.
I'm proud of the award. 1 think it's mightly fine that;
somebody likes this here column. Bui, I'm a whole lot prouder
of all them comments you folk^-who read it make. I feel at
home with you. And I know you know why t wore them
stripped overalls instead of my blue ones. It wasn't to act big
or nothing lik? that. I just wanted to look nice when I
represented you f(>lks. Man, did they scratch.
\ _ _ _
War & Middle East
New York-Isfteli Foreign
Minister Moshe Dayan said
recently in an interview, that
the war in the Middle East
could be prevented if the U.S:
would supply weapons to
Israel and, at the same time,
discourage Soviet interven
tion on the Arab side.
Gold
Reserves Up
The Treasury Department
has announced the United
States increased its supply of
gold by approximately $73
million during the third
quarter of 1968. The largest
purchase was from France
Amounting to $240 million.
The FrarikHn Times
Established 1870 ? Published Tuesdays & Thursdays by
The Franklin Times, Inc.
*Bickett Blvd. Dial GY6-3283 Louisburg, N. C. ^
CLINT FULLER; Managing Editor ELIZABETH JOHNSON, Business Manager
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