.
PACE FOUR
THE FRANKLIN PRESS AND THE HIGHLANDS MACON IAN-
THURSDAY, MARCH U nt I
Signs of Spring
by A. B. CHAPIN
Iks xnnklitt Tfyxtzx
' ... .'7. .'
' Published every Thursday by The Franklin Press
At Franklin, North Carolina ,
Telephone No. 24
VOL. LII Number 10
Mrs. J. W. C. Johnson and B. W. Johnson. ..... ..Publishers
P. F. Callahan... Managing Editor
C. P. Cake. .'. .Advertising Manager
Mrs. C. P. Cabe .Business Manager
Entered at the Post Office, Franklin, N. G, as second class matter
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This newspaper invites its readers to express thei opinions on
matters of public interest through its columns. The Press
Maconian is independent in its policies and is glad to print both
sides of any question. Letters to the editor should be written
legibly on only one side of the paper and should be of reasonable
length. The editor reserves the right to reject letters which are
too long, are of small ' general interest or which would violate
the sensibilities of our readers.
The President and the Court
HHHE people of the United States are witnessing a major struggle
in the . supreme court issue now facing congress. The methods
of defense and attack are reminiscent of the recent presidential cam
paign, with both sides firing barrages over the radio, "big guns"
thundering in -Washington, and smaller artillery keeping up. a steady
firing in the press. .
Mr. Average Citizen realizes that his ear is sought and influence
invited as never before in history and if he will listen and read he
can clearly '.understand the issue and judge for himself from the.
mass of facts and arguments pro and con.
For the supreme court itself is on trial.
President Roosevelt has stated the issue to the people in two
radio talks, introduced with "I propose to follow my custom of
speaking frankly to the Nation concerning our common problems."
Reiterating that "one-third of the nation is still ill-fed, ill-nourished,
ill-clothed," the President presents his case as. "the. representative of
all Americans who have faith in political and economic democracy.'
Defending his plan to appoint new judges in federal courts as
soon as a 'judge becomes 70 years of age increasing the supreme
court to a maximum of 15 members in case older judges do not
retire the president pleads his case squarely on the basis of human .
needs and the preservation of democracy. He discards as unnec
essary and too slow the method of constitutional amendment to meet
the needs "NOW."
Referring to decisions nullifying New Deal measures framed to
meet economic crises, he said in his fireside chat, "Since the rise of
the modern movement for social and economic progress through
legislation the court has more and more often and more and more
boldly asserted a power to veto laws passed by the congress and
state legislatures ... In the past four years the sound rule of giv
ing statutes the benefit of all reasonable doubt has been cast aside.
The court has been acting not as a judicial body but as a policy
making body." ... i
Quoting Chief Justice Hughes as saying, "The constitution is what
the judges say it is," and Justice Stone, in a dissenting opinion as
saying- that the majority read into the constitution their own "person
al economic predilections," the president advocates as the remedy
appointment of judges who will bring a "present day sense" to a
court "in which five. justices will be over 75 years of s age before next
June and one over 70." The plan proposed would bring into the judi
cial system of all federal courts "a steady and continuing stream of'
new and younger blood. . . . This plan would save our national con
stitution from hardening of the judicial arteries. . . . This plan is
no attack on the court; it sleeks to restore the courl) to its righftul
and historic place in our system of constitutional government and to
have it resume its high task of building anew on the constitution
'a system of living law.' "
Answering the criticism that a baneful precedent be set in increas
ing the court to a possible 15 members, the president said, "If by
that phrase 'packing the court' it is charged that I wish to place on
the bench spineless puppets who would disregard the law and would
decide specific cases as I wished them to be decided, I make this
answer that no president fit for hiOrffice would appoint, and no
senate of honorable men fit for their office would confirm that kind
of appointees to the supreme court." . . . , '
"Is it a dengerous precedent for the congress to change the number
of the justices? The congress has always had, and will have that
power. The number of justices has been changed several times before
in the administrations of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both
signers of the declaration of independence Andrew Jackson, Abra
ham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant" , ' ,
In closing:
"During the past half century the balance of power between the
three great branches of the federal government, has been tipped out
of balance by the courts in direct contradiction of the high purposes
of the f ramers of the constitution. It is my purpose to restore that
balance. You who know me will accept my solemn assurance that in
a world in which democracy is under attack, I seek to make Amer
ican democracy succeed."
Plainly President Roosevelt places "human needs" first as a test
of our institutions, and meeting human needs the challenge to our
democracy.
Whatever the outcome of the struggle, he has made the issue
crystal clear to the common man.
A. ft' J."
irTTJi . mm0nt - - I7TP.
SycE- I r7!
BARTON T
YOUTH MUST NOT .
EE DJSCOURAGED
Some of us who are older can
tell the young man of today .that
from our own experience he, at 25,
is now at the age of greatest dis
couragement. We came into busi
ness life full of determination to
set things right instanter. We were
frankly critical of the bungling of
our predecessors. There should be
no more mistakes and no delay!
