Your Award Winning County Newspaper
LOCAL EDITORIAL COMMENT
Demand The Facts
The report of an alleged massacre
of women and children in the Vietna
mese village of Song My is one of the
most disturbing things to come out of
the long and difficult conflict. It is
unbelievable that American troops
could line up civilians and mow them
down in gangland style. The serious
ness of the charges now lodged against
a young Army officer and others
demands a full disclosure from the
Army and the government of every
detail of this incident.
v- It is understandable that the mass
acre, if indeed it occurred as reported,
is embarrassing to the United States.
It hould be. But it is nevertheless
necessary that proper light be thrown
on the matter and that a clear explan
ation be given-if there can be an
explanation for such alleged actions
on the part of some troops.
The fact that- the Army seemingly
is trying to quie^ witnesses and to shut
off the public's eye to the trial and
investigations raises more questions.
Those accused deserve a fair and
impartial trial. No one man seems able
to have comrriitted this atrosity and it
I
is hoped that no one man will be the
scrapegoat. If civilians were slaughter
ed, something is very wrong with our
military system and ft should be cor
rected at once.
Innocent civilians have been killed
in every war since time began. Think
of {hose slaughtered in air raids or
artillery bombardment. They are, of
"course, no less dead and perhaps the
suffering was more acute than in the
case of those mowed down with
M-16's, but there is a very decided
(difference and everyone should be
aware that there is.
It is hoped that further investiga
tion will disclose that the incident did
not occur, although reports how indi
cate strongly that it did". In the ab
sence of this, it is hoped that a full
and straight forward disclosure of the
whole mess will be forthcoming.
It's bad enough to send sons off to
fight any war. It makes it even worse
if the likelihood exists that they might
return with a murder charge hanging
over^ their heads.
The American people should de
mand all the facts.
Notices Mailed
Notices of 1970 cotton allotments
and projected yields were mailed No
vember 26, 1969. The projected yields
as shown on the notices will reflect a
reduction in projected yields for next
year.
Referendum notices including bal
lots. envelopes and voter instructions
will be mailed to all known eligible
voters on November 28, 1969. Decem
ber 5 is the last day on which ballots
may be postmarked or returned to the
County ASCS office in order to be
counted in the national cotton referen
dum.
The referendum is being held De
cember 1-5, by mail, to determine if
cotton marketing quotas will be in
. effect for the 1970 crop. If two-thirds
or more of cotton growers voting in
the referendum approve quotas, price
support loans and payments will be
available, and penalties will be applied
on cotton grown in excess of allot
ments. If quotas fail to receive ap
proval of two-thirds or more of those
voting, no penalties will be applied on
cotton grown in excess of allotment.
No price-support payments will be
available.
Price-support loans at 50 percent of
parity will be available for producers
who do not exceed their cotton allot
ment.
If cotton marketing quotas are ap
proved, the national average price-sup
port loan rate for Middling 1-inch
cotton at average location has been set
at 20.25 cents a pound for the 1970
crop. Hie price-support payment rate
will be 16.80 cents a pound on acreage
planted within the domestic allotment
"which is 65 percent of the total farm
allotment.
Both loans and payments will be
available to coo pen tors who sign up in
the upland cotton program for 1970
and comply with its provisions.
'I told you they d be back . . .
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
On Peace Demonstrators
To the Editor
It is gratifying to note
that, according to one Louis
burg College student, "Frank
lin County is no longer isolat
Teachers
ntinued from Page 1)
Techniques of Teaching in the
Elementary School will be conducted
in June, 1970, by East Carolina Uni
versity. This course will make a study
of effective teaching techniques used
to direct learning in the public schools.
When these courses are completed
there will have been a total of 11 units
of credit offered to the teachers within
a year. The courses will carry a mone
tary value of $4000 but have been
offered free of charge to those teach
ers interested in participating. A total
of 211 teachers will have been enrolled
in one or all of the courses by the time
the last one is finished.
It is' the basic objective of the
program of in-service teacher educ
tion to modernize the content ana
upgrade the teaching in the various
areas of the curriculum. Recognizing
that the achievement of this objective
depends upon the work of the teacher,
the in-aervice program provides for
teachers to gain greater depth of
knowledge and understanding in aca
demic and professional subject areas so
they are better prepared to help the
ed -a hiding place Trom the
outslde-the life of reality in
the United Staes today."
(Time- 20 November 1969)
Of course it wasn't really
necessary for those people to
lie around on the cold damp
ground to illustrate this. Any
native of Franklin County
could have done this by
pointing out the proud his
tory of Franklin County, by
showing them our recent pro
gress, or by showing them our
present troubles caused pri
marily by outside interfer
ence. But maybe lying around
covered with sheets was ap
propriate, all things consider
ed. At least the sheets cover
ed their faces.
Seriously, it was nice to
see some of the student com
ments. These, as well as'the
small number of demonstra
tors, showed that the ma
jority of LJC students do not
support such activities. The
Viet-Nam veteran is almost
right when he says these de
monstrations are what the
Communists are praying for.
To whom would they pray
since the Communists do not
believe in God? He is totally
right however, in saying thpt
the Communists want these
demonstrations. If anyone
doubts this let him read the
last five or six ; weeks of the
"Daily World," the official
Communist newspaper. Ban
ner headlines almost daily,
along with several stories in
each issue applauding the
"peace: " that state which
exists' .when all resistence to
Communism is wiped out-in
other words, when we are all
slaves.
