PROGRESSIVE
LIBERAL
INDEPENDENT
VOL. L NO. 52
FRANKLIN, N. C, THURSDAY, DEC. 26, 1935
$1.50 PER YEAR
1
THIRD PARTY
THREAT LOOMS
Townsend Move Causing
Concern to Major
Parties
(Special to "The Presi-Maoonian)
Washington, Dec. 24 There's a
new "Third Party" movement loom
ing up to complicate the political
situation in the Presirential election
year of 1936. It is big enough, and
has enough votes behind it, distrib
uted all over the United States, to
make the seasoned politicians of
both major parties sit up and take
notice.
This is the 'Townsend Plan"
Party.
Washington regards the an
nouncement by Dr. Townsend that
he will put a third party ticket in
the field, unless the Democrats or
the Republicans satisfy him and his
followers, as the biggest political
news since .the death of Huey Long
and the consequent collapse of the
Louisiana Senator's third party
there. It is big news, and some
thing to be -taken seriously, for two
major reasons :
1. Neither the Democrats nor the
Republicans can satisfy Dr. Town
send and his followers.
2. As every fresh arrival in Wash
ington testifies, if he has kept his
ear to the ground while back home,
the Townsend old age pension
plan has enrolled literally millions
of voters in its thousands of Town
send Clubs, all pledged to work and
vote for $200 a month pensions
for every man and woman over 60
year s old.
Power of the Group
Politicians know the power of
organization. Those with long mem
ories recall the way in which the
Anti-Saloon League put over Pro
hibition, by organizing the church
people in every community and
using the "pressure group" method
to defeat "wet" candidates and elect
"dry" ones. They were laughed at
as fanatics but they got prohibi
tion. The .Townsendites are looked
upon by the politicians on Capitol
Hill as equally fanatical but they
are begining to feel the pressure.
It is believed here that there are
more potential votes behind the
Townsend movement than there
ever were behind Prohibition. To
most folks, the Prohibition move
ment was somewhat abstract, based
. upon moral principles. The Town
send movement is decidedly con
crete, and is based upon the fund
amental human itch to get some
thing for nothing.
Congress Action Predicted
One inevitable effect of the
Townsend threat, observers here be
live, will be a desperate effort to
put through at the coming session
of Congress some amendment to
the Social Security Act, to make
the Old-Age Benefits provided for
by that measure payable imme
diately and in full to every qualified
person, instead of at some time in
the distant future. Also, to "raise
the ante" from the present sliding
scale, which runs from $10 to $85
a month, to come nearer to meet
ing the demands of the Townsend
ites. There is little belief, however,
that such a program can be put
over. It is fairly certain that Pres
ident Roosevelt would veto it if
at were passed. The Social Security
Act only received his approval after
the parts which would have requir
ed direct appropriations by the Fed
eral Government were striken out,
and the plan put On an actuarial
self-perpetuating basis
The political implications of the
Townsend threat as it may affect
the choice of the Republican can
didate, and the election next No
vember, are being carefully apprais
ed. It is a quite general understand
ing that Senator Borah would be
a satisfactory candidate to Dr.
Townsend and his followers. But
(Continued on Page Six)
I Towiisend Threat Alarms' I
Ay.:-,:.: BHHSWHIHBeBHS
WASHINGTON . . , Political
leaders of both big parties gathered
here agreed privately that the start
ling growth of the "Townsend $200-'
per-month pension plan and the
threat of Francis E. Townsend
(above), to organize a Third Party
next year, might be occasion for
real alarm.
ANOTHER GRAY
VETERAN DDES
Funeral Services Held for
Rufe H. Hall, 93,
Of Etna
Funeral services for Rufe H.Hall,
93, a Confederate veteran, were held
at 11 o'clock Saturday morning in
the Oak Grove Baptist church at
Etna. The Rev. A. S. Solesbee of
ficiated. Mr. Hajldied last Thursday after
noon at his home in Etna after a
short illness from influenza. A native
of Macon county, he had resided
here all his life. He was a well-known
farmer, and a member of the Oak
Grove church. During the War Be
tween the States he served in Com
pany a of the 65th N. C. regiment.
Three sons and one daughter sur
vive by his first marriage, which
was to Miss Lucy Morrison. They
are: Elbert and Dee Hall, of War
ren, N. C; Doc. of Etna; Mrs.
Laura Shaw, of Spokane, Wash.
Later Mr. Hall married Miss
Maggie Slagle. By this marriage
three daughters survive: Mrs. Ben
Matlock, of Boise, Idaho; Mrs.
