PAGE TWO
THE FRANKLIN PRESS and THE HIGHLANDS MACON IAN
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1133
it franklin lrtss
nit
Published every Thursday by Tlu Franklin Press
At Franklin, N'orth Carolina
Telephone No. 24
VOL. XLVU1
m.ACKBURN W. JOHNSON
Entered at the Post Office, Franklin,
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
One Year
Eight Months
Six Months . .
Single Copy . .
A Federal Building for Franklin
ANN', years ago a congressional appropriation
M
was obtained to build
but the building never materialized, we have been
told, because .ot the lack of local cooperation.
timbers, of times since efforts, have been made
io get a federal building for the town, but the neces-
1 1 1 Ml'
ary congressional approval was an elusive, win-o -the
-wisp always just beyond reach. .
Now it seems that Franklin really has a good
chance of obtaining the much needed postoffice. It
.no-longer is necessary to. wrangle an appropriation
from congress. The Public Works board created
bv the last congress has the money -and the author-
j', v to erect federal . buildings where it deems such
buildings are justified ancf
boost along the National
appropriation list for politicians, jealous for other
communities,' to shoot at.
It is necessary, however, for a community to be.
as one in its desire to obtain a federal building. The
'Public, Works authorities could-hardly be expected
to take the trouble to iron out local differences so
that it could spend -money in the community.. -
It is gratifying that the business men of Frank
lin have gotten together in a '.determined movement
to obtain a postoffice building. Erection of such a
structure would supply jobs for many unemployed
men. to say nothing of furnishing a permanent im
provement for the town, an improvement which it
sorely needs and' deserves. Then,-too, it would
help all along the line of recovery, for it would
bring- freight for the railroad, which needs all the
freight it can get if it is to continue in" operation ; it
won!.! aid local building supply -dealers, in all likeli
hoi d ; , and it would turn more money into local cir
culation. - ; r ,. '
- all he ,an-t(-heli)-Franklin g;et the new postoffice.
In fact, it is iinnVrstnofi"
ted the request for the building to the proper an
Jhbfnies IinZlishh
Jlliires J j nse. 1 .Lauayi(:)un(ILjLTsiinpl.eJLliis
- business of getting something out of Washington ;
but it requires seeing a lot of officials, who usually
are hard to see, pulling a lot of strings, writing a
lot. of letters and doing- a lot of just plain hard
thinking- and hard working.
The public is too prone to feel it has done a man
a favor by electing him to office, too much inclined
to assume that during, his term he should be criticised
rather than commended. But congressmen, like
other being's, thrive on commendation. ,
We think it is time to express a little, public ap:
preeiation to Zeb Weaver. He deserves it. Then,
irt.nTrt'hcrtr is iiofliTiTiH ikFFl ninT h :t fm for 1 c 1 1 c r$-in t m
back home to convince a cohgressinan that his tMiit
i riieiic S i v' l spial1 1 i n belli iiTI " hi sl j-.yr-"j s
write M i Weaver and thank him for whathe' is
(loin g 7 That wi 1 1 niani Fe st-the k ind of. cooperation
'we -need to obtain a federal building'.
A Nice Situation
L'RAXKLIX'S, financial statement, published last
. week in compliance with the Local Government
Aci, reveals an enviable state of affairs. It is a
'statement 'that should bring joy and pride to every
ieiwn taxpayer. - -
1 'esj)iie the, fact that the town did not increase
- its tax rate, as many other communities were forced
io do in dark 1932; i lived within its income last
'year"" ( the"" fiscal year ended -June- 30.)'- This alone
was an' achie'V'enie'ntv'(Tr'th''"1yrag'g'ih'g''- about, but let
lis peruse the statement further.
It shows that the . town has only $54,(X)0 bonded
indebtedness, exclusive of the $341,500 power .plant
bunds., which have been taken over by the Xantahala
i owcr and Light ("ompanyr-" Against this $54,000
- boiiTknHiii4elHtMliies-4t-h.as
--1 15.25. It -als-4ias $14,400 in' federal governnienl
bond in a vault, working all the time to make money
for the town and to save it for the taxpayers.
The town's receipts for the last fiscal Year wer,
: .'1 .382.89; its disbursements, $21,309.00, "leaving , a
b:-.!'i!He on hand of S73.89, a small balance: .but
nevertheless, a black one instead of a reel one".
