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Second class mall privileges authorised at Franklin. N. C
Puolished every Thursday by The Frankll* Press
Telephone 24
Established in lt$? as The Franklin Press
Member. N. C. Press Association, National Editorial Association .
Cmrohnas Press Photographers Association. Charter member. National
Conference of Weekly Newspaper Editors
BOB 8. SLOAN Publisher and Advertising Manager
J. P. BRADY News Editor
WEIMAR JONES .... Editor
MRS ROBERT BRYSON Office Manager
MRS. BOB SLOAN Society Editor
CARL P. CABE Operator-Machinist
PRANK A. STARR ETTE Compositor
CHARLES E. WHTTTINOTON Pressman
O. E. CRAWFORD Stereotyper
DAVID H. SUTTON Commeiclal Printer
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Outbid* Macon County Insioi Macon Countt
One Tear ... $3.00 One Tear $2 JO
Six Months l.Ti Six Months l.Tf
Three Months ... 1.00 Three Months . . 1.00
Two fears . . 5.23 Two Years 4iS
Three Years 7JW Three Years 0.00
THURSDAY. JUNE 26, 1958
Schools And Taxes
For the second straight year, the Macon Cbunty
tax rate has been boosted 10 cents, for schools.
Most people probablly will agree that the schools
have made a good case for more money, and will
applaud the county commissioners for giving it to
them.
Somewhere, though, we're going to reach the
end of the tax road ? the point, at both the state
and the county levels, where people can't, or won't,
pay more taxes for schools.
And that is accentuated by twin facts: Our birth
rate is bounding upward ; and the number of un
productive older .people ? those retired at 65 ? is
likewise increasing.
It isn't too early to start thinking about cutting
the corners that we're going to have to cut, sooner
or later. Where can we begin?
Here are two possibilities:
(a) We can "lower our sights" a bit about the
purely physical things our school tax dollar buys.
In today's world, buildings become obsolete in a
remarkably short time. Why build for 50 years
when you're going to tear down in 20? Semi-tem
porary structures, put up at a fraction of the cost
of those we build today, would leave a lot of dol
lars for the one really essential thing ? more and
better teachers.'
(b) A shift in emphasis might help. Education,
certainly, should be made available to every child.
But are we really obligated to keep those in school
who either cannot or will not learn? Is there any
virtue in crowding the schools with children who
lack the capacity to become educated? And are we
accomplishing anything by trying to force an edu
cation down a child's throat, against his protests?
Once education again became a privilege, instead of
a chore, a lot of other problems might disappear.
Gumption Needed, Too
A two-year study has been launched by a group
in New York to determine what legislation is need
ed to control influence peddling in government ? to
set up standards for government officials.
The study may be needed, ?fnd no doubt the legis
lation is.
What seems needed worse, though, is higher
calibre men. Mr. Sherman Adams, first assistant to
the President, is only the latest in a long series who
appear to have lacked either character or gump
tion.
The man who can be kept from wrong-doing
only by the fear of tegal punishment is unfit for
public office. Nearly as bad is the man who, while
not consciously dishonest, is too dumb to know it
isn't proper for a public official to accept favors,
especially if they come from someone who is .seek
favors from government.
The evidence to date suggests that neither Mr.
Lamar Caudle, who's about to go to jail for this
sort of thing, nor Mr. Adams was deliberately dis
honest.
President Truman, though, was wise enough to
know Mr. Caudle's lack of a sense of what is proper
and what is improper unfitted him for public of
fice. Mr. Adams, in a far more influential position,
has shown an even greater lack of sense.
Unheard Of Thing
(Kldd Brewer In His 'Raleigh Roundup' Column)
Congressional Candidate Heinz Rollman told the State
Board of Elections that he had spent $42,000 In his efforts to
unseat Twelfth District Representative George Shuford.
Rollman has broken with tradition by apparently telling
the "truth and nothing but the truth" about his spendlngs.
That's an almost unheard of thing in these parts.
Up to now, the whole shebang about the amount of money
spent In North Carolina political races for 20 years has been
a joke and nothing but a joke.
The South is the last best hope for many of the noblest
aspirations of American culture. ? Greensboro Daily News.