Maude Wells, of the state of Wash
ington; and Mrs. Hattie Williams,
Etna. Sixty grandchildren, a num
ber' of great-grandchildren, and
three great-great-grandchildren sur
vive. J. H. Carelock To Operate
Farm in Georgia
After nine years of residence in
Franklin as an employe of The
Franklin Press, J. H. Carelock left
last week to take up farming near
Douglas, Ga.
Mr. Carelock came to Franklin
during Christmas week, 1926, to
accept a positon as operator of an
Intertype type-casting machine for
The Press. Except for one short
interval, he was employed continu
ously by this newspaper until
Christmas week of this year.
Mr. Carelock took his children
to their new home last Saturday,
and Mrs. Carelock, who was supply
telephone operator for the Western
Carolina Telephone Company, fol
lowed on Monday.
Nathan Pennington, who for
the past year has kfeen with The
Press, "learning the trade," has
succeeded Mr. Carelock as Inter
type operator.
Mr. Carelock was an excellent
type-setter and an all round good
fellow. The Press will miss his
presence on the staff, but employes
and management alike wish for
him the best of success in his new
field of endeavor,
DEATH CLAIMS
MRS.JPNEY
Highlands Mourns Loss of
One of Its Oldest
Residents
(Special to The Preu-Meconian)
Highlands, Dec 24 Funeral ser
vices for Mrs. J. P. McKinney,
who died at her home here at 1:40
p. m. Monday, were conducted at
the Methodist church at 10 o'clock
Tuesday morning. The Rev. C. R.
McCarty, pastor of the Highlands
Presbyterian clturch, was in charge,
assisted by the Rev. A. A. Angel, of
Frafiklin, one of Mrs. McKinney's
nephews.
Mrs. McKinney was born in
Franklin November 17, 1854. Her
maiden name was Margaret Jane
Gribble. On December 28, 1875, she
was married to John Palmer Mc
Kinney, and they soon moved to
Highlands to live. Being one of
the first three families of High
lands, they watched the town grow
from a small settlement to one of
the South's leading resort centers.
To Mr. and Mrs. McKinney were
born eight children, seven of whom
are now living. Mrs McKinney was
a faithful member of the Methodist
church. She was fondly known to
Highlands people as "Old Lady
McKinney." She was always inter
ested in the young folks and made
many of them happy with dainty
gifts.
Last November 17 Mrs. McKinney
enjoyed her 81st birthday anniver
sary. All of her children were pre&r
ent. Had she lived five more days,
she and Mr. McKinney would have
been married exactly 60 years.
Mrs. McKinney is survived by
her husband, John Palmer McKin
ney; and the following children:
Allison D. McKinney, Birmingham,
Ala., Miss Montie Louise McKinney,
Mrs. Hiram Paul, Charlie McKinney,
Mrs. F. H. Potts and Mrs. Helen
Thompson, all of Highlands; 27
grandchildren and three great
grandchildren. Pallbearers at the funeral were
the following grandsons: Henry
CleavelandV Weldon Paul, Jack
Potts, Keftneth McKinney, John
McKinney, and Hiram McKinney.
Highlands Boy Making
Good at Wake Forest
WAKE FOREST, Dec. 24 Ed
ison A. Picklesimer,1 of Highlands,
is Macon County's representative
among one thousand students en
rolled this year in Wake Forest
College.
Picklesimer, who is a second-year
law student, is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. D. C. Picklesimer of High
lands. In addition to making a fine
scholastic record, he also is taking
a prominent part in campus activities
at the Baptist institution. He is
a member of the Barrister's Club,
law student organization, and the
Statesman's Club, and is sherriff
t Moot Lourt.
During the last five years,1 the
administration of President Thur
man D. Kitchen, the enrollment at
Wake Forest has almost doubled.
READERS, don't miss this treat
Promenade Deck
By Ishbel Ross
The story of people on a five-month world cruise,
aboard a great ocean liner. Like Grand Hotel, this
story is a study of people in situations entertaining,
romantic and tragic NOT A DULL MOMENT
The second installment, with synopsis of previous
chapter, appears in this issue of The Press-Maconian.
"G-man" Rewarded
CLEVELAND . . . Eliot Ness
(aboto), 32, is a former "G-man"
who "broke" the Al Capone beer
racket a few years ago. Today he
is the new safety director here, in
charge of Cleveland's police and fire
departments, the youngest man ever
to hold the job
W P A WORKING
HOURS CHANGED
New Order Calls for Four
Eight-Hour Days
Each Week
J. R. Morrison, Labor assignment
clerk for the Works Progress
Admininstration in Macon county
announced Monday that he had re
ceived instructions from state
WPA headquarters at Raleigh pro
viding for a change in working
hours on WPA projetts that would
be more advantageous to workmen,
especially those living on farms.
