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Entered at Post Office. Franklin. N. C.. as second claas matter
Published every Thursday by The Franklin Press
Franklin. N. C. Telephone 24
WHMAR JONES Editor
BOB 8. SLOAN ? Business Manager
J. F BRADY News Editor
HISS BETTY LOU POUT8 # . Office Manager
OARL P. CABB Mechanical Superintendent
PRANK A STARRETTE Shop Superintendent
DAVID H SUTTON Stereotyper
CHARLES E. WtfUTlNOTON Pressman
SUBSCRIPTION RATE8
Outside Macon County In sic* Macon County
One Year $3.00 One Year 1 $2.30
Biz Months 1.79 Six Months 1.79
Three Months 1.00 Three Months 1-00
How Much Longer?
It can never be said the citizens of the Nanta
hala Community haven't been patient ? overly so,
we figure.
And now that patience is wearing thin ? justifi
ably so, we think.
? V
Their demand of the State Highway Department
is reasonable. They only want what is due them ?
an all-weather road into their community, for, after
all, they are a part of Macon County. Although
they're closer to Andrews, in Cherokee County,
they naturally want to trade in Franklin, want to
be able to visit with their friends, and feel they are
a part of the county.
But a rutty dirt road and bad weather all too
frequently force them to abandon their wants.
The money ($750,000) for an all-weather road
into the community was allocated in January, 1952.
A survey of the proposed all-weather road was
started in January, 1953, and completed a few
months later.
Since then, the citizens of Xantahala have pa
tiently waited.
How much longer' must they wait?
Can He Do It?
Lower tariffs and more free trade are advocated
by the Foreign Economic Policy Commission,
headed by Clarence B. Randall. The program has
the official blessing of President Eisenhower.
But, Republican Senators Millikin. Reed, and
Simpson all are opposed. Perhaps they have for
gotten the damage the Smoot-Hawley Tariff pro
gram did the country in the late twenties.
John Foster Dulles is attempting to work with
representatives of other countries in the quest for
world peace. In doing this, however, he is taking
a firm stand on the basic principles for which this
country stands and at the same time passing up
no opportunity to hear the viewpoints from other
nations. He has the backing of President Eisen
hower.
But Republican senator Bicker and others would
So tie his hands that he will be powerless to repre
sent the viewpoint of this nation at the conference
table.
Dwight Eisenhower may have a chance and the
ability to go down in history as one of the great
leaders for world peace, but before he can do this
he must overcome the narrowness of some mem
bers of the political party of his choosing.
Have You Noticed?
Have you noticed the extra s.park in this year's
March of Dimes drive?
How folks seem to he really putting their hearts
into pushing the county over the top of its. $3 .OCX)
goal ?
Well, it's there if you'll just look for it. and we
suspect the recent announcement by science that
this will be the "show-down" year on polio has a
lot to do with it.
1'olio is no stranger here. We've battled through
epidtiinics, and all of us know what it feels like to
choke back a sob when we see a tousle headed
youngster keep smiling, although his body is
twisted and drawn by polio.
And we know, too, the, feeling of hopelessness
?polio leaves in its wake. This probably explains
why. in some past drives, the county has failed to
raise its full quota.
Yes, Macon County remembers and wants to be
in on the kill when the disease is conquered.
We'll raise our quota this year.
Others' Opinions
MORNING EXODUS
(Greenwood, Miss., Commonwealth)
The Population Reference Bureau, Inc., reports that more
and more Americans are moving into cities. They certainly
seem to be doing it at the hours when we are trying to get to
work in the morning.
SURPLUS
(Jim Parker in Chatham News)
My wife's father is a hard man to buy a Christmas present
for. He announced to us early in December that he had man
aged to accumulate a lot In his sixty ypars on this earth
and that he had everything that he needed and most every
thing he had ever wanted.
And so it is hard to find something different for him.
