THE NEWS, Albemarle, N. C, Tuesday, April 1, 1919. Page Two. 5 Wilt i est,;?, 7 Nur'-;or t.i the AltM-murif KntTirUe. I-NUMI-Iicl in 1MHO. Pnblihil Ferv I'm-Mlay. riuir-'l'iy nivl ''l'-t'iv. FRANK CARTER, Owner anil Editor. tabwription Price: By Mail. Ji.OO a Year. lents a Week, ;..) a e:ir. (riiotuice Albemarle by Mull Currier.) Bntered at the Pimtotflre In Albemarle, N C m Seeonil Cla Mull Matter. Albemarle, N. C, Tuesday, April 1, 1919. A Plea for Col. Cox. If the Raleigh news writes had formed a conspiracy to injure Col Al bert L. Cox (which of course they have not) they hardly could have hit upon a more effective method of pro cedure than that they are now pur suing. In playing him up as the St. George who is to overthrow the Kitchin dragon in the Second Con gressional district, (for which he is to qualify by taking up the residence of his distinguished father in Edge combe County); as a potential rival of Congressman Pou, in the Fourth district, (where he now resides); as a contestant for mayoralty honors in the city of Raleigh; and, finally, as a gubernatorial dark horse, the news artists and space writers, whether in tentionally or unintentionally, are "doing their dernedest" to make Colonel Cox a public laughingstock. We hold no brief for Col. Cox, but we know him; and to know him is to admire his splendid qual and heart. Genuinenes character and modesty of bearing are O r-v-i n Vila !j4irii'trA innllfina n A among nis fiistinctive qualities, ann these fool pictures of him a.s the rag- ing lion that is going up and down the state to devour the little lambkins of politics must needs be hifrhlv r!istn;te-!of ful to him, as well as to his real friends and admirer fiee within the gift . There is no of of the people of North Carolina that Albert Cox would not grace: to say this i- teetotahy to falsify the suggestion that he returns from the 1.:; 1 1" N of F v: i ai consuming 1 u.-t for wherever it is to whole career stamp? of man most needed and to doubt that 1 political spoil,, be found. His him as the type in our public life, igh honors await him would be to impeach the intelli gence and virtue of the state. The future opens up to him with rare promise. Nothing is so likely to mar it as the ridiculous ovj: exploitation of his political potentialities. In virtue of his distinguished pub lic services, Colonel Cox deserves to be spared the excess of sensationalism of which he is presently the victim. The foregoing criticism has no ap plication to the news story of Col. Tom Bost, in the Raleigh Times, re produced in another column, which is admirable from every point of view. A Sad Waste. In the course of a statement issued in Paris on Thursday, President Wil son says: "During the last few days the commission (on the League of Nations) has been engaged in an ef fort to take advantage of the criti cisms which the publication of the covenant has fortunately drawn out." Those are the President's words "criticisms which the publication of the covenant has fortunately drawn out" and in them is a verv valuable losciiri f-. r" - rr it. ' f rTiil f if nlo r f rar. 7 u V C- u , V V V I pie, but which oily a few, unfortu- nately, will havs the wi.-dom to learn. We refer to the multitude that rush pell-mell into blind, thoughtless ac claim of whatsoever may happen to emanate from the hero of their mo mentary worship. To such it means nothing that Moses rebelled against God, that David worked supreme in iquity, that the follies of Solomon rent his kingdom and cursed his posterity; they flout all history, sacred and profane, in the invincible faith that at last both impeccability and infallibility are found wrapped in one flesh. It may have been McKinley or Roosevelt; it may be Wilson or Bickett "the oracle have spoke"; hesitation is sin, dissent bloody trea son. What, pray, do these innocents think their head-pieces were given them for to butt with or to think with ? Has it never occurred to them that if God had intended one man to , , , hundred do all the thinking for a million, He hardly would have thrown away so much good material in the production of 99,999,999 useless think ing apparatuses. It is of the very essence of democ racy, we conceive, that every man has the right to think upon every question brought forward for political action, nay, that it is his duty to do so to think honestly and declare himself . courageously. The folks that threw so many con niption fits because some other folks were not altogether pleased with the league covenant as drawn, and dared to say so, must feel rather foolish now that they are left high and dry by Mr. Wilson's statement that "the commission has been engaged in an effort to take advantage of the criti cisms which the publication of the covenant has fortunately drawn out." - .