'Youth Has Foothold In NC Politics 9
By Bobby Nowell
Editor
Roger Foushee, chairman of
the Orange County Democratic
Party, is one of the "New
Breed" of politicians who have
begun to jockey for power in
many of the. 100 North
Carolina counties.
Foushee is 32, a graduate of
the University of North
Carolina, a-book salesman. He
worked for Gene McCarthy in
1968 and along the way had
himself elected Orange
Democratic chief. Two weeks
ago Foushee and the young
liberals had sufficiently
consolidated their power
within the Party to re-elect him
for two years.
During his first term as
chairman, Foushee believes,
"We created a foothold for a
renewed, vigorous, and
responsive Democratic Party
that should be the model for
the rest of the state."
Recent happenings at other
county Democratic conclaves
may indicate that others are
following the example.
The young-or at least their
concerns and viewpoints had a
decided effect on several
conventions two weeks ago.
Guilford and Forsyth Counties,
along with normally hawkish
Wake County, passed
resolutions commending Sen.
B. Everett Jordan for his vote
against the first Byrd
amendment in the U.S. Senate.
Furthermore, Guilford
Democrats urged support for
the Cooper-Church and
McGovern-Hatfield
amendments in the Senate,
measures which would curb
United States war policies.
Elsewhere, blacks, women,
and young people were elected
to Party executive committees
in greater numbers than at any
previous time.
"In the Piedmont there is a
renewed political interest on
the part of traditional liberals,"
Foushee explained in an
interview.
"The N.C. 'Sanford wing,'
the Kennedy and McCarthy
kids, the old Stevenson
supporters-this group of
people, in their twenties and
early thirties, have with their
organizing abilities surged to
the front or taken control oi
several county Parties."
He pointed out that of the
six county officers elected two
weeks ago, four are under 35
and two are under 30.
"Historically we came along
at a very fortunate time,"
Foushee said of the resurgent
young liberals. "Nineteen
sixty -eight was a time when the
older generation was growing
tired of political involvement."
The chairman believes the
Orange County party is now
under close scrutiny by
reform-minded individuals in
other county organizations.
Among the resolutions
adopted by Foushee's recent
party convention were:
Making abortion a matter
to be decided by doctor and
patient;
Making possession of
marijuana punishable as a
misdemeanor instead of a
felony;
-Giving the vote to 18 year
olds;
-Shifting the primary
voting date from Saturday to
Tuesday to facilitate
participation at the polls;
Abolishing capital
punishment.
"A few people were
shocked bv these resolutions,"
Foushee reported. "They said
such things should not be
considered at a county party
convention.
."However, I think it's the
duty of the party to speak to
the needs of the people. As
chairman , it is my hope and
ambition to promote the right
causes, stimulate discussion of
proper issues, lend tolerance
and understanding to divergent
points of view, and serve as a
model for Party reorganization
in the state."
The structure of the Orange
Democratic Executive
Committee includes a chairman
and three vice-chairmen, one of
whom is to be of the opposite
sex of the chairman, one black,
and one aged 30 or younger if
none of the other chairmen are
under 30. "
(Continued on page I -
Volume 78
CHAPEL HILL. NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY. JULY 2. 1970
Nu
mber
Peddlers
Return
To
Franklin
By Steve Plaisance
Associate Editor
The peddlers are back on Franklin
Street, "selling" flowers and "giving
away" their merchandise with each
purchase of a flower.
Rocky Hulth and Victor Rattner were,
selling leather goods and candles on
Franklin Street Tuesday and Wednesday,
and expect to be there "until they arrest
us or until we get the ordinance
changed."
The ordinance in question was passed
by the Chapel Hill Board of Aldermen on
June 22, and states:
"It shall be unlawful for any person,
firm, corporation or organization to
display, sell, rent, offer for sale or rent
any goods, wares, merchandise or
commerical products of any kind on the
streets or sidewalks of the town of Chapel
Hill."
Exceptions include civic organizations
and ther groups engaging in charitable or
fund raising drives.. . . and that natural
and home grown or artificial flowers may
be sold in the central business district.
. "I was the first to use the idea of
selling flowers and giving my merchandise
away," noted Hulth, "but many of the
other guys are gonna try it."
Inside Today
'Odd Couple'-Page 10
Sports-Page 4
Gala 4th-Page 4
Tired Horses-Page 11
Hulth and Rattner represent 13
members of the newlv-formed Chapel Hill
Craftsman's Guild, (CHCH), which was
reportedly formed to counteract the
anti-peddling ordinance.
According to Hulth, the CHCG will
circulate petitions around the town and
campus for the next few days in order to
generate support for their bid to regain
use of the streets. The petitions, to be
submitted at the Board meeting on
Monday, July 6, ask the Board of
Aldermen "to revise section I of the
ordinance passed June 22 so that in
addition to flowers, handcrafted goods
may also be sold by licensed vendors."
"We've already got 700 signatures as
of Tuesday," Hulth explained. "We hope
to get out at least 50 more petitions later
in the week and collect at least 2,000
more signatures."
Hulth said that a committee had been
appointed by the Board of Aldermen to
study the street peddlers and the
problems surrounding them, "but only
one member of the committee has come
by to talk to us so far."
When questioned about the police
action in the matter, Hulth said "I'm
scared shitless!"
's f ik i ltr I ill ' I It'
K , i , y ii i- i
'ivV f L , ')K " v - r
f . i ?
- 1(1
V
1 C A
' 1 i
: V,.''
Victor Rattener sells his flowers
New Left Counters 'America Day'
Thousands of people of all political
leanings will converge on Washington,
D.C. this week end to demonstrate
separately support or discontentment
with American traditions.
Members of the New Left are planning
a "counter-celebration" or "smoke-in" to
coincide with "Honor America Day"
planned by right-wing organizations for
July 4 in the Nation's Capital.
"Honor America Day" is billed as an
entertainment event to "honor the
country on its 194th birthday."
According to Bob Hope, the master of
ceremonies for the day-long festivities,
the events are supposed to be
non-political. Hope indicated that
although a number of famous show
business personalities will share the
flag-bedecked platform on the
Washington Monument grounds, the only
speech will be given by Dr. Billy Graham.
"His address will be non-political,
too," Hope promised.
The Associated Press reported this
week that President Nixon had asked
Hope himself not to make any political
statements. Hope has recently dropped
his comedy routine at rallies to speak in
favor of Nixon's Indochina policies.
The official schedule calls for a
mid-morning "National Memorial
(Continued on page 12)