This was enough good news for one time, -thv
town authorities must have figured, for they did not
tell the whole story.' Besides all the assets outlined
above, the town has ' quite a few. thousand dollars
due in taxes receivable and-also a claim on $50,0(X
ft
1 I
Number 41
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
N. C, as second class matter.
$1:50
$1.00
.75
.05
a postoffice in Franklin;
tTie work
is needed" to
Recovery Campaign.
No
that he ;ilniaxly has -ulmiit-
in a froen Cleveland, ()., hank, which someday may
be worth more than paper.
Bui taxpayers need not take all this as an in
dication that it is no longer necessary to pay tow'n
taxes, because the reason why the town is in such
excellent financial condition is that it has followed a
fairlv consistent, business like -policy in its collection
of taxes, as well as in other mat lers.
It is a nice situation, and--we hope the town can
remain in it.
The Prohibition Forum
Discussion Increases
HTHH friendly debate started in last week's Press
Maconian between the editor and his . hitherto
silent partner, his Mother, is gaining 'momentum,
The preliminary - barrage seems to have stirred con-
- A - -4 , -4 t - ' - 1 -- 1 - - i. - i
SKieraDie talk over the repeal issue, pree ana irank
discussion is helpful' in approaching any public prob
lem. Without it, democracy would be an Titter fail
ure. '
Many verbal comments have come to our ears
and, the, editor is forced to confess, they gave the
decision in last week's editorial round to his oppon
ent. ..'' ' '
Now, let's have some more letters from Press
Maconian' readers. Only, cue came in this . week,
but it was a good one, even if it did not agree with
tire editor's opinions.
We will publish all the ''printable letters : space
permits. Please be as brief as possible and write
onlv on one side of the paper. Address commun-
i ea t tons.' to The M roh i hi t ion
cbnian, Franklin, X. l Letters should be'signe(l1
b:ittt 'hwnteT ishe(Pifhe or
she so requests. To appear in next week's issue,, a
letter should be delivered or -mailed to this office not
later than Mondav. ' ,
For Repeal
BY BLACKBURN W. JOHNSON I
w
HEX ardent prohibitionists
run out oi lacts anu iugie i
to support their contentions tne
prate of "idealism" and "righteous
ness," inferring that they possess
a monopoly on these vyorthy at
tributes. All who differ in opin
ion with them are agents of the
devil at least, that is what the
fanatical "bone drys" would hau
us believe. With, assurance born
of bigotry, many of the anti-repeal
zealots openly"" proclaim : '
"Prohibition, is bound to suc
ceed,, for ( iod is with us. lie is
gHiding4)s-itt..tlu
save., civilization .,' f rom perilition, .
W-hen we hear such statements
atiKr-wei'are--i(Jve4--.Jo' ,sniilc...anrL
t.. i.w.'iU ,,,cci(n. Iriuil slf'ntli'tl
I'.j itiiii. j I.........
"(i
incetil At illet s tine epic oem,
The poet
pictures the immortal Abraham
l.inroln, whose 'reverence for the
llivine Being no ofie can sincerely
qwestirmr-a the Bvi 1 VarprcsH
ident paced ' the floor, ; cogitating
over, -a momentous question in
regard to plans for pressing the
war against the South :
x x x x x What' is (iod's will?
They come to me and talk about
God'a will !
In righteous deputations and
platoons,
Day after day, laymen and min-
isters.
They write me Prayers From
Twenty Million Souls
Defining me God's will and
... HoraceiXreeley's,
. God's will . is General -This " and
... tSenatoif That, ..'' - 1
God's "will is those poor, colored!
. fellows' will,
It : is "the-will
churches,
it
is this man's and
his
worst
enemy s.
But all of them are
know God's will.
I am the only man
not know it.
sure they'
who does
And, yet,
if it is probable that
God
Should, and o
very
clearly,
state His will
To others, on a point of my
own duty,
It might be thought He would
reveal it me,
Directly, more ' especially as I
So earnestly desire to know His
will.
