Newspapers / The Franklin Press and … / June 14, 1956, edition 1 / Page 2
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(lit* Jfinmklxjt 'Jjlrrsa nnit r> Gib? MigJtlnnite J&arimrott 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 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. STARR ETTE Compositor O. E. CRAWFORD Stereotyper CHARLES E. WHITTINGTON Pressman DAVID H. SUTTON Commercial Printer SUBSCRIPTION RATES Outside Macon Countt On? Year . . ? $3.00 81z Months 175 Three Months .... 1-00 Two Years 3-23 Three Years .... 7.50 1NBIUG JMLAlUn VUUK1I One Year $2.50 Six Months . . . ' . . 1-75 Three Months .... 100 Two Years 4-25 Three Years 8 00 Solid Progress Beneath the surface of last month's high school commencement programs in this county lay at least three evidences of solid progress. In the pride and excitement of graduations, many persons un doubtedly overlooked them. Over the years, it has been an almost invariable rule that the high schools graduated more girls than boys. This year, that trend was reversed, with the county's four high schools giving diplomas to 81 boys, as compared with 66 girls. How unusual that is is revealed by an 18-year study of Franklin High School records. During all that period, only once before ? in 1954 ? were there more boys graduating than girls. This year the proportion was 60 boys to 49 girls. At Nantahala High, the ratio was three to one, with 15 boys graduating and five girls. Chapel, the Negro school, had two boys and one girl. Only at Highlands did the old trend continue ; that school's 1956 graduating class was made up of 11 girls and only four boys. It is possible, of course, that fewer girls grad uate because more of them marry before they finish high school. Too many of them do just that; we doubt, though, if the proportion is any higher than it was five or ten years ago. But be that as it may, the fact remains that we have sloughed off the old idea that education isn't very practical, and that, therefore, it's all right for a boy to stop school and go to work whenever he can get a job. That change in thinking would have been progress at any time; it is even more pronounced now, be cause in today's world nobody is quite so helpless as the person without education. The second significant thing was at the colored school. Older Negro residents say this year was the first time there ever has been a formal com mencement program at the Negro school. (That is explained, in part, by the fact that Negro high school students from Macon for many years at tended the several-county Negro consolidated high school at Sylva.) This year commencement time was a proud time indeed for the Negro community here. The third evidence of progress was at Franklin High ; it was the first time in many years that commencement exercises could be held in the school ? the first time in years that graduation invitations didn't have to be rationed. Completion of the school's fine gymnasium, of course, made it possible for the 1956 finals to be held at the school, and for all who wished to attend. All this is gratifying progress. It is not justifi cation for complacency, though. One illustration of that is the fact there is no satisfactory auditor ium at the Franklin High School ? it is the only school in the county without one. Both the school and the wide-spreading com munity it serves need an adequate auditorium. Surely that should be our next major school build ing project. Wait A Minute! What about integration of the races at school social functions? Ed Lewis, head of the Urban League of New York, asked about this phase of integration, re cently told the Associated Press: It has worked out "fine. The kids come if they | want to. There are no social pressures . . . They go to mixed dances and have mixed bands. I find if you give the kids a chance to handle a situation, they handle it. Mongrelization is pure propa ganda." f a minute, Mr. Lewis! fMaybe the It's Your AMERICA WHITE HOUSE IMP L0V1N* T W, VOUNSCR SON 0* ABRAHAM U CAU96D CONSTKNATtON M THE WUfTf BY Ht& PRACTICAL JOKES / ON ON* OCCt&CH H6 TURNfiO TWS HOSE PULL RHKE ON C^nifiep aecggTAgv of war 6TANT0n.' 1 1 ? \j^ f . NO POSTAGE NO ACCEPTANCE S&CWARV HWLOR REPUSED ID ACCEPT A LETTER NCMJWTlNtf^ HIM FOR PRESIDENT EE CAUSE IT HAP NO POSTAGE STAMP. Lovaltv TO THE laws OP TUIS LAND AND RESPECT FOR ITS] INSTITUTIONS "CONCEIVED IN L.IBERTV" IS THE BULWARK OF Tw? AMERICAN WAV OP UIPE / "kids" do handle such a situation well. And maybe amalgamation of the races is desirable. But to .say you can have social intercourse and to add in the same breath that you won't have what you call "mongrelization" is to close your eyes to what even an intelligent blind man could see. About Pool Rooms In renewing the license of Mr. Fred Cabe as operator of Franklin's only pool room, the board of aldermen last week imposed these conditions : Gambling and drinking shall be prohibited, and no minors are to be allowed. This is neither a condemnation nor a defense of Mr. Cabe's establishment. It is an effort, rather, to suggest that our thinking about pool rooms in general is a bit fuzzy. There is nothing wrong about playing pool ; it is a game of skill, good recreation. Why then the restriction so often imposed on pool rooms ? at least in this section ? that they shall admit no minors? If the game itself is good, not bad, then it must be a question of how pool rooms are operated. Well, if a pool room is properly run, why not let teen-agers play? And it" it isn't properly run, why allow it to operate at all? In