North Carolina Newspapers

utyr IligljlattiUJ Hflarotttatt U'ElMJi; J ( ).\ 'F.S Editorial /'age 'Editor THURSDAY, JANUARY 28. 1960 A C ROWN PRINCE? Nixon Handicaps Whatever Richard M. Nixon's ability ? and he undoubtedly has ability ? and whatever his char acter ? and that may be debatable ? as of now, Mr. Nixon seems a shoo-in for the Presidency. Yet already, months before the national conven tions, the outlines of what may prove handicaps are beginning to emerge. In fact, some of the very things that now seem to make his election sure may prove to be weaknesses, could even be his undoing. First of all, things may have come too easy for Mr. Nixon. The American people like a fighter, and the fellow who gets what he wants without having to fight for it has no chance to show his mettle. They aren't going to want the Presidency handed Nixon or any other man on a silver platter ; they may not like his having the nomination handed him 1 on a silver platter. Then there's the related Nixon luck. Year after year, he's hail one good break after another; breaks that seemed .pure luck. Americans like suc cess; they are fascinated by the fellow who seems to have a charmed life. But that is true only up to a point. After that, the luck becomes suspect ; and the underdog sympathy that is characteristic of Americans is likely to go out to the fellow who hasn't been lucky ? to a fellow, say, like the bat tered Adlai Stevenson. The 1948 election illustrated how that can work. There's Nixon's shrewdness. Again, Americans like shrewdness ? but only to a point. A man can be too shrewd ; so shrewd he excites suspicion. On the surface. Nixon's settlement of the steel strike appears one of the shrewdest political moves in American history. Yet it could boomerang; it seems just a bit too pat. For the moment, it made everybody happy. Yet the common sense of Amer icans is likely to reject that sort of thing as just not happening in real life. That skeptical attitude could lead to the conclusion that, ultimately, soNne body is going to have to pay the extra billion dol lars the settlement cost ? and that that somebody might be the American people. Nixon's campaign could appear just a bit too well organized, his machine could operate just a shade too smoothly. Finally, there's a question of how the American people are going to react, between now and next November, to the1 crown prince method of naming a President. Never has a Yice President been so well a(id so long groomed to succeed to the Pres idency ; the illusion is even being created that Nix on already is President in everything but name, and that he really would be merely succeeding himself. That's wonderful psychology ? if it works. But it could prove fatal. The Nixon luck may hold. The Nixon shrewdness may not be overdone. The voters may cheer the crown prince succeeding to the throne. But none of those is a foregone conclusion. Be cause the American voter is historically an unpre dictable quantity. A Wet Year? The weather is a subject of never-ending interest, a perennial topic of conversation. Often we talk about it, even argue about it, without having specific facts to go on. That is especially true when we compare this month with last 111011th, or this year with last year. We "think" it's been unusually cold or unusually hot or un usually dry or unusually wet ; but often we don't really know. Last year, for instance, there were many who insisted we were having an extraonlinarv amount of . rain. Others w\ere < j ti i t c as sure it just "seemed" to be raining more than usual: "it always rains a lot here in the mountains", thev. explained. . 1 1 ' " ? ? ? Well, TYA has come forward with figures to settle the argument. It was a wet yeiir. ' In that portion of the Tennessee Valley east of Chattanooga ? the portion that contains Macon County ? TVA reports that the average annual rainfall, over a long period of years, is, 5.1 inches. ''In 1V59, it exceeded the average by nearly three inches; the total for last year was 53. <S inches. Ijifty-three inches, incidentally, is a lot of rain. ^Sortie areas would give almost anything they pos sess for .sin h a wealth of precipitation.) It takes a considerable rain to register an inch, a downpour 10 measure two inches. Vet last year our average was slightly more than an inch a week. IN ICY FINGERS ? Thousands of tourists view Bridal Veil Falls in summer. Few ever see it like this. Yet a waterfall that is frozen is only one of the distinctively winter beauties of the mountains. Less spectacular, but almost as surprising, is to come suddenly upon a fine vista that, in summer, was hidden by the foliage. Myths Exploded The make-up of the new hoard <if directors of the Franklin Chamber of Commerce, which is now . taking over, casts lij^ht on two points that, though they are only indirectly related to thamber of com 'merce activities, are highly significant. For the personnel of the new board effectively explodes two hoary local myths. The first myth has had it that Franklin gives grudging recognition to newcomers ; that you have to have been born here to get anywhere in Frank lin. Yet, of the seven members of the new board, only two are Macon natives! "There are no business opportunities here", has been the chorus of the second myth. "A young man must go elsewhere, if he is to have a chance to get ahead." Yet here arc seven men, all relatively young, who have done well in business in Macon