Sunday, September 1,1963
The Soundings Add Up To A Mulligan Stew
The Old Savor’s
Mostly Missing
By J. A. C. DUNN
And
W. H. SCARBOROUGH
Chapel Hill's politics are at the
moment like a half-cooked mulli
gan stew. He who dips a tasting
spoon into the pot may come up
with the raw ingredients, but no
definite flavor.
In fact. Chapel Hill and even
Carrboro might be called politic
ally bewildered in sharp con
trast to rural Orange County,
which is conservative and vehe
ment about it.
In Chapel Hill, opposition to I.
Beverly Lake is widespread, but
support for Dr. Lake cannot be
discounted. Actively committed
Democrats indicate they will hold
the Party line in the next elec
tion. The University faculty, on
the other hand, appears prepar
ed to go Republican en masse
if Dr. Lake receives the Demo
cratic nomination.
Somewhat surprisingly, a large
segment of the Town seems to
feel that the logical opposition
to Dr. Lake is not a liberal such
as former State Democratic
chairman Bert Bennett. Opinion
on Mr. Bennett is either mixed
or nonexistent. Some sentiment
is apparent in favor of such con
servatives as Thomas J. Pear
sall, Dr. Henry Jordan, Judge
J. Richardson Preyer, or Rep.
Charles R. Jonas.
One of the central points where
political opinion and speculation
Jend to coagulate is the Univer
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UNC Publicist Pete Ivey
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Eastgate Merchant Billy Arthur
sity Barber Shop, where Mack
Snipes, the proprietor, is resident
oracle.
Mr. Snipes is a political handi
capper of note. He has reported
ly picked the winning candidate
for Governor and President for
the past two decades, and he
enjoys something of an inside
track on State politics: he num
bers among his regular long-time
customers Gov. Terry Sanford,
former Hodges administrator
Paul Johnston, State Insurance
Commissioner Ed Lanier and
scores of others.
Mr. Snipes has, for several
months, been on record as fav
oring Bert Bennett as the man
to watch in 1964. He predicts
Mr. Bennett will have no dif
ficulty in winning the race over
Dr. I. Beverly Lake, and will
win the General Election in a
walk over any Republican, in
cluding Charles R. Jonas.
“Judge Preyer has just con
fused the issue doing what he’s
done, don’t you think?’’ Mr.
Snipes said. “Bert (Bennett) is
my favorite candidate, but it’s
because I know him personally,
so I just don’t know how he’ll
do.
“It seems that the crowd is
using him, but that has happen
ed before. He seems to be the
picked choice. Hodges picked
Seawell and he lost. It does lose
a man a lot of votes for the
Governor to try to pick him as
the next man.’’
Had Mr. Snipes consulted with
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BARRY WINSTON
. . . Lying Behind A Log
Gov. Sanford on the political
picture recently? “No, the Gov
ernor hasn’t been around in a
couple of months.
“I don’t think Lake's got a
chance against Bennett, Preyer
or Pearsall, The cities will make
the difference. Oh, the County
may go for Lake, and you can't
say which one’ll elect the man,
but I think the County would
swing behind Bennett pretty
good. These fellows you talked
to out in the County, I know
them, and a lot of them were
just pulling your leg. They went
for Scott and Hodges and San
ford, and I don’t see any reason
why they won’t go for Bennett.
They may tell you one thing and
then say something else again
when they get in that booth.”
What did Mr. Snipes see as the
big issues of the next election?
"It’s hard to say. I don’t think
this race question will make
any difference. I think the coun
try people are more for equality
than a lot of small towns. Most
of them are for equality, they
like to see everybody get a bet
ter education, and a better job.
“Most of my customers that
I talk to are against Lake, and
most would support Bennett,
Pearsall or Judge Preyer. I
heard a lot about Dr. Henry
Jordan two months ago. Dif
ferent ones were mentioning him,
but right now it’s quieted down,
partly because his name had
come up before other elections,
but it comes up and then it’s
dropped. I don’t know, he just
doesn’t seem to get much at
tention right now.”
What about the communist
speaker law? “I don’t think
people are going to pay much
attention to it."
What effect will the national
administration have oh local poli
tics? "I think the President is
still popular. His brother Bobby
is not, but he’s just carrying out
the Supreme Court ruling. He’ll
cost the Democrats some votes,-
but not many.”
What of Republican chances in
the State? “They tell me this
fellow Jonas is pretty good, but
he’s got a job in Washington,
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Store Owner Willie Marlow
V L
I Politics In Chapel Hill |
and I don't think he’d want to
take a chance on running for
Governor and losing that."
Mr. Snipes's sentiments are not
entirely shared by his fellow bar
bers aind his customers, but the
shop has served for years as an
informal debating union. Mr.
Snipes's partner, T. M. Green,
a rock-ribbed Republican, has re
tired, and with his retirement
perished an argument that ran
for decades. “People used to
come in here and egg us on just
to see the show, and finally it
got to the point where we’d start
in just to amuse them," Mr.
Snipes recalled.
Not all barbershops are politic
al. The tone of a barbershop
depends on its barbers. The bar
ers in the Tar Heel in Amber Al
ley are, in many cases, hardly
older than University undergrad
uates. As a result, the Tar Heel
Barbershop is not political.
“We haven't heard*anything,”
said Eddie Goddard. “I heard
a man talking about Hodges the
oth«»r day, but that’s all.”
