Page TWO
THE PILOT—Soulhern Pines, North Carolina
THURSDAY, MAY 31. 1956
Southern Pines
■LOT
North Carolina
“In taking over The Pilot no changes are contemplated. We will try to keep t^ a go<^
paper. We will try to make a little money for all concerned. Where toere seems ^ '
Sion to use our influence for the pubUc good we will try to do it. And we will treat everybody
alike.”—James Boyd, May 23, 1941.
Honor In Defeat
The defeat of C. B. Deane of Rockingham by
A. Paul Kitchin of Wadesboro in Saturday’s
Democratic primary deprives the 8th District
of a competent and conscientious Congressman.
There is some satisfaction—^but small comfort—
to Mr. Deane’s friends that both Southern Pines
precinct and Moore County cast a majority of
votes for him.
Deane ihipporters are justifiably bitter about
the manner of his defeat. It is ridiculous and
sad, not to mention frightening, that a Con
gressman with nearly a decade of loyal service
to his district and his party (his voting record
as a Democrat is one of the most complete and
consistent in the House) should be turned out
on one of the most fraudulent issues ever ad
vanced in a political campaign: that he did
not sign the “Southern Manifesto” that called
for reversal of the Supreme Court’s school seg
regation decision.
The issue was, pointless because the only
thing that Congress could do to change the
school segregation decision would be for two-
thirds of the House and Senate to propose a
constitutional amendment which would then
have to be ratified by three-fourths of the 48
states. There is not a Chinaman’s chance.that
such an amendment could be proposed or rati
fied.
Mr. Kitchin could do more for the cause of
racial segregation in the schools if he stayed in
Wadesboro than he can do in Washington. What
happens about school segregation will be de
termined on the local and state levels and in
the state and federal courts.
It was the race issue that beat C. B. Deane.
It is to Mr. Kitchin’s credit that he did not at
tack Mr. Deane personally and that, so far as
we know, the cruder forms of inciting racial
prejudice were not used.,But the fact remains
that C. B. Deane was beaten on a race issue,
just as Dr. Frank Graham was defeated on a
race issue in his primary campaign for the Sen
atorial nomination in 1950.
Whatever happened in the Kitchin campaign,
enough was said by his supporters so that a ,
remark like this could be made by an appar
ently sensible person in Southern Pines on
election day—and this is a verbatim quote: “I’m
not registered, but if I was I’d vote for Kitchin
because I don’t want my children to go to
school with colored children.”
What Paul Kitchin in Washington could do to
prevent integration or what C. B. Deane in
Washington could do to promote it remains a
mystery. But that is the way some folks were
talking on election day—enough of them, it de
veloped, to unseat one of the best Congressmen
the district has ever had—a man who was big
enough to see beyond his nose and realize the
harmful impact that such a document as the
Manifesto could have on the unity of the na
tion and on this nation in the eyes of the world.
For our part, we salute Mr. Deane for his
years of conscientious and effective service, for
his conviction that vast sums of money need
not and should not be spent in political cam
paigns and for standing by the courage of his
convictions on the Manifesto.
We are not among those who speak the word
"idealistic” with scorn. If Mr. Deane’s lack of
an expensive campaign organization contribu-
tbd to his defeat, we say that is to his credit.
This is a fitting time to note—and we direct
these words also at Mr. Deane’s successor in
the .8th District’s seat—that history has a way
of remembering men to whom idealism means
more than opportunism and who look beyond
the prejudice and pettiness of a certain hour,
day or year in time.
Regardless of what happened Saturday or
what the future holds for him personally, C. B.
Deane has won, we believe, a post of honor
among Southern leaders for his steadfast vision
his hewing to the line of “what is right”—in
a confused age when many of us in the South
are, it seems, seeing through a glass darkly.
Everybody Should Know Solicitation Law
Unfortunate experiences that Southern Pines
rseidents had last week with doof-to-door mag
azine salesmen from out of town reaffirm the
need for tlie local ordinance that prohibits this
kind of soliciting.
The incidents also mqke clear that the ordi
nance is of little use unless householders know
abQut it. A newcomer to Southern Pines, who
did not know about the solicitation law, was
the victim in one of the incidents turned up
here last week. This case featured not only a
phony sympathy story by the salesmen but
plain fraud: the subscription was taken to be
sent to an orphanage in South Carolina that
later proved to be non-existent.