County. Five of the seven, in fact, now have their own businesses. Which Party Now? (Windsor, Colo., Beacon) The Secretary of Labor sat between the leaders of the steel workers union and spokesman for the companies. The former had obtained nearly every demand he'd aaked for; the latter, - nothing. This was the "compromise" which, according to sec retary Mitchell, was brought about by vice president Nixon. , Such an act leaves the people worse off than ever before, in the sense of needing two political parties. Those of us who'd like to see labor slowed down somewhat ? which party do we take now? And businessmen, who've always seen to it that the Republicans had several times as much campaign cash as their opposition? whose campaigns will they now finance? The steel Industries expected a boost from the G.O.P.; instead, they got a knife in the back. All this tragicomedy, simply to build up the next Republican candidate, and bring before the people the possibility of James Mitchell as Nixon's running mate. Why else would a vice-president even be present at a labor-management meet ing? Why else would Mitchell say, ' Without Nixon, this strike would still be on"? It Is Time, And Late . . . (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) The proposals for elimination of certain feather-bedding practices which the Association of American Railroads has made to the railroad brotherhoods seem to us both reason able and modest. They would end such obsolete practices, based on the train speeds of 40 years ago, as requiring six engine crews between Richmond and Miami and paying them 20.9 days' pay for an l8-hour-and-40-minute run. Useless employes would be eliminated ? firemen on diesel freight and yard engines, and phantom operators of self-pro pelled equipment used in maintaining, inspecting and repair ing track. Arbitrary compartmentaUzatlon of yard and road work would be ended ? such as payment of an extra day's wages to road freight ? engine crews for turning their engine round before delivering It to another crew. There may have been a little justification for these and other make-work rules back In the days when 100 or 150 miles approximated a day's run, and when rail traffic was booming. There is none In this day when the railroads are fighting for their lives, and when American business generally is being hampered in export competition by featherbed ding and every other inflationary cost In production. It is time, and late, for the railroad brotherhoods to cease blindly de fending their status quo and start talking realistically about ways to Improve the productivity of an industry Whose vigor and health concern them quite as much as they concern management. Perspective i (Wall Street Journal) "Racial amity" is one of those phrases that is so relative It ? means all things to all men. Americans hear a lot about the lack of it in the United States, especially In views of visitors from overseas, many of whom have no conception of what Is ' Involved In achieving it. But recently there was a statement from a foreign visitor who does know something about racial frictions, President Sekou Toure of the African R -public of Guinea. After a visit to the U. S., which included ^ch cities as New York City and Durham, N. C., he stated his favorable surprise at relations between the races here. The "international press," he said, has "pointed out quite a lot of difficulties in relations be tween black and white." And he was Interested and pleased that there was another side which he had discovered first hand. It is fair to say there Is not as much "racial amity" in this country as most Americans would want, disagree as they may as to what means are to be employed to get it. But President Toure has done something that even most Americans cannot do. He has seen the whole matter in perspective, and put it . there, instead of dealing in isolated instances of violence, on both sides, which to many Americans as well as foreigners ? stand for. race relations in the United States. DO YOU REMEMBER? Looking Backward Through the Files ot The Press 65 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (1895) Dan Lyle went over to Webster Saturday to attend the meet ing of the district stewards. Capt. A. P. Munday, of Aquone, has been circulating among his Franklin friends several days of the past week. Married Wednesday, January 16, John Kinsland and Peggy Higdon, Rev. O. A. Bartlett officiating. Jarrett's have given W. F. Barns the contract to furnish the front columns of their new hotel out of Maoon County granite, instead of iron. 35 YEARS AGO (19Z5) Within "the next few days work will begin on the High School's Athletic Field. Located to the rear of the school building, the field was donated to the High School by Mr. M. E. Cozad, to be used for outdoor sports, Mr. Cozad being a great lover of athletics. Mr. Jack Sherrill and family have moved into the Sam Franks home on Main Street, near the home of Mr. T. J. Johnston. 15 YEARS AGO (1945) Officials of the Bank of Franklin have been elected as fol lows: Dr. W. A. Rogers, president; Mark L. Dowdle, vice presi dent; Henry W. Cabe, cashier; George Dean, assistant cashier; and C. Frank Moody, Fred L. Arnold, Grover Jamison, Sr., and Richard 3. Jones, directors. 5 YEARS AGO (1955) Backed by snow and dipping temperatures, Winter kept a firm headlock on Macon County during the week. A low of 14 was registered here yesterday. 