---. rT v)v' CAROLINE I.AM). Muniieinx Eilitor Stri.tly in Advanre. Ity Currier, in Albemarle, rates are iroiuii;iie ..t m-mrrj Let the Boys Parade. The following is from Charity aril Children: "Gentlemen of the Jury! Let us stop all this foolishness about the soldiers parading in every little town and hamlet in the state. The hoys are tired. They want to go home. Every time they have to stop to j parade they delay their home going by that much time, l he boys tnoin selves do not like it. They have told us so; and their wishes ought to pre vail." Editor Johnson has achieved, and well merits, so high a reputation for the sanity of his views on all public questions that we feel a good deal of diffidence in taking .ssue with him on by and bfi gent to the foregoing proposition. We do not Children's home in Greensboro. Da question his statement of fact as to vjs ;n bis testimony, stated that he the wishes of the soldiers, but we are had tried every means possible to eor by no means convinced of the folly of rect the boy, who wouldn't go to catering to the popular yearning to school. He admitted that he had envisage the war-effort of the nartic- chained him in the home to prevent lalities of head,ular community and the nobility and s sincerity of I e .1 i 4.- t .-s, sincerity 01 power of the new relation of its c i, younjf manhood, by the only effective i . .... i method of militarv parade j Xot the least of the compensations j of war is the wakin to conscious life Pirit of patriotism that so easily becomes dormant under the sordid influences of -a workaday world, in war is much that nrutal ' ies and corrupts, but it likewise s-.irs the deepest springs of virtue and , ennobles with high emotion. i Tho bndv in.iv thrive on the fruit- 0f caiiy toil, but the soul needs an occasional look-in throno-h Hip nnarlv gates. The folks in "the little towns and hamlets" have done the myriad services of civilian support of the na tion's war effort; they have length ened their hours of labor; they have planted Victory Acres; they have cul- tivated War Gardens; they have con- tributed to Red Cross and other funds; thev have bought Thrift Stnrvrw and T.iWv R,LtW t pi- have pulled the plow of labor, self- denial and anxious thought; why not throw them a little wisp of Victory fodder? why not let their poor, strained eyes float off in tears of joy ciuu ii iwc ia mcv acc uitru very un n . i, , .. , , . in the habit and paraphernalia of .,, , . ., ,, world salvation, as they hear the roll . , ' . , . , of drum and rythmic footfall that were good music on streets ? the golden, Isn't it worth a few , . .. , . , , , ine great, loan ne carries ana ai me cost to the nation and a few days' de- game time wi the ,eaderg of thougM lay to the soldiers to make the light 'to his cause. Moses was inclined to of Heaven to shine in so many care-jdo the same thing. He tried to bear furrowed faces, to grave upon the all the load of governing and judging heart of youth patriotic memories the people of Israel, but Jethro, his that will never fade? .father-in-law showed him the folly of his course, and urged him to throw The published accounts of New part 0f the burden on other shoulders York's welcome to her Twenty-sev- 'and thus save himself from nervous enth Division and of the events in ; prostration and at the same time de Raleigh in connection with the home- velop leadership among his people. coming of the 113th Artillery Regi , , ' h ment are all the evidence we need that something of real value to the , x . ,. . . nation and to the lives of its citizens would be lost if such opportunities for patriotic demonstration were de - nied. Let the boys parade! If we will but save them from the selfishness tisans of the President say that he that prefers their own comfort to the has more influence in Europe than in happiness of so many, that they alone , his own country, and this is true, but can give, they will have compensation the reason is easy enough to under for the sacrifice now and to the last stand. He made the Senate mad be day of their lives , cause he completely ignored it, and And they will never cease to thank ?'hen, he urned with his papers he us. Interlude Old Mothers. I love old mothers, white hair, -mothers And kindly eyes, and lips grown soft- ly sweet, i With murmured blessings over sleen- . i.. 1 uaucSt There is something in their quiet grace That speaks the calm of Sabbath nf- ternoons; A knowledge in their deep, unfalter - ing eyes, That far outreaches all philosophy. Time, with caressing touch, about them weaves The silver-threaded fairy-shawl of age, While all the echoes of forgotten songs Seems joined to lend sweetness to their speech. Old mothers! as they pass with slow timed step, Their trembling hands cling gently to youth's