LOCAL EDITORIAL COMMENT
We're Sorry About That, Lester - Honestly
Verrazano, history tells us, touched
the coast of North Carolina in 1524;
Desota was here in 1540 and Sir
Walter Raleigh sent an expedition to
Roanoke Island in 1584. North Caro
lina was the 12th of the original 13
colonies. In 1861, North Carolina
seceded from the Union as a Southern
State.
During the Civil War, North Caro
lina lost its share of gallant sons. We
have to believe that these men died
for principles greater than are today
being advanced. We have to believe
that North Carolina is still a Southern
state, although believing this gets
more difficult with each passing day.
For nearly a hundred years North
Carolina honored the memories of
men who died defending the South.
Monuments were erected and a proud
people remembered. Here in Franklin
County great pride was taken in the
fact that the Stars and Bars first flew
from its courthouse square.
But times and things change. It is
no longer fashionable to display the
Stars and Bars -even here where first it
flew. Honor of this symbol of heroic
men has deteriorated to automobile
stickers and souvenir hats. "Dixie" is
not sung in some quarters and is
frowned upon in many others. Being a
Southerner is something akin to hav
ing leprosy. One can feel it, but is
often ashamed of it.
North Carolina, once the proudest
of the proud Southern states, has
become sophisticated. It's leaders now
prefer to be called "progressive" or
"moderate" rather than to be called
"Southern." The word "liberal" is in
The Fra|fj#n Times
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'Will you speak to your son ? He claims some funny looking
creatures put Uncle Harvey and Aunt Harriet into a
box and flew off into outer tpacfil'
and the words "conservative" and
"Southern" are out.
By and large this denunciation of
our birthright has been caused iron
ically enough by the civil rights move
ment. Taking pride in our state's
history has been equated with opposi
tion to equal rights. Honoring, the
memory of men who died for that
which they believed right has grown
to mean dishonoring some present day
citizens. And so, North Carolina
leaders have consistently moved away
from such embarrassing labels as
"Southern."
As the federal government grad
ually but quite thoroughly took over
the operation of North Carolina's pub
lic school system, state leaders have
hardly raised a voice in protest. Gov
ernor after Governor and state School
Superintendent after State School
Superintendent have looked the other
way.
And when others--who were not
embarrassed to be called Southerners
offered protest, however meager it
was. North Carolina leaders pretended
not to hear. Some leaders even joined
in the more sophisticated nose- thumb
ing at the "red-necks."
So, here in this once Southern state
the likes of George Wallace and Lester
Maddox were snickered at by leaders
as being crude, uncouth and unquali
fied to speak for the new South. Being
anti-Wallace and anti-Maddox some
how seemed to raise one's level, much
like looking down our noses at a poor
relative. It made us feel good to
believe, egotistically that somehow,
we are better.
We do not have to approve the
Wallaces and the Wladdoxes and surely
history has produced more eloquent
Southern spokesmen. Certainly the
South has had leaders with more
polish; more political sarvy; more
charisma. And surely there are many
things each of these men and others
advocate with which we cannot agree.
But for all their grammatical errors;
their lack of sophistication and their
appeal at times to unreasonableness,
one thing stands out: They are South
erners and proud of it.
We cannot believe that Southern
men died in the Civil War to maintain
segregated schools. The principles for
which they gave their lives were far
more significant than this. Jhey be
lieved in the right of the states to
determine things for themselves. They
did not believe in an overpowering
central government. To this degree,
I
New Times In A New World
Not Even Dogs Lead Dog's Life'
Black Knight, a dog-about-town. led the gay life
of aristocratic London.
The popular Pekingese dined on turtle soup and
drank the finest sherry. He attended Lord Mayor's ban
quets and was presented at Buckingham Palace. At the
race track he barked tips on the horses as his mistresses
read him entries.
When he died in 1955. obituaries recounted his
exploits.
Black Knight's - adventures, described in the Na
tional Geographic Society's book. "Man's Best Friend,"
were unusual but not necessarily unique. Few dogs lead
a "dog's lift" any longer.
Billion-dollar Industry
An estimated average of $115 is spent annually on
each of the 26 million canine pets in the United States ?
a total of about 93 billion. Far more money goes for dog
food than baby food, and many pets eat more nutritious
meals than do their owners.
One survey itemized annual canine expenditures this
way: $700 million for buying dogs, $600 million in veter
inary fees, 9550 million for food, 9450 million for
clothes and accessories, 9300 million for licensing fees
and shots, and 9400 million in miscellaneous costs.
