The Kings Mountain Hexaldl
PSP. ? Established 1888
A weekly newspaper devoted to the promotion ol the general welfare and published
for the enlightenment, entertainment and benefit of the citizens of Kings Mountain
and its vicinity, published every Thursday by the Herald Publishing House.
Entered ks second class matter at the postoffloe at Kings Mountain, N. C, under Act
' of Congress of March 8, 1878
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
Martin Harmon ... Editor Publisher
Charles T. Carpenter, Jr. ...., Sports. Circulation, News
Mr*. P. D. Herndon * ....? Society
Mlas Elizabeth Stewart Advertising. News
MECHANICAL CSPAETMEMT
Eugene Matthews Horace Walker David Weathers Ivan Weaver*
Charles Miller Paul Jackson
("- -Member of Armed Forces)
TELEPHONE NUMBERS? 187 or 283
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ONE TEAR ? 8350 SIX MONTHS? $1.40 THREE MONTHS? 78c
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TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE
Bread of deceit is siveet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled vAth gravel. Proverbs
?0:17.
Tax Rate Down
The city board of commissioners did
some whittling and changing around
last week, adopted a record-high city
budget, yet chopped the tax rate by 10
cents on the $100 valuation in finally
setting the rate at $1.70.
The tax saving for the city's taxpay
ers is not a great one, amounting to a
bout $6,500, but in a day when the only
trend of tax rates has been upward, most
citizens will applaud the action. It is the
first slash in city .tax rates in several
years.
Question immediately follows as to
whether the city Will be able to 'come
out" on its estimated figures and con
duct a year's business in the black.
With anything like-tight operation, it
should, for there is about $i2,000 surplus
from the previous year's operation, ac
cording to the city clerk's figures,- that
was not figured into the new budget.
It is unfortunate that the city board
did not not determine that it could cut
the tax rate earlier, from the bookkeep
ing standpoint. Tax Supervisor Clar
ence Carpenter had just completed his
work in figuring tax bills at the tenta
tively-set rate oi' $1.80. The double-check
had balanced and the books were in
good shape. The action of the board
means that the tax supervisor has to
start work all over again. In addition,
extra work is. placed on the clerk's of
fice, for refund checks must be mailed
to citizens- who have pre-paid their 1952
tax bills.
At the same time, it will be hard to
find any taxpayer who objects to receiv
ing a refund Check, or who will object to
a smaller bill when he does pay it.
Similar concentration by other agen
cies of government should also be able
to result in some shaving of other tax
rate*;
Poor Accommodations
The Cleveland County grand jury rec
ommended last week that the Superior
Court condemn the City Jail for further
occupancy until certain improvements
to the accommodations were made. The
judge, however, gave the city a stay of
judgment, by his failure to act on the
r eco m m e n da t Ion .
For several months the city has been
aware, of its needs in this department
and. noted it further by placing irl the
budget a $3,000 fund for .improvements
to the jail.
Some doubt that this is sufficient to
improve the problem, since much of the
problem is in the plumbing department:
It is assumed that whatever necessary
budget-switching is necessary will be
done to get the. Juil in passable condi
tion.
Back in the middle ages, there was no
such institution as a decent .jail of any
kind, but thinking has advanced to re
quire that certain basic necessities be
furnished all human beings, regardless
of their misdemeanors.
The city's accommodations for pris
oners should be improved to comply
with the sanitation laws.
It's reunion season. August is the
month that crops are laid. by and the
farmer members of the various families
have time for a bit of relaxation before
the harvest season. There's nothing like
a reunion to enhance the knowledge of
the individual .about his kinf oik. Famili
es which don't have reunions should.
Hearty congratulations to the mem
bers of the Kings Mountain National
Guard unit on their fine showing at Fort
McClellan in the annual summer en
campment. i he guard company came
home with the highest rating attainable
in a difficult field test.
The Democratic Ticket
The conventions are over now, if not
the bombast, and the Democrats have
come up with .a strong ticket, featuring
the popular Illinois governor, Adlai
Stevenson, and the able senator from
Alabama, John Sparkman.
What might have happened did not
happen.
The extreme elements .of the Demo
cratic party did not prevail, and the
Stevenson-Sparkman ticket represents
a compromise of the basic and underly
ing differences which split the party in
1948 and which threatened to split it
even worse in 1952. v
There were some anxious moments at
the opening, with the ultra-liberals, led
by Franklin Roosevelt, Jr., Hubert Hum
phrey, and Blair Moody, seemingly tak
ing over in fine fashion and adopting .
the attitude "our way and the Others be
damned." But this situation did not last
for long, and the two people most re
sponsible for it were 1) Sam Rayburn,
the permanent chairman, and 2) Alben
Barkley, the retiring vice-president.
