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Entered at Post Office. Franklin. N. C., as second class matter
Published every Thursday by The Franklin Press
Franklin. N. C. Telephone 24
WEIMAR JONES ' Editor
BOB S SLOAN Business Manager
J P. BRADY News Editor
MISS BETTY LOU FOUTS .... Office Manager
CARL P CABE Mechanical Superintendent
FRANK A. STARRETTE Shop Superintendent
DAVID H. SUTTON / Sitreotyper
CHARLES E. WHITTINGTON Pressman
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Outside Macon Countt Inside Macon County
One Year $3.00 One Year $2 5 )
Six Months 1.75 Six Months 1 .75
Three Months 100 Three Months . . 100
OCTOBER 22, 1953
Worse Than The Disease
in recent months one after another, in a long
string of witnesses appearing before Congressional
conn it tees, has refused to testif\- "because the
answer might tend to incriminate me".
It is so obvious a technicality that many persons
have become disgusted with the procedure, and it is
only natural that the administration should have
moved to meet the situation.
There is a serious question, however, as to
whether the remedy may be worse than the disease.
The administration has taken one step and pro
poses another. In the first, agency heads have been
given authority to fire federal employes who cite
the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution as
grounds for refusing to give evidence. The second
proposed step is for Congress to give the President
authority to grant witnesses immunity from prose
cution. and thus, by taking away their legal excuse,
force them to testify.
The first action seems sound in theory: for sure
ly any agency head should have authority to dis
charge a subordinate for such a cause.
But the proposal to give the President authority
to grant immunity is questibnable, in both theory
and practice. It sounds much more like a Commun
ist than a democratic method.
To both moves, it seems to us, there is this very
serious objection: They are an effort to repeal the
fundamental Constitution guarantee that "no man
shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a wit
ness against himself" ; and to repeal that provision
by an illegal means. For the Constitution clearly
sets forth the methods by which that document
may be changed, and neither the President nor
Congress (nor both) has the authority to alter this
fundamental law.
The Bank And The Future
Hardly had the Bank of Franklin entered on its
second half-century when ownership of the con
trolling interest changed hands.
During its first half-century, the hank was both
a profitable enterprise for the owners of its stock
and a useful community institution. It is to be hop
ed, under the recent changes, that both these desir
able things continue, and even are accelerated.
It is to be hoped the bank continues to make
money for its stockholders, because any business
must make a profit if it is to stay in operation ;
furthermore, stockholders are entitled to a fair re
turn on their investment.
But while a bank is a privately owned business,
it is much more than that : like a newspaper, it also
is a Community service institution. For good or
bad, the future of a bank and its community arc
closely tied together.
If the community grows, the bank will grow with
it; if the community becomes a better place to live,
the value of the bank's stock will be more stable.
Am! of course the reverse is true.
Oti the other hand, it" the bank ha- both faith in
its c-iiamim't v and a Proper sense of its obligations,
the ?commtMiit v i almost stirt? to pro!jTes? and de
velop. Contrariwise.' a short sighted, overly con
servative bank policy can make the bank a positive
cor ? unit handicap.
A bank, it seen'- to its, has three obligations. Its
fir-1 obligation is to make n,ionc lor its stock
holders. It^ second awl far greater obligation i- to
protect the money placed in the bank by depositors.
Its third and greatest obligation is to its commun
ity ? to use its great financial resources not only to
aid community -projects, but also to encourage new
businesses. .
Now It's Trieste
In the vears following World War 1, the world
was kept in something of a turmoil by the dispute
between Italy and Yugoslavia over the city of
Fiume. Today a similar dispute rages between the
(
two nations, with Trieste, just 40 miles from
Fiume, the point at issue. -
\\ hat, you qnd t might ask, have we to do with
either dispute?*
A glance at the map is -all that is necessary to
suggest i he answer: because only a short distance
from these Adriatic port cities is Sarajevo. And it
was at Sarajevo that World War 1 (of which
World War 2 was simply a continuation) began.