Pets are more interested in food than in fashion,
but some owners feel that clothes make the dog.
A well-stocked canine wardrobe may include an Imi
tation leopard-skin coat (about 925), a striped raincoat
with matching hood (95), four rainboots (92.50), and a
variety of rhinestone leashes and collars (93 to 925 or
more).
Vacationing dogs show off their clothes at posh,
air-conditioned kennels with swimming pools and sooth
ing piped-in music.
Well-heeled dogs consider price no object.
A miniature poodle in New York, for example, had
four fittings for a 91,000 mink coat that matched his
mistress's. A woman in Alexandria, Virgina, outfitted
her toy poodle in a gold lame evening coat and her
whippet in a pink velvet evening coat with appliqued
pearls
A Cleveland, Ohio, industrialist paid a New York
stylist $100 to fly to his home to fit a $150 mink coat
for his poodle.
In Matching Colors
A Wheaton. Maryland, woman paid an animal beauty
parlor $250 to outfit her pet in blue, and then had the
little dog tinted the same hue
Well-dressed dogs often lead a full social life. One,
the pet of an ambassador's wife, became so popular
that he was invited to parties where she was not. Another
celebrated canine invited 78 people-friends to dine and
dance in honor of her tenth birthday. The guests, wear
ing black tie and bearing gifts, toasted the hostess till
dawn.
Most owners, of course, prefer that their pets look
and act like dogs, not people. Some feel strongly about
the whole matter.
As one man moaned after being dazzled by an as
sortment of little sailor suits, Santa Claus outfits, and
similar costumes in a pet salon: "I wouldn't do that to
* d?g - SmithfieU (N.C.) Herald
"Hey, newsboy! Don't
just toss that paper ?
aim It!"
XATMWM. WWIHU
these Southerners and the Wallaces
and Maddoxes of today have much
incommon. And with this North Caro
lina should agree.
Instead North Carolina and some
other so-called Southern states have
given at beet only lip service to the
principles for which so many men
died.
This week, the federal government
brought suit against the entire State of
Georgia to force that sovereign state
to buckle under to federal dictates.
Washington will tell the people in
Georgia how they are to run their
schools. i
Governor Maddox, who rose to
fame as a segregationist and who has a
reputation of being anti-Negro, has
spoken out against this latest move by
Washington. We do not have to agree
with his stand as a segregationist, in
order to agree with his cry for help in
the battle against federal control.
While the immediate issue in Georgia
is integration, the much larger issue
looms in the background. Today the
schools; tomorrow all.
There is not a question in the
minds of many -as shown by the U. S.
House of Representatives vote last
week to downgrade HEW's powers
that forced integration- that is, federal
control -in our*schools is bringing pub
lic education, as we know it, to its
knees.
Governor Maddox has invited top
level leaders from North Carolina and
other Southern states to Atlanta for a
seminar to discuss this growing usur
pation of state rights by federal
bureaucrats. The problem is not ex
clusively Georgia's. North Carolina has
suffered from the same federal take
over and when it grows even larger,
North Carolina will continue to suffer
as will Georgia and the other Southern
states.
&ut North Carolina leaders-more
susceptible to being called "mode
rates" and "progressives" than "south
erners"-can't make the Maddox meet
ing. Several other Southern states find
themselves in the same "regretable"
situation. In North Carolina, there is a
big political meeting on the coast that
will prevent a number of leaders from
going to Georgia. The other states
have equally compelling excuses.
And while we can't agree with
Governor Madddox in toto, North
Carolina's move away from the South
saddens us terribly and we can only
say: We're sorry about that, Lester
. . . honestly sorry.
Very Interesting
To say that strange things are
happening in this nation's activities in
Vietnam is a gross understatement at
best. Secrecy has shrouded the so
called Paris peace talks and we've been
told that these aren't the real talks
anyway. There are other secret talks
going on some place.
With absolutely no assurances or
even promises as far as the public
knows, President Nixon ordered
25,000 troops withdrawn from the
fighting. This is wonderful if they
aren't needed but one has to question
the welfare of those troops left to
take up this slack.
It now appears the answer has
come. A reporter for Richmond tele
vision station WWBT says that he has
it from "an unimpeachable Pentagon
source that orders have been issued to
45,000 men for Vietnam duty while
25,000 are being pulled out."
The TV reporter says this is being
done "by the simple expedient of
keeping two sets of records. One is for
the public consumption and the other
for the confidential information of
the Secretary and the Joint Chiefs of
Staff."
