PAGE TWO
THE FRANKLIN PRESS and THE HIGHLANDS MACONIAN
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1134
Halloween of Yesteryear-
by A. B. Chapin
and
Published every Thursday by The Franklin Press
At Franklin, North Carolina
Telephone No. 24
VOL. XLIX Number 43
BLACKBURN W. JOHNSON EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
Entered at the Post Office, Franklin, N. C, as second class matter
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
One Year ' . $1.50
Six Months 75
Eight Months . $1.00
Single Copy .05
A Fine Opportunity for Generosity
A LTHOUGH a benign federal government has
" assumed in the time of dire necessity a large
part of the burden of caring for the destitute, the
responsibility of the individual toward his neigh
bor in want has not ceased.
It behooves each and all of us, as much for
the benefit of our own consciences as for the re
lief of others' sufferings, to be generous toward
those less fortunate than ourselves. It is a fine
thing for government to realize its social respon
sibility and to care for the needy, but it would be
a sad outcome should public relief replace private
giving.
The Macon County branch of the Needlework.
Guild of America offers a good opportunity for
an expression of individual generosity toward the
needy. On Friday, November 2, this organization
will hold its annual ingathering of garments,
which will be distributed among worthy families
in want. Anyone man, woman or child may
qualify for membership in the guild by contribut
ing two or more pieces of clothing or household
linen, or by making a small cash donation. It is
especially requested that clothing for children of
school age be given, as the guild has learned there
are many children in the county who possess in
sufficient clothing for the rigors of the approach
ing winter.
It is a worthy cause espoused by the Needle
work Guild and it is sincerely hoped the people
of Franklin and the whole county will respond
whole-heartedly.
Reformers and Human Nature
OUR OBSERVATION of reformers is that they are always in
too much of a hurry. We haven't anybody especially in
mind, but we see and hear of lots of good people who thiak the
world ought to be made over at once.
As tar as we have read about what has gone on in the world
in the past, there have been lots of tries at remodeling human
nature, or at least of changing the shape of human organizations
and institutions in the hope that, somehow, the change will react
beneficially upon human nature. We have heard about very few
such attempts that have succeeded in less than a few hundred
years. Therefore we are inclined to be somewhat skeptical about
any sort of an attempt to reform anything of material consequence
in a few weeks or months or years.
We are not against reformers. Quite the contrary. We feel
a good deal, at times, the way Omar Khayyam did when he wrote :
"Ah, Love, could you and 1 with Him conspire
To grasp this sorry scheme of things entire,
Would we not shatter it to bits and then
Remold it nearer to the Heart's desire?"
We confess, however, that we have been unable, so far, to
"grasp this sorry scheme of things entire," and we question wheth
er anyone else has been able to do that. And if we were able
to "remold it nearer to the Heart's desire," the question would
immediately arise to vex us: "Whose heart?" It takes a brave
man, indeed, to assume that what he thinks is best for everybody
will be accepted by everybody as best for themselves.
On the whole, perhaps, reformers do not do as much damage as
some people imagine. And, on the whole, we think humanity has
been doing a pretty good job of reforming itself, through the
ages. Selected.
"Easy Money" Is Gone Forever
WE HEAR a good many people talking about "Recovery" as
if they believed that the aim and purpose of all the things
that are being undertaken in the name of that commendable ob
jective was to bring back the "easy-money" days of the later
1920's. We don't think that any thoughtful men, in or out of
politics, expect or desire anything of the sort.
Those days were times when the hope and belief that there was
some short-cut to riches pervaded a large section of the American
people. We fear that there are many ambitious young men today
who cherish the same sort of hope. We believe that most of them
are doomed to disappointment.
To be sure, not many people actually did get rich in a hurry,
but everybody, figuratively speaking, had a try at it. And enough
achieved sudden wealth to inspire others with the belief that it
was easy. As a matter of fact, it never was easy. The public
simply didn' hear about the hard", patient work that those succeed
ed did before riches began to come their way; they only heard
of them after they had won their wealth.
We do not understand that there is a purpose, anywhere, to
restore conditions under which anybody can expect or hope to
get riches without working even harder for them than those who
gained them in the past worked. There always have been, always
will be, a few to whom making money is a natural talent, who, un
der any social scheme, will always accumulate more than the ma
jority. And we believe that there are as many opportunities as
ever, perhaps more than ever, for the accumulation of wealth.
It seems to us, however, that for a good many years to come
there is going to be a much closer scitatiny of the means whereby
men become wealthy, and important riches are not going to be
earned except by those who, in earning them, do something which
definitely benefits society as a v'.iole. Selected.
THROUGH
CAPITAL
KEYHOLES
BY BESS HINTON SILVER
CHISELING ON THE FARM
Tenant farmers attending the
meeting of tobacco growers at
State College let the cat out of the
bae on some landlords signing the
acreage reduction contracts that
boosted weed prices. These horny-,
hanckd sons of toil said that their
landlords kept them on the place
according to the terms of the con-
tracts but apapropriated all the to-j
bacco allotments and made the ten
ants raise cotton and other less
profitable crops. The share-croppers
said they thought the Roose
velt program was a fine thing and
that it was workine swell in rais
ing prices but that they would like
to have the contracts revised to
compel these chiseling landlords to
let tenants in on the profits.
