a
Reference is made on our editorial
page this week to our editorial of
November 10. For those who failed
to read it. or would like to refresh
their memory, we are reprinting it
below.
A SLAf* FOR SANFORD
Although some politicians may not
admit it, Tuesday’s vote against the
ten proposals in the State Bond Elec
tion was aimed more at North Caro
lina’s Governor than the issues in
volved.
No shrinking violet when it comes
to making a play for publicity, he
was very much identified with the
proposals, and had been quoted as
saying he was confident they would
meet the approval of Tar Heel citi
zens.
Sanford apparently didn’t realize
that thousands of North Carolinians
are so hostile to him that they
would vote against about anything
he might favor. To put it frankly
and bluntly, Terry’s endoursement of
the aforementioned bond proposals
was the kiss of death.
For months now, countless Tar
Heels — including many who voted
for Sanford — have been wishing
for a way to lash out against a man
who, rightly or wrongly, is in our
opinion the most unpopular North
Carolina Governor of om time. The
bond election gave them a chance
to do just that in no uncertain terms
There are those who will argue
that the bond proposals failed to
pass because of a light vote. They
contend that the “against” vote turn,
ed out, while the “for” vote failed
to show up at the. polls. We can’t go
along with this line of reasoning. It
was our oibservation that, in New
Bern and Craven county, the per
centage of non-voters who were not
in favor of the bonds compared
closely with the sentiment of those
who actually voted.
As always, it is regrettable that
more citizens didn’t go to the polls.
It is a continuing disgrace that here
and throughout the nation a majority
of the qualified voters don’t exercise
^the privilege that is theirs. This
'’indifference is doubly unforgivable
in a world where so many are
denied the right to speak their wish
es in an election.
In our opinion. Governor San
ford’s unpopularity is such that nev
er again will he be elected to high
office by the citizens of his state.
This prognosis on our part may
make pretty silly reading a few
years from now, if this globe and
the people on it are still around.
Politically, there may be big things
ahead for Terry, but we dare say
they will come by appointment and
not by the vote of fellow Tar Heels.
Perhaps we should make it clear
that we voted for Sanford, after
John Larkin was eliminated in the
first gubernatorial balloting. To our
way of thinking, Terry was a better
choice than Dr. I Beverly Lake. We
felt that Dr. Lake’s approach to the
racial problem, sincere though we
think he was, could accomplish little
good and very likely would do con
siderable harm.
It is our belief that thousands of
North Carolinians shared our atti
tude, and subsequently elected San
ford for this very reason. The fact
that many of the voters who sup
ported Terry won’t admit they vot
ed for him is simply an indication
of how precarious every politician’s
perch is.
Sanford’s great shortcoming as a
leader, it seems to The Mirror, lies
in the fact that he apparently places
more reliance on pressure than per
suasion in trying to achieve his ob
jectives. It is no secret that he had
considerable success in riding ‘herd
on the last legislature, but pressur
ing a politician who has an eye on
an appointment plum is one thing,
and riding herd on rank and file
citizens is something else.
Voters have a mind of their own.
They don’t always show good judg-
(Continued on Pago 8)
The NEW BERN
''I.ISHED WEEKLY
V O'*
■ tvr
St Per .
VOLUME 4
NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1961
NUMBER 30
"For what are you thankful?" I asked this question last Sunday while trying as usual to
teach something worthwhile to our class of 12-year-oId boys and girls at Centenary Methodist
church.
The smallest girl in the class raised her hand. "Abundance," she said softly. And I thought
how difficult it would have been for Solomon to come up with a better answer.
Abundant food and clothing and shelter, abundant beauty in nature, abundant liberty,
abundant opportunity, an abundance of friends, an abundance of churches and synagogues where,
if we get right with God, we will find an abundance of faith.
Thanksgiving Day is gone, but thankfulness should remain a glowing thing in our hearts the
whole year through. Little Patty Vickers made that abundantly clear last Sunday, with one well
chosen word. Small though she is, Patty was thinking mighty big. If we remember that word — you
and I — we too may approach her wisdom and gratitude. — JGMcD.