How can newcomers be expected to know
that there is a law here that bans door-to-door
solicitation by out-of-town persons? The ef
fectiveness of the legislation is often lost be
cause not only newcomers but other residents
don’t know what legal protection they have.
Few persons would even let the salesmen get
started on their spiel if the householders knew
that the solicitors at their door were breaking
the law. ^
How should newcomers be made acquainted
with the laws of the town they have chosen to
live in-laws that affect them almost daily in
one way or another?
The town might print in booklet form a sum
mary of ordinances, like the solicitation law,
that newcomers should know about for their
own protection and welfare and so that they
will not unwittingly themselves violate any of
the laws of the community they have chosen
for home.
Such a booklet could be given to each new
family when 4he family’s name goes on town
records for water service. In rental property
where the tenant does not pay the water bill,
the landlord or apartment manager would like
ly be happy to distribute the booklet to new
tenants as a good will service.
Included in the booklet could be other infor
mation about the town such as holidays ob
served at town hall, a list of town officials and
department heads, meeting time of the town
council and traffic regulations.
Several of the town’s longer ordinances and
policy directives, kuch as '{he zoning laws, are
already in printed or mimeographed form for
distribution to interested persons. A newcomer
information booklet could list all such other or
dinances that are available to the public.
All town ordinances and policies have at one
time or another been printed in The Pilot, but
we confess that we can’t keep track of them or
put our hands on them when we want them in
a hurry. We don’t minimize this newspaper’s
responsibility to keep citizens informed about
such matters, but nobody knows better than
we do that today’s newspaper is tomorrow’s
trash. Few persons clip and file the type of in
formation of which we are writing.
For the immediate information of readers,
we are printing on this page the. text of
the solicitation ordinance. But we think this
law and other important information should
somehow be brought to everybody’s attention
preferably in a form that can be preserved
for reference when it, is needed.
College After-Thoughts
i
We have often thought of the sad plight of
the folks in Moore County, and there were
quite a few, who did not support the drive to
bring the Presbyterian College here because
they wanted it to be located at Flora Macdonald
in Red Springs. When it was decided to move
it down the road to Laurinburg, they must have
been even more upset than were all the rest of
the people who got left out.
A sensible editorial, published in the Nash
ville Graphic, expresses, we believe, a feeling
that is pretty widespread. This editorial was
written before the Methodist decision not to
move Louisburg College.
“Rocky Mount’s effort to secure a college,”
says the Graphic, “is commendable. An institu
tion of higher learning would mean much to
the cultural, social and economic life of the
city. But we hope the tremendous effort being
expended in the interest of locating a college
in Rocky Moimt can produce results without
the necessity of uprooting and moving historic
Louisburg College from our neighboring Frank
lin County town. . .
“Much has been said about ‘divine guidance’
in this business of moving church-related col
leges from one location to another, but a cynic
might well wonder whether the motivating
force behind the removal programs is the
Lord’s will or the high dollar. The Baptists
agreed to move Wake Forest College because of
the attraction of big money. Laurinburg’s offer
of three million dollars for the new consolida
ted Presbyterian .college looked better to that
denomination than smaller cash offers from
larger cities seeking/the school. Now the Meth
odists plan to locate at Rocky Mount apd Fay
etteville. Is it a matter of coincidence that these'
two cities are also making higher cash bids than
other cities which want colleges?
“There is nothing wrong, of course, with
raising money for such purposes. It takes
money to operate. colleges. And church leaders
must of necessity consider the financial aspect
of establishing a new school or moving an old
one. But is there any point in suggesting that
money is a secondary consideration in the re
moval of a college, if, in fact, it is the major
consideration? Would honesty be better served,
and would there be less suggestion of sham and
pretense, if church leaders who have authority
to move colleges would simply say: ‘We have
a college for sale. Who’ll make the highest cash
offer for it?’ ...”
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Another Test
Virginia Women Uniting In State-wide Drive
Roadside Beauty Gets Attention
Garden Clubs and individuals
in Southern Pines have made this
community more than ordinarily
conscious of beautification—the
attractive upkeep of yards, streets
and the general landscape. For a
resort town, this interest has prov
ed not only pleasant but practical:
through the years Southern Pines
has become known as “the pretti
est town in the State.”
Elsewhere in North Carolina,
indeed all over the nation, women
are waging an increasingly suc
cessful campaign for beautifica
tion of private and public proper
ty. In Virginia, a group of wom
en’s clubs—garden clubs and oth
er clubs—are extending this inter
est to roadside development all
over the state, as outlined in a
newspaper report that follows.
