Newspapers / The Franklin Press and … / Oct. 30, 1952, edition 1 / Page 2
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Jfitnnklin nnb MigManits Jftnrjjttmtt VOL. LXVn Number 44 Published every Thursday by The Franklin Press At Franklin, North Carolina Telephone 24 Entered at Post Office, Franklin, N. C., as second class matter. WEIMAR JONES. .Editor BOB 8. SLOAN .. .Business Manager SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Out-of-County ? One Year. $3.00 In Macon County ? One Year. $2.50 Six Months $1.75 Three Months Single Copy .10 Obituary notices, cards of thanks, tributes of respect, by individuals. churches, organizations or societies, will be regsrded as advertising and inserted *' regular classified advertising rates. Such notices will be marked "acv." in co rcpu ance with the postal requirements. OCTOBER 30, 1952 You And I "VOU and 1, and other plain Americans, as we * prepare to cast our ballots Xov ember 4, can ask ourselves no question more important than this one : Which candidate, which party, is more truly American? Of course what we mean by that is, which better represents America, at America's best? ? for none of us is proud of every incident in American history, or of every phase of American life today. The question is two-pronged ; one prong reach ing back into the past, the other extending out into the future. We must elect a President who can and will pre serve those basic things that have made America what it is ; who can and will save the best out of the past, for the future. But tradition alone is not enough ! For we cannot, if we would, keep America exact ly as it is. And surely we would not, if we could. To try tp do that would, itself, be a violation of tradition, for the tradition of growth, of experiment and improvement, of change, is part of the Ameri can character. And so we must elect a President who has not only a .sense of history and a regard for the past, but also the faith and the vision and the courage to modify the application of basic American principles to mesh with the changes that are as desirable as they are inevitable. For while we learn from yester day, it is tomorrow we are concerned with. * * JJt That brings us to another question: What do we mean by "American"? what is it that has made America America? what is it that distinguishes our "American Way"? Is it our broad plains and high mountains and mighty rivers? In our mind's-eye there is a picture of America, and these things are colorful details in the picture ? but only details. For suppose we should succumb to dictatorship; the landscape would re main unchanged, but this no longer would be America. Ls it our vast wealth and great power as a na tion? We have become accustomed to thinking of America as rich and strong. But were we less Amer ican when the young United States was poor and feeble ? Is it our fabulous skill in technological and in dustrial organization ? our machines, our mass pro duction, our speed? These, certainly, are a part of the picture of present-day America! But is the small farmer on a rocky New England hillside or the Southern Appalachian maker of hand-woven articles less American than the head of the greatest fac tory? Is it our high standard of physical living? That, too, is in the foreground of our picture^?f America today. But w^s Abraham Lincoln less American because he used pine-knots instead of electricity for illumination? And would not this still be Amer ica should we have to forego our conveniences and ? luxuries? Is it our labor unions and fraternal orders and baseball and soft drinks and vast and rapid com munications? These, and hundreds of other details, are part of the picture of modern America. But it was America before we had any of them ; and there raust be spots in America today ? and they, too, are ? American ? where we still do not have them. Is it even our phenomenally successful private enterprise system? If so, how account for our unan imous and enthusiastic support of free public high ways, free public schools, and free public health? These idealistic ventures into socialism are as much Va part *of the picture of America as is free enter prise. Other lands have, or could have, all of these ? but they still would' not be America! America is the American way of thinking and feeling and doing; and these tangible and transient things are but surface evidences of that something bigger and deeper that has created our American Way of Life. * * * The American Way is a thing of the spirit. It is a spirit born of a great faith, and matured in an atmosphere of bold freedom. And the faith and the freedom are inseparable. For we dare grant the freedom only because of our faith, and we dare hold on t<? our faith only because we are free. Like all things of the spirit, there is something miraculous about this American Way of ours. What could be more preposterous, for example, than the proposition that all men are created