Pw*l>?fc?4 !??'? T ???*?, A THwr?4?y
The FrapMin Times
Your Award Winning County Newspaper
LOCAL EDITORIAL COMMENT
/
Might Be Our Kind Of Fellow
Among the things for which this
newspaper has not been noted in
recent years is the love for the High
way Commission in general and Com
mission Chairmen in particular. In
deed, a source of continuing pride for
us has been that this newspaper was
chosen number one in the country in
Community Service in 1967 for its
campaign against the policies of the
Commission and its Chairman which
discriminated against the small coun
ties.
A change in this attitude must rank
in importance with such earth-shaking
decisions as Lyndon Johnson's decla
ration he would not run again and the
cancelation of the San Francisco
earthquake scheduled for last week.
However, with a limited degree of
apprehension, we now believe that we
could grow to like the new Highway
Chairman.
"Lauch" Faircloth came to Frank
lin County last week and made a
speech before a gathering of Demo
cratic Party faithful. We not only
liked the things he said, we liked the
way he said them. Mr. Faircloth could
be a unique and refreshing maverick in
the world of North Carolina politics.
He doesn't look like a politician.
He doesn't talk like a politician. Poli
ticians would never say the things he
s=iid here. And herein lies the reason
we thipk he might be our kind of
fellow.
Among the things he said were:
. - Wake and Durham have had the
Commissioners; the money and the
road work. Since 1958, Wake and
Durham have had $70 million in
primary road funds; Franklin has had
only $100,000. "Darn if there should
be that much difference".
- Counties of equal size and in
fluence should be grouped together
with their own Commissioners.
-Traffic counts are no basis for
setting road priorities.
- His agreement with this column's
call for a Commissioner from among
the small counties in the Fifth Divi
sion.
Franklin will fare better in the
next four years than it did in the past
four.
?These are not all the things the
Commissioner said. He took a firm
stand against disruptions on college
campuses, which we liked. And he
made a common sense approach to a
long-ignored problem of highway fund
allocations. We were impressed by the
things he said.
But mostly, we were impressed
With the man. Somewhere along the
way, he may get brain- washed. Sooner
or later, somebody may start to cen
sor his speeches. A political appointee
cannot forever swim upstream against
the power of the large city newspapers
and already Mr. Faircloth has felt the
whip.
But, thus far, he has defended his
position that small counties are en
titled to fair representation very well.
His attitude seems to indicate that he
plans to continue to do so. He has
shown that he has no plans to buckle
under to the old policy of making the
rich richer while the poor continue to
get poorer.
It may be too early to tell, but first
impression give strong indications that
"Lauch" Faircloth C5uld make us
change our minds about Highway
Commissioners. He could easily turn
out to be our kind of fellow.
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING
Honestly, Ave, Be Quiet
The Courier Tribune
Asheboro,'^. C.
Averill Harriman if you'll remem
ber, has been lurking in the back
ground of American foreign policy for
over two decades, excepting the Eisen
hower years which chose - to turn
elsewhere for counsel during the early
years of the Cold War with Russia.
Probably that brief hiatus kept us
out of other unfortunate compacts of
which Mr. Harriman, a former New
York governor, played who can say
how large a role?
Yalta and Potsdam agreements
haven't been the most permanent in
our uncertain relations with the Union
of Soviet Socialist Republics.
But good old Averill keeps in there
pitchjng, like always.
It was to our good fortune that the
? change of administrations in Novem
ber resulted in a change of faces in
Paris where U. . S. (negotiators are
haggling for a truce of sorts to allow
U. S. forces a graceful exit from South
Vietnam.
With the doremost conciliator
(back pedaler) in charge of the Ameri
can withdrawal (for what else does the
P*ris scene suggest?), the U. S. would
probably find itself defending a peri
meter established no further north
than Australia - so yielding is Mr.
Harriman. (We're only going by the
history books.)
Harriman was brought home and a
more firm U. S. spokesman Henry
Qabot Lodge, was installed m ?#s
stead. Mr. Lodge, if a bit dogmatic in
dealing with the communists, at least
won't rush the U. S. out of Vietnam
in such haste the vacuum will be
tempting for an immediate Red oc
cupation of Saigon. With Mr. Harri
man in the highest councils of the
truce talks, we had some worries.
We've still got them, of course.
The ex-roviing ambassador of four
Democratic administrations hasn't had
his last say on Vietnam, despite his
current non-involvement in any of
ficial capacity.