In a couple of years we, too, were
in the depths of despair, deeper
depths than we have ever been in
since.
It is not clear to any human mind
just what is the whole purpose and
plan of human life. But two things
are reasonably apparent.
First, it does not seem to be any
part of the program to have the
millenium come quickly or easily.
Gain is won only as a result of
sweat and blood, and time.
Second, as we get older we see
more clearly how destructive it
would be if all the good ideas of
youth were allowed to become im
mediately effective. The first two
Great Reforms in whose "service I
myself labored were both success
ful. I think now that both were
bad mistakes.
So in our later years we give up
the idea of a quick millenium. Some
of us do it in deep discouragement.
Others say: "1 cannot lick the
world, but there is one part of it
I . can lick namely, myself. I'll see
what I can do with that."
It's a good sporting proposition.
And who knows? Maybe the spread
of that simple idea is the real plan.
QUANTITY MEANS
LOWER PRICES .; . '
A scientist who presides over a
laboratory of a big chemical com
pany was telling me the story of
artificial rubber. Many minds con
tributed r to the discovery and per
fection of , this product: It is used
now in certain specialized fields
where extra endurance and resis
tance to acids are necessary but
its present cost is many times1 that
of natural rubber. ' y
Said the scientist quite casually:
"Of course, it will be cheaper."
It did not occur to nun that he
was saying anything especially im
portant but, as a matter of fact, he
was expressing unconsciously the
whole philosophy and justification
of big business. Businesses get big
and stay big in these modern days
because by research they find ways
to make things in greater quantity
and so to make them cheaper.
' Look around you, and you see
everywhere the results of Big Busi
ness research and production. The
electric light bulb was invented by
Edison, but if there had been no
improvements in it since Edison's
day your electric . light bill would
be about a hundred times what it is
now for the same amount of light.
The automobile, which costs you
less than a thousand dollars, is so
much better than the best car a
millionaire could buy twenty years
ago that there is no comparison. It
has been steadily improved and
made cheaper by being manufac
tured in big quantities.
The one thing that goes down all
the time is the price of the goods
of Big Business. ,
(Copyright, K. F. S.)
Letter-Press
URGES BETTER GRADE
OF POULTRY
Dear Farmer Friends:
As many of you know; I have
been actively engaged in the mark
eting of poultry and eggs for 20
years, and for years have realized
the need of a better grade of
poultry. I realize there are quite
a large number of farmers in the
county who have , No. 1 poultry
flocks, and I feel like raising my
hat to them, but there are also a
large number who still think that
a pound of chicken is a pound of
chicken, regardless of breed or
color. This is quite a large mistake.
I sell poultry and eggs to the
hotels and camps at Clayton and
Mountain City, Ga. They insist on
having good stuff for their fancy
tourist trade. Last summer I paid
one poultry dealer out of the
county $93.00, for poultry in one
single week. This was for graded
poultry, and the dealer sold his
culls elsewhere for what he could
get. Now this $93.00 could .have
been kept in Macon county,
The most desirable breeds " of
poultry are "rocks" and "reds."
May lv suggest to you people who
have been raising black chickens
and mixed breeds of an inferior
quality, that you get better, poultry
this Spring.
Suppose you change eggs with a
neighbor who has a good breed of
poultry, and do this even if you
have to walk a couple of miles or
more to get them. And please par
don me for offering one more sug
gestion. Try keeping more hens
until up in the summer before sell
ing so close.
When a 'farmer feeds his horse
or mule all winter, he feels like
getting some work out of it be
fore selling. This is the way farm
ers ought to feel about their hens.
When the grass and weeds and in
sects come, then your hens will
live on much less feed and you
can produce eggs cheaper then
than at any other time of the year.
I feel like the merchants all over
the county and the county agent
will indorse what I have said.
Very respectfully,
; J. L. YOUNG
Franklin Route 2
March 6th, 1937
We heartily indorse whit Mr.
Young has to say about poultry
and eggs. -S.
W. Mendenhall
Farmers Federation Inc
Hastings & Ledford.
Olive Hill
By HOWARD WILLIS
Mrs. S. E. Tallent returned to
her home) in Cramerton, N. C,
Sunday after spending a few days
with her folks.
- Mr. and Mrs. Lon Campbell were
visiting relatives here Sunday after
noon, Mrs. Dennis Ghormley and Miss
Pallie Ashe were quietly, married
Thursday in Clayton, Ga. They are
expecting to make their home in
Georgia. Mrs. Ghormley is the
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L. W.
Ashe.
Mrs. Fannie Tallent was visiting
relatives here Sunday.
Mr. Tom Lambert, of Kyle, N. '
C, was here Wednesday on busi
ness. Paul Ashe returned to Mr. A.
L. Ramsey's Monday where he has
been staying.
We are glad to report that sone
of the sick are able to be- out
again. J
Several people from here attend
ed preaching at Iotla Sunday and
Sunday night.
Mrs. Fred Ledford was visiting
relatives here Sunday,