TROUBLE BREWING
Political news-casters are spread
ing the word that Doctor (that's
his name not a title) Mac Johnson,
of Enfield, is getting his ducks in
a row to oppose Congressman John
H. Kerr for the Second District
seat in 1936. The same boys also
say that A. 0. Dickens, Wilson
attorney, plans another attempt at
the job two years hence. Judge
Kerr is co-author, with Senator
(Cotton Ed) Smith, of South Caro
lina, of the Kerr-Smith law levying
a tax on tobacco sold by non-signers
of the government's tobacco
crop reduction program. On the
same day farmers at State College
were praising the law, others met
at Winston-Salem in protest and
planned a campaign against it.
SQUABBLES
Word trickling into Raleigh
from Western North Carolina
relates some of the difficulties
Democrats in the mountain
counties are experiencing as die
November election draws near.
The "regular" boys complain
that many federal jobs with the
CCC and other emergency agen
cies are going to Republicans
and the rank-and-file of Demo
crats are not enthusiastic about
that. The grapevine hears rum
blings that this condition may
cook Democratic order to the
extent of electing Republicans
to the General Assembly in
some close counties. The fol
lowers of Jefferson would like
to know what to do about it.
Republicans aren't reporting any
wo ries over the situation.
TIGHTENING UP-
Some time ago Keyholes called
your attention to the coming drive
of the State Revenue Department
against delinquent tax-payers in or
der to swell receipts and justify the
reorganization that has been going
on for a year. Revenue Commis
sioner A. J. Maxwell and his ex
ecutive assistant Dr. M. C. S. No
ble, Jr., started out by prosecuting
a number of Raleigh lawyers who
had not paid their license fees. If
suits against merchants and cafe
owners haven't been filed in your
town by this time you either live
in a prosperous community or the
suit-filers just haven't been able to
get around to your town as yet.
BOYS, GET THE MONEY
If you want a little money you
might organize your neighbors and
start a drive on the State highway
fund. At least you could' join the
crowd. At present the schools want
some of the money collected from
gasoline taxes; county commission
ers want some; cities and towns
want a bit for paving streets and
the automobile tax reduction league
wants some so as to cut gasoline
and license taxes. If there's any
left, you may get the toll taken
off your bridge and the bumps and
mudholes in your own road repair
ed. IT MAY BE A RACE
Clyde R. Hoey, Shelby's gift to
the Democratic party, and Con
gressman R. L. Doughton, have
both signed-up for a long list of
speaking engagements during the
present campaign. Both are con
sidered almost certain candidates
for the gubernatorial nomination in
1936 and some of the poltical gum
shoes are wondering if these two
prominent Democrats are conduct
ing a get-acquainted campaign while
driving a few tacks for the party's
candidates this fall.
BURRUS THREAT
Dr. John T. Burrus, High Point
surgeon and anti-sales taxer who
defeated Capus M. Waynisk, State
Director of Federal Reemployment,
for the Democratic nomination to
the Guilford county Senate seat,
now pops up as a threat to Clyde
R. Hoey, of Shelby, Congressman
R. L. Doughton and Lieutenant
Governor A. H. (Sandy) Graham
in the race for the gubernatorial
nomination less than two years
hence. A lot of High Pointers, who
have been giving barbecues and
chicken stews frequently, believe
that the Doctor has a good chance
of succeeding Governor Ehringhaus.
"We shall wait and see. It is some
time off yet before another Gover
nor is elected. If ever the call
comes, I am in the hands of the
people," is the Doctor's answer to
inquiries.
BADLY NEEDED
Western North Carolina Dem
ocrats wish that Senator Rob
ert Rice Reynold hadn't decid
ed to go trippng off to Old
Mexico right on the eve of an
election that . hold Republican
hopes in some mountain conn
tie. They believe that the
Junior Senator could have giv
en the voter the work and
made everything hotsy-totsy for
the followers of President Rent
evelt in some of the doubtful
localities. They figure he can't
get any votes down m Mexico
and long for the familiar pat on
the back of voting overall.
Senator Reynold chased off to
Europe at a critical period of
the repeal election last year.
Those westerners take their poli
tics seriously and count their
friends among the men and
women with their shoulders' to
the wheel when the old party
wagon is in a hole.
BANKHEAD BILL
More than one politician drifting
iinto Raleigh is wondering what ef
fect support or opposition to the
Bankhead cotton control law may
have upon the political future of
North Carolina's Senators and Con
gressmen. Regardless of what your
opinion of this measure may be,
Dean I. O. Schaub, of State Col
lege, estimates that about 90 per
cent of the cotton producers favor
the bill. Growers have been told
that statutory control is responsible
for prevailing prices. That makes
it easily understood why many far
mers favor the Bankhead law and
the Kerr-Smith tobacco control bill.
It is entirely possible that some of
the North Carolina delegation have
placed themselves on the spot. On
ly time can render the final ver
dict. DEATH-
S peaking of automobile acci
dentsthere were 856 deaths at
tributable to this source last
year. No glaring headlines in
the newspapess proclaimed this,
no feature writers were called
into action as was the case
where the liner Morro Castle
went down in a fire at sen
with about 140 souls lost Tra
gedy ride the highways every
day and there's lots of room
for safety provisions.
The virtues which serve the com
mon weal originate primarily in
feeling. An elemental! sympathy
with the happiness of others and
an elemental sorrow for their mis
ery are innate in our minds.