Letters
(EDITOR'S NOTE: In an editorial last week, The Preaa
cited three pieces of local legislation, now on the statute
books, it said should be repealed: (a) a law exempting this
county from the state act authorizing the State Highway
Commission to forbid such things as automobile grave
yardb within 150 yards of a highway pavement; (b) a 1955
act voiding amy ballot in the election of a group of local
officials, like a town board, if the voter falls to vote for
as nuuny candidates as there are offices to be filled; (e) an
other 1955 act limiting voting in the Democratic primary
for state senator from this five-county district to those
living in the county whose turn it is to furnish the sen
ator.
1
The editorial suggested the voters in Saturday's second
primary would like to know how the two candidates for
representative stand on these local laws. And last Thurs
day identical letters were mailed by The Press to the two
candidates, Mr. G. L. Houk and Mr. JT. M. Raby, assuring
them of free space on this page to state their positions.
Mr. Raby's reply follows. No reply was received from Mr.
Houk.)
Mr. Raby Replies
Editor, The Press:
No. l Blocking the views on our main highways. This seems
to me to be a very peculiar situation and since I do not know
why Macon County is exempt from the State Highway Law on
this thing, I promise that, shall I be your representative in
the next General Assembly, I shall look into the cause for the
exemption with an eye to cleaning up of the highway. But
remember, not wholly to the loss of these junk dealers, but
that something may be worked out between them and the
State Highway Commission. No doubt, something needs to be
done soon and as things are worked out of much greater mag
nitude on our interstate highways, I see no reason why this
one cannot be worked out satisfactorily to all parties concern
ed. This being donp, we should have one law governing all
leading highways of our state.
No. 2 Local voting law. Well, we live and learn. But that
law has really got my goat, and not so much either, since I
see the enactment was 1955. I did not and do not know yet
how any voter can by law be forced to vote for or against any
candidate; if that be so, let us not boast of our very free
privilege at the polls. So from the face of this thing or a law
(if you wish to call it that) and without a lot of good sensible
explanation, I agree with the editor and say, repeal.
No. 3 Rotation of our state senators. I heard that rotation
law discussed in and around the Assembly of ,1953 until I got
terribly tired out. Some said let's do away with it and select
a man in the district to serve on and on, as he would be
worth so much more on committees, etc. Others said that
never would do, as so many were sent to both the House and
the Senate that were not fit to serve one term. So, from lis
tening to all their blarney, and from my own observations, I
can see no real need for rotation. But, should our district
think It best to keep it, I favor repeal of the one-county se
lection law of 1955, for I feel each voter should have the right
to help select in May the one he or she may help to elect in
November. X am only giving you my view of this matter, since
the final solution would have to be worked out by the repre
sentatives of our five-county senatorial district.
J. M. RAEY
'Even Calloused Knees'
Dear Macon Friends:
I have just returned from a trip to Rome, Italy. While there,
I saw all the more Interesting sights ? including Vatican City,
where the Pope made an appearance, the fountains, the Coli
seum, the catacombs, and the Tiber River, to name only a few.
One thing that did not appear on my travel guide, however,
was huge neon signs with the symbol of hammer and sickle
and underneath these words "Vote Communist". These signs
were hanging from buildings along the streets, and on the
corners Impressive folders were being handed out, even by
children, with all the "benefits" pictured along with the ad
vantages of the Communist Party.
We must never allow this to happen at home; if it takes
more education, better government, better civic organizations,
yes, and even more calloused knees and home altars, we must
acquire them.
Even in the Eternal City these godless people are not stand
ing by. Let us not, "do as the Romans do" ? let us ever be on
guard to accomplish and protect our mission, under God, of
peace in the world and freedom for all.
A/2c JOSEPH MOSES
New York, N. Y.
P. S. The Franklin Press is appreciated even more when one
Is away. Many thanks to the staff from one airman who ap
preciates you!
QOYEItNM EXT Oh UIH'S
FBI Admits To Wiretapping - And Wiretapping Is A Crime
, Washington Post
wircii roi Ln recuur *i. eiukdi
Hoover acknowledged in > filmed
television Interview that his bu
reau was operating 90 telephone
wiretaps across the country, he In
effect pleaded qullty to 90 viola
tions of Federal law. The tapping
at telephone wires is a crime. It Is
? crime whether done by private
detectives for purposes of black
?all or by the FBI for purposes,
aa Mr. Hoover put It. of keeping
take on "Internal security cases."
