Thursday, March 25, 1937
Stye (Cfymikr* ^rnut
Official Organ of Murphy and Cherokee County,
North Carolina
PUBLISHED EUERY THURSDAY
Entered in the Post Office at Murphy, North Carolina
w second class matter under Act of March 3, 189/,
SAM CARR Editor
L. A. LEE Owner and Business Manager
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE
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Murphy, North Carolina, Thursday, March 25, 1037
FARM TENANCY
No problem associated with American agriculture anc
rural life is creating more widespread interest than the
problem of farm tenancy. Editorials in newspapers
throughout the United States are urging that something
bo done to reverse the present trend toward increasing
farm tenancy and decreasing home ownership; forums
and discussion groups are arguing the pros and cons of
different methods proposed to accomplish this task.
Recently the American Institute of Public Opinion announced
that in its sample poll, eighty-three percent of
the people favored a public program to help tenant farmers
become farm owners.
The tremendous interest in this vital problem is not
hard to undertsand. The promotion of home ownership
on individual farms has boon a great tradition in American
history. Individual ownership was always recognized
as the cornerstone of a free democratic society.
Today that traditional national ideal is being seriously
challenged. Less than half of our farm families own
all the lands they operate. Of the six million farm famiies
in the United States, two million, eight hundred thousand,
or forty-two percent, are tenants, owning no land at
all. Every ten years since 1880. when the first count of
tenant fanners was made, the number of landless tenants
has steadily increased.
The problem of tenancy is national in scope. No important
agricultural region of the United States is without
its tenancy problem. In the combelt, for instance,
where much of the rich prairie soil was given out in
homesteads, the percentage of farmers who are tenants
is well above the national average. Iowa has about fifty
percent of its farms operated by tennts. In Nebraska
the percentage is forty-nine. In the cotton belt of the
South the percentage are the highest; seventy percent
tenancy in Mississippi; more than sixty percnt of the
farms of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Oklahoma and
South Carolina are operated by tenants.
Even in the far west, where the land has been most
recently settled, tenancy is growing. In Colorada thirtyfour
percent of the farms are operated by tenants. In the
Pacific Coast States wherever specialized cash-crop pro
duction has been developed, tenancy has become widespread.
Recognizing: the grave threat to American rural life
which this growing farm tenancy implies, President
Roosevelt last November appointed aNCommittee of fortyone
farmers, editors, and agricultural and social leader?
to study the problem of farm tenancy and report to him
by February first on a plan whereby the undersirable elements
of our farm tenant system could he corrected.
The national determination to stop the increase in
farm tenancy and replace it with better forms of land
tenure, is grounded upon important economic and social
considerations. There is a definite national interest involved
in the different problems of landlord-tenant relations.
What is the chief complaint of land lords against the
tenants? It is that the tenants allow the farms to go t<
pieces, fail to prevent soil erosion, have no 'intreesl in
beeping up the land and buildings. What is the chiei
complaint of tenants against the landlords? It is that
the tenants are expected to carry out soil conservation
practices, and make other improvements, and yet are not
compensated for this extra labor and expense. Tenants
complain that thev can never know, vear after vear
whether they will be permitted to remain on the farn
which they are expected to improve.
Both these points of view . . . which were expressed
time and time again at the recent public hearings . .
point to one major fact . . . that farm tenancy, as it ii
now practiced in the United States is bad for both land
lord and tenant, in that it encourages the waste of soi
and discourages the necessary care to keep a farm ii
good condition. Furthermore, it points out why the na
tion as a whole is rightly concerned over the tenant situa
tion. For if the wasteful practices of tenancy are allowei
to continue, the destructon of our basic natural re
source, the soil, will become a reality, undermining thi
whole structure of our national economic life.?Henry A
Wallace.
_
The Cherokee Scout, Murphy, North
PASSING O THE MARRYING JUSTICE
Anybody that ever lived anything of a somatic life
in this section sooner or later became acquainted with
Bob Lance?if he wasn't already their close friend.