The will of God prevails.
doubt, no doubt
Yet, in great contests, each
claims to act
In strict accordance with
No
side
the I
will of God,
"Both mayr onemust " bewrong,
" We -do- not : mean - to itisiuiuikl F.ach : year - the federal-prison
that our worthy opponent in thisi.havc become more and more
friendly debate should be classi-' crowded, largely because of pro
ficd as a bigot, a .fanatic or ,'a hibiiion co'iiv ictions. ' The .drys
zealot -fan.be it from the writer's.' point to this -vilb pride, claiming
intentions.. Would that all of the that it shows' the efficiency of the
leaders in the temperance move- enforcement authorities aim that,
incut .were her equal in broad- after a while all the moonshiners and
mindness, enlightened vision and bootleggers will be put in Jail and
sweetness of, spirit. The fact is, the country will become-really dry.
she is so liberal, and reveals, ''it The population of the federal pris
in her . writings, that' ve cannot ' ons . was recently, reported a$ three
ev en classify' her as a "bone dry." limes what it was in 1921. .but the
Our arguments are not directed country si a long way from be
at '-the writer , of the "Ay;unsting dry. It is common knowledge
lu) runt, ' The--1 ' re ss- A I a H
Repeal
coltunn, but at
she. defends and
the
, we
the
prop
niust cotn-
0siti(Hi
a((
it a large- part of
pany she is forced to keep be
cause of her sincere convictions.
When the whole question is
boiled down, the real issue of
this debate hinges on the ques
tion of whether' prohibition has
been successful and, if not, wheth
er it can be made successful.
A Monumental Failure
, We intend, first, to show that
it ' has been a .monumental failure.
Volutins of evidence are available
in support of this' concilium, but
we will cili' mil-v -ewtwifl?-
4 iiiL' -- facts - in this article, -as
space
does lint
pennit more.
rTt7YTe v -sorrrrs t at i
J J ej5
in
i u r
ffici;
iume state"
coitijiTIeil
from"
ri-cords
toniey (iemral, the Warden of
tin State Penitentiary; --the- State
Jlii;hw.:iy.. ...llureau,... and ..from the
records of the . LLnitcd-StaesDe.
parment of Justice.
hi 1910, before the Votsterul
Act went into effect, . crime cost
North Carolina less than. $3,000,000.
In 1.L, after 12 years of the
"noble experiment," the state's
crime bill was more than $23,1100,
000. Uather a costly "experi
ment !"
In 1Q19 there were 7,537 crim
inal cases disposed of in the state's
superior courts; in 1932 there were
lS.lKl---and the court -calendars
air still clogged.
In 119 there were 700 prisoners
in the penitentiary at Raleigh and
on the state farms; in l'32 there
u-uuXUiL4ri&HiS-in-.thc peui
1(jtit irit vr nii'l t.'IKI im the" roadsT "
""'Murders
Increase
I I here- were
J ('Hi oliiiar -in 1
1 47 murders in North
1 9, a r wo'eftrtl v 'lariie
figure; but
in 1932 there were 283
lnnl "rln Carolina. It is
I a dark 'page in the state's history.'
Since national prohibition became
'.effective, thousands
'women have been
of men and
treated for . al
coholism in the state institutions
for the insane treated at the
stale's expense.
Vet, the auli-repealists try in vain
to prove that' prohibition has de
creased tin- consumption of liquor
and lessened crime !
Police records of 575 commun
ities : in- various sections oi the
country rev eal that "arrests , foT
drunkenness', are . three times .. as
many as in 1920." ;
I'nited .States Census liureati sta
tistics show that the number of
husbands divorced because of in
toxication increased 133 per cent
between 1922 and 1929. Yes, ami
the women have been drinking
moie, ioo; tor ine tiuniDcr ot wives
div 'orced "because-of intoxication in-
-Ciaasctl ... 90 .per ce.m dwi-mt-4he
same period. . ;
that whisky is more readily ob-1 This has been the nation's' ex
tainable now than when prohibition ! periunce during 13 years of pro
first became law. Bootleggers and
inopnshincrs crop up like mush
rooms. The only way to decrease
their number is to fake the profit
out ot their business by having
controlled distribution ot alcohol
ic bcu-rages turner a system which
has proved effective, such as the
(Jucbee system. ,
Effect on Youth
One of. the saddest outgrowths'
of the .prohobition era is the de
plorable attitude that it has de
veloped in the niinds of boys and
girls, even children. Before the
18th amendment was adopted, tern
perance was making great strides
in the schools of the land. Chil
dren were learning the evils of
excessive drink and ' they instinct-
ively shunned a drunkard. Yes, i
we admit that in the days of the i
saloons men sometimes became so
disgustingly drunk that thev fell!
