North Carolina Newspapers

Page TWO THE PILOT—Southern Pines. North Carolina THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 27. 1956 ■LOT Southern Pines North Carolina “In taking over The Pilot no changes are contemplated. We will ^ paper. We will try to make a little money for all concerned. Where there s everybody 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. Triple Play In Cooperation is the keyword in any commu nity whether it be village, town, or big city: cooperation for the greatest good of the whole. What promises to be a good example of this axiom seems to be taking place as regards the widening and beautification of West Pennsyl vania Avenue, the new gateway to Southern Pines. Following the widely expressed wishes of the townspeople, individuals and garden clubs, as well as their own inclinations as the men responsible for the town’s welfare, the Council is doing its utmost to complete this project in the best possible way. And it should be stated as definitely that the road people are also helping in this triple-cooperation play. The undertaking is not a simple one. Con struction of the bridge and then of the roads linking the avenue with the new bypass neces sitate re-grading of the avenue itself. It is also to be widened to the width of the Bennett to Broad Street block: banks will have to be cut in one place and, we understand, built up in others, as the drainage problem on the hillside Cooperation is very great. That some trees will have to be removed seems inevitable. But, and here is where these various parties to the project are ^ working, it looks as if it would be possible to save most of the finest. This will, of course, give a very big head start—a fifty to seventy-five-year headstart, to guess the age of the trees—in the beautification of the avenue, a veritable “must” in town plan ning, in order that this new entrance may be one to attract people this way. For, with the change from beautiful tree-planted May Street to the new bypass, in the transformation of Route 1, while the gain to the town is great in many respects, there is also the striking loss of a “front window” on Southern Pines which had won fame for this town all over the country. We will not, of course, lose the old road; May Street will still be there, but it looks as if, through the hard work and intelligent cooper ation of officials and citizens, the new front window may also be a fine approach to our town. Old Bethesda Welcomes The Clans This coming Sunday will see the annual Home Coming gathering at Old Bethesda Church. Folks of Scottish descent, which means at least every other person in Moore County, will be looknig towards Old Bethesda, and many of them journeying there, while the entire con gregation will, as always, be on hand. Presum ably there will be nary a right guid willie- waught going the rounds, but many a trusty handclasp will be exchanged on the day that brings the people of Old Bethesda together. The Home Coming is a sort of combination clan gathering and church reunion. Whether or not this joint affair is unique with North Caro lina Scots we cannot say. If so, it is a credit to their ingenuity as Scots and Presbyterians to have invented something that so combines the clan virtues of love and loyalty to family and friends, reverence for the past, the groaning board of Southern hospitality, and an eagerness to sit on spare and upright benches and be preached over and lectured at. To reassure the uninitiated it might be pointed out that the groaning board comes in between the preaching and the speaking and that the Flora Macdonald College girls usually sing like angels the music of Bach and Pales trina and generally a Scots air or two. There are also good tunes from the local choir as well as the old hymns where everybody can let go. Furthermore, it’s a day that has generally been favored with a blue sky and a golden look over everything. The leaves will have dropped a bit, but not much. The branches of the big trees will still be casting their fretted shadows on the walls of the old white church. Inside there will likely be fall chrysanthemums glowing before the high reading desk, sending forth their spicey fragrance on the air. There are always some notables there. There will be very old gentlemen and ladies happy to tell tales of the past, and a little court about each one, happy to listen. There will be the historians and antiquarians of this and other counties; often a| visiting writer or a professor or two. Last year there were several fine gen tlemen in kilts, members of Clan Macdonald. They were very handsome indeed with their gay tartan and bonnets and flashing buckles and more than one local Scot’s face assumed a greenish tinge with the envy that ate into his bones. It will be interesting this year to see how many of those who muttered “Sure goin to get me a kilt next year” had the courage of their convictions. For it cannot be denied that wearing the kilt takes a bit of courage—though who are we to set the courage of a Moore County Scot below that of any other man. Home Coming is a great institution. More power to it and to the Scots who made it and still make it possible, whose love of their Scot tish homeland has been transported and renew ed in their native America. “Breathes