No one, so far as we know,
has accused North Carolina
Senator Sam Ervin of being a
crackpot, or even an honorary
(or ornery) member of the Half
Truth Club. This is what he has
to say on a familiar subject:
''Federal aid programs have
mushroomed in recent years
into a prime means of financing
projects affecting virtually
every American. Annually pro-.
grams to expand Federal aid
are urged, and often a handful
of new ones are adopted during
a Congressional session. The
question arises as to what is not
the proper sphere of these pro
grams.
"The answer should come
from the experience of men and
nations with government and its
effect upon the lives of men and
the civilization they are build
ing.
"I think that government
should do things for people
that people cannot do for them
selves. For this reason, I fa
vor the use of Federal monies
to control pollution, to conserve
water resources, andtodevelop
rivers and harbors.
"Controlling water pollution,
building huge reservoirs,
creating usable harbors and
navigable rivers are functions
that benefit all citizens, and yet
these are things which are be-
-yond. thft iPBag&J9t:P-!,*^=S?g!L*:q
The NEW BERN
I—
/;:*i«LISHIDWIIKLY
HfAtT OP
VOLUME 9
NEW BERM, N. C., FRIDAY, MAY 27, 1966
NUMBER 9
perform for mem sdives.' 'lilie'
development and control of
these resources and necessi
ties play an important role in
the life of the people.
"On the other hand, it should
not be the function of govern
ment to grant special privileges
to some In an area of life that
Individuals can control them
selves. For this reason, I op
pose rent subsidies, be
cause they put the Federal Gov
ernment into an activity which
ought to be conducted by the
people themselves.
"Jobs are the most plentiful
they have been in two decades,
and anyone willing to work has
a reasonable opportunity to do
so. Aside from this, rent hand
outs take away something very
precious from the recipients.
They take away one of the dur
able satisfactions of life-
pride. Living-cost handouts
steal away from free mon those
vital traits of self-reliance and
self-responsibility which are
essential to democracy.
"Long ago, Hamilton and Jef
ferson disagreed over faany
things which touched on individ
ual freedo.m and centralized
government. But they both
agreed on the evils of paternal
ism and the disastrous effects
It had on the spirit of moi.
"Hamilton put it tersely: "A
power over a man's subsistence
amounts to a power over his
will." Jefferson stated the dan
ger in more understandable
terms: "Dependence begets
subservience and venality, suf
focates the germ of virtue, and
prepares fit tools for the de
signs of ambition."
"Rent subsidies are a prime
example of what government
ought not to try to do for mon.
In exchange for a few dollars
from the Government, men
trade their independence for the
controls which ambitious men
design for Oiem.
"Today's handout breeds to
morrow's subservience in the
hope of getting more. The new
(continued on page 2)
i'l
' «
•s'
.11
losing CANDIDATE—Robin Broadway, six month
old son of the Robert Broadways of Route 2, Vance-
boro, shows you the expression some of Craven Cmn-
ty’s politicians will be wearing Saturday night, when
votes have been counted. Robin doesn’t have to wor^,
of course, over what may or may not happen at the
polls Since he sought no public office, there was no
rea.son to make campaign proniises, pass out cigars,
and smile at people he would prefer to ignore, in a
land of free elections, such as ours, voting is a privi
lege rather than a duty, and those who fail to exercise
their right to express themselves don’t deserve good
government. Time passes quickly, and in a few years
Robin will be voting or running for office. For the
present, it’s more fun to clown around a bit and ape
a typical loser in the balloting.—Photo by Eunice
Wray.
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