Omcrees. 193*. ao?ot*?1 the Feder
? i v-uinuiumcauuris Act wan a
section. 605, providing that . . .
no person not being authorized
by the sender shall Intercept any
communication and divulge or
publish the existence, contents,
substance, purport, effect, or
meaning of such Intercepted com
mur*.catton to any person. . . .
And when the Department of
Justice argued that this statute
applied only to private persons,
not to Government officers, the
Supreme Court ruled unequivo
cally in 1937 that ... the plain
words of 605 forbid anyone, unless
authorized by the sender, to Inter
cept a telephone message, and
direct In equally clear language
that no person shall divulge or
publish the message or Its sub
stance to any person.
The pretext on which the FBI
has violated the Federal Com
munications Act ever since Its
adoption Is that President Frank
lin Roosevelt, In 1941, when the
country was on the brink of war,
advocated legislation which would
authorize wiretapping In casts
Involving espionage or sabotage
against the United States. Such
legislation has been advocated In
session after session of Congress
But Congress has never adopted
It. Unless or until Congress In its
wisdom decides to change the
clear stipulations of the Federal
Communications Act, every wire
tap will be a Federal crime: and
it will remain a crime whether
authorized hy the Director of the
FBI. by the Attorney General or
even by the President of the
United States. This is a govern
ment of laws; and laws can be
made only by legislatures.
"What Has Become Of Our Little Boy Ike?"
The little toy dog ts covered with dust,
But sturdy and standi he stands;
And the little toy soldier is ltd with rust,
And his musket moulds in his hands~
? EUGENE FIELD
CRVSAtfe.
TELLS HISTORY, PURPOSES, NEEDS OF SCOUTING
By The Rev. John W. Tucker
The Boy Scout organization, in
a way, has a better chance of
developing responsible men for
our world than has the church,
the school, or parents. Of course,
all of these human organizations
are necessary. But frequently the
boy goes to church because of
family pressure. There are certain
ly few boys who would go to school
except for the state law which
makes it mandatory. And as for
our parents, we had no opportun
ity to choose them, either.
The opportunity in scouting is
that the boys flock to it because
it is a wonderful adventure, full
of play and laughter. A boy be
comes a scout because of the
sheer joy there is in it.
Scouting is certainly not the
panacea for juvenile deliquency
But for every boy who feels the
lure of backwoodsmen, explorers,
hunters, seamen, airmen, pioneers,
and frontiersmen, a community
should have a sufficient number
or civic-minded men who are will
ing to go into scouting ? men
who as they tramp along the
trails with the boys, are moulding
responsible men for tomorrow.
The scout learns first aid and
help to the injured. Then how to
save life in case of accident. And
from this, he develops a sense of
duty to others and responsibility
He learns by doing.
HISTORY of scouting
Scouting in this county was be
gun by Mr. Gilmer A. Jones, who
organized a group of boys for ac
tivities that were related to scout
ing as it is today. The group be
came the first troop in the coun
ty. The Rev. Jerome Pipes of St
Agnes Church and Jrtr. Gilmer h.
Crawford .continued the organiza
tion. Mr. J. D. Pranks and Mr.
Don Young, a forest ranger, car
ried the work on. The Rev. Frank
Bloxham was a great force in
scouting.
making it easy
TO DIVIDE THINGS
A marriage had gone on the
rocks and the couple were in court
seeking a divorce. The judge tried
a reconciliation, but both were
adamant.
"Well," said the jurist, "if you
are determined to break up the
marriage, everything you possess
will have to be divided equally."
"What about our three chil
dren?" asked the wife.
This stumped the judge mom
entarily , "We'll have to work
something out." he parried, "but
I repeat, everything you have will
have to be divided equally."
The wife looked at her husband
reflectively ? and came to a de
cision. "Cmon home, Henry," she
said. Then, turning to the Judge
she snapped; "But we'll be back
next year, judge ? with four chil
dren!"
? Don Bennett in Quote
CONSIDERATION FOR
GOD'S NAP-TIME
The little girls had just return
ed from a big birthday party,
tired out and sleepy. The young
est hopped into bed at once
"Say!" exclaimed her older sister,
aren t you going to say your
prayers?" The little one, who had
never been up so late, replied.
Oh no, certainly not. I wouldn't
think of waking God up at this
hour I "/
? N. C. Education
EDITOR'S NOTE
This is from a talk by Mr.