strength. Sweet mothers, as they pass, one sees again, Old garden walks old roses and old loves. Charles S. Ross. runoown. Clouds, dimly lighted, gather! sl owl V The star of peace at watch above the crest Oh, holy, holy, holy! We know, O Lord, so little what is best; .,, , , ,,, l.l,r. uigit-aa, c nunc mviiij , Rut in thy calm all-knowledge let us rest Oh, holy, holy, holy! John Charles McNeil. Press Opinion An Unjust La'v. M orga n t r n .W'.rs-tie ra 1 i ! . There has been, in our opinion, a very grave mistakes made in a law that brings about such a result as is reported in the following news item from Winston-Salem, appearing in Tuesday's daily papers: "W. F. Davis, a carpenter by trade, was given a term of four months on the roads this morning in the city court on the charge of permitting his nine-vear-old son to become a delin- quent. The prosecution was under the new State law making the parent responsible for the conduct of minor children. After the conviction of the -Vi - ti-na folrnn I v o viva J1'00.'"' tand gettin into trouble. Davis has six other children, , , ... . , , ,j ' but this one is the only one placed in the unmana 'able class" I ft If that report is correct, and we have the word of a lawyer that there is such a law as is stated, such a state of affairs deserves serious con sideration. It is a reversal of the old Biblical law of the visitation of the sins of the father upon the children. It h an indisputable fact that some parents are responsible for the mis deeds of their children, because of the training, or rather lack of training they roee.ve, but is it not carrying uirii':ment a step too far to make the entire family suffer in such a v. ay as is described above, because of the delinquency of a minor child? The mother and those other six children will come in for their share of punish ment while the father is serving the sentence. Instead of taking such steps as this other schools like the Jackson Training school should be established and these wayward boys brought within the uplifting influence of their training. ! Such a howl of Potest should be made against such a law as that no judge or jury would dare carry out provisions Wilson's Weakness. ; i j ri t , Chanty and Children, I ,T , No matter how strong a man mav t, r, t. v- i n -j be he has his weak points. President Wilson is one of the three foremost men in all the world, but his one weakness is his failure to take others v,;n:., f,ir,to his confidence and thus lighten millions of;., . , , , . , ,, Mr. Wilson did not show the Senate AT 1 i. a. V 't ons'""l " 'c" en- ' In hf. shY e( , th . Sfna" tors no consideration at all, but took the whoe bur(len of preparing the plan of the League of Nations, so far !as America was concerned, upon his own shoulders, and those of the small group of men he had appointed and whom he completely dominated. Par- iuumu a suueu uimy unwilling xo ac- icept the conditions, and 39 of whom i pledged themselves to vote against his plan. These men are wrong, if ,they stubbornly stand against the proposition simply to wreak veng eance on the President, but human with nature is human nature any where 'and all the time. A little tact on the Pa,"t of Mr. Wilson might have won ja sufficient number of these stubborn opposers to have put the matter over, v... - -i. , v, uut aumc utilities must, nun uc made or the Senate will refuse to rat if y the constitution of the League of Nations. The selection of William ill. Taft instead of Thomas B. Greg 'ory as the President's personal ad visor, would have been a great stroke A President and an Ex-President at the peace table, in perfect harmony, would have been a wonderful advan tage in advancing the view point of America with the European states men. But nobody over there ever heard of Gregory. Mr. Wilson should have called an extra session of Con gress to pass the bills that failed in the last Congress, and he was implor ed to do so by many of the ablest leaders of his party, but there was nothing doing. We have no doubt all will end well. The League of Na tions will be established, but with a little more diplomacy on the part of the President it might have been done easier and earlier. Will Hardly Succeed. j Statesville Landmark. Tiie organization in New York of an association for the avowed "prime purpose" of making the eighteenth amendment to the constitution (the prohibition amendment) "forever in-; operative" seems absurd to most peo ple in prohibition territory, but we can hardly appreciate the fierce op position to prohibition in those States in which prohibition has not been adopted by a vote of the people, bu where it is to become effective through the action of other States.1 And we of the South are a little em barrassed in criticizing this action on the part of