'LUCKY DICK" Bulldozer - Like Drive, Delicated Synchronized, Back Of Nixon WILLIAM S. WHITE In Atlanta Constitution WASHINGTON? Formidable is the word for the massive and many-sided push the Republicans are now opening foi; the election of Vice President Nixon as the next president of the United States. It Is as powerful as a bull dozer at full throttle. It is as synchronized as the finest watch. It is the most professionally competent operation seen in Wash ington in a long, long time. Few detached observers here ? and few Democrats, too, in their private thoughts ? have any re maining doubt that Nixon will be extremely hard to beat. Simple luck, as has been the cslse over and over in his career. Is one factor. He Is the practically un challenged heir to the Republican nomination ? but for the small gleam of hope for a convention draft that still lies in the eye of Gov. Rockefeller of New York. Then, as President Eisenhower's more or less ordained successor, Nixon is in a most happy position. He can accept all that Is helpful in this relationship. And very probably he can avoid most of any part of that relationship which may seem harmful by elec tion day next November. But beyond all this there is an elaborate, smooth, clicking plan of battle to exploit every ounce of the prestige of Nixon's present position. Actually, the effort is to make him seem almost to be presi dent already. 1. Nixon is presented as the principal author of the steel strike settlement ? and, to a large de gree, so he was. That settlement has undeniable inflationary pos sibilities on which the Republicans understandably do not care to dwell. But it also avoids having to face up to new and controversial labor legislation in an , election year. On the whole, it pleases man agement. And management, it fhould not be forgotten, is still the heart and mind of the GOP not to mention the main source of campaign money. And though none of the fundamental labor management Issues in steel is solved, the Nixon formula at least puts off the showdown until after the campaign is over. 2. Some of President Eisen hower's own most intimate associ ates, his cabinet officers, are now openly reporting to the vice presi dent as well as to the President. Secretary of Labor Mitchell has long done so. Arthur Flemming, secretary of health, education and welfare, is among other Cabinet members joining this parade. Finally, the Republican Nation al Committee had to act with some show of neutrality while Nixon was still being opposed by Rockefeller. But It is now able frankly to cast all its heavy re sources Into the Nixon build-up and into an accompanying cam paign to try to elect a pro-Nixon Congress. Put it all together and what does it spell? It itieans that no man not already in the presidency ever had so big a drive going in his behalf. Knows What He Wants (EDITOR'S NOTE: Mr. Nis bet, author of the article bolow. is the Raleigh correspondent of a group of North Carolina after noon newspapers.) By LYNN NISBET Heinz Rollman is a relative new comer to North Carolina politics Mid is a disturbing influence to the old guard In both parties. He Is an independent Individualist who knows what he wants and consults nobody about the best way to achieve his goal. He wants ei seat in the national House of Representative*. He doesn't want to be Governor of North Carolnla ar President of the United States. He wants to be the. congressman from the 12th district of North Carolina. He entered the Democratic pri mary in that district in 1958 but could not bump off Congressman CJtorge Shuford. When Shuford resigned as a candidate after the primary. Rollman hoped to get the nomination from the execu tive committee. The nomination went to Dave Hall. Some months later Rollman renounced affilia tion with the Democratic party, registered as a Republican and has already paid the filing fee as a Republican candidate for Con gress from the 12th district. He expects opposition in the primary, and more vigorous opposition by the Democratic nominee in the general election next November ? but he expetts to win both bouts. He had a dinner party at his home in Waynesville January 9, which this reporter attended along \jrith a dozen or so other newsmen ? mostly from the 12th district. He was a genial host and he lived up to the promise in the in vitation that in the post-dinner conference no questions would be barred and all answers would be for the record. The conference presented an interesting study in political sagacity and political naivete. He knows where he wants to go, and he has planned his course to get there ? but in many instances without any considera tion for North Carolina practice or North Carolina laws about par ticipation fn nominating primar ies. The fact that Rollman chaneod party affiliation from Democratic to Republican emphasizes his lack of appreciation or respect for party responsibility. Nobody who hears him talk can doubt his sin cerity of desire to contribute some thing to the American way of life by service in the Congress. Nor can there be any doubt that his whole idea is that Heinz Rollman as an Individual, not as a Demo crat or a Republican, governs his political attitude. As a candidate fcr the Demo cratic nomination two years ago he reported spending more than $50,000, the highest spending ever, reported, though not perhaps tbs> most ever spent, in a congression al primary campaign in North Carolina. He says he expects to