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Your Award Winning County Newspaper
LOCAL EDITORIAL COMMENT
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Talton Reverses Decision
"For the good of the Industrial
program", Harold Talton withdrew his
resignation as Chairman of the In
dustrial Commission late Wednesday
afternoon. The action apparently
brings to an end a heated controversy
between the energetic Commission
head and the Board of County Com
missioners.
The Board rescinded an earlier ac
tion which sparked Talton's exit and
straightened out the appointments of
Commission members thus removing
the "final slap" that Talton indicated
brought on his resignation.
It is good that the county is not
going to lose the talents of Mr. Talton
in its drive to obtain new industry and
to expand those already here. His
success in this field is a matter of
public record and his decision to quit
brought on howls of protest from
industrial development supporters
across the county.
Some purpose might have been
served in airing the dirty linen and if
so, the tainted image that the incident
has given the county might prove to
be worthwhile. If the Board has
learned to be more particular in its
handling of appointments and other
county business, several points can be
scored for the people's side.
If, on the other hand, no lesson has
been learned by this controversy, the
county has suffered an undeserved
blot on its reputation.
At best, there have been hard
feelings raised in the heat of the
matter and some citizens become stir
red enough to begin to pay some close
attention to their local government
Talton's withdrawal of his resignation
ficould bring to an end this interest. If
it doesn't, another point or two might
be tallied on the county's side.
Chances are the matter will now be
forgotten. New issues will arise and -
other things will come up. In a way,
this will be good. The sooner things
get settled down again between the
Board and the Commission, the
sooner those involved can turn their
efforts to more constructive avenues.
However, the matter should not be
totally forgotten. The basic trouble
which brought on the public display
in the first place, still exists and
although, now put back to sleep, it is
likely to rise again to bug the people.
Two things can deter this expecta
tion. The Board's intelligent applica
tion of individual thinking to up
coming issues and more importantly,
the people's interest in seeing that it
does.
Very Little Choice
Local taxpayers might as well grab
hold of the old belt. Another notch is
about to be taken. The current bug-a
boo is the Public Assistance section of
the Welfare budget. Undoubtedly, be
fore the final budget is approved,
there will be others. This is the way of
things these days.
Before any of the overburdened
take it upon themselves to tar and
feather the Board of County Commis
sioners, however, it should be noted
that these men had very little choice
in this matter.
State and federal regulations, as
they have done often in the past,
ganged up to trap the Commissioners.
Under the law they could do little but
approve the increase. They are requir
ed to levy a tax for a host of things
and this apparently is one of them.
Part of the increase comes as a
result of the medical aid program
passed in 1967 to become effective on
January 1, 1970. This law obviously
sneaked up on the Board. Regardless,
had they known it froniT*the begin
ning, there would have been very little
they could have done.
The motion approving the 43 per
cent increase carries annotation that
any "additional money being received
by the Welfare Department is to be
used to decrease this portion of the
budget."
This column does not always agree
with the County Commissioners and it
would have better if some way could
have been found to have reduced this
large increase, but in fairness to each
member, no way was available. They
took the only action apparently open
to them and they, like the rest of the
people, will have to pay the piper.
Some weeks ago. Time, the
slantwise news magazine, ran a
piece on race in which it quoted
Nixon as having said that a per
son's intelligence is formed "large
ly" by his environment.
And because the President's
man on Urban Affairs (i.e. race).
Daniel P. Moynihan. was involved
* in the story, the unflagging Carle
ton Putnam wrote Moynihan a
letter. Putnam wanted an under
standing of what was meant by
the equivocable word Nixon had
used, "largely".
In time. Putnam received a
now-you-see-it-now-you-don't re
sponse, but not from Moynihan
It came from one of Moynihan's
handy men; a brush off.
But Carleton Putnam doesn't
brush.
So, the man who built an air
line wrote Moynihan a second
letter, t copy of which is at hand.
In part, it went, to:
"... I have never disputed the
fact", Putnam wrote (as politely
at a surgeon preparing to open
one's innards), "that environ
ment plays an important part in. ,
the realization of potential abili
ty and character , . Environ
ment does not, however, alter
potential. I would say that the
most profound, damaging and
dangerous misunderstanding in
our society today is the assump
tion that poverty and inequality
are primarily the result of social
injustice. The primary cause re
sides in fenetic differences in po
tential human capacity, both in
dividually and racially.
"The preaching of the oppo
CARLETON PUTNAM TO
DANIEL P. MOYNIHAN
JOHN J. SYNON
site of (his truth over a period of
40 years by our scientific hier
archy. our educational establish
ment. our religious leaders, our
politicians and our mass media is
at the root of most of our na
tional and international problems.