in the gutters. But they , were I
viewed with disgust and pity and
were an effective exanude to the I
younger generation not to tread i
in their footsteps. ;
But now, many high school boys
and girls think it is smart to
drink, la fact, it is widely 'view
ed as a social distinction to sip '
cocktails and carry a hip pocket '
flask. i
.This is not mere talk for the
sake , of argument; facts bear it
out. The Wickersham commis
sion's report reveals that during
the last half of RIO there .were
990 boys and girls of high school j for yourself, face the facts sutlare
aue held in federal iails for violat-!lv and do not allow false seiiti-
ing the prohibition law.
A Sad Experience
Against-Repeal
BY MRS.J. W. C. JOHNSON for other laws as to effectually
TIIF, day 'of heated controversy discourage the gangsters and boot
is past. When an issue vital leggers? x We hope so. At any
to everv- individual must be settled rate, the 18th me.udmeiit will still
one way or the other for a . whole
nation it is inevitable that there
are "good inctf and true" on dif
ferent sides. It is hoped ' that
this friendly, discussion of the
1 rohibitiou issue as it now con
fronts the nation will bring out
certain significant facts that will
I be both informing and helpful to
the citizen who wishes to vote no
only with a , view to present ex
pediency, but with vision to build
for "nobler modes of life, with
sweeter manners, purer laws."
Ve confess that there are some
disagreeable things that we will
have "to put up with for awhile
longer. "Don't" laws are in this
category. The story told last week
by my fellow debater about the
children and the open well was
nn t alt-og e t h er -con v in eitig. r4 1
might have been good psychology
ivrf to tell the children not to
faH-ownrrtlwi::wHributosiUTa
cuts love ' their children too much
trst--t-he-ttiTrhology of sttg-
estion in face of such a danger.
Once when we moved' to a place
w ith- an open well, my
father:
I irom i rt 1 v se n t f in1 iv
build a-smer
to the well so the
children couldn't fall in.
That strong cover over the well
t.-;f:c .!.!. the mh nmn(lm..nt
was
;t,,tl hn a t,rno.,-t on
to the alcoholic citizen
innocent victims' against
vers of an open well.
and uis
ttio dnn-
.
PraKl.
r,.r,r t,r,rr;.r Ki,;n ,t a'flnncrpr-
ous- place on tne nignway says
. .. .,
"Don't
We h-ivp he-frd the sfcorv
about the town that kept an am
bulance at the foot of a dangerous
precipice on the road leading into
the town. Travelers who fell over
the
cliff were tenderly nursed or,l'lo'C(l 1,1 P-rtecting that curb n -
!it1"biirieil.z:()nef d;ir"a'"-'w'si
Mere
iin ii-p1 tl,i i viicricnre
7,f VinTrf-.TrTri'infiiltv mrl.. hi av
to the office of the mayor
m,i
.... .
sit gp i Kt e dTh artrwfml d"be wi ser io
build a wall to prevent the traveler
from falling than to keep the am
bulance at its foot. The intention
of the IKth amendment
., .
was tliat
of a p
rotecting wall against a prcc -
ipice that the experience
of cen-
turies had proven to be an expen
sive and fatal place in the road, j
In effect, to the mind many !
of us, the repealists are saying: j
. "We must not have laws that say.
'Don't.' It is bad psychology, n
makes crown-ups and high school
bovs and girls drink liquor for
example when, if it were perfectly
legal they would not want to do it.
"It is .better to legalize the sale
,of liquor so the government "can
get the profit instead of the boot
leggers." ,
(We are-not told how to recon
cile these contradictory arguments.
We suppose the government's prof
its are coming from, the medicinal
sales when grandfather has a sink
ing spell find "needs a few spoonfuls-!)