equal? Yet we have gone a long way toward making it come true in America ! Consider some tenets of our revolutionary faith ! It is a bold faith indeed that holds that every man has a right to worship God in his own way ? sup pose he should worship in the wrong way, and be damned ! ; to think for himself ? suppose he should reach false conclusions ! ; to freely speak his thoughts ? suppose he should spread heresy ! ; to di rect, rather than be directed by, his government ? suppose he should prove corrupt or foolish and de stroy our whole society ! Yet so deep and abiding is our faith in the essen tial goodness and the eternal Tightness of the com mon man that we have made the judgment and the conscience of the majority our court of last appeal ? we assume that the majority can be relied upon to take us ? as a rule, over the long pull ? always forward, toward an even better way. Such faith in ordinary men presupposes another miracle ? the presence, within all men, of a divine fire ? and thus is basically faith in God. * * * The American Way is the spirit of adventure and experiment. We have ventured and experimented from Roanoke Island and Plymouth Rock to TVA and atomic energy. It is the spirit of courage and a sometimes almost cocky confidence. From the day the first pioneer moved farther west into the wilderness, through the Declaration of Independence and Franklin Roosevelt's "all we have to fear is fear itself", and down to that typically American "Retreat, hell !", in Korea ? generation after generation, we Amer icans have been confident and unafraid. It is the spirit, too, of humility, as illustrated by Washington on his knees, by Lincoln at Gettys burg, and by all those good citizens of today who are humble enough still to be in honest doubt about which is the right way to vote in this elec tion. It is a spirit that refuses to recognize that might makes right, that mere nUmbers and force are in vincible ? Bunker Hill and Kings Mountain, the Alamo, Pickett's immortal charge, the Argonne, Iwo Jima ? yes, and the e very-day heroism of the thousands of obscure men and women who valiant ly struggle on, no matter what the odds. It is the spirit of justice and fair play. All men have a right, at the least, we say, to equality of opportunity. And we are determined that they shall have it ! J ' It is the spirit of youthful optimism. God's in his heav'n, and if all's not entirely right with the world, we are convinced something can be done to make it righter. And so it is faith in the future ? no timid hold ing on to the past, but unquestioning confidence that the America that is truly great and fine and free is yet to be built. This is the America for which we must elect a President next Tuesday. This is the American Way: Out of the past ... a. dream; today ... a confident hope; tomorrow ., ... a miracle! If we had paid no more attention to our plants than we have to our children, we would now be living in a Jungle of weeds. ? Luther Burbank. OUR DEMOCRACY 5 Calling all amer/cans ? Voting is a privilege to be cherished a right TO BE EXERCISED AND A DUTV TO BE PERFORMED. , How A PERSON VOTES IS HIS OWN BUSINESS, BUT AS A* AMERICAN CITIZEN, HE OWES IT TO HIS COUNTRY AND TO ALL OTHEfc CITIZENS TO VOTE. THIS IS ESSENTIAL TO THE CONTINUING VITALITY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS. VOTE- IT'S VOUR. HERITAGE Letters REFLECTS FINE SPIRIT Editor, The Press: I would like to take this opportunity to express my appre ciation to the people of Macon County for their invaluable as sistance in helping search for Herbert McKelvey, who was lost last week-end In Blue Valley. The fact that people from all walks of life turned out to assist with the search reflects a spirit Oif cooperation that Macon County can be proud of. Very truly yours, J. HARRY THOMAS, Franklin, N. C. Sheriff, Macon County Vote as you please, but VOTE! Others' Opinions TURN OF THE MATRIMONIAL WHEEL (Oxford Ledger) There is nothing like a wedding to make a fellow learn. At first he thinks she's his'n ? but later he learns he's her'n. Vote as you please, but VOTE! NEED NEW COIN (Elgin, 111., Courier-News) * Pay telephone calls in many parts of the country have lately been raised from a nickel to a dime. The reason given is, of course, that costs have increased. They have indeed, but have they doubled? This particular jump seems mainly due to the fact that there Is no intermediate coin between a five-cent piece and 10 cents. Why should not one be coined? It would reduce many in creases in cost. Authorization of a new coin might be con sidered by Congress. ? Vote as you please, bat VOTE! PROGRESS AND INCONVENIENCE (Sylva Herald) Along with progress there Is necessarily some inconvenience attached (or a time. This is the case in the closing of U. S. 23-441 across the Cowee Mountains from Dillsboro to Franklin. Not only will the long detour be an Inconvenience to local and commercial travel but it will deprive tourist