The
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today. It has given the Negro an
imaginary grudge against the
White man. and the White man a
false sense of guilt toward the Ne
gro with its related attitude of ap
peasement and permissiveness,
which in turn has spread intra
racially throughout our homes.
our schools and our courts."
? ? ? ? ?
I.
"The emphasis has been total
ly wrong." Putnam continues,
"and the consequences are ap
proaching a national disaster The
essence of the American dream
was a fluid society in which abil
ity and character at the bottom
could rise to the top: it was never
intended to be a society in which
the bottom, regardless of either
ability or character, could perme
ate and dominate the top. lower
ing its standards, flouting its
laws, draining its substance and
initiating the obvious current de
cline in our civilization
I ? ? ? ? ?
"Everything therefore which
tends to further the fallacy- -
such as Nixon's statement that
intelligence is largely formed by
the environment - is to be re
gretted The best evidence today,
as you know, la that 80 per cent
Unreasonable ? I'd Low'
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING
You've Seen Everything
Henderson, (N.C.) Daily Dispatch
Now you've seen everything, or
just about everything. The demand of
the National Black Economic Devel
opment Conference on the National
Council of Churches is one of the
most absurd proposals of record. But
spokesmen for the National Council
urged serious study of what is termed
a "black manifesto" demanding $500
million in reparations for past injus
tices to Negroes. The manifesto, as
reported in news stories from New
York, did not elaborate on "past
injustices."
Liberal as it is, the National Coun
cil could hardly be held to blame for
what it had no part in. Moreover, it is
quite unlikely that the church organi
zation could raise anything like half a
billion dollars, nor was there detail as
to how the money would be spent
even if it we>e available.
Just what form "widespread dis
ruption of church agences" would
take was not clearly outlined, thodgh
it said there would be postponement
for the present of the course ap
parently agreed upon.
The present generation of Ameri
cans is not responsible for what its
predecessors did a century ago ? if
that is the object pf what the mani
festo embraced. Even officials of pre
dominantly Negro denominations ex
pressed doubt that the demands repre
sented the views of most black people.
Nor, for that matter, could the Na
tional Council speak for the some ?
forty million members of denomina
tions it claims are affiliated With it.
Some of the major church groups in
the country are not aligned with the
Council.
Often, on occasion, leaders of
various groups speak out in what they
term the sentiment of their members,
when actually there are many, but an
undetermined number, who do not
support the Council. Its extreme lib
eralism at times is repulsive to large
elements of denominational affiliates,
so much so that at times there has
been refusal to contribute to support
of the agency.
Before taking a stand either for or
against demands in the manifesto, the
National Council leaders should in
form themselves as to specific uses to
which $500 million would be put if it
could be raised, which most likely it
could not. It would be utterly absurd
to turn over to any group that much
money without definite commitmerrts
as to how it would be applied.
It will be interesting to see what
the Council will decide after it has
studied the manifesto. It must surely
recognize its own limitations finan
cially. However willing denomina
tional communicants may be to do as
much as possible for the good of black
citizens, they are not prepared to
swallow such a chokirtg dose as this
would be. It would be difficult, if not
impossible, to raisp such a sum of
money in this country for a purpose
which has not been outlined in detail.
Black slave labor of more than a
century ago is generally regarded as an
^.injustice. But the present generation
"of- Americans cannot rightly be held
accountable for what their forefathers
did, even before those now living were
born. Making demands of this
character is not likely to generate
sympathy for the black people, re
gardless of any high degree of readi
ness to help them.
of the final product is inborn.
"(I)n reply to your remark
that there still is 'a good deal of
controversy' about these issues. I
must point out that while we in
deed hear debate about an exact
measurement here, or a fine
point there, no controversy can
be sustained as to the side on
which the overwhelming prepon
derance of the existing evidence
falls, nor can there be any justi
fication whatever for basing all
( our public policies on the assump
tion that the opposite of this evi
dence is true.
* ? ? ? ?
. The one thing our people
need most today is to be led out
of this slough of fawning self
abasement in which we wallow
and in which excellence feels for
ever obliged to surrender to its
opposite It is destroying moral
courage throughout our society.
'"And I might add that nothing
is more certain to increase trouble
than cowardice toward the trou
bles you already have."
That was the end of the letter
And I would urge friends of this
column to re-read the excerpts I
have given for, in my opinion,
the words of Carleton Putnam are
as understandable, and as truth
ful as were ever strung together
on the problem that is rapidly
making a shambles of this nation.
