THURSDAY. OCTOBER 25. 1956
Page TWO
“What’ll I Do Now Cackle Or Crow?”
Southern Pines North Carolina
“In taking over The Pilot no changes are contemplated. We will try to keep this a good
pii we”m to to a Uttle money tor .11 »noem.d ^
an occasion to use our influence for the public good we will try to do ^t. And
treat everybody alike.”—James Boyd, May 23, 1941. —
Tarheel Writing: Rich and Varied Fare
—•r.AVY'ifU'lro'hIo nnmVtPr <
A wonderful service to the people of the
state has been provided by the University
of North Carolina Press which has published
a booklet listing “One Hundred Outstanding
Books About North Carolina.”
Richard Walser and Hugh T. Lefler, who
compiled the list, have chosen volumes from
many publishers in the fields of history, biog
raphy and letters, folklore, fiction and short
stories, drama, poetry, books for boys and
girls and others. The list includes only vol
umes in print and available through book
stores. It is being sent to some 20,000 Tarheels
and is available free upon request to Box 510,
Chapel Hill.
The subject of the list is described by the
Press as: “North Carolina past and present.
North Carolina as it appears in fiction and in
fact. North Carolina as a physical reality and
a state of mind on a spiritual striving. North
Carolina in all its variety. . .”
It is interesting, in going over the list, to
see what a remarkable number of the writers
have some connection with the Sandhills, by
having lived here, having visited here or
through other associations. Many of these
books have been reviewed or otherwise noted
in The Pilot at various times.
Some of the books are known to almost
any literate person. Others, not so well
known, promise many hours of good reading
to everyone interested in the state and its
people.
The book list strongly re-emphasizes some
thing that is already-weU recoghized: the
richness, the variety, the sheer interest and
enthusiasm of North Carolina writing.
So much writing can only mean that the
intellectual and spiritual climate, or whatever
you might call the pervading atmosphere that
inspires and encourages such work, is favor
able for creative endeavor in this state. This
is a something of which all North Carolinians
can be proud.
0///
iw
S'
The Klan Malignancy Can’t Be Ignored
the 663
-SP
According to newspaper accounts, a large
part of the crowd of 400 to 500 persons who
attended a Ku Klux Klan rally in Robeson
County last week were “curiosity seekers”—
yet it is an ominous sign, in our opinion, when
the absurdly garbed leaders of this thorough
ly discredited organization can draw any
where near that many Tarheels to any kind of
a show they undertake to stage.
The recent meeting, we are informed,
stressed the alleged religious interest of the
organization, producing as One of the speakers
“our minister.” Yet, since the leopard cannot
change its spots, the race issue was intro
duced in its most inflammatory “racial pur
ity” aspect, while newspapers, as might be
expected from an organization that fears the
cold truth, were lambasted as “smear sheets.”
As usual, the leaders of the group declined
to reveal their names—an infallible bign, in
any undertaking, that there is more monkey-
business than legitimate effort in the project.
Leaders of this new “non-violent” organiza
tion may indeed not now be flogging hapless
victims in the dead of night, but their orien
tation—^the intolerance and hatred that is im
plicit in all their notions—inevitably leads to
such incidents.
The Klan, new or old, is rooted in hatred
and fear and it can sow no other seed. Its
menace is not what happens at such meetings
as the one last week but rather from the fires
it fans in limited minds and frustrated per
sonalities. Intimidation and violence are the
result, once the seeds are sown.
How the meeting affected those 400 to 500
“curiosity seekers” is an unknown matter, but
it is a safe assumption that the nonsense -
spoken at the Klan rally must have fallen on
a few—and we’d guess more than a few—
sympathetic ears.
What happens next remains to be seen, but
no Klan rally, if only of a dozen persons, can
be taken lightly by people of good will. A
malignancy of whatever nature can’t be ig
nored.
VOCATIONAL vs. CULTURAL COURSES
What Is Task Of High Schools?
The Outlook Serves Its Community
On the occasion of its 60th anniversary, cele
brated last week, the Pinehurst Outlook pro
duced a 28-page special edition in which the
progress of both the newspaper and its home
community are interestingly recorded.
We congratulate the Outlook on its special
edition—an undertaking that we know from
experience to be a taxing task in any weekly
shop.