Tucker, assistant scoutmaster,
June 12, on the occasion of the
annual presentation of its char
ter to Boy Scout Troop 202 by
the Franklin Rotary Club, which
sponsors that troop.
The scouts used to meet in an
old building behind the Masonic
Hall, until it was torn down, and
Troop 1 moved to its present lo
cation in this building (the Slagle
Memorial), given by Mr. Burt
Slagle, whose son, Charles, was
an Eagle Scout.
Troop 1 has the distinction of
producing 23 Eagle Scouts.
The present status of scouting
is that Troop 1 Is now known as
Troop 202. This number was given
by the district to designate troops
in the district, rather than just
on the couny levels. This troop has
40 members.
OTHER TROOPS
The second troop in the city
was Troop 201, with 50 members.
Union community has a troop
with 15 members. Otto's trooo
numbers about 12. Carson and
Liberty communities have about
10 each. The Negro troop has dis
banded for lack of leadership.
Under the leadership of Carl Ty
singer, there is an Explorer Emer
gency crew. They met separately
and are indentlfied by a separate
patch on their uniform. They work
under Civil Defense and meet Fri
day nights at the fire house.
Explorers must pull out from
the regular troops by the first of
the year. If they want to stay
on in a troop, they can stay on
as senior scouts, but wearing
scout uniforms, not explorer uni
forms. If this Explorer group
separates from their regular
troops, this will mean the necessi
ty for more manpower to give
leadership and guidance. Some
one is needed to help keep manly
discipline, because they have their
own leaders.
NEED ADULT HELP
From sponsoring organizations,
there is needed an active troop
committee that can give time and
effort toward troop activities. For
example, there should be men
available to take the boys out on
10 overnight camps over the period
of the year, if the organization
is to be recognized.
There are other jobs that the
committee can do, such as ar
ranging transportation for activ
ities. Some of the men could help
with the bookkeeping and other
financial problems.
Scouting is governed by a dis
trict council, made up of Swain,
Jackson, and Macon counties,
known as the Smoky Mountain
Division. Mr. Boyd Sossamon, of
Sylva, is the district chairman.
The field executive is Mr. Francis
Pless, and he is the only paid
official. His pay comes from adult
contributions. The sponsoring or
ganization should train scoutmas
ters. because rotation of the jobs
is almost a necessity, not only
for the scoutmaster but also for
the scouts.
Each normal boy In this county,
who is drawn to the idea. of scout
ing, should have a chance to ex
perience the give-and-take of group
living and doing things that ap
peal to him . . . the chance to
develop himself Into a man ? fine
In character, healthy in body, skill
ful with his hands, and keen of
mind, ready to be a responsible
person . . . It's easier to get close
to a boy when he's tramping a
trail or cooking over a camp fire.
UNCLE ALEX'S
SAYIN'S
Violence, o' course, is bad. But
when a man says there ain't
nothin' he'll fight for, then he
ain't no man.
Women don't keep lookin' in
the mirror to see how good they
look. They keep lookin', hopin'
they'll find they don't look as
bad as they're afraid they will.
When a man goes to the
spring, he don't go to wash his
dirty face, but to get a drink
of water. And when he goes to
church, he don't go to be fussed
at, but to get refreshment, o*
the spirit.
DO YOU REMEMBER?
*
Looking Backward Through the Files of The Press
65 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
(1893)
Messrs. Kinsland and Berry, of Mills ho al, returning home
from the mountains Thursday, where they had been looking
after their stock, passed through town with a swarm of bees
in a sack.
Franklin seems to have taken on a strange fascination to
strangers ... to the great delight of our liverymen.
The Hlawassee Times has yielded up the ghost.
25 TEARS AGO
<1M3)
A number of relatives and friends of H. D. Dean gathered
at his home at Oak Grove Sunday, June 24, to celebrate his
72nd birthday anniversary.
Tomorrow is the last day for registration for the special
town election to be held July 11 to decide on the sale of the
municipal power plant to the Nantahala Power and Light
Company.
1* YEARS AGO
A test made a few days ago showed that the town will
obtain 45 to 50 gallons of water per minute from the deep
well being bored on the Dan Bryssn property in East Frank
lin, Mayor T. W. Angel, Jr., has announced.
The Cartoogechaye Men's Club observed its June meeting
with a picnic supper at Arrowood Olade Saturday.