\\ hat happens at Triete may spell the difference be
tween American boys' staying at home, and living,
or being buried on Kuropean battlefields.
I a.ke a look, in your mind's eye. at the map of
southern Kurope. Remember how Italy ' stretches
out, in a southeasterly direction into the Mediter
ranean Sea: Between the Italian hoot>and the main
land <'t" Kurope to the east lies the Adriatic sea. At
the head oi that sea is Trieste, with Fiume. the
point at issue a generation ago, 40 miles to the
southeast.
When the Roman emperor. Augustus, conquer
ed I stria, he founded the city of Trieste. That was
in the year 30 P>. ('. Trieste was independent from
948 to 13S2. when it became a part of Austria,
which it remained until it was given to Italy in
1919. For centuries, it was the chief' trade outlet for
all Central Kurope.
At the end of World War 2, Yugoslavia tried to
grab Trieste, but the great powers internationaliz
ed it, setting up the Free Territory of Trieste: the
Security Council of the United Nations assumed re
sponsibility for its government.
The territory involved is 320 square miles ?
about three-fourths the size of Macon County. The
population, however, is approximately a quarter
of a million.
The city itself is predominantly Italian, but witji
some Slovenes living in, what is known as Zone A.
which comprises the citv and adjoining territory.
Zone B. the remainder of the Free Territory, is pre
dominantly Slovene.
Tito's Yugoslav troops have had control of the'
predominantly Slovene Zone B. American and Brit
ish troops? about 7, (XXI of them ? have been in con
trol of the Italian Zone A,
What the British and Americans have proposed?
the thing that has precipitated all the Yugoslav
threats ? is that thev withdraw their troops for
duty elsewhere, and that Italian troops take over
in their stead.
To the American mind, the situation raises two
questions :
1. Why is it necessary to have troops there? The
answer would seem to be a twofold fear ? fear that,
without troops on hand, Italy or Yugoslavia may
try to grab the other part of the Territory: and
fear that the Russians may grab, or otherwise use,
the entire Territory.
2. Why the fear, bv both sides, of what the other
may do to the minority populations? The Solvenes
in Zone A will be mistreated, screams Tito, by the
Italians, if they take over control of the city.
We heard that same fear cried in the days of the
Fiume controversy, and it was Hitler's chorus, just
before World W'ar 2, when he talked of the Sudeten
Germans in Czechoslovakia.
All that sounds strange to American ears. Be
cause whoever heard of Italv or Yugoslavia or any
other nation being afraid of how the United States
might treat the minorities from their nations liv
ing in this country?
Strange as it may seem, it is worth remembering
that there are, throughout the world today, great
and growing fears. And that most wars start from
fear.'
Others' Opinions
'TIME' STUMBLES ON
(Asheville Citizen-Times)
Time magazine, boasting a staff of almost 50 editorial re
searchers, in an article in the current issue on the appoint
ment of Chief Justice Warren states that among others con
sidered for the post was "John J. Parker of Virginia."
Could that be the same John J. Parker of Charlotte (North
Carolina, that is), distinguished senior judge of the U. S. Cir
cuit Court of Appeals and long-time "natural" for the highest
court in the land?
O Time, O Mores, O What's the. use!
WHERE'S THE FRONT PORCH ROCKER?
(Smithfield Herald)
Do you remember those sturdy old wooden rocking chairs
that sat on many a front porch when you were growing up?
In sunny autumn weather when chrysanthemums were
blooming in the yard and smoke curled lazily from a pile of
burning oak leaves, an old man could sit placidly In his rocker,
hat pulled down over his eyes to keep out the sun's glare, and
greet his friends as they passed along the sidewalk. In milcf
spring weather a housewife could flop down in the rocker be
OUR DEMOCRACY
BY- PRODUCTS
American inventive genius is constantly
0ISCOVERING NEW OY- PRODUCT USES FOR THE
MATER I ACS BOTH OF AGRICULTURE ANP INDUSTRY.
SUPPLEMENTING THE PRIMARY USES OF THESE
RESOURCES, THE EVER-INCREASING NUMBER OF
BV-PROPUCTS CONTRIBUTES SUBSTANTIALLY
TO THE NATION'S PROOUCTIVE STRENGTH.
