PAGE TWO
THE FRANKLIN PRESS and THE HIGHLANDS MACON IAN
THURSDAY, APRIL 11, IMS
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itttd
Published every Thursday by The Franklin Press
At Franklin, North Carolina
Telephone No. 24 ,
VOL. L Number 15
BLACKBURN W. JOHNSON.... EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
Entered at the Post Office, Franklin, N. C, as second class matter
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The Revenue Bill
AT this writing the State Senate is still debating sec
tions of the biennial revenue bill always the most
important measure to come before the General Assembly.
This morning's papers contained the encouraging in
formation that the Senate had rejected a committee pro
pos al to apply the sales tax to hotel room rentals, board
ing houses arid tourist homes, which undoubtedly would
have had the effect of handicapping Western North
Carolina's ever-increasing tourist business.
There were hopeful indications, too, that the Senate
would muster a sufficient majority to defeat attempts to
make the sales tax applicable to nine basic food articles
which are now exempt. We sincerely hope such a pro
vision as this will never find a place on the North Caro
lina statute books ; but we cannot help feeling some de
gree of alarm over the matter in view of the Legislature's
tardiness in rejecting forthwith any such proposal. The
only thing that has made the sales tax sufferable these
last two years has been the fact that meat and bread and
other necessities of sustenance have been exempt. A
sales tax on foodstuffs would be a tax on poverty, and
the poor man already is bearing more than his just share
of the tax burden.
Everyone is desirous of having the General Assembly
reach adjournment as soon as possible, to end this un
comfortable uncertainty of what might or might not be
done; but, if necessary, we would rather the lawmakers
stay in session all summer than have them adopt in haste
a revenue bill containing a sales tax on foodstuffs.
:
Negroes on Juries
THE announcement of Governor Bibb Graves that "Ala
bama is going to observe the supreme law of Ameri
ca," although that will mean inclusion of negroes in jury
lists, has won the editorial commendation of many news
papers. A few southern editors, moved by undue alarm,
have expressed fears that the Supreme Court's decision
in the famous Scottsboro case will encourage application
of Lynch Law in cases involving negroes; but others,
with proper realization of the majesty of the law and due
respect for constituted authority, are inclined to accept
the Scottsboro ruling as inevitable, just and, in the long
run, a wise decision. Praise has come from pulpit, bar
and press for Governor Graves' statement:
"Holdings of the United States Supreme Court are the
supreme laws of the land. Whether we like the decisions
or not, it is the patriotic duty of every citizen and the
sworn duty of every public officer to accept and uphold
them in letter and in spirit ... This decision means
that we must put the name of negroes in jury boxes in
every county."
"It should be recognized," comments The Christian
Science Monitor, one of America's most broad-minded and
most ably edited newspapers, "that living up to this
promise will entail difficulties and perplexities which
states farther removed from racial problems can but
partly understand. Not only legal tangles but reserva
tions sanctioned by sentiment and tradition will have to
be dexterously and tactfully handled. Other Southern
states are aware of the implications in the Alabama
stand. But it already has been indicated that some of
those states will follow Alabama's lead- a lead, it should
be noted, that calls for support of the supreme law in
spirit' as well as in letter."
It will take Southerners a long time to become accus
tomed to negroes sitting on juries, and, too, it will take
a long time perhaps for most of our negroes to become
accustomed to the heavy responsibility entailed by jury
service, in tact, we betieve that most of them will be
inclined to beg the bench to be excused, especially when
the defendant is of the white race.
Doubtless there will be some difficult adjustments of
law and public attitudes to be brought about before we
grow used to the new situation brought about by the
Scottsboro decision. But a South that learned to respect
the constitution .despite the indignities it suffered in the
period of reconstruction can also learn to respect the
fact that that constitution calls for equality for all before
the law, regardless of color.
In No Uncertain Tones - by A. B. Chap
THROUGH
CAPITAL
KEYHOLES
BY BESS H1NTON SILVER
TOUCHY
As the length of the general as
sembly grows members are begin
ning to display evidence of develop
ing "nerves." Members arising to
points of personal privilege to
"bawl out" some member, or some
newspaper editor, are becoming nu
merous as they have a habit of
doing in sessions that run into the
payless period beyond the constitu
tional 60 days. Finger-pointing and
fist-shaking will soon be the order
of the days if the boys don't get
their troubles ironed out and go
back home.
LITTLE CHANCE
A private poll of the legislature
reveals that the batch of bills sent
down from Washington by Secre
tary Ickes designed put cities and
counties in the business of generat
ing and selling power have little
chance of passage. Two measures,
drawn by the State Rural Electri
fication commission, are much more
modest and have the backing of the
Ehringhaus administration. How
ever, if they get by it will be a
close squeeze.
