Jfitxnklin jjrm atti> Che Mighlan&s jlllartittmn mtered at Poet Office, Franklin. N. C . as eeooad clue matter Published every Thursday by The Franklin Frees Franklin N. C. Telephone M WKXMAR JONES . *11 tor ?OB 8 SLOAN Buslnees Manager J. r. BRADY News Editor toss BETTY LOO FOOTS Omce Manager CARL P. CABS Mechanical Superintendent FRANK A STARRETTE Shop Superintendent DAVID H. SOTTON Stereotyper CHARLES E WHTTTINOTON ? SUBSCRIPTION RATES Outside Macon Countt In si as Macon Codntt One Tear . . *3 00 One Year *2.S0 Bis Months I TS six Months I TS Three Months 100 Three Months 1*0 FEBRUARY 11, 1954 Secrecy In Government A lot of honesty is being brought to bear, by public officials and newsmen alike, on the widely debated issue of secrecy about public affairs. A number of North Carolina newspapers, for example, groping for the truth about their re sponsibilities, insist that there are a few instances in which secrecy it justified. Only a fanatic would deny that. It should be emphasized, though, that the instances are rare. Also that they should be clearly defined. One such instance, long recognized, is the de liberations of a grand jury. The reason for secrecy there is fairly obvious; it is for the protection of the accused. A grand jury does not try; it merely hears accusations, and passes on their probable validity. The accused has no opportunity to pre sent a defense. To make public such proceedings would be repugnant to every Anglo-Saxon tradi tion of justice. Another instance, we think, is the informal con sideration by a school board of the qualifications and disqualifications of teachers. If the board members are to do a thorough job, they must dis cuss the characters and personalities of the vari ous applicants with complete frankness. Again, if these discussions were made public, it could do great harm to reputations of the individuals in volved ; and again it is a case in which the person against whom criticism may be leveled usually has no opportunity to be heard. In an entirely different category is the situation - where a government body, such as a board of al dermen, has in mind the purchase of a specific piece of property for public use. If the informa ?tion becomes public before an option is taken, the asking price is almost sure to be raised. In short, premature publication of the board's intentions would be unfair to the taxpayers. It is worth not ing, though, that once an option is obtained, the public has a right to be fully informed and to be heard before their money is spent. A new problem involves national security. Much information that once would and should have been made public without hesitation today is being sup pressed by the national government, in the inter est of the military safety of the nation. In this case, secrecy is defended on the grounds it is nec essary for the protection of all the citizens of the country. In the first two cases, the protection of the rights of individual citizens is the justification for secrecy: in the last two, it is for the protection of groups of citizens. In each case, citizens' rights are involved. The argument, often made, that public officials are en titled to protection against public criticism ? that good men won't serve unless they can serve in secret, and that it is therefore impractical to let the public know how the .public's business is being transacted ? that argument will not hold water. It is the same as saying the public's business is none of the public's business. Newspapers have a responsibility to observe secrecy, in a very few, narrow areas ? for the pro tection of the rights of citizens. But newspapers also have a responsibility to provide the public with information about the pub lic's affairs. And because the newsman's job keeps him on the scene where public business is trans acted, whereas the public usually cannot be there, newspapers have the responsibility of leading the fight against the always-present danger of the abuse of secrecy, and the equally always-present danger of its spread beyond the few, narrow areas where there is any real justification for it. Worse Than Segregation In the past, the U. S. Supreme Court has re stricted its rulings on matters of race to saying that rights and facilities must be equal. It has never pissed on the constitutionality of racial segregation. That issue, however, is now before the court, and a decision is expected in the near future. The administrative arm of the federal govern ment, however, refuses to wait for the court's rul ing; it proceeds with its campaign to destroy seg regation by administrative edict. Its latest order is being put into effect on a na tion-wide basis, despite the rather obvious fact that it is in' conflict with statute law in states re quiring segregation. That is government by men, rather than by laws. And that is worse than segregation ever has been. I Others' Opinions SMOKING OUT THE CANDIDATES (Greensboro Dally News) The least that the Tar Heel press can do In this continuing struggle for freedom of Information is to comply with the re quest of President Weimar Jones of the North Carolina Press Association and query legislative candidates in their respective counties this year as to how they stand on the "secrecy law" enacted by the 1953 General Assembly. There should be a simple, direct question and an unequivocal answer: Do you favor retention or repeal of the 1953 act? This is vital Information which the citizenry, those who face the responsibility of determining the composition of the Legis lature as a representative body at the polls, has a right to know and to demand. It is significant enough in its specific application; it is even more meaningful in the reflection which it will give of the potential legislators' attitude toward govern ment as it affects public interest and accountability. Somehow too many people have gotten the idea that this fight for freedom of information, for open transaction of pub lic business, is the newspapers' fight. It is all that; but it is far, far more than that. It is only as public business is pub licly transacted that sinister and special interests are barred, or their activities at least minimized by being brought into the light, that the public knows why certain steps were taken or certain bills passed and that there will be sufficient knowledge and understanding to assure Intelligent voting at the polls. And here is where the success, even the survival, of our gov ernmental system and way of life will be determined. So, let the press as part of its fundamental obligation and a responsibility which it shares along with the Legislature and all public bodies, smoke the candidates out. How do they stand, pointedly and specifically, on the secrecy issue and all that it portends? And then if the public does not take over from there on, its mass indifference will truly be something to worry about. Fundamental ? From Th? Durham Morning Herald Interest Is picking hp in the approaching campaign for the General Assembly and it's encouraging to see that opposition to the secrecy act is rather consistently expressed by candi dates who have announced thus far. Included in the number are some converts who voted for the act last year but who have changed their minds. These conversions together with the voluntary .retirement from the legislature of some who voted for the act and the candidacies for their seats by men opposed to it offer hope that this unfortunate legislation may be removed next year. Involved in the secrecy act is a fundamental public right, and it's up to the public to say what, if anything, is going to be done about it. Does the public really give a hang that it's been prohibited from attending sessions of the legislature's money committees? Does it really give a hang how it's money is used by the members of these committees? If it has definite opinions the time to express them is vot ing day. Every candidate should and no doubt will express his views on this subject. And if ever there was an election in which voters were justiiied in making a choice solely on one issue, the Assembly election is it and secrecy the issue. For the secrecy issue is fundamental. If democratic govern ment is to succeed, the people must have access to informa tion about thetr government; they must kn?w what is being done, who is doing it, and why. In addition to access to this information through their news media, they must also have the right to go direct to the source if they wish. For each candidate who opposes the secrecy act and who Intends to work for its repeal there is cause for encourage ment. His intention not only testifies to his own belief but, more important, perhaps it testifies to his conviction, as a politician with his ears to the ground, that the public is alert to the fundamental right involved and Intends to see that it's protected. HORSE SENSE AND HORSES (St. Louis Post-Dispatch.) What's all this commotion about a horse that exercised horse sense? What kind of sense is a horse supposed to exer cise, anyhow? A 20-year-old mare by the name of Oracle got her name In all the papers, a place on an honor roll, carrots for Christmas, and visits from Important people, all because she brought her master back to his place of work when he fainted on his delivery route. Oracle showed horse sense and apparently nobody ?lse had the sense? horse or otherwise? to expect It. The only conclusion we can draw from this piece of bust OUR DEMOCRACY AMERICA'S DEFENSE I consfifutet thr tuluxirk ofouroion lilxi tj atti (nkcpenSencel... Our rriianc* is intkr loo? of liberty u>kich C}o& (las planted in u*. Our &enju>k