If this is true, it's a great load off
our minds. The troops left in Vietnam
are getting more help than they're
losing. But now we've got another
worry. That old bugaboo from the
Johnson years is bock. What do you
do for a bad case of credibility gaps?
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I took "the little woman to one of them fancy
restraunU . . . restarauts . . . cafes the other night. That ainit
exactly right. I didn't take her. She took me. 1 paid for it, you
understand but it was her idea.
"Frank", she said, "You ain't took me out to eat in thirty
years. Don't you think it's about time you did?"
Well, my obvious answer didn't strike her too well, so I
ended up on my way out to eat. 'Course I been eating out for
most of my life.
Outdoors, that is!
For years, we eat on
the back porch at
home. There wont
room in the kitchen.
When it rained we
just put off eating
until it stopped. The
flies was the main
trouble. That was
before they invented
all them sprays. It
was almost before
they invented flies.
Naw, it ain't really
been that far back. I
just said that.
The worse thing about this eating out was that the little
woman insisted that I wear my suit. I got to admit. I look
mighty sharp in it, but I hadnt wore it since Roosevelt come
through here on the train in the thirties. It ain't wore none.
Still just as shiny as ever.
It's made of shark skin or so that traveling man told me
when I bought it. It's green with white pin stripes and a double
breasted coat. He called it a zoot suit. I never did get a chain
to go with-it. He said I ought to have a chain.
1 put the thing on and right off I knowed I was in trouble.
The top three buttons wouldn't button. Didn't have zippers
when I bought this suit. Cost $12. I think the cloth shrunk.
The little woman insisted I'd grown. Anyway, I had tor wear
the coat buttoned and I had to kinda hold it together at the
bottom. Otherwise it fitted fine. I didn't even have to wear the
rubber bands around the sleeves. They come up near to my
elbow. Using them cloths pins to hold my shirt cuffs together
was a bad idea, though. They kept popping off and dropping
on the floor. I finally just rolled the sleeves up.
When we walked in the cafe, everybody stopped whatever
they was doing and stared at us. 1 knew, they would. 1 told the
little woman, that women wont wearing bonnets anymore.
She said I should help her to her chair but I didn't see none
that looked like they was hers. I let her lead the way. She set
where she wanted to and I did too. Later I decided it didn't
look nice for me to be setting on one side of the building and
her on the other. I went over. She didnt welcome me though.
Then this pretty young thing brought over a thing she
called a men-you. I asked her if she had any hog h ass lets. She
stared at me. I could tell she didn't know what I was talking
about. She hadnt been there long. She should a known about
hog hass-lets
I asked about salad and she said she had some. Wanted to
know what kind of dressing I wanted on it. I usually take my
salad naked, I told her. Just sprinkle a little vinegar on it I said.
I asked if she had any cone-bread and she said she had some
hush puppies I been hearing about places serving dog food. I
won't about to bite at that. I been around. She could tell this,
too, when I said no thank you. Ill take biscuits. She didnt
have none. She said she'd bring me some light bread. I dont
like light bread.
The little woman had by then took off three layers of skin
kicking my legs so I let her order. She wanted a slab of
streak-o-lean, she said. I felt sorry for her but I was getting
hungry so's I walked over to the man standing at the counter.
Manager. I said, ain't you got somebody who can take a order.
I dont want to hurt that youngln's feelings, but if you could
j. send somebody over whose been here a while longer it might
VJ_
He wanted to know what the trouble was. He kept
watching a young boy and girl in the booth over to the right.
The boy must a been as hungry as I was. He kept trying to eat
up that girl. She was a right pretty dish, I told the manager,
but I really thought he ought to rush a hamburger to that boy
before it was too late. He agreed, but he didnt do it. He just
kept watching.
I told him my problem and he said I was in the wrong
place. He showed me a door at the back and said if I'd just go
through there, I'd be where I belonged.
1 got the little woman and went out the door. He wax riaht
The Fragtfn Times
Ford
Recalling Cars
Detrolt-The Ford Motor
Company his announced It la
racaOltif 383.000 of It* 1969
models to corract a poarible
hood afaty latch defect. The
defective hood latch could
cauaa a hood to pop up while
the car la In motion.
Cannonball To Roll
Washington ? The Inter
state Commerce CommMon
has ruled that the famed old
Wabash Cannonball will con
tinue to roll between Detroit
and 8t. Louis for at least one
more year because of "great
public demand." The com
mission said 68,628 Fare pw.
In* passenger* rode the train
last ytmr -Vw