American family thrift also has an important
GY-PRODUCT; ITS PRIMARY PURPOSE IS. OF COURSE,
THE CREATION OF FINANCIAL SECURITY FOR THE FAMILY
THE BY-PRODUCT OF THIS THRIFT IS THAT THE FUN75
AMERICAN FAMILIES PUT ASIDE IN LIFE INSURANCE
AND SAVINGS, BECOME AVAILABLE FOR INVESTMENT
IN INDUSTRY AND AGRICULTURE - AND TO MEET THE
NEEDS OF HOME OWNERS.
%
tween household chores of washing dishes and hanging out
the clothes to chat with the teacher returning home from
school or the next-door neighbor puttering in her flower beds.
On Sunday afternoons all the rockers on the front porch
would be full of uncles and aunts and cousins and neighbors
discussing their maladies and their politics.
But how many people do you see today sitting in their front
porch rockers and watching the world go by? Front porch
rockers have almost disappeared because there is no longer
anyone to sit in them. Father is watching the prize fights or
a newscast on television. Mother has either gone to the bridge
club or is busily preparing supper so she can go to the P.T.A.
meeting that night. Children never paused long enough to sit
in rockers anyway but now they are busily whipping their
bicycles around corners or crouched in front of the t. v. set
across the street watching the Howdy Doody program.
The rocking chairs are relegated to the attic or the garage
or given to the cook to take home. If there's anything on the
front porch at all it's a light-weight aluminum chair that
never rocks. And for the most part even the front porch has
been discarded. Maybe there is a stoop where the postman can
get out of the rain, but the .real porch is now a screened porch
at the back of the house, where the family can enjoy privacy
and look out over their own garden.
There is something nostalgic and a little sad about the pass
ing of the front jfcrch rocker, for it was a symbol of leisure
and of time to sit and talk, and of a friendly interest in every
passerby along the street.
HISTORY REPEATS
Now, menacing as is the as
pect of affairs in the East, we
do not expect the peace to be
broken . . . since' it is the char
acteristic of Russian diplomacy
to be as pliant as it is en
croaching, and always to recede
before a resolute fropt and an
enterprise of doubtful and haz
ardous result. Russia never
abandons a design, but is al
ways ready to postpone it, if
need be, to a more convenient
season; she Is as patient as she
is pugnacious; and will never
risk her plum by endeavoring
to gather it before it is ripe.
The question, therefore, wheth
er she will now persist in her
demands, will depend on the
nature and degree of the re
sistance she may meet with . . .
Both in the East and in the
West, then, a case has arisen
to test ? prospectively at least?
the fidelity of England and
France to their several engage
ments, their power of sincere
and cordial cooperation, and the
courage, vigor and capacity ol
their respective governments.
(EDITOR'S NOTE: The article
above was the London Econom
ist's appraisal of the interna
tional situation not last week
but 100 years ago. It appeared
in that British publication ir
June, 1853.1
STRICTLY
PERSONAL
By WEIMAR JONES
L
IN PHILOSOPHICAL MOOD.
A lot of people, in this scien
tific age, spend months and
years doing complicated, pains
takihg research ? to come up
with proof of what everybody
knew, in our grandfathers' time.
* # +
I'm not advocating it, y'und- j
erstand, but I think most of the !
churches would be filled Sun
day mornings, if they charged
admission. For who prizes some
thing that is free ? even salva
tion has to be paid for with a
penitent heart.
? # ?
Most of us are so absorbed
with our sacred cows it never
occurs to us that most of this
sacred cow business is a lot of
bull.
? * ? j
Check your own experience,
or observe the other fellow's:
So-called success rarely is worth
the price we have to pay for it.
Nearly everybody tries to dc
what is right, according to hi;
lights. But most of us want tc
reserve the privilege of damn
ing some of their lights.
* # *
If you approach it right
every single experience in, lift
is interesting Maybe the aina
one. death, will be the most in
teresting of all.