Standing before his fireplace in his stocking feet in '
* the middle of a cold night, or on the front porch of his ^
house on a warm afternoon while the breezes played with
the apple and cherry blossoms in his front yard, he smiled
at more than one couple while the groom was so nervous
he could hardly hold his-bride-to-be's hand.
) Bob's marriages were usually the spur of the moment
i kind and needed more tenderness than planned carriages.
Bob handled those kind best. That's the reason he was so
popular.
Many more hearts than the individual would imagine,
felt a little pain last week with the announcement
of his death.
, SAFETY IN THE AIRWYAS
Startling the other night was the revelation by one
of the country's best aviators, that only one person was
killed in commerical airline transports out of every 24 million
miles traveled by the palnes.
In face of the many recent air catastrophes, the airways
still seem to have an en\iable record of safety when
the facts are presented.
Also experiments are going forward every day to
make airplane traveling the acme of safety. Ami there
is every reason to believe that before long, casualties in
the air will be practically unheard of?that is u-ilil there
are as many planes in the air as there are cars on the rond
and as many fools left to drive them.
o
TRAGEDY BRINGS A NOBLE GESTURE
Ir. the face of all apologies the American and
German governments seem to be extending each. other,
these days the fact that one German official should break
down and admit his country extends sympathy over the
school blast situation in Texas seems to have strayed from
purpose as if German element might be trying to make
emends for something or other.
In the first place, horrible as it was, the Texas catastrophe
is not the worst that has occurred in the past 50
years, and during floods, air crashes, land and sea tragedies,
we don't remember any of the Continental countries
going out of their way to extend their official sympathies
even though they might have feU- conscientiously bad
about the tragedy as we would about theirs.
For awhile it looked as if the United States ambassador
and German officials were playing some kind of a
game caled "Apology", which might he a forerunner or
aftermath of some of our milder and less dangerous
games such as "Monopoly".
Anyway Mayor LaGuardia of New York would burn
Hilter with some speech about Nazism, and before the U.
S. Ambassador could get over to German official's house,
the German press, like ail collective presses, is looking
for somethng to "burn" so they pick out the American at-1
tack and write some hot articles.
By this time a German official finds it his duty to
make an apology and he starts for the American Ambassador's
house. Frequently, we imagine, they meet each
other on the way to each other's house.
In any event the German gesture of offering sympathy
in the case of the Texas school house was a noble
one, accepted as such and duly appreciated. But we wonder
if this isn't going to put at least a temporary end to
the game of "Apology".
I ?
SALE OF SEALS FOR CRIPPLED CHILDREN
Few appeals for the public attention and support
come with more reason and urgency than the one made
annually in behalf of crippled children.
> In a modern word which moves swiftly and some*
i times ruthlessly, it is warming and satisfying to know
there are agencies devoted to the welfare of these deserving
youngsters.
i Starting in life, many of them, with less than a full
chance, most of the boys and trirls erirmled >.v or
i accident have acquired through modern science an op,
portunity to live a complete and happy life.
I Problems arise in finding the children early enough
in life for satisfactory treatment and education which are
1 available.
To these tasks the International Society for Crippled
s Children ..nd its locally affiliated groups, the Murphy I
. Lions club and the Andrews Rotary club, are dedicating
1 much of their time and energy.
! In Murphy the seals have been distributed to leading j
. merchants, business houses and professional men. In An- '
. drews the appeal is being made to the individual,
j In any instance too much can not be done for these
. unfortunate children and any purchase of seals will help
e them a lot.
Either H. Bueck, in Murphy, or Bill Whitaker, in Andrews,
can supply all the seals needed.
Carolina
IMPROVED
UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
Sunday i
chool Lesson
Bv REV. HAROLD L. LUNDQUIST.
Dean of the Moody Bible Institute
of Chicago.
? Western Newspaper Union.
Lesson for March 28
JOHN'S RECOLLECTION OF
THE RISEN LORD.
LESSON TEXT?John 10:19-29: 21:20-24.
GOLDEN TEXT ? And when I law him.