Mr. Rayburn, a Texan and veteran
speaker of the House, was determined
to hold the party together, and he held
it together, managing the convention
from the chair perhaps better than any
convention chairman ever has. At times
he was very, rough, particularly when
he stared into the eyes of Senator Doug
las, of Illinois, yet could not "see" him.
But his roughness suited the South.
Rayburn can be credited, almost single
handedly, with seating the contested
delegations from Virginia, South Caro
lina and Louisiana.
Viro-p.-esident Barkley, in his stirring
speech, did much to solidify the various
divergent elements of the party.
The candidates are most acceptable
and the fact that Sparkman comes from
Alabama should mean that the Solid
South will be just as solid come Novem
ber. Governor Stevenson, though not as
far left as President Truman, or his pre
decessor, is sufficiently liberal to satis
' fy, if not to delight, the "young Turks"
who got their come-uppance.
For the first time since 1928, the De
mocratic party, in its selection of nom
inees. moved from left toward center
On the record from sometime ago is
this statement from Adlai Stevenson:
"I don't like interference with free mar
kets; free men, and free enterprise. I
like freedom to succeed or fail. But I al
so know that there can be no real free
dom without economic justice, social
justice, equality of opportunity and a
fair chance for every individual to make
the most of himself,"
That statement indicates a consider
able . movement away from the policy
of ignoring the majority to please the
minority.
How will the vote go in November?
It will be some days yet before the
pollsters get to operating in full fashion
and thereby indicate the trend in the
nation. But many feel that the nomina
tion of the Illinois-Alabama team spells
out another dry Leap Year for the GOP.
As this is written, the pro-split term
patrons of G rover school appear to have
won their ngnt against the abandon
ment of this policy. It has been mighty
hot this summer and. if such tempera
tures continue, It will be a safe bet that
the youngsters won't learn much. It may
be years, but someday, sometime,
enough North Carolina farmers will put
their children ahead of their pocket
books and will approve the abandon
ment of the split term.
10
YEARS AGO Items of newt about King* Mountain area people and events
TH'S WEEK taken from the 1942 files of the Kings Mountain Herald.
The looai Draft Board has re
ceived the largest call yet for
August, which is for 85 white
men. who are scheduled to. depart
on the 28th.
Social and Pergonal
Mrs. J. O. Plonk was hostess
to the. Thursday Afternoon Book
Club at her home on Gold Street
last week.
Mrs. Glenn White was luncheon
hostess at her home last Sunday
at 1:30 o'clock honoring her dau
ghter, Miss Doris White on her
birthday anniversary.
Paul Walker, son of Mr. and
Mrs. J. A. Walker, is a fast man
when it comes to getting promot
ed In the U. S. Army. Walker
entered the army on March 17th
and in less than two months was
promoted to sergeant and in two
months more Was again promoted
to staff sergeant.
Robert H. Payne left Monday
for selective service.
Bill Thomson, who is stationed
at Fort Jay, Governor's Island.
N. Y. has been promoted to a
First Lieutenant.
Mr. and Mrs. II. Tom Fulton
and E. C. McClaln attended the
furniture show In High Point
last week.
Miss Rosalec Polk of Rocking
ham was a recent visitor In Kings
Mountain.
Mrs. Hume S. Houston and
Miss Nancy Suber are guests of
Or. and Mrs. Frank Cranford at
Ocean Drive.
Mr. and Mrs. O. O. Walker who
have been making their home In
Richmond, have been visiting re
latives here.
i
MARTIN'S
MEDICINE
If Martin Harmon
Ingredients: bits of Mtn,
wisdom, humor, and comment.
Directions: Take weekly, if
possible, but avoid
' overdosage.
The DuPont Story
The death last week of Lam
mot DuPont reminded, It it
was necessary, that this de
partment had recently received
m handsome quarto-aize book
from Harold Brayman, director
of DuPont, but of America
department e n t it 1 e d "DU
PONT The Autobiography of
an American Enterprise ".
t-d-s
It ia a very excellent book to
add to any library, and reiatea
in its beautifully, printed 138
pages the great atory, not only
of DuPont, but of American
and its growth from a strugg
ling weak confederation of colo
nies, to its 1952 atatua aa pro
ducer for the woi Id.
t'd-i
The book was published by
DuPont to commemorate the
aeaqui-centehnlal anniversary
of the founding of the company
on the banks of the Brandy
wine River in Delaware In 1802!