% ? * * .
Darn the man who is so muct
a lawyer or doctor or preachei
or newspaperman that he is e
human being only in his of:
time.
? ? ?
A scientist without a sense o:
humor is like the sub-consclou:
mind. The latter will accept anj
premises no matter How silly
the former, any conclusion . .
? ? ?
True humility gives a dignitj
to the individual that nothinj
else can.
News Making
As It Looks
To A Maconite
? By BOB SLOAN
Two men today ? one dead
and one still living ? must, I
when they view the course the
American Government is follow
ing, often chuckle to them
selves. The living man is Charl- ^ i
es Brannan, Secretary of Agri
culture under Truman. He auth- J
ored the Brannan plan. A crop
control and parity plan for
farm products which every Re
publican, big and small, casti
gated as the most socialistic
proposal you ever heard of. Now
the Republicans are suggesting
that many of the features of
the Brannan plans be enacted
into law.
The other chuckler (who has
now gone to his reward) is
Franklin Roosevelt. It becomes
more apparent every day that
such basic legislation as social
security, government j conserva
tion, a government controlled
banking system, and aid for the
farmer, have been accepted by
the people because of their
worth. These are the things
that FDR fought for and these
, are the things that he was
cussed for. But those who did
the cussing now have the pow
er to change and yet they have
not repealed one basic new deal
measure.
? * ?
in a week or two a labor sur
vey will be conducted here. This
survey is not being conducted
because we have the promise of ,
a plant right now, but to furn
ish information in case we get
an inquiry from some company
in the future. When the time
comes every one can help a lot
by filling out the questionnaire
thereby giving local officials a
complete picture of the local
labor situation. The more infor
mation they have the better
job they can do persuading
some industry that Franklin is
a good place to locate.
* ? *
I couldn't close this column
without paying tribute to the
FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOL
FOOTBALL TEAM. You may not
be the most skilled performers
ever to represent Franklin, but , .
you are learning fast. For mj/1 "
money you are one of the fight
ingest groups ever to be called
Panthers. Keep clawing. While
it takes the group as a whole
to make the team, I would like
to make a special bow to Gene
Mashburn for proving himself
quite a man this fall. It takes
Continued On Page Three ?
Do You
Remember?
(Looking backward through
the files of The Pren)
50 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
Mr. R. T. Slsk has bought a
little home on the street lead
ing out south from, the jail,
and has gone to some expense
improving it preparatory to
moving into it. Last Sunday
night some person, or persons,
i evidently bent on mischief com
| mitted some depredations on
the premises by overturning an
[ out-house he had just built.
Mr. E. H. Brendle was in
. town Monday and showed us a
' terrapin that he picked up on
Ellljay Sunday that had the in
itials "C.C.H., 1855" cut on its
shell. The initials are supposed
> to be those of C. C. Henry, as
. the terrapin was found on the
. place where he was reared.
j 25 YEARS AGO
t Paul Newman, Jr., has been
here this week assisting Mr. H.
O. Essig in moving his market
, from the old location to the
new post office building.
The Town board now has a
scheme on foot to bore another
well to supplement the water
supply of Franklin. The Town
I already has two wells, which
as a source of v.'ater supply
1 have never proven satisfactory.
) Just why a town in the moun
> tains should depend upon wells
> for water is a mystery.
Mrs Graham Grindstaff. of
New Jersey, is 'spending several
weeks with her parents, Mr.
, and Mrs. Jake Palmer.
10 YEARS AGO
Mr. and Mrs. Boyd Burrell
and son, Ervin, of Indian Head,
j Md., who have been visiting
r friends and relatives here, have
L returned to their home.
1 At the recent Western Dis
trict 4-H Dress Revue, Jean
nette Harrison, daughter of Mr.
[ arid Mrs. Earl Harrison, of
5 Route 1, tied for first place. '
[ State Senator W. I. Halstead,
? of Camden County, who has an
? nounced his candidacy for lieu
tenant governor, spent the
' week-end in Franklin at Hotel
5 Bryson.