A vacation li not going
away from work; It la getting
work out of your mind.
jgVCOME
Sr to
r THINK
OF IT..."
r by
frank count
There used to be a woman some years back who would
always look at me and say . . . "You are the prettiest thing
I've ever seen". Sometimes she'd say I was the cutest thing
she'd ever seen and more often than not, she'd add and you're
the sweetest thing in the world.
- Of course, she was a little prejudiced. She was mama. To
get to the main point ... I ain't had as much attention from
the fairer sex since the passing of mama as I've been getting
lately . . . mostly since I got so famous with this colurfin.
1 been getting letters ... a few phone calls . . . and 1 ain't
gonna tell you anything else. 1 ain't one to say much, but I
gotta say I ain't crying over this turn of events. If that's what
turns 'em on, let them have their thing. I always say. I do wish,
though, that them that are gonna write would sign their names
or leave their telephone numbers. 1 ain't much good at
guessing.
Following ? when I get to it ? is another letter. Now we've
had some from women claiming to be the little woman and we
know that ain't so. The little woman can't write. Now comes
one from "Yer little ole gal friend". It can't be. 1 ain't never
had a old gal friend in my life. Young, maybe. Old never.
And there's something sneaky about this whole thing. This
letter was "found" unstamped on a certain desk in a certain
office and found its way to me. I ain't pointed no finger yet
but I'm getting ready to. Anyway, you read it--if you can--and
I hope you enjoy it.
Dear Frank:
i just wanta let ya know that i read yore collon whenever
anybody will giv'me a ole copy of De Frankling Times, i sit'on
ma front pooch and watch all them city slickers carry on
theirselves' community business. Rite now i'm recollecting
them elections for the locale internal governmental officers for
the ole 'burg, i sees that de womenfolk are step'ing up in de
world. (They had bet 'a watch out sos they don't step too high
with them mites of a skirts on. Ha!) i dinks that us womenfolk
need to take part in civilian affairs but me being an ole
aristocrat SOUTHERN belle, well me thinks de most befit'ing
place fer ah woman is in her home looking after her man and
hers chil'ens. Ther now, i's done said ma piece.
Now Frank i wants to ask ya a personnel quest 'n. If'n that
wuz yore ole womane who writ in your collon last weak, is
you really henpecked or is'n her trying to make folks dink she
is boss? i just wants to say that ifn she ever gets the rol'ng pen
after ya, well ya just come'on down to ma house and well sit
on the front pooch fer a spell and dip snuff and when's you
feels like it, ya can use ma antiquated typewrite to write yore
famous collon with and i promise i won't be nowhere near to
be abreathing down yore neck. Yessiree, ma house is run by a
lady, a gentile lady. It's de down home kind'a place where 1
yous can kick offs yorn shoes and swing on de front pooch til
dark and listen to de whipperwills calling fer ya to listen to
dem.
Dis here'n letter is living proof that there's plenty of folks
left from de ole rare breed, that some womenfolks stil dinks
theirs place is in de home. Dis is ma sound-off letter, Frank, i
really 'appreciate what's yore doing fer us homefolks, giving us
a place in de sun. Whenever ya feels disencouraged and lik'en
to give up yore collon writtings, dinks of all us folks who ain't
got no welfare, no socially security, and no nothing, except 'an
our pride and how's we wait fer weeks for an old copy of yer
newpaper, then please Frank, sit back down and put your
dinking cap back on. If'n for nobody else do it fer me.
Yer little ole gal friend
Honey child, even though I'd rather have money, I'm doing
this column just for you and a few other folks who can't read
good either.
American boys are dying
in places their parents never
heard of, but will never for
get.
An honest man, after re
viewing his own life, will be
inclined to let youtfi chart its
own course. .
LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR
To the Editor:
On Monday evening the
students In grades one
through four at Franklinton
High School participated in a
musical program in the school
auditorium. It was one of the
best children'? musical pro
grams that I have ever watch
ed- > '
The children not only
sang, but danced, played
rhythmic instruments and
demonstrated their know
ledge of notes, time and
musical terms. This program
was under the supervision of
Mrs. Bruce Honeycutt, who is
working under the E.S.E.A.
program at Frmnklinton. This
type of musical training has
been needed for many years
in the Franklinton Schools.
But it was not until the
E.S.E.A. program was set up
that such training was pro
vided.
During the 6 years that I
served on lift Franklinton
Board of Education, I made a
plea for a Public School
Music Teacher. I exhausted
every effort possible to secure
such ? teacher, little en
couragement did I get as
there were other priorities. So
after a period of about
twenty years, a Public School
Musk; Teacher has been ob
tained due to the Elementary
Secondary Education Act.
This Is one of the tangible
results of the expenditure of
taxpayer's money through
this Federal Project.
Sincerely.
Mrs. Richard Whitfield