Local Interest
The. interest, of local garden
clubs in public or semi-public
place? is amply evident. We are
thinking of planting and landscap
ing around the schoob buildings of
East and West Southern Pines and
the joint interest of the Historical
Association and the garden clubs
in beautifying the grounds of the
Shaw House in Southern Pines,
and more recently, the grounds of
the Alston House in Deep River
township, now -an official State
historic site.
The recent successful effort by
garden club members to preserve
three fine old trees that were
slated for destruction at the site
of a supermarket parking lot here
is another example of the eager
ness with which women work for
the preservation of natural beauty
everywhere.
Following is the article about
the activities in Virginia:
By KATHERINE B. POZER
( In The Washington Post)
Women throughout America
have taken conservation and road
side beautification as two of their
leading interests. In many states
they have formed organizations to
work at local, state and nation
wide levels. These groups are im
pressive in their numbers and are
usually given consideration by
legislators when they appear to
support bills which will prevent
destruction of America’s beauty
and resources.
80,000 Members
The Associated Clubs of Vir
ginia for Roadside Development is
one of the. most active of these
groups. It has a membership of
80,000 women from all parts of
the state who belong to four ma
jor state organizations—the Fed
erated Home Demonstration
Clubs, Federated Women’s Clubs,
Federated Garden Clubs and the
Garden Club of Virginia.
It- asks that roadside landscap
ing—instead of being ignored——
should be considered along with
engineering and that importMce
be given items such as establish
ing turf Md ground covers along
with trees and shrubs to control
erosion and preserve the natural
beauty of the terrain.
It urges that trees along the
right-of-way should not be ruth
lessly cut but be preserved when
ever possible and, if removed, that
they should be replaced with ap
propriate trees in appropriate set
tings.
Further Objective
A further conservation objective
is that wooded areas along main
highways be acquired to a depth
of two hundred feet or more to
preserve native trees and shrubs,
tion in generM.
At the Assembly’s last session a
bill was passed increasing the size
that dogwood can be cut for com
mercial purposes.
A bill also was passed making
dumping of trash on the highways
a felony and liable to a $500 fine.
A recent achievement has been
the preservation of the beauty of
famed Goshen Pass by purchases
of extensive wooded areas.
'Litterbug' Drive
The “litterbug” campaign has
acquired nationwide attention
and community support. In many
states, we have met groups of
women working for the education
of the public on this important
question.
"Beauty Is Good Business" is a
slogan that is being widely used
Attention is called to the fact that
millions of dollars are spent by
states qach year in cleaning trash
from highways and stressing the
point that our highways are show
cases in every state for visiting
tourists,
sion.
In county, state and national
politics, their influence is being
felt and we feel that they have
well earned the title of “Second
Line of Defense” in America’s
conservation program.
Voting Machiiies
As hour after hour wore on
Saturday night, while the vote in
the big Southern Pines precinct
was being tallied) persons wait
ing for the returns agreed that
something must be done about
the situation.
Harsh words were directed at
the county commissioners for not
going along with the Town of
Southern Pines to share the cost
of renting or buying voting ma
chines which were used by the
town last year and which, we
understand, are reposing here
now in storage and could have
been used Saturday had the com
missioners authorized the plan
proposed to them by the Town.
The county fathers’ reason for
not going along in the use of the
machines was that if they put
them in one precinct they would
be bound to provide them for all
the 17 precincts.
We have never seen the logic
of this point of view because the
determining factor is need. Aber
deen is probably the only other
precinct where they would be
needed or wanted but even the
question of need is qualified by
the fact that the town here was
offering to share the cost.
Comparison
The county commissioners
aren’t afraid that other towns
will object because Southern
Pines and Pinehurst have ABC
stores while other towns do not,
one observer noted during a dis
cussion of voting machines at
the WEEB election party Satur
day night. So why should they
be sensitive about chipping in to
share the machines with South
ern Pines? Maybe no other pre
cinct wants them anyway.
Whatever happens. Southern
Pines ought to haye them. What
the counters at the fire station
have to go through now is noth
ing less than cruel and unusual
punishment.
Possibility
Unless voting machines are au
thorized for use in county and
state primaries and elections.
Southern Pines precinct should
be split up into two units. This
would help. And what’s happen
ed to the town’s study committee
that was appointed to look into
the whole question of precinct
lines, school district lines, town
ship lines, city lines and how they
overlap and might possibly be re
adjusted to make more sense
than they do? Such a study is a
big job and we can’t too much
blame procrastination on the part
of the committee—but, if ever
carried out, the study should pro
vide some interesting information
and maybe the raw material for
some readjustments.