there the man with soul so dead Who never to himself hath said;^^ This is my own, my native land?” Music is an international language. The fact has been often noted, but no experience could more forcefully demonstrate it than that of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra’s tour of Russia. The reception this great orchestra re ceived was overwhelming. Even Soviet news papermen, who have been consistently violent in attacks on the United States, praised to the skies the orchestra and the land from whence it came. This is the sort of thing that should have been started years ago. It would have been, had it not been for the atmosphere of suspicion and fear fostered by McCarthy and the Repub lican party against the Democratic administra tion. Those were the days when the Repub licans were raising the roof with their slogan of “Communists in government.” McCarthy was in full swing and the Democratic adminis tration was virtually a prisoner when it came to doing anything that might by any stretch of the imagination be called friendship with Russia. The idea of “musical ambassadors” was only one, and a comparatively unimportant one, of many projects sidetracked because of political opposition. Why is it that President Eisenhower can now do what President Truman would have been called a Red for doing? Republicans will doubtless claim that it is because the nation trusts President Eisenhower Democrats To The Rescue as it did not trust President Truman. There is justification for the statement but not too much. For Eisenhower took no action against the sen ator from Wisconsin and did nothing to curb the smear tactics of the irresponsible, oppor tunist politicians in his own party. McCarthy was too dangerous and Nixon, Brownell, Hall, Dewey et al were “Ike’s boys,” and running things. The fellow with the open mind might well direct it at this fact; that it was not until the Democrats’ Congressional victory of ’54 that McCarthyism really faded out and it was not until then that the isolationist Republicans really faded, too, and the Eisenhower program started to roll. That it is the Democratic pro gram doesn’t make this fact less humanly exas perating to Democrats, however satisfying it is to them as Americans. But the record shows that Stevenson was right when he remarked that Eisenhower had needed a Democratic Con gress as much as he himself would if elected. The fellow with the open mind might think of all this and then ask himself the question: Of the two political parties, which seems to him the most patriotic; the Republican Party, which for political reasons prevented the Democrats from doing what ought to have been done, or the Democratic Party which, though aware it would strengthen his chances for re- election, put country ahead of party and gave the Republican president the help he needed to put his program through? Bovs, Bis And Little, Have A Care ! _ Sr - . <»i« 'UnvTi-v +Vi£i +V\i'ncf +VtQ Last Saturday a smoke bomb was set off in the big field north of Connecticut Avenue as it runs along the ridge of Weymouth Heights. It sent up a great cloud of greenish, evil smelling smoke that soon subsided, but it also started a fire in the dry grass and pine straw. The fact that someone saw it and put it out in doublequick time may have saved a major disaster. How did a smoke bomb get there? We wouldn’t know; nor who set it off. We could guess, though. Some little boy either picked one up following a parachute maneuver, or was given one by a soldier-father, friend-of- father, or just casual G. I. being nice to a little boy. It’s not unnatural, all’round, to think what fun and excitement a little boy could have with a smoke bomb. In this case the Iieat from the container “Stevenson, Quarterback—Kefanver. Fullback- Truman, Drawback—” \ 19'5'6 democratic SQUAB ’FOSTER V Crains of Sand rH—HVS<|I01=S, BIG MONEY TALKS BIG The Heard Report On Campaign Funds Give It A Name We note that the new town building if and when and where and ' even what—is being given different tj,tles in conver- ^ sation or writing.’ Some call it “town hall”; some say “town of fices”; some up it to the rank of “municipal center.” GRAINS is moved to enter the field with some minor specula tion on the subject. It might even be a constructive effort, for sure ly it would be a step ahead if we could at least agree on what the place is to be called. Might even i help the council and architect in ' their valiant struggle to suit the tastes of every Tori^ Dick, and Harry, not to mention Grace, Jean, Kate, Bunny, and Kitty, ad infinitum, in town. Of the names mentioned above we favor “town hall.” (For one thing, folks, it fits nicely into a headline.) “Town hall” carries on the New England tradition under i which this town was founded. It harks back to the town meeting, one of the most finely democratic affairs a nation ever invented. And that town meeting angle fits, too, for a populace that is as independent and as opinionated —or shall we just say “ornery”? —as any we’ve ever heard of. At the same time, there’s no missing the dignity of the title. It has a stately sound with “justice” and ' “liberty” and “honor’ mixed up in it. You feel that good things are bound to happen in town halls. Contrast the words with “mu nicipal center.’ There’s a prissy, messy title for you! Those I-s and that C-P-C combination—a lispy, airy-fairy, nose-in-ttie-air, efficiency-expert sound. Now some folks may like the word “center” instead of “hall.” We have to admit that it’s stretching things to call a com bined town office, fire house, po lice station, jail, coiurt-room and so on, a hall. “Center” would be all-inclusive. And after all there’s no telling what more may need to be included before we At the Democratic campaign dinner in Carthage Monday night, the speaker, Terry San ford, urged his hearers to work for the small contributions. “We Democrats,” he said, ‘have always been the party of the, people: all the people. While the Republicans have had the support of the big corporations, with contributions to their cause coming in large amounts, the Democrats have piled up their campaign funds through the in terest and sacrifice of indivi duals.” This contention is upheld to _ certain extent only in a study of the sources of campaign funds recently completed at the Uni versity of North Carolina, by Prof. Alexander Heard. While showing that, in general. Demo cratic contributions have come from more individuals than Re publican funds, and that the Democratic campaign funds have never attained the fabulous pro portions of the Republican cam paign chests, the study shows that the Democrats have depend ed also on the big givers. Says the study: “the net conse quence is vastly larger represen tation of vested financial inter ests than contemplated by the equalitarian democratic theory.” Delved Into Records Mr. Heard started his study by spotting his assistants in various parts of the country to concen trate on getting, from election records, and by other means, all the information they could about past and current campaign prac tices. ThWe was, inevitably, much reluctance among officials to disclose all the facts (as there were, we guess, a good many un- disclosable facts). It took consid erable prying and detective work must have been the thing that ignited the grass within a few yards of the great acreage of valuable timber, one of the show places of the community. The possible result is not fun to think about and it seems as if such a possible outcome to the fun might have occurred to some one of the parties to the affair. This is one more in a list of mischief-making pranks which have resulted, or might easily have resulted, in serious damage. In most cases boys, young or middling, are known to have been involved and, generally, boys who knew better. There is a touch of irresponsibility here that is a cause for concern. Immediate moral: Big Boys, (fathers, soldiers, or whoever) don’t give little boys smoke bombs or any other potentially inflammable stuff. Little Boys, remember your Boy Scout, for estry, and citizenship rules and don’t set fire to ANYTHING. and persistence to get what the group was after. But this study has now been brought forward and is receiving much acclaim. It is being widely hailed for its objectivity and thoroughness and Mr. Heard himself has recently been testifying before a govern ment committee investigating campaign expenditures which has the professed object of work ing out some way to reduce this largely useless and clearly de moralizing drain on the nation. We say “largely useless” for while a certain amount of money will be needed to present candi dates and platforms to the peo ple, the rivalry that/now runs amuck is certainly, as the study says: “very different from any thing contemplated in ''equali tarian democratic theory’.” In a review of the book pub lished in the Christian Science Monitor, a few points are singled out for special comment. For in stance: “Of 27 noncareer appointees as Chiefs of United States Diplo matic Missions on July 1, 1952, at least 13 were filled by con tributors of $500 or more—and all were Democrats. B*ut on Oct, 1, 1953, out of 30 others at least 12 had contributed a similar sum —but now all but one were Re publicans.” How Lobbyists Do The value of “access” is in creasingly recognized by lobby ists. Campaign contributions are now standard equipment. The analysis found no individual donations by trustees or directors of farm, veteran, or labor lobby outfits, but listed many from the board members of business as sociations. An example: In 1952 the roster of officials of the American Petroleum Institute showed many individual contri butors, the report states, when “the disposition of offshore oil rights was a principal issue in the campaign.” “Contributions of lobbyists know no party lines. Some con tribute to both parties. Political ly connected lawyers, especially, use contributions to keep in touch with the party in power,” the report continues. “One in dividual was found who had al ternated four times between the two Rational committees in a space of seven years.” Says the report: “another big factor is corporate political par ticipation through the contribu tions of officers and directors. An instance: The four American firms most closely involved in the controversy over an import levy on Swiss watches all had officials who made contribu tions.” W asteful—Risky: Two points seem to be empha sized in the report: one, that rivalry for funds is costing the public a fearful ^ount of money; the second that “money talks,” from start to finish. Big Money means Big Influence, there’s no getting around it. The report quotes “a man with White House experience” as saying; ‘The character of an administra tion is set by the network of peo ple who raise the Party’s funds. Locate the chief fund-raiser and you locate political power. That’s something that bears thinking about. And doing about That’s why Terry Sanford’s idea that the Democrats should go for the number of contributions rather than the size of them is a good idea. Or it would be aU right if everybody else would do the same. get thrdugh. We have the disagreeable vision of a compromise staring ^ us in the face. Something goes against the GRAINS more than The Public Speaking The Town Hall Question A neighbor and good friend of the town does a little kibitzing on the question of the new town building, thereby leading the way. it is hoped, in a “Public Speaking’- discussion of this important mat ter. The Editor: Although I haven’t a thing to do with it, it is gratifying to read that there were many objections to the design of the new Town Hall—woops!—Municipal Center. Through the fine judgment of the people of Southern Pines, and the admirable taste of Mr. Yeo mans and Aymar Embury, I don’t believe there is a town in the state with more purely beautiful houses, both residential and com mercial. The same style was for tunately used in the new school buildings, and most of the new houses in Weymouth are in har mony with their neighbors, mak ing it a real pleasure to ramble around up there. I I am entirely at a loss to under stand how people can be persuad ed that the monstrosities falling under the term “contemporary ar chitecture” are anything more than cow-sheds, topped with a carload of brick. It certainly re quires neither skill nor art to “de sign” such a structure, and their inherent structural faults are so plainly seen that it is not neces sary to point them out. Even Frank Lloyd Wright has disowned the perpetrators of contemporary architecture in America, and that estimable gentleman is himself no amateur when it comes to screwy designs. Such a design in a development devoted entirely to that style would be bad enough. To place it in the center of the town, across from Mr. Embury’s beautiful post office, and the more beautiful li brary building, is, to say the least, in exceedingly bad taste. I hope Southern Pines wiU not be satisfied with some minor mod ification of this plan. It should be redesigned from the ground up. Frankly, I question if the young crop of architects in North Caro lina are the ones for this job. The “School of Design” at State Col lege is undoubtedly the most im practical and visionary collection of men in the state. Don’t let them do this to you. Southern Pines I INTERESTED VISITOR. a little. Heck, why not go ahead and call it “town center.” It’s not so handsome and so ringing a name, but it does cover the situ ation, come what may. Old Timer Shows Up At the Stevenson rally at Fair fax two weeks ago, an old-timer of these parts showed up. His name was John WSlbur Jenkins. He was a little old gentleman and he stood a bit off from the crowd, on the steps of a big house where he could get a gopd view. He looked a bit wistfully out over the milling noisy gath ering. It turned out that not only had he known John T. Patrick, founding father of Southern Pines well, but also the Tufts Z' family, Rassie Wicker, and many other notables of these parts. Also, he told GRAINS, he had been in those days editor of the Charlotte News and later, of The Raleigh Times. He recalled this newspaper, “kind of,” he said. But whether the “kind of’ was due to advanced years or non existence of The Pilot whenever it was that Mr. Jenkins knew ^ the Sandhills, we could not quite make out. Mr. Jenkins now lives at 4359 Lee Highway, Arlington, Va. We told him he’d made a great mis take to leave North Carolina for Virginia, and he “kind of agreed. Believe It Or Not We hear that Glen Rounds, consorter with beavers and dis- ^ tinguished portraitist of same. . . also of groundhogs, spiders, fire flies, hound dogs and humans. . . has moved his residence from Pinebluff to this benighted burg and gone to ground in the Knoll- wood Apartments. , Question: is Glen going re spectable on us or is Southern Pines’ most attractive housing development starting to slip? Either way, it’s bad. V The PILOT Published Every Thursday by THE PILOT. Incorporated Southern Pines. North Carolina 1941—JAMES BOYD—1944 To The Editor: If there is to be a building in the park I hope it will be a nice town building. And also good for what they want to use it for. The arrangements in the One shown in the Pilot seemed to be very good. I don’t know about tha outside but maybe it would be all right. But when you see how nice the park looks now without a build ing in it don’t you think: wouldn’t it be nice to have noth ing there but just the grass and trees to enjoy? Yours truly, ONE WHO LOVES THE PARK Katharine Boyd Editor C. Benedict Associate Editor Vance Derby 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. Subscription Rales: ‘ One Year $4. 6 mos. $2: 3 mos. $1 Entered at the Postoffice at South- em Pines, N. C., as second class mail matter Member National Editorial Assn, and N C. Press Assn.