The founders were refugees
from the unatable political ty
ranny then rampant In France,
where, literally, it waa quite
possible to be a court favorite
one day, and a marcher toward
the guillotine the next. It work
ed both ways. A frlenf of the
king of France could find him
self in disfavor, or an antl
monarchlst could quickly gain
the enmity of his comrades.
Unfortunately for France, the
situation, over 150 years, has
not yet stabilized. While the
guillotine is relegated to the
museums, the warring political
factions still prevent stability
and consequent continuity of
action.
t-d-s
But this story is about Du
Pont and about America, of
added interest to this area now
because DuPont Is a near-neigh
bor to the South at the now-a
building H-bomb plant and Du
Pont, In turn, Is already an em
ployer of a number of Kings
Mountain people.
t-d-i
The concurrent story of A
merica-DuPont over the years
is multitudinous in interesting
detail, both historical and cur
rent, The story of DuPont is,
first, the story of gunpowder,
at the time of the founding of
th.e company in 1802 a great
American necessity. There were
Indians to fight on the nearby
frontiers, game to kill for food
and clothing, forests to clear
for planting lands.
t-d-a
DuPont not only represents
smokeless powder, one of its
first big inventive accomplish
ments, It represents cellophane
(1927) which wraps many of
the foods we eat every day. It
represents household cement,
the modern lacquers which
grace your automobile, plastics,
rayon, which eliminated the
American woman's dependence
on the Japanese silkworm, and
for the wonderful 1938 inven
tion, nylon. How could a wo
man live without nylon? She
once did, of course. Before the
stiff collar went into limbo,
DuPont helped out with a wash
able celluloid job.
t-d-s
The book gives alm'ost as
much attention to the other de
velopments of the nation, as it
does to DuPont and its accom-,
plishments.
t-d-a
Underlying theme of the
work, which in credited to no
one author but to many, is the
success wrought by the coopera
tion between the working man
and enlightened management.
In early 1800, the making of
gunpowder was even more
dangerous than it is today. It
was not unusual for a plant to
blow with resultant loss of life
and limb. DuPont had explo
sions. What is believed to be
one of the earliest pension
funds was the DuPont "widow^
and orphans" account of 1819.
Though the company at that
time was heavily in debt, Du
Pont pensioned the widows and
gave them houses in which to
live. Throughout the book,
stories from records recount
the names of men who started
with the company at ground
floor level, to rise later to top
positions of management and
responsibility.
t-d-a * *
If the book points up any par
ticular moral, it seems to be
thia: men of vision, energy and
courage can always conquer
greater fields. DuPont, from its
humble beginnings on the
banks of the Brandywlne, has
been blessed with men of vision
and nerve. Underlying the ope
rations of thia company has al
ways been a daring that refus
ed to relax and atagnate in the
aecompliahmenta of the paat, a
synonym for self-satisfaction.
Always, DuPont has pushed a
head. Investments were made
in research that did not work
out. But always DuPont was
willing to try again. Had it not
been for thia policy, the com
pany woufd not have grown to
the great firm It ia. It atill ex
pects to grow and to cut out
Lucky You by Dick Shaw
I ? n
V ?
YW Trmftm Stlrtf 8w ilw
La city yon ? yon won that argnmttt without losing
? ? your life
Viewpoints of Other Editors
AVERT SUICIDE IN
SOUTH
Charlotte Observer
The Democratic, National Con
vention showed sound judgment
in selecting a ticket that has a
good chance to win. From the
standpoint of practical politics,
Stevenson is almost the only can
didate who could have been cho
sen without throwing the election
away.
Senator Sparkman. was also as
good a choice as could be had for
vic? nresident. His record on civil
rights is, from the southern view
point, impeccable, and it was pro
bably to mollify the South on
this subject that he was selected.
In economic matters he is to the
left of Byrd, and in foreign afT
fairs a little too uncritical of the
Tru'nan policies, but a more con
servative man would not have
been acceptable to the northern
Wing of the party.
Our preference throughout has
been Russell, because we consider
him head and shoulders above the
rest and a well balanced middle
of-the-roader compared with some
others who might have been
, nominated. We were, however,
fully conscious of the practical
obstacles in the way of his nomi
nation and knew that only a po
litical miracle could make him
the party's candidate. We were
resigned, therefore, to the obvi
ous: that somebody else would
have to carry the Democratic
standard.
We are happy, therefore, that
the convention showed such good
Judgment as to select the man
whom we consider next best after
Russell. It could have done very
much worse.
The Democrats now have a tic
ket that can give some real op
position to the strong Republican
slate of Eisenhower and Nixon.