Local Door-to-Door Selling
Law Backed By Top Court
The town’s ordinance banning
door-to-door selling in residential
sections—unless the seller has
been asked to visit a home—came
into the news last week in con
nection with itinerant magazine
subscription salesmen who used
apparently fraudulent claims,
bringing protests from some per
sons whom they had visited.
Law Quoted
The local ordinance was adopt
ed August 8, 1951, as an amend
ment to the town code with re
spect to public nuisances. The
board of commissioners, as the
governing body was called at that
time, ordained that:
“Section 14, Chapter J is
amended by striking out the
present section and inserting
in lieu thereof the following:
“Section 14. The practice of
going in and upon private
residences in the town of
Southern Pines, North Caro
lina, by solicitors, peddlers,
hawkers, itinerant merchants
or transient vendors of mer
chandise, books, periodicals,
magazines, pictures, prints
and-or photographs or makers
of photograph negatives, not
having been reqeusted or in
vited so to do by the owner
or owners, occupants or occu
pants of said private resi
dences, for the purpose of sol
iciting orders for the sale of
goods, wares, books, periodi
cals, magazines, pictures,
prints and merchandise and-
or disposiing of and-or ped
dling or hawking the same,
is declared to be a nuisance
and punishable as such nui
sance as a misdemeanor.”
Upheld by Court
This is the same law that was
upheld by the U. S. Supreme
Court in May of the year in
which it was adopted here. The
case reached the Supreme Court
on appeal through various courts
by a magazine salesman in Lou
isiana.
The law came to be known as
the ‘’Green River ordinance,”
this name coming from the town
of Green River, Wyo., where a
similar ordinance had been pass
ed in the 1930’s. But the effec
tiveness of the law had been in
doubt until the U. S. Supreme
Court’s decision.
In Southern Pines the August,
1951, law replaced an ordinance
which said that itinerant sales
men had to get permits from the
town before they could operate
here. It was the practice to m^e
these permits hard to get.
Didn't Stand Up
The former ordinance had fail
ed to stand up in Moore County
recorder’s court at Carthage a
few weeks before the new ordi
nance was adopted. It was this
failure and a number of com
plaints from householders about
door-to-door salesmen that led
the commissioners to investigate
and adopt a new ordinance that
would stand up in court.
In the case that the town lost
_ woman who sold a religious
publication door-to-door here and
had been arrested under the old
ordinance successfully won a not
guilty judgment with a defense
that invoked freedom of religion
and freedom of the press.
Only For Homes
It should be noted that the 1951
ordinance covers only solicita
tions made at residences, not
those made at places of business.
It was pointed out to the commis
sioners when the law was adopt
ed that a home is private and no
one has a right there who is un
known or uninvited by the own
er or occupant.
Hat Is Lifted
Party stalwarts of all factions,
die-hard and dyed in the wool,
gathered to watch the returns at
the WIEEB' studios in the Mac-
Kenzie Building Saturday; night.
Spirits ebbed and flowed with
the conflicting returns—in the
Deane-Kitchin race—first from
throughout the county and then
from over the state.
Most absurd incident of the
evening took place when a male
Deane supporter lifted the hat of
a female Kitchin supporter and
the latter sent for the police to
get it back.
So absorbed in the returns
were some of the persons present
that the hat incident, as well as
another Congressional race em-
broglio that has been variously
described as “patting” and “slap
ping,” took place without a gen
eral impression that anything
was amiss.
Arrival of officers to recover
the hat then produced quite a
sensation.
Is there a person living who,
when an officer approaches on gn
unknown errand, doesn’t ask
himself, “What have I done
now?” Fundamentalists must be
right in their assumption that
man is haunted by guilt from
cradle to grave.
The PILOT
Published Every Thursday by
THE PILOT, Incorporaled
Southern Pines, North Carolina
1941—JAMES BO'TD—1944
Katharine Boyd Editor
C. Benedict News Editor
Vance Derby Asst. News Editor
Dan S. Ray Gen. Mgr.
C. G. Council Advertising
Mary Scott Newton Business
Bessie Cameron Smith Society
Composing Room
Lochamy McLean, Dixie B. Ray,
Michael Valen, Jasper Swearingen
Thomas Mattocks.
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