Hit* ffltnt tklixt |ms
j
Cite llxgitlnn&s JKarimmn
Entered at Poet Office, Franklin, N. C.. as second class matter
Published every Thursday by The Franklin Press
Pranklln. N. C. % Telephone 24
WEIMAR JONES Editor
BOB 8. SLOAN Advertising Manager
J. P. BRADY News Editor-Photographer
MRS. ALLEN SILER Society Editor Office Manager
MRS. MARION BRYSON Proofreader
CARL P. CABE Operator-Machinist
FRANK A. STARRETTE Compositor
O. E. CRAWFORD Stereotyper
CHARLES E. WHITT1NGTON Preeeman
DAVID H. SUTTON Commercial Printer
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Outside Macon County
One Year
Six Months .
Three Months
Two Years
Three Years
1.75
1.00
5.25
7.50
Inside Macon Couwtt
One Year . .
Six Months .
Three Months
Two Years
Three Years .
APRIL 12, 1955
Some Old 'Saws'
"You are no older than you think you are" and
"Know thyself" are two adages th^t are often
used in giving advice to people.
However, by paraphrasing the first to read, "A
town is just as progressive as the people who live
there think it is," and combining it with the sec
ond, the town of Franklin could obtain a good
guiding principle.
We are not near so backward as many of us are
inclined to think.
A great deal of this "small hick town" feeling
stems from the fact that the majority of us do not
know Franklin. We do not really know what the
various business firms and institutions produce, or
how good they are in comparison with similar con
cerns elsewhere.
For example, how many Franklin residents are
aware that a lumber concern here produces a mod
ern wood wall paneling that utilizes short pieces of
lumber previously regarded as waste, and that this
product is in large demand in the nation's lumber
market because of the ease with which it is put up ;
or that wood parquet flooring is made here.
Take the case of vermiculite. How many people
in Franklin know that it is found only in North
Carolina, South Carolina, Montana in the United
States; that its three main uses are for insulation,
soil conditioner, and as an aggregate in building
materials where lightness is highly desirable; that
more than 50,000 bags were produced in Franklin
last year; and that in Macon County there is a re
serve of more than two million tons of this mate
rial.
There are many other examples here that most
of us do not have sufficient knowledge with which
to inform a stranger of our merits.
By combining the two old saws of being no more
backward than we think we are and knowing our
selves we can really make a merry tune to sing
to people who want to know about Franklin.
'Toe-Hole' Diggin'
With the idea of {jetting things on a solid foun
dation, reducing those inevitable last-minute head
aches, talk already is of the countv fair here in the
fall.
Cooperation, it seems is going to he the key to its
success. Cooperation between everyone, not just a
handful of individuals.
What better illustration does one need of what
cooperation can accomplish than last year's Frank
lin Centennial Celebration. Everyone pooled energy,
enthusiasm, an.i time to make the homespun birth
day party for the county seat a show that made
even the professional promoters pass out reluctant
laurels.
This selfsame cooperation can produce for Ma
con County the best fair in the area; or a lack of
cooperation can quickly kill the whole idea.
Although small, last year's embryo fair showed
promise of what can be done. Those with vision
already talk of a week-long fair on a county-owned
fair ground with permanent buildings for exhibits
and stock shows. And the wonderful thing about
the whole idea is, if folks here decide that's what
they want, that's what they'll have!
Of course, it's going to be a "tough row to hoe",
but what successful venture isn't?
With last year's success, this year's fair is going
to just be a case of making the "best" just a little
bit better.
Cooperation will dig the "toe-hole" ? hard work
will be needed for the climb to the top.
Bows And Bouquets
Our lowest bows and biggest bouquets to:
t
The Franklin Garden Club for reaching the "sec
ond plateau" in its, beautification project for Ran
kin Square by setting out 32 rose bushes, and to
the large number of citizens who contributed to the
rose fund.
Frank B. Duncan and T. W. Angel, Jr., for their
faith in Franklin's future, reflected in their pro
posed $20,000 investment in a swimming pool and
recreational facilities for the public at the Frank
lin Lodge and Golf Course.