All newspapers and all communities need
and should have such milestone markers as
this 60th anniversary edition. Both a news
paper and a town become so engrossed in the
business of each day or week, so much con
cerned with daily events and problems, that
they tend not to look at themselves in per
spective.
It is startling, when there have been mark
ed developments—as there have been in The
Outlook and in Pinehurst—to realize the ex
tent of progress and the changes wrought by
the years.
A town and a newspaper without back
ground and history have hardly any existence
at all. It is only when their varied background
and eventful history are recalled that we can
see them in their full significance.
Such efforts as those made by the Outlook
on the occasion of its anniversary are among
the most important services a newspaper can
perform for its community, because they in
terpret the town to its residents and to all
who read the paper. Past years live again and
those who know little or nothing of the
town’s history find themselves seeing their
community with freshly informed and en
lightened eyes.-
Police Resignations
As was brought out at the recent observ
ance of Police Chief C. E. Newton’s 25th year
of law enforcement work in Southern Pines,
this community has a notably good police de
partment.
The department is modern in administra
tion and technical equipment. Its chief is
competent and is respected by officers Of his
own and other police departments. Yet— res
ignations by police officers are relatively fre
quent. Without checking the records for accu
racy, we’d say such registrations have amount
ed to about eight in the past four years, an
average of two per year. That seems high.
Some resignations may take place because
an officer tires of police work, finding after
several months in the job that he does not
want to make it a career. The .reason most
often given by those who have resigned is
that they can make more elsewhere, either as
a member of another police department or in
another occupation.
Despite the record of resignations, it is a
fact that police service in Southern Pines is
considerably more attractive than it was four
years ago, both in salary and working hours.
The council and manager have made sincere
efforts to make improvements in all aspects
of local law enforcement work. The depart
ment has good officers and a number with
several years’ service.
But apparently there is room for still more
improvement.
Small town police work has for many years
been one of the poorest paid occupations—
and small towns everywhere- have paid the
penalty both in the quality of service they
have received and in frequent turnover of
personnel.
An unrealistic attitude toward law enforce
ment is almost a national failing, on the small
town level. Contrast Great Britain’s superb
system, of academy-trained constables and
Indicate Problem
officers who vie for the privilege of police
service all over the nation through a tough
coiuse of instruction that approaches college
work in its scholastic requirements. There is
a totally different approach to the job over
there. The result is that even a small town
officer is wonderfully trained in a central na
tional academy—and, moreover, is universal
ly respected.
Small towns in the United States are com
ing around to a point of view that sees police
departments as much more than a place to
save money that is spent elsewhere in the
municipal budget.
The improvements made in the Southern
Pines police department are recognized and
appreciated. But we urge the council not to
stand still on continuing to raise salaries and
standards and provide .better working condi
tions. A police department that will hold men,
through loyalty and incentive, over long
periods of years, should be the aim. It should
be possible here.
THEY'RE SAYING
Hiunor In The Campaign
By LOUIS GRAVES
In The Chapel Hill Weekly
It is my observation that the Democrats do
better than the Republicans in the way of hu
mor. Here is a remark that, for campaign
humor, is surpassed by none I have heard or
read in a long time. And before I .quote it let
me remind you that the opinion it reflects,
the side it is on, has nothing to do with my
admiration for it. The humor of it is all that
I am extolling.
Thomas D’Alesandro, mayor of Baltimore,
was speaking, and he said: “My great fear is
that Sherman Adams will die and Eisenhower
will become President.”
(From The Central Carolinian
at SanfordI]
We noted over the past week
-end a report on a survey made
among recent high school grad
uates who did not attend college,.
The object of this survey was of
course to determine what these
recent high school students felt
were the strong and weak points
of their high school training.
It was interesting that most
of these young people in
their early twenties felt that
schools had been lacking in the
realm of yocational-type train
ing. All seemed to be of the opin
ion that they should have had
access to more information
which would have been of some
definite value to them in the
hard and tricky business of mak
ing a living.
Another report released re
cently took entirely a different
tack on the problem of high
school curriculum. More mature
adults, questioned in this partic-
lar poll, felt that secondary
schools needed to place even
more emphasis on the so-called
“cultural” subjects — languages
history, the arts, literature, qtc.