The Nullifying Amendment
-Sjiould amendment IX be repealed,
one unpleasant legal "don't" will be
removal. This will be 'accomplish
ed, not -by removing tin- amend
ment from the Constitution,' .but by
inserting a nullifying amendment,
which will be significantly., num
bered "21." Will this action in
dicate that, as a nation, we are
now full grown and strong enough
to resist the harmful thing with
out the restriction of the , legal
"don't?" Will we then be so
possessed with an added "self-
resiect," "integrity," and respect
hibitionincreasing crime, deepen
ing' disrespect for law, with plenty
of . whisky available despite the
expenditure of billions ot
to stamp it out, and the
dollars
loss of
billions more in
surrendered re -
enue.
This, we submit, is conclusive
proof that 'prohibition has been not
only a dismal failure-, but
also a
harmful
deterrent in
the great
cause of, temperance, real tem
perance, which implies voluntary
control, not uovcrnmental lack of
control.
'Yet', the ' prohibitionists still pur
sue the illusive wraith of a .'bone
itiv" "n:iti,on lotidlv talking of
.., , j .,
"idealism" and "righteousness." the
trouble is. most of them are too
self-righteous to recognize "right
iousuess" when they meet it in the
road, and the rest ot them are so
imbued with "idealism" that t'liey
lack the proper, sense of "realisiii
that is necessary in, dealing with
any problem. Idealism without
realism is like a stai behind
ckmd ; it shines, but it docsu t give
.light.
Now, Mr. and M rs. Voter, don t
let any prohibition- spell-binder be
fuddle vour hidirnient with talk
about
ness."
"idealism" and "righteous
Your uwn conscience is ;
'better guide for you thai! the other
, fellow's, be he politician, paid dry
propagandist or a wearer
cloth. Before vou go to i
of the
he polls
evidence
Mi November 7, weigh the
I mentality
to' influence Vour de-
cision.
be there, "writ in the constitution,
symbol ot our goon uiienuons..
In- the event of repeal, will it
not be a way of saying, "We have
tried a 'noble experiment' and it
has failed; Let us try one not so
noble ?"
The writer of this column is glad
to receive the strong support of
Mr. Luther Anderson. His most
interesting letter ' follows :
Prohibition Forum:
May I write briefly concerning
certain points presented in the
well written article by the editor
in last week's Press-Maconian.
After the admirable defeat he suf
fered at the hands of the
silent
partner," in the editorial debate.j
i feel that I am .pouncing tin a;
man who is- al read v -down. We !
all can see very clearly whence
comes his Inherent ability as an
editor. '
Mr. Editor, your parable of the
open well is , a very apt one and
was skillfully applied, to support
your., position.-. I, however, - draw a
ninerent lesson trom that story.
ea r pe n te ptaJJiy?Jithe witj.ersti a si narc
mnintaining tne open well -aremiul
w"lfn thl' chilflrcn play, and are
objecting to any effective measure
- l'ing taken to rem-Ac the danger
mcy woiKi no noiiuiig more tn:in
. ti.v' '" i s-' nidi,, i i m
say. nniit uo too near, i on t aii;(""e m .-uuin
"-" Hut the wise and careful
mother ' like M rs. Johnson, would
I . 1 . t .
ereci a curi) around mat well.
enough to render the yard
:rf I nwi m ino rriip-i cic
.f T . . . ., ...
- .
rtIlu aiiujng uieui many well mean-
ing men and women) are engaged!
in destroying; the foundation on j
which that curb should be built.;
If their zealous efforts were em-;
! ""3
if
wouiii, in time, in-come an
''Tfcctive
safe-guard. ':..''.
.in, i-.niior, you
refer to the-
I "siieak-easy" as a "blind t wer"
saloon. I heartily agree to the old,!
and appropriate name; The aid ofi'
all uood people should be .given'
. in npstr.rvvitHi' tti,. 1,11,1.1 ,,,'.,
, ' -, -
1 '""" s "r w' 'nave a
. . 1 ' 1 wnii wmcn tne sintering
citizen can light and vanquish the.