LIQUOR-
There can be no dcjdbt that
sentiment in favor of the Hill
lienor bill it growing among
member of the Legislature. It
till appears doomed but only a
few convert are needed to put
the measure across. Members
show a decided notion not to
cut the appropriations bill dras
tically and if these troubles
over taxes tare not settled pret
ty soon you are going to see
great drive to put the Hill
bill through.
EARLY BIRDS
John A. McRae, of Charlotte, has
joined Colonel T. LeRoy Kirkpat
rick, of the same city, in announc
ing for governor on the Democrat
ic ticket. In Raleigh various sto
ries are being told about the in
tentions of Clyde R. Hoey, Shelby
attorney, and Congressman R. L.
Doughton regarding the governor
ship. But make no mistake Lieu
tenant Governor A. H. Graham is
going to run for governor or bust
a trace. All efforts to get him
attracted by other jobs and what
not have failed entirely and a lot
of folk believe his campaign is
well underway.
RAIDS
Raids on gasoline ?.ax money have
gotten away to a good start. The
general assembly has voted to spend
$50X1,000 of it annually in keeping
up city streets and it looks like
$1,630,000 is going to be diverted
to the general fund during each of
the coming years. It also appears
likely that some of the gasoline
taxes are going into county treas
uries before long in the form of
paying the counties for roads they
built before the highway commis
sion had the money.
SCHOOL BOOKS
State rental of school books
by the time the boys and girls
hoar the first belle next fall is
still likely. The books com
panies are said to bo realizing
that fact and a good authority
says that the publishers will be
willing to sell the books to the
state on credit and collect ae
the rentals come in. Such a
plan would not call " for an
amount of money large enough
to require a bond issue and
may be taken care of by an
appropriation. The Democrats
are laying their plane to rush
tin school book rental bill
through in a hurry once they
get started. It will make a
good chaser ae the dear public
begins to swallow the three per
cent general sales tax or a
milder retail levy.
AMUSING
Ifs nothing short of funny the
way the various factions estimate
the possible yield of the biennial
revenue bill. Anti-sales taxers and
advocates of greater appropriations
boost the figures above those of
the revenue department while sales
tax three per centers cut them
down by like amounts. If anybody
really knows how much the reve
nue bill will yield, the way the leg
islature is almost constantly chang
ing it, that person is a magician.
TROUBLE
The biggest obstacle in the $62,
000,000 biennial revenue bill is the
taxing peddlers. Representatives
from cities and towns want to tax
the boys who buv and sell and
transport in trucks out of existence
while representatives from oeach
apple and cabbage growing sections
want the tax low so the trucks can
operate and buy their surplus prod
ucts. You will never know just
what the peddlers tax will be un
til the final day of the general as
sembly. Somebody changes it at
every turn.
CONDUCT-
A lot has been written and said
about the conduct of members of
this and other legislatures. Admit
ting that some of the boys may
like to kick over the traces once
in a while, they are no different
from otlier men. In fact, the 170
members of the general ssembly
behave much better than some con
ventions that come to the Capitol
City. Some of the finest men and
women of this state have been
members of scandalized legislatures
and there are quite a few in the
present one who never tasted
hootch.
UNPOPULAR
Many members of the general
assembly do not relish the idea of
Dr. Ralph McDonald, anti-sales tax
representative from Forsyth, writ
ing his views on the front page of
a daily newspaper. He has been
called on the floor of the house
on some of his writings that
amount to accusations, and his ears
should be red when the boys gath
er round dinner tables or in hotel
lobbies.
BAIT
Privately it is admitted by anti
sales taxers that they favor apply
ing the three per cent retail levy
to meals in the hope that it will
make the tax more unpopular.
There is no doubt that such ap
plication would make the sales tax
smell a lot worse to most folks
and if it is finally levied on meals
served in boarding houses you will
hear plenty of political rumblings.
The Republicans watch with great
glee all these little squabbles be
tween the Democrats, and the G.
O. P. boys are making notes in
their little blue books.
BUSY-
Secretary of State Stacey W.
Wade isn't letting grass grow un
der his feet since the news leaked
out that Thad Eure, principal clerk
of the house, may become a candi
date for Wade's job. The secre
tary likes his place, believes he is
doing his chores nicely and wants
the voters to return him in the
next elections. It will be a lively
affair if Wade and Eure lock
horns.
STEADY
Governor Ehringhaus has done
pretty well with his hands-off pol
icy of dealing with the general as
sembly. Many of his friends urged
him to call the boys in on the
carpet and tell them what he was
depending on them to do. But he
sat tight and right now it looks as
if most of recommendations will
become law without his having to
go to bat for them every day. A
majority of the lawmakers seem to
be playing on the governor's team.
Don't Sleep On Left
Side Affects Heart
If stomach GAS prevents sleep
ing on right ride .try Adlerika. One
dose brings out poisons and re
lieves gas pressing on heart so you
sleep soundly all night. Angel's
Drug Store,
(adv.)