Two Extremes
Here we have perhaps the two
extremes. The youngster just out
of high school with no hope or
intention of going to college nat
urally wants to be able to get a
top-paying job in a hurry. Many
of them marry yoimg, some even
before they finish high school
and they are quickly saddled
with the responsibilities of a
family. There is little wonder
that these persons feel that their
high school training should have
given them better equipment for
making a good living. A good liv
ing is their big need at that par
ticular time in their lives.
On the other hand, the more
mature, say the middle aged or
older adult, has long since gone
through the struggle to make a
place for himself in the business
world. By middle age or slightly
thereafter these' people have
either reached a peak which
gives them a very tidy income or
they are doomed forever to
whatever niche they happen to
be occupying. At this pmnt in
their lives then, they are looking
not so much for a way of making
a living as they are for a way to
enjoy living. And for some of
them ir has proved a difficult
problem.
Face A Dilemma
The sad part of the whole di
lemma is that many of these
same young persons who are to
day bemoaning the sad deficien-
cv of vocational training m the
public schools will in a decade or
so' be protesting as loudly that
they did not receive enough
foundation in the inore “cultur
al” subjects while they were m
high school. Many of them will
make a way for themselves to
financial success but will receiw
little pleasure or enjoyment from
itheir comfortable situation be
cau^e they will never have gain
ed the depth of appreciation for
some of the things which make
life really enjoyable.
Perhaps it’s a little old fash
ioned in this day and time, but
we still hold to the theory that
there is much merit in the more
classical studies which were re
quired in schools a generation
ago. There is of course the argu
ment that a foreign language, say
Latin, is of little use to any one
studying it in school these days
unless he intends to pursue
scholarship throughout his life
time. Perhaps that is true. There
is also the classical argument in
favor of the study of Latin—or
mathematics—that the study of
these subjects is excellent disci
pline. This argument has been
scoffed at time and again. (We
know, when we were toiling
through conjugations and declen
sions we thought this was an aw
ful poor route to discipline, or to
anywhere for that matter.) But it
is nevertheless a very worth
while argument. Perhaps some
of the folks who are bemoaning
the absence of vocational train
ing would be getting ahead a lit
tle faster if they were a little
better able to discipline them
selves, or to accept discipline
from others.
There is, after all is said and
done, still no easy route to suc
cess in the business world or in
any career. And while the days
of Horatio Alger seem gone for
ever, the precepts of hard work
and honesty which were woven
through his- stories are still valid
ones. The road to success can no
longer be taken in tremendous
strides as Alger’s heroes trod it.
It is a slower, more tedious jour
ney. For that reason, if for no
other, discipline and the latent
ability to enjoy the finer things
of life are actually more impor
tant today than they were years
ago.
Vocational training is a won
derful thing, in moderation. But
let’s keep a close watch on our
schools, lest they turn out secre
taries who can’t conduct an intel
ligent conversation or machinists
who could never read a line Ot
poetry. The few cents an hour
more on their wages won t really
be worth it to them in the long
run. They’ll be the first to find
it out and curse us for our fail
ures.
Crains of Sand
Reported Raid
There’s been a reported run on
the store that is selling those
paperweights we were talking
about. The ones that are a hard
block of lucite with the statue of
a donkey—OR elephant—imbed
ded in it. Seems there’s a rumor
Ike may be going to Princeton to
make a speech and the Tigers are
getting ready for him.
Can’t be outdone by Buckley
Yaleites and a few rotten toma
toes.
Who'll Write This Play?
GRAINS views with an amus
ed and sometimes rebellious eye
the specializations and complica
tions that form so dominating a
factor in modern life: the involv
ed rigmarole of the unswerving
objective viewpoint, the kind of
attitude in which people are
called “personnel.”
Among the dryest of the dri^
“releases” that flood newspaper
offices are the notations of Civil
Service and Merit System jobs
which are open over the state. _
The esteemed Merit System^—
which has certainly been a good
thing for the State, in that it fills
hundreds of State jobs by exaffir
ination rather than by political
appointment—gives in a recent
release a long list of occupations
in which examinations are to be
given (nursing, bacteriologist,
sanitarian, psychologist etc.), con
cluding some 20 occupations
with: bedding inspector, film
serviceman, public health inves
tigator and puppeteer.
A frivolous mind like that of
GRAINS cannot but subject such
a list to some exercise of fancy,
and we find ourselves casting in
our imagination a little play in
which the characters are a Bed
ding Inspector, a Film Service
man, a Public Health Investiga
tor and a Puppeteer.