"blind tiger" that shovvs its hid-1
eons head in his community. Re-;
Re -
idlior
peal those laws, legahz.e the
irainc, anil you still have tigers
f6r
-A
ex
TO ANSWER
Many Republican voters would, like to have
Mr. Moore, candidate of the 18th, Amendment
forces in Macon County "in' theNi:,'.vV '';; r.tion,
TiniweFlhe followirig question:
"DID YOU VOTE TOROB
ERT R. REYNOLDS FOR SENAT
OR LAST NOVEMBER, OR DID
YOU VOTE FOR JAKE NEW
ELL?" (Signed) A GROUP OF REPUBLICAN
VOTERS .
monster niaii-cau,Ts not bund,
owH-ver. 1 'would rather fight two
'blind 'tigers" than -one tiger
that can sec. ,
Just, now the' dripping wets, who
have done most to nullity the
prohibition laws and support the
id liquor traffic, have become
the most vociferous m denouncing
spcak-casics." They are shouting
uid'cr- than the prohibitionists or
the better dement ot the repcal-
asls who, like yourself, Mr. hen tor,
desire to promote temperance. Just
as a test, let all those who have
used the law do abate a 'speak
easy" or other place of illegal sale,
hold up Jheir hands. I do .licit sec
many uplifted hands, and 'not a
single wet hand in the lot. With
all their hue and . cry against
"speak-'easies" and bootleggers 1
can not find one of this vociferous
rabble' who had abolished or 'belli
ed to abolish pile such nuisance:
What "is the .liext "noble experi- .
Hunt" to be after prohibition is
repealed What is your plan,
friends of repeal, under which the
liquor traffic, is to operate? Tell
us, please,' before we vote on this
issue, l.ct us know what wc are
about to receive. You have had1
plenty of time to formulate a
plan. America has been settled
over three hundred years, and al
coholic liquors have been one of
the gat draw-backs from the
first. You have had ' three hun
dred years in America and three
thousand years in the old world
to show a successful plan of le
galized control. Point, us to it.
We have hail national prohibition
since 1920. Because it has not
cured all the evils in thirteen
vrars -thfH -have -grown-up in -three
hundred years, tt must go into the
, , " ,r 7. -11 ' . 1
disean
. You
not have the
saloon
,t,L;aiii.
iTeTl
us "wliat Tttntt
of tigers vou are going to unleash
LUTIIF.R ANDERSON.
Franklin, Uottti' 4. f ;
October 9, 1933,
Rainbow Springs
Miss Ruth Roper and Mrs. Rus
sell Seheaulle visited the Cherokee
Indian Fair Thursday of last week.
P. J. Danielson and his son-in-law,
Mr. Pitts, motored to Puck
Creek Ranch to pay a short isit
to Hill Latham Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. W. G. Storie and
daughter, Nina, and Mr. and Mrs.
Pitts and family attended the
Cherokee Indian Fair on Thursday
of last week.
Matthews Cole and Gene Chas
terinc have returned home from a
business trip to York, S, C.
Mr. and
and family
Snudav for
Mrs. Mark Culberson
went .to Canton- last
-a - short -visit to- their
daughter, Pauline, who is a student
at Canton high school. '
Mr. and Airs. P. N. Moses, of El
lij.iy. announce the birth of a. son,
Andrew, on Friday, October 6.
On Friday, October 0, a (laughter,
Mliry lane, was born to Mr. and
Mrs. Laddie Crawford, at their
home
Mr.
on Cartoogcchaye.
and Mrs. Boyd Bates an-
on-
birth of a. son--at their
m Mint It liridge township,
i"'f
Monday, October. (.
Mr. ami Mrs. .George'" R. Pat
tillo, of Franklin, Route 4, an
nounce the birth of a son, George,
I. .... C I A.
ill ..iiiiiii.iv ifi-irft-iicr :
' , ' ,, '
- ooiums nostm.u.
"T "
- Top-dressing wheat with nitrogen
fertilizer gave an increased yield of
(,', bushels an acre in a demon-
(lilawba cotin-
tv ...... ..J,, i
'
..W ilkes. counlv.dxurymen .arc dig-iiu-
irendi silos ;ln( remodeling
ild barns as a pari of the - new
proi'iani of. dairy fanning in that
; count v..
A number -of Jackson county
fanners are idaniiini' to harvest
j black locusl seed this fall because
of the healthv ili'inin,l -o,,! it,,. v.
eellenl
crop in the mountain area.
-a!.iWA.ji'3ijmjjj.E'i.L'.'i . tii in.
Moore
'