Christmas afternoon when he opened his presents I really
felt sorry for him. The first package he opened contained a
garment storage bag, one of those plaid bags with the hook
on it, so useful for carrying clothes in a car. The next package
contained a second one, of a different color, and he remarked
that he could always use two of them.
i
The third package contained another one, and this time he
didn't say anything? he just sighed.
. 1 ?
PROGRESS
(Charlotte News)
We note today, with some satisfaction, another sign that the
nation is slowly recovering from the emotional binge often,
though perhaps inaccurately, described as "national hysteria".
In Illinois, between six and eight thousand books once with
drawn from state library shelves as "salacious, vulgar or ob
scene" have been restored by order of Secretary of State
Charles F. Carpentier.
Carpentier says, a bit plaintively, that librarians were "over
zealous" in carrying out his order. If he expected them to be
otherwise, he is a very naive man. Every recorded effort in his
tory to ban or to limit the circulation of books, no matter how
high or how proper the motives, has been seized upon by
frenzied zealots as an excuse for the wholesale decimation of
libraries.
The original Illinois order was ill-advised, but the damage
appears to have been undone by the rescinding thereof.
IS IT 'ME'?
(Christian Science Monitor)
Queen Elizabeth II, according to a report from her tour in
New Zealand, heard two small girls near the royal car argu
ing whether the lady within was the Queen or Princess Mar
garet. "I leaned over", the monarch related, "and said, "No,
it's me'."
A generation ago a number of grammatical purists would
have insisted, and probably some still do, that the proper
phrase would be, "It is I." However, the "me" has long been
accepted usage in Britain, and the National Council of Teach
ers of England once acknowledged it as also an American
idiom.
Like other idioms, it won't parse, but it is clearly understood.
How explain, for example, why a Frenchman says, "Qu'est
ceque c'est?" (literally "What is this that it is" ? for "What is
this?" And how satisfactory would it be to try to straighten
out the syntax of the well-loved Negro spiritual, "It's Me, O
Lofd, Standin' in the Need o' Prayer!"?
Actually, the Queen's "It's me" harks from ancient times as
part of the king's English.
ROLL CALL
(New York Times i
There has been much discussion as to the judgment that
should be passed on fighting men who were taken captive in
Korea and who weakened under threats, hardships or torture.
Those who have never faced what they faced may well be hesi
tant In criticizing them. No one of us knows in advance how
much he can stand. Not all of us are born with the physical
and moral courage needed to endure and exist under conditions
of captivity and we cannot always acquire what we are not
both with.
But whatever we think of those who yielded to their captors
to save themselves pain or to gain privileges, there is no con
fusion at all as to those who did not yield. Secretary of the
Navy Robert Anderson has conferred decorations in a Penta
gon ceremony on five Marines who stubbornly refused, in the
words of the citation, "to bear false witness against their coun
try." These are not the only five men to deserve this honor, but
they were selected after a rigorous examination of their rec
ords. Their names will be forgotten by most of us, but it is
good to let them be read off once more: Lieut. Cols. William
G. Thrash and John N. McLaughlin, M-Sgt. John T. Cain, Maj.
Walter R. Harris and Capt. John W Flynn. Jr.
Perhaps the memory of these five men and what they and
others did will put courage some day into someone else fight
ing hard to save his conscience and his soul.
IDLENESS CAN BE FATAL
(Milwaukee Journal)
In the years immediately following adoption of federal old
age> retirement benefits, many industrial companies adopted
supplementary pension plans to aid their employes to retire
at 65. In many instances the plans called for compulsory re
tirement at that age. -Most recently the tendency has been to
make retirement age requirements more flexible.
There has been a very good reason for this ? most workers
who are well and still competent are reluctant to step out of
harness, sensing that idleness will shorten their lives. They
OUR DEMOCRACY i?m*
WHAT MANNER OF MAN?
* The mue resr of civilization is hot rue census . ?">?
rue size or ones, nor rue atops-NO, but thf ?- ? -?
OF MAN Tue COUNT. *y TURNS OUT.' -MACAU m tAtOO t.-.-i.