Only tnis week,' Harriman was re
- ported during a two-week national
security seminar in Palm Beach as
saying the U. S. should forget about
"winning" the war in Vietnam.
"You've got to get the idea out of
your head," Harriman said. "We can
not do everything that someone wants
us to do."
Possibly some of the sentiment is
universal now, but it behooved us to
appear more circumspect about voic
ing opinions during these perilous
days of finding our footing in Paris. '
The North Vietnamese are not
ignorant of what is said publicly in the
, U.S.
Harriman isn't alone. The U. S.
Senate "doves" are undermining the
U. S. position ^ gravely.
But, fresh from the center of
power, Harriman 'is uniquely in a
sensitive position to influence the
outcome. If he lends weight to the
growing evidence that the U. S. faces a
domestic revolt unless it extricates
itself from Vietnam, our bargaining
power declines that much more.
School Units In Reverse
Henderson Daily Dispatch
For years now the trend in public
school administrative systems has
been toward mergers as between cities
and towns on the one hand and
counties on the other. Now a move
ment in reverse is setting in, whereby
municipal areas are pulling out and
preparing to go it alone again. The
heavy hand of the Department of
Health, Education and Welfare pressed
upon helpless school boards and citi
zens is beginning to reverse the drift.
Scotland Neck managed to get
authority from the Legislature to
withdraw from the Halifax county
system, and a referendum on the
proposal last week carried by about
three to one. A special fifty cents tax
will be imposed to produce the money
for support of the new unit.
When the measure was under con
sideration there was the comment that
other towns would follow the ex
ample. That is happening. Hardly had
the Scotland Neck bill cleared Senate
and House to become law until the
town of Warrenton presented a similar
demand. A bill to that effect has been
introduced by Reps. John T. Church
and James O. Speed. The legislature
cannot in fairness refuse to concur.
Who or how many will be next in line
is not known, but it will be a major
surprise if others do not start in the
same direction.
Desire to find a way out of the
integration dilemma is the reason for
these moves. Mergers that hjve pro
duced a single countywide school unit
are being forgotten in the scramble to
return to the former status.
Nothing of the sort has been
sought in Henderson, where city and
county schools were consolidated '
only two short years ago after being
argued, favored and opposed bitterly
for a time until sentiment changed in
favor. So far as integration is con
cerned, there would be little to gain
here. There would still be much of it
Opffosition to desegregation in
principle has not been so pronounced -
i.% is resentment of highhanded
methods of the Federal department in
attempting to impose its will upon the
people. HEW agents have gone to such
extremes as to make themselves ap
pear ridiculous and unreasonable.
The freedom of choice idea meets
requirements of the law as it is under
stood. But it does not measure up to
the bureaucratic interpretation of the
statute. This is the straw that broke
the camel's back and incensed Scot
land Neck and Warrenton, and the
Legislature has willingly gone along
with plans for extablishment of sepa
rate units, at least in the first instance.
If the procedure works to the satisfac
tion of the local communities, more
of the same may be anticipated, and
also probably with the blessing of the
lawmakers in Raleigh. What the reac
tion of the Federal dictators may be
remains to be seen, and whatever it
may be the new independent units
must face it on their own responsi
bility.
Heinous Crime
Colorado Springs (Colo.)
Gazette- Telegraph
Apparently the worst crime of all is
not to pay one's income tax, from one
of the latest rulings by Earl Warren's
U. S. Supreme Court.
While police officers must inform
murders, robbers and other assorted
lawbreakers that they are being inves
tigated on criminal charges, that they
need not testify against themselves,
and are entitled to have a lawyer's
advice - even at the expense of the
taxpayers - the same rules do not
apply to the agents of the Internal
Revenue Service and to axpayers un
der investigation.
The Supreme Court rejected the
. claim of attorneys for Robert M. Muse
of Kirkwood, Mo., who contended the
IRS agents should be required to warn
individuals before questioning them
about their returns if the inquiry
could lead to criminal prosecutions.
Kruse had been convicted of income
tax evasion, fined $1,500 and given a
one-year suspended sentence.
1 The circuit court ruling, which was
upheld by the Warren court, said IRS
agents do not have to tell a taxpayer
he is the subject of a criminal investi
gation and that he has a right to have
a lawyer.
We repeat. The most heinous crime
is not murder, rape or robbery. It's
failure to pay taxes. . . .That's what
the court saidl
Editor's Mole:
The following appeared recently in
the Oxford (M.C.) Public Ledger and.
since il't the first letter we've teen,
purportedly written by a mule, we
reproduce it here for your vieuxn#.