I fell at hit feet at dead. And he laid his
right hand upon me. saying unto me. Fear
not; I am the first and the last: I am he
that liveth. and was dead; and. behold. I
am alive for evermore. Amen: and have
the keys of hell and of death. Rev. 1:17,18.
PRIMARY TOPIC?Our Living Lord.
JUNIOR TOPIC ? Eating Breakfast With
Jesus.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC?
Who Saw Jesus After His Resurrection?
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC?
Christ's Resurrection a Glorious Fact.
"The best authenticated fact in
all history"?that is what competent
historians have called the resurrection
of Christ. One of America's
greatest legal authorities used it
as an illustration of how properly
to prove a fact in court. If anyone
comes to this lesson with doubts
about the bodily resurrection of our
Lord, let him give himself to a study
of the evidence. He will find it overwhelmingly
satisfying and complete.
That is as it should be, for the
resurrection is vital to the completeness
of man's redemption. Had
Jesus died and remained in the
grave, his claims would have been
nullified; we should indeed have
been "of all men most miserable"
(I Cor. 15:19). But Paul goes on in
triumphant faith, "Now is Christ
risen from the dead." We have a
resurrection faith, a living Saviour.
Our lesson brings before us our
Lord in his post-resurrection appearance
to his disciples, and a
subsequent conversation with Peter.
These verses fittingly tie up the
resurrection of Christ with the life
and service of his followers. Those
who serve the risen Christ have an
hiw<11 u iitaL'c auu an ouiwara authority
and power. Their convictions
are based on the best of evidence
and carry them forward to a life of
personal responsibility and service.
I. Peace (20:19-21).
Peace of Soul is absolutely essential
to useful and satisfied living.
Only as we are "steadfast, immovable,"
can we be "abounding in the
work of the Lord" (I Cor. 15:58).
Steady at the center, active at the
circumference.
II. Authority (w. 21-23)
Commissioned and sent by the
Son of God, clothed with Holy
Spirit power, the Church of God
has his authority. While some have
read too much into verse 23, others
have read out of it the real authority
that God has given.
HI. Conviction (vv. 24-29)
Thomas made the serious error
of being absent from the gathering
of the disciples when the Lord Jesus
stood in their midst. Let those who
commonly absent themselves from
the place and hour of worship take
heed lest they miss a blessing, and
coming later add nothing to the
spiritual life of the church, but rather
become troublers and doubters.
But God graciously turns the
doubt of Thomas into a means of
blessing to all of us who since then
have read of his experience. Thomas
was an honest doubter. God is
always ready to meet such with
satisfactory proof. The trouble is
that there are so many in the world
who use professed doubts to cover
a life of sin.
Doubt may come to any man. In
itself it is no sin. But to cherish
?+ on/) IiaU 4a if .inKoliof iKot I
... .,?.U LKJ ,1 ? ?
is a different matter. One wise spiritual
leader rightly counselled his
people, "Believe your beliefs and
doubt your doubts. Never make the
mistake of doubting your beliefs or
believing your doubts."
When Thomas saw the Lord,
doubt rapidly changed to strong personal
conviction and abandonment
of himself to his Lord and Saviour.
IV. Responsibility (21:20-24)
This incident took place at a later
appearance of Jesus to a smaller
group of the disciples. The irrepressible
Peter has, as usual, a
question to ask, "What shall this
man do?" It is a right thing to be
concerned about the welfare of others,
to see to it that they live right
and do right. But there is in our
relationship to God a primary personal
responsibility, our own lives.
The writer of the Song of Solomon
I (1:6) spoke a profound and deepcutting
word when he said, "They
made me keeper of the vineyards;
but my own vineyard have I not
kept." Perhaps Jesus is saying to
me, or to you, the solemn words
that he spoke to Peter, "What is
that to thee? follow thou me."
P- ial responsibility should be
most resultful factors in
the making of manhood, as in the
finding of salvation.