The American Legion and all those assisting
with the Little League Baseball program. The
stagnation of juvenile delinquency can never spread
here so long as organizations and individuals take
a little time to work with the community's young
people. It's a refreshing sight to see the love for
the great American game dancing in the eyes of
104 eager boys.
The P. T. A. committee, headed by H. H. Gnuse,
Jr., probing the school system's financial ailments.
After diagnosing the illness, it has come up with
some plausible cures, which the county would ao
well to consider when budget-making time rolls
around.
The V. F. W. for its ambitious and expensive
project to properly drain the high school athletic
field; particularly for its attitude that "anything
worth doing is worth doing right", regardless of
the cost.
Poetry
Editor
EDITH DEADERICK ERSKINE
Weavervllle, North Carolina
INFINITE RAYS
Out of the mist
Of a far away planet
Into the gloom of
Our Earth's darkest days.
Spirits of mercy
Came down from Heaven
Reflecting the light
Of its infinite rays.
ELIZABETH FIELD
Asheville, N. C.
Others' Opinions
On Pay Raises For Teachers
(Mount Holly Newsi
?- The suggestion by Governor Luther Hodges that 'each county
take care of its own pay raises for teachers did not meet with
widespread approval. Had the Governor any serious opposition
in his candidacy for reelection the suggestion would most
certainly have been jumped on by his opponent. We think
that the Governor was sincere in his remarks and as usual
had the gumption to state his mind and to throw out his sug
gestion for public approval. That is one of the really great
attributes of Governor Hodges? he doesn't make wishy-washy
statements or hide behind a big bunch of "if's", "and's", and
"wherefore".
However, we do not believe in leaving the teachers pay up
Heart Of The Effort
?t - -ll"",", '? ? ? ' -?? < ? ?
' i ?
BE IT COMMUNITY development work, planning for a cou
ty fair, holding "Clean-Up Week", or just working for the bet
terment of Mkcon County in general, the very heart of the ef
fort is in COOPERATION between everyone.
to each county and city. The State of North Carolina should '
raise the salaries to a level that is in keeping with most other
States. The fallacy of- leaving raises up to Counties or Cities
look to us to be many. In the first place if the counties all
gave pay raises you would have some 100 Boards paying dif
ferent salaries in accordance to the whims of a Board, which
in most instances would be based on what they thought might
be in keeping with the wealth of the county. This would
mean that right within our own State boundaries there would
be counties vieing with each other to secure the best teachers.
Who got them would be the county with the liberal Board or
the county with the money-bags.
Another fallacy, in our opinion, of the Governors suggestion
to do justice to our teachers is that in effect his plan is al
ready open to the counties and has been for years. Any county
can vote a special tax and raise teachers pay in almost any
given period and some of them have. Mecklenburg, for in- ?>
stance, has a higher pay scale, because they supplement the
teachers salary, than we do here in Oaston.
We are already competing with other States to secure teach
ers and if each of our counties start out fighting each other
with one paying one figure and one another it just doesn't
seem like a workable plan. It is the State's responsibility to
set our standards and pay rates for teachers. The State took
over the Schools and in our judgment its certainly up to the
State to set the salaries.
We think, most certainly, that the teachers should have a
raise. We think, too, that the entire problem of modern edu
cation, rules and standards should be studied and brought up
to date in regard to teachers and regulations.
Wonder who it is that makes the rounds of local post office
writing tables to blunt the points of the post office pens each
day?? Elkin Tribune.
ITS NOTHING NEW TO COUNTRY ?
Interposition's History Is Study Of Political Philosophy
i Editor's Note: 'Interposition' is
a word appearing more and
more frequently in print as the
segregation issue probes for a
way out of its entanglements.
This article, written by Felix
Morley, explains the word from
the time of its origin with the
first 'interpositionist,' Thomas
Jefferson. Ilis article appears in
the March issue of 'We the
People of North Carolina.')