The Franklin Junior Music Club will meet with Martha Ann
and Beverly Stockton at their home Tuesday afternoon.
Weimar Jones
St ri ct I y . . .
PERSONAL
There's nothing quite so fasci
nating to me as going to the post
office for the mail.
Mail is such an uncertain thing,
there's an air of mystery about
it ? of adventure; because it may
bring anything.
It may be the check you need
so badly; often an eagerly-looked
for letter; occasionally, a letter
or picture post card from a friend
you haven't seen in years; on
rare occasions, some startling
news, good or bad. And once in
a blue moon, the mail brings that
long hoped-for but never-really-ex
pected opportunity.
But. because going for the mail
always is an exciting gamble, you
must take a chance on suffering ,
that let-down feeling when you
look in your box and find it
empty ? nobody even thought
enough of you to send you a bill!
And to me. there's no place
quite as good to open and read
mall as the post office.
Maybe it's because, at the post
office, I'm In a mail atmosphere,
whereas if I wait till I get back
home or to the office, there are
other things to distract me. May
be it's a hold-over from my boy
hood.
In those days, the arrival of
the mail was an Important event
in the village of Franklin, and
everybody, it seemed to me, gath
ered in the post office lobby to
take out letters and newspapers,
as they were put in the boxes,
read them, and discuss then with
friends.
When the Tallulah Falls Rail
way, operating between Cornelia,
Oeorgia, and Franklin, was in its
heyday, there were two trains
daily, each way. I'm not sure
whether the late afternoon train
carried mall; but I do remember
that the early train brought the
bulk of the mall from the south.
It seemed to take a long time
to put that mail up, and usually
the post office lobby was full of
people.
In those days, the morning
Asheville Citizen didn't reach
Franklin until 7 or 8 o'clock in the
evening, so everybody subscribed
to and read Atlanta newspapers.
And the news in the day's At
lanta newspapers provoked ani
mated discussion and sometimes
heated arguments. Because, since
we read Georgia papers, we knew
far more about Georgia events,
and particularly Georgia politics,
than we did about the North
Carolina situation. North Carolina
east of Asheville, in fact, was
something like a foreign country.
Who was going to win the race
for governor of Georgia or for
U. S. senator? Or what did the
latest development in the current
crime mystery mean? Those were
the topics of post office lobby
conversation in Franklin then. i
After a long time, somebody
would call through their box (the
windows were always closed while
the mail was being put up) to
know "is everything up but the
circulars"? (yes, we had "junk
mall" then, too), and if the answer
was yes, the crowd would drift
out, often stopping on a street
corner to tell a friend about the
latest news from son John or
daughter Mary, who was away in
school; or to continue a discussion
of the news just read in the At
lanta morning paper.
Maybe it's the nostalgic memory
of those days that sends me to
the post office long before the
mail is up, that keeps me there .
till the last "call for parcel" card
has been put in the boxes, and
that makes it far more interesting
to read the newspapers there than
it is when I get back to the office
or go home.
? ? ?
This, it seems to me, was the
perfect retort:
Just before the May 31 primary
election, a voter looked up a long
time county official, who was seek
ing renomlnation, to tell him.
"I voted for you every time you
ran before, but, because you did
so-and-so. I certainly won't vote
for you this time."
To which the official replied:
"Well, I don't remember ever
asking you to vote for me."
Editor Isaac S. London, of the
Rockingham Post-Dispatch, recalls
"the story of the personnel man
ager of a large business firm who.
in sorting through forms filled out
by Job applicants, came across the
usual number of Baptists, Metho
dists, Roman Catholics, and so
forth, listed under 'church prefer
ence'. But one neatly lettered card
had bee h filled in by a young man
who had studied architecture in
college. His church preference
was 'Gothic'."
' That recalls a story told by
Macon native Don S. Elias. of
AshevlUe :
The young job applicant filled
out all spaces on his application
blank except that asking his
church preference. He left that
blank.
Looking over the application,
the personnel manager asked the
applicant didn't he have a church
preference.
"O, yes", he said, "I'm Presby
terian."
"Then why didn't you say so?"
"Well, Just to tell you the truth.
I wasn't sure how to spall 'Pres
byterian'."
"In that case, why didn't you
abbreviate It, Just put a 'P.'?"
"I started to do that, but I was (
afraid you might misunderstand;
you might think I was 'Piscopa
lian." ?