Ider's old black master is dead and
Ider Is pleading for hay.
A letter came to the Public Ledger
Monday bringing Ider's appeal. It read:
"Dear Public. Will you print
my letter In Tuiday paper i am a
Old White mule 27 year old I
don't have eny hay to eat I have
work hard toll over hills work
my old Black master Is Dead and
I miss him I need food So Bad
the Wellfor Society want help
me I am all mo A Starve i live R.
5, Oxford nc by name is id*r."
Ider seat $1 to pay for the appeal.
Then la no charge for publication of
the appeal.
? If ider will bray at the front door,
the dollar will be returned, along with
some anti-starvation feed provided.
The Fra^ljiii Times
Eatabliahed 1870 - Published Tu?days It Thur?tay? by
The Franklin Times. Inc.
Bickett Blvd. Dial OY6-3283 Loulabuig, N. C.
CLINT FULLER. Managing Editor ELIZABETH JOHNSON, Bualneaa Manager
NATIONAL EDITORIAL
Advertising Rata vj^ | ASSOCIATION
Upon Request RIfL., J, ???!?. !????
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
In North Carolina: Out of State:
On* Yaw. $4.64; Si* Month., $2.88 On* Yaar, $6.60; Six Mont ha, $4.00
Thra? Month*. $2.06 v Three Months, $8.60
,? Entered u second dm maU matter and pottage paid at the Pott Office at LouMwff. N. C. 27549.
'COME
TO
THINK
OF IT..."
:
"
by
frank count
Things are scarcer nowadays than they used to be. You can
ask anybody and they'll tell you things are scarce. I afraid that
the old ways and the old days are fast fading into the sunset as
the poet said. I think one said that.
Take for instance . . . money. If you don't think that's a
scarce item you ain't been around my house. But money ain't
all that's scarce and neither is what this year's bathing suits
covers.
As an example I would like to cite a meeting with my old
friend Heppie Titus, lleppie al
ways was a smart one. And I guess
Heppie took more fun from rais
* ing his youngins than most folks.
He always took time to tell them
what was right and what was
wrong and he believed in youngins
behaving themselves.
Well Heppie's oldest boy is
gonna finish high school this year
and Heppie is glad. And he wants
the boy to go on to college.
College is something Heppie ain't
no expert on. Fact is, he told me
he ain't never seen one. He's just
heard of them.
Well, Heppie went looking the other day and what do you
suppose is scarce now? Colleges . . . that's what. There's plenty
of universities, Heppie says . . . and adds . . . whatever they
are. But there ain't no colleges. Now Heppie don't understand
the differences but he knows he don't want no youngin of
his'n off at no university.
Heppie's got some fool notion that universities is bigger
than colleges and that his youngin might get lost. He insists
that his boy go to a college. He went where there used to be
colleges but found that they are all now universities. I tried to
tell him 1 didn't think this made them any bigger.
"Heppie". 1 said, "them colleges ain't changed none. H>ey
just changed the name. That there place has got the same
buildings today it had yesterday before it got to be a
university. It's got the same teachers. Nothing's changed".
Heppie couldn't understand why they changed the name if
it didn't mean nothing. I couldn't very well explain this to
him. Heppie, you see, is a little thick-headed. Anybody can
understand that.
Heppie said he went to Raleigh and State College is
changed. He said he went to Greenville and Essee-Teesee is
changed and he went to Pembrooke and Greensboro and
Charlotte and several other places.
''It just ain't no use, Frank", he said, almost in tears. "They
done done away with colleges'. A grand old institution done
gonedown the drain".
"Well, that's they way it is in a fluent society", I consoled.
"Times is good, Heppie and things change. When you git big
and got plenty money you don't want to stay a college,
Heppie. You want to be a university. That's progress, man and
you don't want to stop progress".
"It's the boy I'm thinking of, Frank. It don't matter none
to me. It's the youngin. He ain't but 35 and he's got his life
before him. He's too young to be turned loose at a university".
"Well, what you gonna do with him, Heppie?" I asked.
"Ain't decided yet, Frank. May keep him home for a few
years. Maybe somebody will start a college one day and I can
git him in". .
Former Attorney General Ramsey has
blasted the White House withdrawal of LBJ's
judge and post office appointments. If Ramsey
had been that aggressive against crime, may
be it wouldn't be such a problem today.
They say Teddy Kennedy has some tough
tests coming up as majority whip. If so, he'll
probably get someone else to take them for
him.
L
jjl "Cyi noticed that you've been talking
vary softly lately, Mr. Dintmore."