spend between seven and eight, thousand dollars in the upcoming Republican primary. But ? he also said he had prepared advertise ments for newspapers and radio and television to go through the General election campaign, which he confidently expects to be in. The Rollman approach is an in novation In North Carolina poli tics. Party lines have generally controlled voting In this stat^. Sure it is that in some cases, like Charles Raper Jonas in the 10th district, a Republican candidate was elected to Congress by votes of registered Democrats. Jonas and his family are indigenous 'to North Carolina and ancestrally have been affiliated with the Republican party. Through good times and bad they have not chanced party affiliation for im mediate or temporary political ad vantages. Outside the realm of practical politics where he seems naive, the weathly shoe manufacturer of Waynesville has an economic-social philosophy which malcee a lot of sense. An immigrant German-Jew who found and capitalized on op portunities In this country, he is vigorously opposed to the attitude of NAACP and other organized champions (?) of racial and re ligious minorities. He holds that enforced integration is unfair to minority groups. Racial, religious and social animosities are contagious, he says. He is sure In his own mind that the current resurgence of anti-Semitism and neo-Nazism was inspired by Moscow, and in its early stages financed by the In ternational Communist organiza tion. He also thinks it didn't cojt the Communists very much, be cause they had to hire only the first two or three operators. After the game started there were enough low mentality followers to carry it on, most of them without realization of what they were doing. The conference with Heinz Roll man was enlightening and instruc tive. In a way it is typical of the general trend away from the traditional American concept of organized or group responsibility and toward the idea that the man is more important than any political party. It may be significant that such argument is emphasized by minor ity groups which seek to impose their will over majority opinion as represented by popular vote. Majorities usually are willing to go along with established practice. Three Great Inventions CAROLINA ISRAELITE ? J| Missiles and sputniks and : electronic devices are impres- 1 sive but they are not the great ' inventions of the twentieth cen tury. The three grat inventions of the twentieth century are band-aids, movies and scotch tape. i Missiles and sputniks and electronic devices are impressive but will not necessarily improve the human lot. Only seven men are being tested to go fly into space and of these seven only one will venture Into the uni verse. The transistor radio will neither abolish payola nor Im prove programming. It is in these areas that life is improv ed. > ? But band-aids, movies and scotch tape involve all of hu manity every second of the day. They have measurably improv ed life and they have enriched leisure. LOOK OUT FOR . . . The Willapus-Wallapus CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR In Lexington, Kentucky, city officials were puzzled when they came across an ordinance of 50 years ago authorizing re pairs on "the willapus-walla pus" at an expense of $85. Fi nally an engineer was found who remembered that "willa pus-wallapus" was an old-time name for a steam roller. If the name sounds archaic these days, the object is prac tically obsolete. What the prov erbial "man in the street" calls a steam roller nowadays is al most certain to be powered by a gasoline or diesel engine or some newer means of propul sion. (Someday there may be atomic units of that size ? or road rollers of atomic size.) So the proper term is "power roll er." But there Is one realm whenS the "steam roller" will never go out of vogue, or at least not for a long time. That is in poli tics. With presidential, congres sional, and state elections com ing up next year, if some can didate or faction does not get flattened by "a steam roller," we shall very much miss our guess. So here goes "willapus wallapus" into the file for ref erence next September. If we can only find it then. NEVER GET IT The Pavement Butchers LENOIR NEWS-TOPIC You get a nice feeling when, one day, the street and highway people show up with asphalt equipment, streamroller, etc., and start fixing some chewed-up, bumpy piece of road that's plagued you for months or years. A happy day it is when they move off, leaving a smooth black ribbon to ride upon. It's a sheer delight, and you want to write a complimentary note to the high way department. But experience has taught you that you'd better enjoy that smooth, floating sensation while you can. It won't last too long. The pavement butchers will see to that. Their purposes are many. They may be laying a gas line, a water line, a sewer, who knows? Whatever It Is, they'll cut a big gash In that brand new roadway. Temporarily, you'll swing around it, or go climbing .over boards. Then comes that moment when the Interlopers are done. Do they restore the original, almost glass like surface? They do not. It's against their rules, obvious ly, to use the same materials as are used in the original pavement. They look for rougher stuff. And the technical problem of making a patch level with the rest of tije road escapes them totally. As long as we've had roads, they've been fumbling around. Guess they'll never get It.