the morally stunted, be cause we have deliberately made one amendment to the constitution inop- erative and we can and do justify that action as one of absolute necessity for the preservation of our civiliza tion. However, we do not believe the; organization to make the prohibition amendment inoperative will get veryj far or amount to much except prob ably in localities. The prohibition' sentiment is too strong and growing to be overcome. But naturally the: views of the residents of the big cities' where the opposition to prohibition is strongest, are colored by theirj environment, just as the view in pro: hihition territory may be somewhat colored bv environment. THE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION TAXATION Revaluation Act Non-Partisan and Non-Political Guarantee Against Excessive Increase in Taxes The Organization for Revaluation. By A. J. Maxwell. None of the features of the revalu ation act is more remarkable than the; manner of its passage by the General j Assembly. An ordinary revision of; the Machinery Act for the quadren nial assessment of real property usu ally occupies several days of discus-i ion in each House, ar.d generally sharp division over some of its pro visions. The revaluation act well: understood to anticipate a radical de par'uro from past practice, and an a;:;iva:sa! of property as its actual y.'uo was passed without an oppo sition vote in either House, practi rally without discussion, and without, an amendment being offered except : in idental ones offered by the com-, n'ittees whhh -traro'! t1,0 hi!1. T1"1..- s h o Wf neces as ro the c form i' out. Nor The unanimous recognition ior xne y of the undertaking, as well lete confidence in the work of; imittees which had carefullyj ted the plans for carrying it; Partisan and Non-Political. lanner of its passage, with, of members of both parties. suppor as we.; as the provisions oi tne act,1 declare its non-partisan and non-p-, litical airpose. It is a helpful cation that a fundamental c.ono ie! reform of this great impe tan-c 'an be undertaken without p.v tisa i '1'sa greement upon the main question or upon the details of the measure for' carryirg it out. The act gives ropre- sentation to the minority party in each county by providing that one member of the County Board of Ap praisers and Review shall be ap pointed from the minority party, and it also provides that any undue politi cal activity by any appointee under the act shall be cause for summary dismissal. Guarantee Against Excessive In crease in Taxes. The act carries its own specific guarantee that its purpose is to pro vide more equitable means of raising revenue, and not to unduly increase the tax burden. When real estate was revalued in 1915 the total in crease in valuation was 25.72 per cent. In 1911 the increase was 32.54 per cent, and in 1907 "0.38 per cent. These increased valuation did not re sult in any reduction in tax rates. On the contrary the tendency of tax rates have unon an average during these years been higher. The revaluation act provides specifically that not more than ten per cent increase in revenue shall be raised upon the revaluation, at actual value in 1920 than will be raised under the old assessment this year, by the State or by any county, city, town or special tax district. So the net increaFs in taxes under this reassessment will be less than the in crease made in any reassessment year in twelve years. Special Session to Fix Tax Rates. As a further safeguard and assur ance, it is provided that the reassess ment, when made, shall not be used until approved by the General Assem bly, nor until the tax rates have been adjusted to the new basis of valuation as above indicated, and that the rates when so adjusted shall in all cases become the maximum rates until the General Assembly authorizes an in crease. This provision anticipates that there will be a special session of the General Assembly, upon call of the Governor, about the first of July, 1920. District Supervisors. The State Tax Commission is to divide the State into ten districts and appoint a supervisor for each district. The district supervisors will be given employment for at least a year at a salary of $250 per month and actual traveling expenses, to be paid by the State. They will be expected to give their whole time to the work. They will divide their time between the sev eral counties in their districts, co operating with the county assessing officers. They will be the direct means of contact between the State Commis sion and the assessing officers, and it will be their duty to see that the work is being done according to law, and according to the same interpretation of the law, in each county, and will be expected to determine this by specific and detailed investigations