Hitherto hours on WPA projects
in this county have been seven
hours a day, five days a week.
Under the new arrangement they
will be eight hours a day, foun
days a week.
The pay scale will remain the
same, Mr. Morrison stated, although
workmen will be required to put in
only 32 hours a week instead of
35. The greatest advantage was
seen, however, in the fact that
farmers employed on WPA projects
will have two full days each week
for working their farms.
Two Ladies Have
Narrow Escape
While returning from Johnson
City, Tenn., last Monday Mrs. T. S
Munday, and Mrs. P. F. Callahan
had a narrow escape from death
when their car overturned on an
icy. road in the Toe river country,
near the" Tennessee line, and rolled
down a high bank, Janding in a creek.
The car lanffipfjKright side up and
both ladies escaped without other
injuries than severe bruises.
They had the car lifted to the
road and came on to Franklin
Tuesday.
W. J. ZACHARY
FUNERAL HELD
Prominent Macon County
Man Succumbs to
Pneumonia
Funeral services for Wiley J.
Zachary, 75, well known Macon
county resident who died at 7:30
o'clock Christmas morning at the
home of a daughter, Mrs. Harry
Higgins, on Harrison avenue, were
held at 3 o'clock Thursday afternoon
at the Franklin Methodist church.
Mr. Zachary had been in declining
health for about two years. Recently
he developed pneumonia, to which
his. death was attributed.
Mr. Zachary was born in Cashier's
Valley, Jackson County, a son of
the , late Jonathan Zachary.
Mr. Zachary went to Ashevflle
as a young man, living there until
about 40 years ago, when he came
to Macon county. He was active
as a business man and farmer until
his retirement eight or ten years
ago.
The funeral Thursday afternoon
was conducted by the Rev. J. A.
Flanagan, pastor of the Presbyterian
church. In the absence of the
Methodist minister, the Rev. C. C.
Herbert, Jr., the Rev. Frank Blox
ham, Episcopal minister, assisted.
Burial was in the Franklin ceme
tery. Pallbearers were W. T. Moore,
Derald Ashe, Floyd Welch, R. L.
Porter, Robert A. Patton, Grover
Lewis,, Sam Jacobs Hayne Arthur
and Paul West. Honorary pall
bearers were John O. Harrison,
R. D. Sisk, George Dalrymple, W.
L. McCoy, A. L. Leach, T. W.
Angel, Sr., Carl S. Slagle, Dr. J. H.
Fouts, D. Robert Davis, Lester,
Conley, Jim Palmer, T. H. Johnson,
George Jacobs, Nelson Waldroop,
George Malonee, Gordon Moore,
C. T. Blaine, W. C. Wilkes and
George Wallace.
Relatives from out of town who
attended the funeral were: C. E.
Zachary, Atlanta, a brother; Mrs.
J. T. Gassaway, Central, S. C, a
sister; Mrs. Ruth Gassaway Duck
ett, Joe Gaines, Graves Duckett and
Lawrence Falls, all of Central, S.
C. ; J. D. Porter and Guy Angel,
of Spruce Pine; and Mr. and Mrs.
Cole Cameron, of Dillsboro.
Surviving Mr. Zachary are his
widow, the former Miss Maria Daw
son; two daughters, Mrs. J. D.
Porter, of Spruce Pine, and Mrs.
Higgins; one son, E. H. Zachary, of
Franklin ; three sisters, Mrs. D. H.
Rogers, Lisbon, Fla., Mrs. J. R.
Ashmore, Eustis, Fla., and Mrs.
J. T. Gassoway, Central, S. C;
two brothers, Frank P. Zachary, of
Brevard, and C. E. Zachary, of
Atlanta, Ga. ; and six grandchildren.
Franklin Scouts Win
Honors at Bryson City
Members of the Franklin Boy
Scout troop were again in the lead
at the court of honor for the
Smoky Mountain district held last
week at Bryson City.
Four boys were advanced to the
rank of second class Scouts, two to
first class and four received the
award of Life Scout. Thirty-eight
merit badges were awarded to
members of the troop.
For the past three months, as
inter-patrol competitions have been
held, points have been awarded
for inspection, promotions merit
badge awards and work done by
the Scouts in repairing and beauti
fying the Scout house. The win
ners were members of the Eagle
Patrol and on Monday of this
week the patrol journeyed to
Asheville for-the day and had din
ner at the S & W cafeteria in
company with A. W. Allen, Scout
exicutive for the district, and John
H. Stone, formerly supervisor of
the Nantahala National Forest and
now supervisor of the Pisgah Forest.