Because this country confers freedom on the individual
AND THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT GOES WITH THATGl FT
BECAUSE WE HOLD IN HIGH HONOR THE QUALITIES OF
WIDUSTRY, INITIATIVE AND THRIFT, OF INTEGRITY AND DEVC J
TO HOME AND FAMILY, THE MEN THIS COUNTRY TURNS OUT
ARE STURDY, SELF-RELIANT CITIZENS. BRED IN THE
OREAT TRADITIONS OF OUR DEMOCRACY.
feel, moreover, that at their age it will be impossible to find
some other satisfying use for their time.
The Overstreets ? Dr. Harry and Mrs. Bonaro ? who spoke in
Milwaukee several weeks ago, have one answer to this prob
lem. They are themselves "retired," but occupy themselves with
lecturing and writing. They suggest that persons who do not
need to earn money after retirement go into volunteer welfare
work in hospitals and elsewhere and that those who need add
ed income take part-time jobs.
The prime purpose in both cases would be to prolong life by
having a continued interest in living, which can be had only
by participation in some productive endeavor.
The only alternative to this readjustment is to permit the
oldster to continue working for the old employer, perhaps in
some different capacity, and perhaps for less than the normal
40-hour week.
As the Overstreets say, there are few jobs which kill, but
not working is often quickly fatal to the persotn whose work
has been a large share of his life for years and years.
STRICTLY
PERSONAL
i * By WEIMAR JONES
(News Editor's Note: Weimar
Jones d'-fn't hare time to write
his column this week. He was
busy, very busy, preparing an
address for delivery before
the N. C. Press Association In
stitute in his capacity as as
sociation president. How ef
fective was this address, which
was aimed not at some vague
issue but at the close-to
home inadequacies of news
papers serving the public? For
the first time in the 21 year
history of the institute, the
President received a standing
ovation.
Following is the Associated
Press account of Mr. Jones'
address : )
DURHAM, N. C. ? The press
of North Carolina was challeng
ed to work out a new code of
ethics here last night at the
group's annual award meeting
at Duke University.
Weimar Jones, president of
the N. C. Press Assn. and editor
and publisher of The Franklin
Press, received a standing ova
tion during his remarks in
which he told the newsmen
that they lost the battle over
the "Secrecy Law" of the 1953
Legislature because they lost the
people's confidence.
Jones called for two steps in
the direction of increased "news
paper responsibility":
1. "At these Duke dinners we
give recognition to technical ex
cellence in writing and photog
raphy. ... I suggest we go a
step farther and offer awards
for outstanding performance in
the field of newspaper respon
sibility."
2. "I propose that a group,
made up of the finest charter
and the best brains we can
find in North Carolina, be asked
to assume the task of working
out a broad statement of journ
alistic principles to fit the hard
problems you and I face in to
day's complex and confusing
world ? a practical statement
not only enunciating a code of
journalistic responsibility, but
delimiting for use these vague
areas where none of us is ever
quite sure where responsibility
ends and irresponsibility be
gins."
Endorsing the association's
stand against the Secrecy Law,
Jones declared: "Except in a
few, narrow areas, secrecy about
public affairs is wrong. It is our
job as good citizens to see that
these iniquitous secrecy laws
are repealed. We must keep
fighting until they are . . . but
that alone is not enough.
"We lost a battle in Raleigh
last spring. We lost it because
we hadn't kept our powder dry.
Most of us are agreed that we
could and would have won if
the people had been willing 'to
fight. And most of us are
agreed that the reason the peo
ple were apathetic was that
they just didn't believe us when
we told them it was their fight.
"Why have we lost the peo
ple's confidence? Let's be hon
est with ourselves. Isn't it be
cause newspapers, as a class,
too often have boasted of re
liability in tBeir news columns,
but put their emphasis on other
things ? the dramatic and the
clever phrase; permitted the ac
sire for speed to interfere with
accuracy and cocksureness to
.stand in the way of real ob
jectivity; forgotten reportorial
responsibility in the intoxication
of reportorial power?"