travelers from the most scenic route through this section of the Smokies from the Great Lakes to Florida. The drive up and down the Tuckaseigee River from Dillsboro to Gate-Way at this time is like driving through a gallery of painted pictures. Nature has really put on a show this fall and right now the show is at its best. The same is true for the drive over the Cowees where nature has provided about all that can be desired in a moun tain sienic trip. V "? The rebuilding of this link of highway, however, is an im portant project and a progressive move for this area. Although one of the fihest scenic trips, tourists from the low countries did get nervous on the narrow, steep grades. The new 24-foot pavement with the easy grade and long curves will make the drive a great deal more pleasant for these visitors. The new highway with U. S. Nos. 23 and 441 will become one of the ' most popular In this area. U. 8. 441 from Cherokee to Franklin ( will be a link in the shortest and most direct route from the ' North Central States to the South and will provide the best in 1 scenery for the traveler, , ? . V ? V 1 News Making As It Looks To A Maconite ? By BOB SLOAN \ There are many questions about this election which aren't answered yet. Some of them I will list below. * First, why are so many of the newspapers which insisted so vigorously that we should main tain civilian control over all phases of our government ? even the defense department ? willing to turn the entire executive branch of the government over to a military man? The biggest question is? will Eisenhower, if elected, follow the policies of supporting the United Nations or will he be in fluenced by the advise of such isolationists as Taft, Kem, and Mundt? Will Stevenson, if elected re ceive the support of Southern Senators so that he will have a working majority in the con gress or will they harpoon his actions as they have so often done with Truman? If the Republicans gain con trol of. the Congress and Mc Carthy becomes chairman of the Un-American Activities committee will any government employee be able to work with out the constant fear that sud denly some ruthless slander campaign will be started against them to remove them from of fice? Could it be that the gigantic expenditures of this election campaign will lead to legisla tion which will prevent such multi-million dollar propaganda efforts in the behalf of any party in the future? If so, it might be the most worthwhile thing to come out of the cam paign. Is it possible that in many ways this is the 1920 election of Wilson and the cause of World Peace against Harding and Isolationism being repre sented by Stevenson and Eisen hower respectively? If so let's remember that one of the chief causes of World War II was the fact that there was no Inter national police force available to check the banditry of Hitler and Mussolini due to the fact that the United States had fail ed to support the League of Na tions following the defeat of Wilson's program. That should be lesson enough to us to in sure the election of the man and party that will make sure that we continue to support the United Nations. ? ? ? Friday night's football game was particularly enjoyable for several reasons other than the fact that we won. As I watched the game it oc curred that the play was par ticularly clean. This made an even stronger impression on me when I thought of the rivalry of the two teams. Also I heard no grumbling about the officat ing. This was something that could not have happened in as short a time as three years ago. The football fans of Franklin and surrounding towns have progressed a great deal in this respect. Also I think the offici ating ? at the games this year has left nothing to be asked for. Do You Remember? (Looking backward through the file* of The Press) 50 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK Registrar Sam L. Kelly in forms us that 465 voters regis tered in Franklin township, and only five failed to register who were entitled to registration. Seven negroes registered. The judges' stand in the court house should have the atten tion of the commissioners. It ought to be fixed to the plat form In such a way to prevent Its tumbling over every time any one touches it. Mr. W. W. Smith, of High lands, was in town yesterday. 25 YEARS AGO Mrs. Mary Waldroop is some pun 'kin grower herself. She has had one weighing 99 pounds on display at the Franklin Milli nery company. Cars, liquor, speeders, foote. death ? a hard combination to deal with. 10 YEARS AGO Mr. and .Mrs. Elmer Crawford entertained at dinner last Sat urday evening in honor of aeorge Gray and Johnnie Ed wards, before they left for mili tary service, and Gus Baldwin, who is home on furlough from Camp Hood, Tex.
The Franklin Press and the Highlands Maconian (Franklin, N.C.)
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Oct. 30, 1952, edition 1
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