It might add interest to the
drama to include in the cast a
psychiatric social worker (also
appearing on the job list) whose
duty it would be to encourage a
balanced and healthy outlook
among the rest of the motley
crew. It would be advisable for
one of the cast to be female. Our
choice for this role would be the
puppeteer.
Fascinating? We invite readers
to compose outlines of their own
for a short play involving these
characters. At least, we’ll bet, the
characters don’t turn out to act
like “personnel” They certainly
don’t in the attempts (whmh we
shall permit to go unpublished)
that we have made.
FROM WALTER LIPPMAN'S COLUMN
WHY THE DEMOCRATIC UPSURGE?
The Democrats have in this century become the agente for
bringing our public policy and institutions abreast of the chang
ing times. There have been, as it were, two political cycles, each
with a period of innovation followed by a period of correction
and consolidation. , ^
In the innovation phases the country has turned to the Demo
crats, as with Wilson and with Frankliri Roosevelt. In the cot-
recting and consolidating phase, the country has turned to the
Republicans, as with Coolidge and Eisenhower. ,
There isi substantial evidence, I believe, for thinking that for
the third time in this century the country is coming into an inno
vating phase.
This is, I submit, the reason for the extraordinary upsurge of
the Democrats at the grassroots. The new phase is caused once
again by the country’s need to bring its policies and measures
abrteast of the times.
‘Old Plantation Mentality*
Seen In Hodges Remarks
(From Chapel Hill News Leader)
The Greensboro Daily News
speaks of a recent remark on the
racial issue by Governor Hodges
as a “faux pas.”
But it was much worse than
that.
It was a revelation of the Old
Plantation mentality, which held
Negroes (known only as serv
ants) in some contempt.
When the Governor last spoke
at Chapel Hill he was asked what
his answer would be to those
who criticized the absence of a
Negro member on the Pearsall
Committee. He said he had seri
ously considered such an ^^ap
pointment, but based on his ^ ex
perience with Negroes,” he didn’t
“think they could stand up under
the pressure and get the job
done.”
What would the Governor say
about the seven State-supported
colleges and institutions which
are headed by Negroes, and
which are efficiently operated?
What would he say about the
Negro insurance companies and
other commercial concerns who
are solidly Negro in ownership
and operation? What would he
say about the thousands of Negro
school teachers who are doing an
effective work under all sorts of
conditions?
Would he deem none of these
fit to serve on a Pearsall or other
committee, so that they could
give the dominant white mem
bership some needed information
about Negro hopes and Negro
points of view? -
We don’t consider these unjus
tified remarks by the Governor
as malicious or intentionally con
temptuous. They are merely old-
fashioned and dated. They be
long to an era now expiring.
If any more Pearsall or si^lar
committees are to be appointed,
they must, in fairness and in de
votion to democratic teachings,
contain Negroes because Negroes
are citizens, because their rights
are affected, and because they
are human beings.
International Note
The British have a new gar
ment to offer this year. They call
it a “buffer-coat.”
For wearing in the buffer zone,
doubtless.
Two Races
Two Sandhills horses came in
first in the races at Belmont
Park last week Tuesday. But.
one of them was listed last.
"Why? Because, though the
horse came in, the rider didnT.
This one was Mrs. Vernon G.
Cardy’s Square Dance II, second
to the favorite in the betting.
His rider flew off at the fourth
jump when his mount dove
through a brush hurdle. The
horse kept his feet and ran the
entire course, taking every jump
along with the leaders and was
first over the finish line, with
the crowd cheering.
Only, the Cardys must have
been pretty sick. The winner
walked off with a cool' $11,925.
(His rider stayed on.)
The one who won and did win
was Mrs. L. P. Tate’s Jean Bap
tiste, who has run here and won
in the Stoneybrook race meet
several times. But worse luck,
this was a less valuable race:
only $2,925 to the winning Tates.
Only!
Shall We Walk?
Then there’s the one about the
two fleas who had been to the
theatre. Leaving, one said to the
other, -‘Well, shall we walk—or
take a dog?”
The PILOT
Published Every Thursday by
THE PILOT. Incorporated
Southern Pines, North Carolina
1941 JAMES BOYD—1344
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.
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Entered at the Postoffice at South
ern Pines, N. C., as second, class
mail matter
m ■ —
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and N. C. Press Assn.