TURNING BACK I
HISTORY'S PAGES I
From FiJeo Of The Cherokee Scout I
10 YEARS AGO j!
Friday, March 25, 1927 (
Mr. Tom Mauney returned Sunday %
from a visit with his father, Mr. L. i
Mauney, who is a patient at the Gen- w
eral Hospital, Knoxville. j
Miss Leucine Wells, of the Canton ?
High School faculty, accompanied by ?
Miss Hawkins, Miss Bailey and Mr.
and Mrs. Sherrill motored to town and f
were spend-the-day guest of Mrs. R. '
V. Wells, last Sunday.
Miss Ale'ne Richardson, who is a :
student at U. T., at Knoxville spent
the week-end at home.
Mis. J. H. Hall motored to Asheville
last week on business.
Conley Hnrrelson and Wayne I
Stroud, of Blairsvillo and Garnett
Butt who is a cadet at Dahlonega Military
Academy were callers in town
Sunday.
Mr. anil Mrs. Harry Fain and children
of Clinton, Tenn., were guests
last week of Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Fain.
Miss Hattie Axley was in Robbinsvillc
the first of the week, in the
capacity of court stenographerMrs.
Henry Akin and son, Jack I
Barton will leave Sunday to join I
Mr. Akin in Greensboro where they I
will reside.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Elliott, of
Feachtrec were spend-the day guests
of relatives in town, Sunday.
Mr. Noah Abernathy of Marbli I
was in town Wednesday. 1
Col. M. W. Ib ll attended court i
Robbinsviile, first of the week.
20 YEARS AGO
Friday, AJarch 23, 1917 y
Attorney J. N. Moody is attending 'i
court at Robbinsviile.
Attorney J. H. McCall made a busi- [
ness trip to Copperhill yesterday.
Mrs. W. D. Townsend returned to
Copperhill Wednesday, accompanud \
by Miss Alice Sneed of Tomotla.
Roderick Mclver has returned home
from the Mexican Border where he
has been serving with the United
States troops.
A. B. Dickey and A. J. Martin are
expected home next week from Douglas,
Ga., where they have been for I
several months. |
Mrs. Edna Patton Ford returned |
Wednesday from Bryson City, where
she has been with her niece, little
Edna Patton who has been sick with
pneumonia, but is now improving.
Mrs. W. 'H. Woodbury and sister,
Mrs. Grace Ramsey, are stopping at
the Dickey House.
T. C. Dickey has returned from an I
extended visit to Douglas, Ga.
Col. and Mrs. D. E. Hutch ins of
Marion, are spending a few days here
as the guests of the former's sister,
Mrs. L. L. Witherspoon.
35 YEARS AGO
Tuesday, March 25, 1902
Ckas. A. Brown arrived Thursday
night from Asheville.
Miss Ethel Conley, of Andrews, who
has been visiting Miss Norma Sherrill,
returned Saturday to her home.
T. J. Cooper spent last Wednesday
here with friends, returning the next
day to Chalker, Ga., where he is in
the lumber business.
W. H. Griffiths and wife returned
Thursday night from Hot Springs,
Ark., where Mr. Griffiths received
treatment.
Conductor Garwood and wife left
Friday for Atlanta.
.J. M. Leatherwood who is working
at McCays, Tenn., spent Sunday here
witn nis lamily.
40 YEARS AGO
Tuesday, March 23, 1897
James Reid, of Blairsville, Ga., paid
Murphy a visit last week.
Attorney E. B. Norvell made a business
trip to Asheville Friday.
Willard Axley special express rnesi
senger on Southern is at home for a
j few days.
Miss Fannie Turnbill recently returned
from Hayesville to spend a
few days at home, but will return
soon.
| Mr. J. H. Dillard and wife, who rel
moved to Greensboro several years
ago, have returned to Murphy to
i spend the remainder of their days.
Mr. Dillard is one of the finest lawyers
in the State,
i M. L. Mauney, our postmaster, and
W. M. West, chairman of the county
commissioners, returned last night
from Asheville, where they had been
to stand the civil service examination.
| Thomas A. Stone, retired Canadj
ian diplomat has harnessed the
ocean tides to supply light and power
(for his home and farm buildings on
a plantation near Charleston, S. C.