Alexis de Tocqueville, in his
classic study. Democracy in Amer
ica, confessed himself "startler!
by the variety of information and
the amount of discernment"
necessary to understand our Fed
eral system. Its constitutional com
plexity, he predicted in 1832,
would eventually subject the nom
inally sovereign States to "the
yoke of a centralized administra
tion."
The prophecy of this brilliant
French observer is recalled by the
general lack of information and
discernment in regard to "inter
position," a political device almost
as old as the Republic.
After long obscurity, inter
position is back in the news now
because several Southern States
are employing it in an effort to
maintain segregation in their pub
lic schools. Yet it has been, and
still could be. applied In issues
devoid of racial content. The at
torney general of Texas, for In
stance, was recently quoted as
suggesting that it could be used
In that State to prevent Federal
regulation of gas and oil pro
duction.
Interposition is official action
on the part of a State government
to question the constitutionality
of a policy approved by the Fed
eral Government. This action lit
erally interposes the sovereignty
of the State between its citizens
and the authority of Washington.
Demand for Clarification
It says, in effect, that the
people of the interposing State
should at least question, and per
haps even oppose, the Federal
policy until or unless the moot
question of its constitutionality
is resolved. The device has been
used both to demand that the
Supreme Court rule on the con
stitutionality of an act of Con
gress and ? as now ? to demand
that the Congress clarify the con
stitutionality of a Supreme Court
decision.
The theory of interposition rests
on the indisputable fact that the
Union was formed by the States,
on the terms of a contract, re
visable by amendment, which we
call the Constitution. While the
States by this contract ceded cer
tain powers, such as control of
foreign policy, to the National
Government, all undelegated pow
ers, Including control of education,
were retained.
To make this crystal clear the
10th amendment was in 1792
written into the Constitution, say
ing: "The powers not delegated
to the United States by the Con
stitution. nor prohibited by it to
the States, are reserved to the
States respectively, or to the
people."
This amendment rounds off the
so-called Bill of Rights ? the first
10 amendments to the Constitu
tion ? which is a solemn as
sertion of tlte rights of the States
as well as of the rights of in
dlvlduals. But while the courts
may be expected to uphold the
latter there is no mechanism,
other than interposition, available
to a State which considers that
its reserved powers are being
usurped by the central Govern
ment. On this reasoning John C.
Calhoun asserted that: 'This right
of interposition ... I conceive
to be the fundamental principle
of our system, resting on facts
as historically certain as our revo
lution itself."
The First Time
That had also been the earlier
opinion of Thomas Jefferson, who
drafted the first resolution of in
terposition. The 5th Congress, dis
turbed by the effects of the
French Revolution, in 1798 adopt
ed 3 drastic laws, known as the
Alien and Sedition Acts. The
third of these made it a crime
"to write, print, utter, or publish"
anything that might bring the
President or Congress "into con
tempt or disrepute." This was
clearly in violation of the consti
tutional guaranties of free speech
and a free press. But it was feared
that the Supreme Court, under
the influence of the Federalist
Party, might not so rule.
Therefore, a delegation from the
newly admitted State of Kentucky
prevailed on Jefferson, who was
then Vice-President, to draft
anonymously a resolution of inter
position, questioning the constitu
tionality of these Federal laws. It
was in this first Kentucky resolu
tion, adopted November 16, 1798.
that Jefferson used the famous
slogan: "In questions of power,
let no more be heard of confidence
in man. but bind him down from
mischief by the chains of the Con
stitution."
A month later the Virginia Leg
islature adopted a similar but,
somewhat milder resolution of in
terposition, drafted by James
Madison. This, used as a model
by the Virginia General Assembly
in its resolution of February 1,
1956. called on the other States
to "concur with this Common
wealth in declaring, as it does
hereby declare, that the acts a
foresaid are unconstitutional."
Kentucky then responded with a
second, more fiery, resolution, as
serting "that a nullification, by
those sovereignties (the States*
of all unauthorized acts done un
der color of that instrument (the
Constitution*, is the rightful
remedy."