I trust that the good citi
zens of Franklin County will
not be mislead by this hand
full of misguided dopes. And
equally important, they
should not be fooled into
blind support of our present
Viet-Nam policy which does
not allow us to win. Our
failure to employ the simp
lest, most effective, and least
co6t)y military tactic, a Naval
blockade of the harbor pf
Haiphong clearly demons
trates this. Let the dope* lie
on the ground In peace. Per
haps they will catch colds, or
with luck, pneumonia. They
do little harm. Those who
sincerely want peace should
demand of our leaders that
we WIN in Viet-Nam and
then get out. In the long run
this is the only road to real
pteacft.
Sincerely,
Richard W. Alston
RFD 2, Box 321
Louisburg, N. C.
Lonely holidays are
nothing now to Ehnan Nalos
Thanksgiving turkey and pumpkin pie.
Twinkling Christmas lights.
Carols.
The bowl games.
Frolicking conversation.
Chestnuts roasting and coffee perking...
For Elman Hales the familiar activities of the
, holiday season are different. I
I His only companionship comes from a
thousand blinking lights and clicking switches,
rows of dials and gauges, and the throaty ^
hum of giant generators.
Elman, a control room operator at one of
CP&L's generating plants, spends his holiday
| keeping watch on the source of a lot of your
(excitement.
He's one of many people at CP&L who keep
your electricity so dependable you never
even think about it.
It1* the best way we know to wish you a
happy holiday.
Carolina Power A Light Company
"COME
TO
THINK
OF IT..."
by
frank count
I thought it was a very simple request, myself. All I was
trying to do was buy a turkey (or today's dinner. I thought
everybody got a turkey for Thanksgiving. I knowed you didnt
go out and shoot one like we used to do. I khowed there was
laws and besides a body could spend his whole Thanksgiving
without shooting a wild turkey. And I hear tell that them
farmers that got tame ones frown on folks taking a shot at
them.
I tried old Rob first. I knowed he had everything in his
store from button hooks to baby diapers and I still think I was
in line by expecting that
he'd have a turkey.
"Rob", I said, "I come
to buy a turkey for
Thanksgiving. The little
woman is tired of middlin'
meat and fried turtle and
she thought we ought to
have us a turkey. Just in
case her folks come in.
What size you got?"
"Frank", Rob said,
"You ought to know I
ain't got no turkeys. How
you expect me to sell a
turkey way out here in the
country. Everybody got
plenty fresh meat. Most
folks just killed hogs.
Nearly everybody is got
chitterlin's and sausage
and tenderloin. It's just like you, Frank, to come in here and
ask for something I aint got. I got canned chicken I bought
off a fellow last spring. Your, old lady wouldn't never know
the difference, Frank."
"Rob", I said, "You know full well a dead chicken in n can
cant gobble like a real live turkey. Now I admit my old lady
ain't heavy in the brain department, but even she'd know there
won't no turkey in that little bittie can. I know what you're
trying to do, Rob. You got stuck on them chickens and you
want me "to take some of them off your hands. Well, I ain't
gonna do it. I ain't got over the pickled goat brains you sold
me last year yet. The little woman still dont know how to
cook them things. You aint sticking me with no more fancy
canned goods, Rob. No, sir."
I caught a ride into town with Zeke. He said he was going
after some hog casings to stuff his sausage in and he'd be glad
to drop me off. He said he'd wait for me, but that's another
story and I aint got time to go into that one right now.
I seen that pretty little lady at the money box again. I'd
9een her before when I tried to get some food stamps but she
didnt remember me. That, I thought, was a blessing.
"Mam", I said, "I come to buy a turkey. My little woman
said she's tired of middlin' meat and fried turtle and she's
afraid her folks might drop in for Thanksgiving dinner and she
loves to show off. She read somewhere that all the high society
4sHa have a turkey tm Thanksgiving. 1 come to buy one. You
got one in this here place?"
"Yes, sir. I think so", she said ever so polite, "Just go back
there and ask the meat man."
1 didnt want to show my ignorance, but what's a meat
man? Used to call them butchers in my day and they wore a
straw hat and a apron. The fellow I seen looked more like a
doctor just come out of the operating room. Fact is, he had
blood all over him and I had to ask him, "Cut yourself, young
fellow?"
' He got a little red in the face but he changed his tune when
I told him what I'd come for. "I want to buy a turkey. You
got one?"
"Yes, sir. What size do you have in mind?"
"Well, young fellow what size I got on my mind and what I
got to pay for is two different things. I got two dollars. How
much turkey will that buy?"
"Itll probably be mighty small," he said but I told him I ?
was tired a messing around and to go on and git me whatever
my money would buy. "Tie him up good and stuff his mouth.
I dont want to disturb Zeke on the way home. Be sure you
wrap him tight. He did.
He took my money and gimme the package. He was right
there wont much to it. But I had to admit that he knowed
how to bundle up a turkey. I didnt hear a peek out of him.
I aint telling how I got home but my problem is bigger now
than it was. I got to git a ride all the way back to town. And
when I git there, I'm going to kick that meat man where Itll
do the most good. The very Idea. When I got home, the blame
turkey not only was dead but he was hard as a rock. Rigor
Mortis had already set In. And if It's one thing I aint gonna
eat, it's a dead turkey.
The Fra^n Times
Established 1870
Published Tuesdays & Thunday*
by
The Franklin Times, Inc.
BtckettBWd. Dial GY6-3283 Louisburg, N. C.
CUNT FULLER,
Managing Editor
ELIZABETH JOHNSON,
Businen Manager
Advertising
Ratal
Upon R?qu?*t
* SUBSCRIPTION RATES
In North Carolina: On* Year, $4.64; Sbt Monthi. $2.83
, Three Monthi, $2.06
Out of Stat# One Year, $5 .50, Six Montha, $4.00
Entered at recond claw mal matter and
povtafe paid at the Poat Office at Lou la
buif, N. C. 27549.
r - ? ?
J