as assess ments are being made in the several counties. County Supervisors. The State Tax Commission is to ap point a county supervisor in each r nifty, who is to be the executive officer in charge of the revaluation work. No township lines are recog nized. All the property within a county is to be assessed by the same authority, under direct supervision of the county supervisor. He appoints his own clerks and assistants. The compensation of county supervisor is graduated with reference to the total value of real and personal property lrsted in his county, from $100 to S2r0 per month, according to the fol lowing schedule: In eourties of less than $3,000,000, $100 prr month. Between $3,000,000 and $6,000,000, $lo0 per month. Between SC.000,000 and $ 10,000.000, $200 per month. Between $10,000,000 and $lo,000, 000, $225 per month. Over $15,000,000, $2."0 per month. County Board of Appraisers. The county supervisor, or one of his assistants, is to inspect each piece of real property in the county, and to require the owner to give a statement under oath and in detail as to its quantity, quality and value. Blank forms for this purpose are to be fur nished by the State Tax Commission, and are to cover such inquiries as in the judgment of the Commission are necessary to disclose its real value. These statements, when complete for a township, are to be placed before the County Board of Appraisers, and it is this board which fixes the value. The county spervisor is chairman of this board and its two other members are to be appointed by the Board of County Commissioners, and confirm ed by the State Tax Commission. Appointments to be Made First Mon day in April. Appointment of district and county supervisors is to be made by the State Tax Commission during the months of March and April. The Board of County Commissioners in each county is to appoint, at their regular meet ing the first Monday in April, two members of the County Board of Ap praisers and Review, one from each r;'i'ic"l nnrty. These appointees re ceive jfoMo per day when the Board is in session, and the same mileage ?s members of the Board of County Commissioners. Distinguished Guest. Perhaps the most rlisti.igiM-hed visitor our county has evei' had is Countess Hillyar De Caen of France, v ' o is the guest this week of Lieu : n"nt Ralph Jordan ar.d his mother, Airs. J. Jordan at Gulf. It wr.s while in the aviation ser vice at Tours that Lieutenant Jordan met the Countess. It was here that sue won from the American aviators the title of "Little Mother," for most truly has she played the part for the past four years. She helped in so many ways to make the hardships easier to bear; she used her money, opened her home to the boys, wrote letters for them back to home folks when they did not have time to write, served them delicious refreshments and made it seem as much like home as possible. Several months ago, be cause of strenuous work, she found it necessary to take a rest and so came to America. For sometime she has been in Los Angles, Cal. When she left France Lieutenant Jordan in vited her to visit his parents before returning. He did not then know that it would be his good fortunate to be at home when she arrived. Since leaving Los Angles Countess De Caen has been visiting mothers of the aviators whom she mothered in France. Siler City Grit. (.Mr. Jordan is a cousin of our townsman, J. M. Brown.) fleers, the election of which takes Important Expansion to Take Place at A. & E. College. The Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of the State Col lege met at the College on Wednes day, March 2Gth. The Committee provided for some very important ex pansion in the work of the College. Among other important steps taken was to provide for the erection of an Agricultural Extension Building, to cost $100,000, where the extension forces of the College may carry on their work. It will also provide a home for the Experiment Station forces. Both of these important agen cies receive much of their support from the United States Treasury, either directly from the Treasury, or as an offset from the State Treasury in accordance with the Smith-Lever law. The amount, something like $240,000 dollars is appropriated an nually to be administered by the col lege. iwo additional departments were provided for, a chair of highway en gineering and a chair of farm me chanics. The demand for highway engineers due to recent national leg islation is unprecedented. State Col lege will provide every facility for training North Carolina young men for this important work. The chair of farm mechanics is also intended to meet one of the urgent needs of the time. The course will include thor ough instruction in motors, tractors, labor saving machinery, farm and home conveniences, and many other branches needed by the farmer who desires to make his home comfortable and modern. News of the County KIRK SCHOOL. Mr. Charles Kirk, of Hoke countv is spending a few days with his rJ' ents, Mr. and Mrs. D. P. Kirk, jr Kirk says that the Government taken all the land around the Stat! Sanitorium and that he and ths oth er parties who reside in that terriw are now looking for new location! Mr. Kirk says the Government Agentj stated that the land might be needed in connection with Camp Bragg with. in the next sixty days. Mrs. D. P. Kirk has been on ft. sick list for several days. Mrs. Lawrence Burris spent the week-end with her sister, Mrs. C. A. Shaver. Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Miller visited in the home of Mr. and Mrs. ja. Bell on last Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. Spencer Efird were guests in the home of Mr. and Mrs Arthur Bell on last Sunday. The teachers and pupils of the Kirk School gave another box supper on last Saturday night for the benefit of the school fund. About $63.00 Was realized from the sale of the boxes and the voting contest. The proceeds from the two suppers amounted to about $85.00 and will be used to paint the school house and improve it in general. The teachers and young la dies of this community are to be high ly commended for the interest they have taken in these suppers. GOLD HILL ROUTE 1. A fine shower of rain fell Thurs day morning and all were glad to see it. Mr. M. L. Arey, who has been visit ing homefolks, has returned to his work in Baltimore, Md. The school at Cannupp Hill closes this week. Miss Lee Barne, of Row an, taught the school this session. The farmers of this section are preparing their land for another corn crop. Wheat is looking fine. Private Wm. H. Wagoner, of Rich fHd Route, 1, who has been in several hospitals since being wounded on the battlefields of France, Sept. 20th, has recovered enough to come home on a 20 days' furlough to visit his father, . A. Wagoner and other home folks. Private Wagoner was attached to the British Army. The first time he went over the top was at Ypres, Ilelgium and second time was at St. Quentin, France. At St. Quentin he got a very bad wound in his head and throat with a bullet. Glad to know that Mr. WatforT is getting along so well. Mr. Waro.-cr says that he and Pri vate M.ilto". Miller, of New London, went over sea on same ship and were wounded same day and both returned to the U. S. on same ship, were in the ".Oth Division and both ued to play base hall together. When Wm. returned home the other week his home folks set him a nice 30th year birthday dinner. This scribe says these two soldier boys were lucky, but the best luck they both had was to get back to the good old U. S. A, a live. P. H. Wagoner, while visiting his father the other Sunday had the pleasure of meeting his cousin, W. W. Morgan, of Kerto, Calf., and had long talk with him. Mr. Morgan has been out west several years. He holds a position with an oil company. He and wife are visiting his father, Mr. J. N. C. Morgan, of east Rowan. BLOOMINGTON ROUTE 6. The farmers are preparing for an other crop. Wheat and oats are the finest in this community we have ever seen for this time of the year. We hope to have an abundant fruit crop; it looks good so far. You had better begin to look out girls, we know of some new Fords being purchased. Rev. G. W. Stanly filled his regular appointment at Canton last Sunday and preached a very interesting ser mon to a large crowd. There were two funerals at Canton last Sunday, a Mr. Edwards, of Albe marle, and the infant of Mr. Luther Hinson. Yes, the Blue Eyed Boy lives in a very lively neighborhood and a very industrious one also. The people have hog and hominy but few visitors. Pa per and ink are too expensive to let the public know every time we send the kids across the road to borrow some beans. Yes, we guess we could tell Union Grove correspondent something about farming that would help him along thro life if the craw fish would let him put it into practice. Come along Locust, we certainly enjoy reading your letters. They are always full of pep. We expect in th near future to take a trip around the world and get a peep at all our cor resiondents. So wash your faces, put on your Sunday clothes and wait at the gate till we arrive. Be sure not to dine till we come. BLUE EYED BOY. ALBEMARLE ROUTE 6. The health of this community good at this writing, we are glad note. Mr. Lonnie Smith made a pleasant call at Mr. T. D. Kelly's last Satur day night. ' ' Mr. N. B. Efird and son J. E. Efi made a business trip to Concord Wed nesday. Come on Blue Eyed Boy with your items, we enjoy reading them. We are pleased to know that Mr. John A. Speight has come home fro10 the camp to stay. MAMA'S PET.