"Isn't it because we have
been courageous on our editor
ial pages in inverse ratio to dis
tance, boldly championing the
cause of freedom, in Indochina
or Africa, but carefully strad
dling controversial issiifes near
home?
"The peopie are not fools.
They have sensed these things.
But fortunately, because they
are not fools, we can regain
th?ir confidence. All we have to
do is to deserve it."
"I covet for the rff wspapers of
North Carolina the distinction
of taking the lead in a move
ment toward the building of a
Jjress so reliable, so courageous,
so honest, that it will command
the confidence of the people."
News Making
As It Looks
To A Maconite
? By BOB SLOAN
Two years ago in this column
[ expressed the hope that some
thing would be done to improve
the road from Nantah&la to
Franklin. It should be done be
cause those citizens there should
have a decent road to travel to
their county seat. It would be
good business because of the
local trade that would increase
between there and here and
visa versa and the great tour- ,
1st potential It opens (or this
whole section by making Nanta
hala lake accessable and its
further development possible as
a tourist attraction. Last year
I had high hopes. It was an
nounced in January that the
survey would be started. I und
erstand this has .been com
pleted. But to date no dirt has
been moved or no contract let.
rhe people of Nantahala have
waited long enough. Let's us
here in Franklin do all that we
can for them to get this road.
They deserve the road and we
need the business.
? ? *
This year one of the main
things I think that Macon
County citizens should concern
themselves with is making sure
that we get a revaluation of
the taxable property here and
that the revaluation is done by
an outside firm which special
izes in that type of work.
The reason I think that a
firm of experts should be em
ployed is just this: What would
Continued On Page Three ?
Do You
Remember?
(Looking backward through
the files of The Press*
50 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
Revs. J. E. Woosley and T. E.
Winecoff went to Bryson City
Thursday to attend the mission
ary meeting. They had a snowy
day for the trip.
On arising Thursday morning
from their slumbers our citi
zens found the earth covered
with snow and more falling
quite rapidly. By Friday morn
ing it reached a depth of about
six inches.
' Eggs are selling at 15 cents
a dozen.
A few months ago our hon
orable board of town commis
sioners passed an ordinance and
gave public notice in The Press
that any person burying a
corpse inside the corporation of
Franklin after January 1st, 1904,
would be subject to a fine of
$50. If a person should die,
what is to be done with the
corpse? How stands the matter
anyway?
25 YEARS AGO
According to the latest re
ports the new municipal well
is now at a depth of about 80
feet. Water was struck at 40
feet, but not the kind of water
the town board wants and will
get ? perhaps.
A forest fire on Rabbit Creek
on January 29 burned over
about 30 acres of land belong
ing to J. T. Berry, Will Perry,
and L. A. Allen. A number of
fences and, it is said, a barn
were burned.
Schedule the trail of a scan
dal case and the court house
is filled with people.. Call an
Important meeting for the
farmers of the county and
probably 50 will come.
In our opinion John Henry
missed his calling when he
failed to become a lawyer.
When persuasion is necessary
John can deliver the goods. He
seems to kn6w instinctively
when to get rough and when
to don the gloves.
When politlcfcins become afraid
of honest elections It's a safe
bet that they have been guilty
in the past of "irregularities" to
say the least.
10 YEARS AGO
One of the largest real estate
deals of the season in F.ranklin
was the sale on January 31 of
Hotel Bryson by R. L. Bryson.
They buyers were Horner Stock
ton and R. S. Jones, Franklin
attorneys, who it is understood
have bought the property as an
investment.
George Byrd and family, of
Byrd's Creek, have gone to
Hamilton, Wash., where he has
a position.
The Rev. L. H. Smith, pastor
of the Highlands Methodist '
Church; was given an old-fash
ioned pounding Thursday night
at the parsonage. Dr. Jessie Z.
Moreland was hostess for the
occasion and was assisted by
the Misses Marlon Norton and
Maxie Wright.