“When the students are here
we talk about school,”" said
George Ballou. “Lately we’ve
been talking about the Rathskel
ler fire.”
Attorney Barry Winston, a
prime functionary in the County
Young Democratic Club, express
ed more alarm and less certainty
than Mr. Snipes.
“We’re doing like everybody
else at the moment—lying be
hind a log waiting to see what
everybody else is going to do.”
By his own description Mr.
Winston is a “wild-eyed moder
ate.” He is emphatically op
posed to Dr. Lake. "I have three
children," he said, "all of whom
in the next five years will be
looking for a public school edu
cation. I want the schools to
be open when they’re ready to
go.
“As of a week ago—from every
thing I have heard—Bert Bennett
is the strongest contender.” Mr.
Winston’s personal sympathies
lie with Judge Preyer. "I’d like
to see him seek the nomination
and I’d campaign for him.”
THE CHAPEL HILL WEEKLY
Bp? '
TOM SCISM
. . . Preyer Or Jonas First
Other than candidates, what
will be the big issues? “It de
pends. It could be redistricting
(of the State Senate). But if
the Legislature redistricts on
some sort of equitable basis—
and they’ve almost got to I
don’t think it’ll be an issue, ex
cept in the East. If they don’t
redistrict, it’ll be the major is
sue of the campaign. The Re
publicans would have a field
day.
“The Republican chances are
less than fair.
“They’ll make no substantial
gains, they’ll probably hold what
they've got unless the Demo
cratic Party chooses as its nom
inee for Governor Dr. I. Beverly
Lake. If they do that and Char
lie Jonas chooses to run, we'll
have a Republican Governor. If
Bennett is nominated and Jonas
runs, the Lake support will be
split down the middle."
Mr. Winston also sees “a sig
nificant threat" in Republican
State Rep. William Osteen, pos
sibly to the Sixth District Con
gressional seat held by Rep.
Horace Kornegay. “His recent
performance demonstrates hi s
capabilities as a vote-getter. I
don’t think what hapened in
Greensboro was entirely a re
action against the Old Guard
Democratic Party.”
What effect would national poli
tics have on the local political
complexion? "It’s already done
what it’s going to do, make it
mighty tough for any man who
looks like a liberal.”
Within the County Mr. Winston
also envisions a threat. “The
Democratic Party ~ had better
start taking cognizance of the
local Republican threat: the time
has come when there is suffici
ent disenchantment with the Ad
ministration among the rank and
file Democrats that we can’t
count on Party loyalty to win
elections as in the old days. And,
the energy, political intelligence
and savvy of some of the up
and coming young Republican
leaders."
Among his contemporaries, Mr.
Winston also noted what he call
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Businessman Charlie Stancell
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MRS. SALLIE GRAY
... I Was A Seawell Man
ed "an amazing dissatisfaction
with the Kennedy Administration
and a surprising amount of dis
satisfaction directed against San
ford.” He predicted that more
of the young disaffected are go
ing to be wielding influence and
participating in politics before
the 1964 elections.
What about the potency of the
communist speaker law as an is
sue? “It won’t ne a big issue,
but it will be an issue. It ought
to be repealed. If it becomes
an issue in the campaign any
candidate who speaks against it
will be doing himself a disservice,
but the rest of the State a very
great service."
Mr. Winston admitted to some
perplexity at the number of po
tential candidates. He is in
charge of the program for the
Young Democratic Club’s annual
fall rally, and he has been try
ing to invite all of the prospec
tive candidates to the affair. So
far Bennett, Jordan and Pear
sall have tentatively accepted.
Dr. Lake has another engage
ment. Plans are under way to
invite Judges Dan K. Moore and
J. Richardson Preyer. “If any
more announce we won’t have
enough food to feed the candid
ates,” Mr. Winston said.
Tom Seism, a University grad
uate student in Political Science
who has at times been active in
local integration efforts, echoed
Mr. Winston’s aversion to Dr.
Lake.
"Under no circumstances would
I vote for I. Beverly Lake," he
said. "I’d vote for Preyer or
Jonas first. I just don't know
Bert Bennett to tell the truth.”
What did he see as the major
issue in State politics next year?
“The racial situation. I hope it
will not be an issue, and I hope
Lake doesn't get the nomination,
because he’s a racist. I think
North Carolina has escaped the
violence of Mississippi and Ala
bama because it hasn’t elevated
demagogues to power. For that
reason I hope the demagogues
and extremists can be kept out of
power, and that it won’t become
necessary for the Federal gov
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EUGENE STROWD
. . , Conservative Revival
ernment to protect a group of
our citizens. If Lake is involv
ed in the campaign, it will be
waged on the issue of color.
“If Jonas were to run I’d con
sider voting foj him. first be
cause I think he is a dead-honest
person, and second, assuming the
State doesn't need ‘progress,’ he
would be an ideal administrator
of the status quo. Otherwise I’ll
vote for the Democrat, except
for Lake. I don’t believe North
Carolina would go for Goldwatcr
unless Jonas were the Republican
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Barber Shop Owner Mack Snipes
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Former Mayor John Foushee
candidate for Governor. But I’d
rather answer all these questions 4
after the primary l . Then you
could say for sure.”
Billy Arthur, former represen
tative in the State Legislature
from Onslow County and former
House reading clerk, now sells
-toys in Eastgate Shopping Center,
but his interest in the political
scene has not cooled.
“I don’t like to use four-letter
words," he said when asked his
opinion of the next gubernatorial
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