Stevenson, by not campaigning
for the nomination, by not asking
for the support of any delegation
even that of his own state ?
by insi&ting that he was not a
candidate until the nomination
was actually handed to him ? by
this dignified conduct ho has done
everything a man could do to
avoid going into the campaign
With the Truman brand on his
forehead.
Truman did indicate his appro
val of Stevenson, but he did it,
not at the request of the Illinois
governor, but as a practical poli
tician who has learned to roll'
with the punches, to recognize a
wave of popular sentiment when
he sees one, and to ride it out.
We hope, therefore, that the Tru
man brand cannot be made to
stick on Mr. Stevenson.
Everyone who has read this
page knows how we feel about
Truman. We have expressed dis
gust at his whole record, at his
demagoguery, at his cheap and
dishonest politics, and at. his un
holy alliances for political advan
tage with left wingers, out-and
out-Socialists, and corrupt city
and state machines. We did not
want the South to be an accom
plice. before or after the fact, of
putting this gang of self-serving
opportunists again in control of
the country.
For that reason we think the
development of a two-party sys
tem in tne South would be the
most ihealthful improvement in
American politics. If that is to be
achieved, the Democratic party
must not be allowed to commit
suicide in the South. With the A.
D, A., the CIO, and other left
wingers temporarily In control at
Chicago, it was about to do just
that. Fortunately, wiser heads
prevailed.
Even so, the convention could
have nominated a candidate who
new highways in the^ world of
commercial invention.
/ t-d-s
Almost everyone would be
thrilled by the story of Ameri
ca-DuPont, recounted by word
and picture. In this autobiogra
phy of American enterprise. |
W. D. GAVE US SLACKS
Stats Magazine
Tens of millions ol unapprecia
tlve Americans today are lolling
around in comfortable slacks,
shorts and sport shirts when they
might well be burning down in
peg-legged pants and shirts with
ties, and possibly even coats.
It hasn't been so long ago, you
know, since the average Ameri
can took up the wearing of sen
sible summer garb. At first, only
a few cranks would wear such
stuff, and then only at some show
?off place. Then a few brave
souls ventured out into the near
by neighborhood. Some even
crept shamefacedly to office like
this, and now you know how u
niversal the sport-clothes habit
has become.
We like to think that the man
who really started the flight from
hot clothes was W. O. Saunders,
of Elizabeth City.
Back in the 20's, when W. O.
was the darling of the Young
Turks, we applauded his tilts with
itinerant evangelists, conserva
tive politicians, and Victorian mo
ralists. But nobody much was
proud of this editor when he pa
raded down New York's Broad
way in his pajamas to protest
against uncomfortable summer
cloth<>s. And when he said men
were crazy not to wear light,
loose-fitting suits, his admlrars
were embarrassed. They gnawed
their fingernails, hoping W. O.
would cut out his childishness
and settle back down to some
solid crusading.
But, sitting in your comfort
able and pretty orchid slacks, how
much of W. O.'s iconoclasm can
you recall today?
Let foreigners deny that this
brilliant Pasquotanker gave us
summer slacks. It's too hot In
Ndrth Carolina today to argue'
with ignorant people.
could .ave ruined the party in
this section, for some of the men
before it who had large follow
ings are anathema to everything
the South stands for. By nomina
ting Stevenson, the delegates a
verted that catastrophe.
Stevenson's record in puclic of
fice is too short to form ar. ob
jective opinion. He has bee j in
and out of the New Deal, though
not unreservedly of it. Some peo
ple in Illinois think he would have
done better to be nominated out
side of that state, because he has
rot cleaned up some things there
as thoroughly as some reports
indicate.
We must, therefore, reserve fi
nal Judgment on him. But, all in
all, the convention did as well as
its best friends could wish.
loyceei Support
Bottle Drama
At the last Jaycee meeting
hqld at Masonic Hall, July 15th
the group voted to go on record
as whole-heartedly supporting the
Little Theatre production, Sword
of Gideon, The action came alter
an appeal by Jaycee Bruce Thor
burn for additional acton for non
?speaking parts In the drama.
Jack White, projects commit
tee chairman, reported on the
beauty pageant and the calendar
project. 7
Miss Barbara Matthews, dau
ghter of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene
M*tthew?, will represent the city
in the state beauty event, he said.
The group voted to Siwed up
the calendar project by provid
ing that the three losing teani
fete the winners at a fish try.
Deadline for the project Is No
vember L Citizens may have their
names printed on the community
calendars on their birth dates,
with prizes to be given by many
merchants purchasing advertis
ing apace.
Vice President Paul Walker
welcomed Bob Led better as a new
member.
President Joe Hedden presided
and some 33 members were pre
sent
1 tTitas *
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K1NG8 MOUNTAIN. N. C.