These resolutions were directed
against the Congress. An equally
notable case of interposition, by
Wisconsin in 1859, was directed
against the Supreme Court, and on
that occasion in behalf of a fugi
tive Negro slave. Under the then
existing law, as confirmed by the
Dred Scott decision, a runaway
named Joshua Glover was arrest
ed in Racine by a United States
marshal. He would have been re
turned to slavery, as the law pre
scribed, but was forcefully freed
from Federal custody by aboli
tionists. whom the Wisconsin
courts refused to prosecute.
Positive Defiance
In support, the State legislature,
on March 19. 1859, adopted a
resolution of interposition de
nouncing the Supreme Court for
"assumption of tower" and de
claring "that the several States
. . . have the unquestionable
right" to exercise "positive de
fiance" in behalf of their official
interpretation of the powers re
VIEWS
By
BOB SLOAN
Gentleness and goodness were
combined with an absolute faith
In and love for her church In
Mrs. Oeorge A. Jones, "Aunt
Hattle" to me, to a greater de
gree than in any other person
I have ever known. Much la
spoken and written of Chris
tian living today. Through the
years when ever I, and I am
sure many others, wanted to
think of a living example of
Christ's teachings this was the
person who came to our minds.
Perhaps there Is no such thing
as the lrreplacable person. But
to me, no one will replace the
example of Aunt Hattle's life as
the personification of Christian
living.
Sometimes a person has to
back up on what they have said
or written. Such is the case with
me this week. Last week I said
I hoped the town of Franklin
could someday furnish water to
all their potential customers at
low, low rates without having
to "sit up nights cooking up
such schemes as sewer charges
and tap on fees."
I would like to change that to
say that I hope that the town
officials will never charge water
rates that make a profit that is
used to support other phases of
the city government. And X
hope some day that we have a
more adequate water supply.
I >
Do You
Remember?
(Looking backward through
the files of The Press)
50 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
A plank kiln was burned
Wednesday night about 9 o'clock
in town near the Kope Ellas
buildings. It contained about
2200 feet of lumber belonging to
the county, that was being dried
for repair of the court house.
Major N. P. Rankin went to
Haywood County yesterday to
attend the Presbytery at Bethel
which begins today.
Miss Florence Dillard has
gone to Speedwell, Jackson
County, on a two months' visit
with relatives.
25 YEARS AGO
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Arnold en
tertained a number of their
friends with a square dance
last Friday evening at their
home ,on Harrison Avenue.
Misses Mildred Cozad and
Florence Stalcup returned to
N. C. C. W. at Greensboro last
Monday, after spending the
Easter holidays here with their
parents.
Mr. Crawford McCoy, who is
making his home in Miami,
Fla., spent several days here the
past week with his parents, Mr.
and Mrs. W. L. McCoy.
10 YEARS AGO
After 31 months in the navy,
19 of which were spent in the
South Pacific, Louis Eugene
Potts, son of Mr. and Mrs. S. E.
Potts, has received his discharge
and returned home last Friday.
? Highlands item.
Doyle W. DeHart, who has
been in the navy for about five
years, is here for a visit with
his mother, Mrs. E. B. DeHart,
at their home on White Oak
Street.
Mrs. Ray Swanson, of New
port News. Va., is spending sev
eral days visiting her parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Welch, at
their home on Iotla Street.
served to the States by the Con
stitution.
No matter how carefully worded,
a resolution of interposition must
by its very nature be defiant of
Federal authority, which means
that 1 of 3 consequences will fol
low. Either the central Govern
ment will tacitly back down, or
the resisting State will, or a
mutually acceptable solution will
be found by clear-cut constitution
al amendment, which was the
method advocated by Jefferson
and now again by his State to
day.
In both of the cases cited here,
however, the recalcitrant States
made their point. Wisconsin main
tained its position until the Civil
War swept the whole issue of
fugitive slaves. Earlier, Kentucky
and Virginia opposed the Allen
and Sedition Acts until their ex
piration, in 1801. Jefferson was
elected President partly because
he had led that opposition. The
political effect of the present in
(See Back Page, 1st Section)
NO. 1