the California primary, it seems, Adlaid Estes low. Others' Opinions (Opinions expressed In this space are not necessarily those of The Press. Editorials selected for reprinting here. In fact, , are chosen with a view to presenting a variety or viewpoints. They are, that Is, just what the caption says ? OTHERS' Opinions.) Can We Afford Peace? (Winsdor, Colo., Beacon) Ralph Johnston, the able Greeley Booster columnist, gen erally writes in a facetious vein, but every once in a while there's a grain of bitter truth concealed in his witticisms. Elsewhere on this page, for example, we quote his remark to the effect that we can't afford to end the cold war. And that, when you come right down to it, is no joke. Our whole national economy today is built around the annual ex penditure of some 50 billion dollars for defense. Cut that off suddenly ? or even whittle it in half ? and we might see one of the worst depressions we ever experienced. To be sure, a cut like that would bring a sharp tax reduc tion within reach. But taxes, even at present rates, don't affect the total economy as much as you might think. Just turn the picture around, and imagine the effect of throwing a million young men, now under arms, back into the labor market all at once, while at the same time cancelling big defense contracts running into many billions of dollars! The taxes we'd save would not be of any great help in ad justing the total economy to such a basic change. This consideration may account for some of the skepticism which is voiced in Washington toward every Soviet proposal to relax cold war tensions. Of course, we can't admit to the rest of the world that our economy might be shattered by an abrupt return to a state of peace and free world commerce. But Just among ourselves, maybe we might as well admit that it is t exactly a negligible factor. I ? Letters Speed Laws And Grass Editor, The Press: In this big city of Detroit I want you to know how much I enjoy The Franklin Press. The tourist who griped about the speed laws of North Carolina should slow down long enough to see a speed sign, should he pass one; especially In a mountainous country where roads are curvy. Common sense should tell one 65 m.p.h. is not a safe speed to go, because one never knows what might lie around the next blind curve. In Detroit we respect the speed laws and pay a fine if broken. So why not do the same in North Carolina? The laws are just as tough in Canada. He was speaking for himself when he said tourists would by pass North Carolina and stay away. He doesn't know that from the Great Smokies through the Tallulah Falls vicinity is nationally known for the beau tiful scenery and thousands look forward to visiting It every year. I personally know several myself. Some people in the Northern section like to gripe any way; for Instance; My two small daughters are both city-reared and know nothing of the country and freedom and generosity of a good small town people; they stand at the windows and gaze out upon the beautiful grassy lawns, and ask questions; "What is grass, isn't it to play upon?" They can't understand why they are forbidden to step upon the grass by the landlords and other private owners. They are scolded severely if caught on it. In teaching them about the Lord and Heaven, I told them that to my imagination Heaven was very beautiful and with lots of space to play, with pretty green grass and lovely flowers. My little one looked up and said. ".Mother, there won't be anyone there to tell me to stay off the grass, will there, Mother? And can I pick some flowers, too?" I'm sure there isn't a person in all Macon County who would order a little child off their lawns. People who live in freedom, please thank God for a land like Macon County, North Carolina. MRS. JOSEPHINE HOLDEN POWELL Detroit, Mich. Methodism And Race Dear Mr. Jones: I want to restore your pride in the Methodist Church. Let me assure you that your church has not been hypocritical in the way it timed its racial resolution and policy. The General Conference speaks for the Methodist Church. It meets every four years. It met last, before the court's de cision, in 1952. The recent statement was the first opportun ity to act officially the denomination has had since the court's action. The action at Minneapolis simply spelled out more precisely what our church has actually stood for since 1939 when North ern and Southern branches of the church reunited. The seg regated Central Conference was a compromise that made union possible. At best, it was an imperfect solution. In 1948 our General Conference stated: "Racial discrimina tion is a fact which asserts itself both in principle and in practice ... The principle of racial discrimination is in clear violation of the Christian belief in the fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of man, and the Kingdom of God, the proclama tion of which in word and life is our gospel. We therefore have no choice but to denote it as unchristian and to re nounce it as evil. This we do without equivocation . . . The last twenty-five years indicates a steadily Increasing determi nation to find and embrace a properly Christian solution to the problem of racial discrimination . . . 'We look to the ulti mate elimination of racial discrimination within the Metho dist Church'." In 1952 the Methodist Church officially declared: "There is no place in the Methodist Church for racial discrimination, or racial segregation . . . But It Is more Immediately our impera tive duty to confess our failure to achieve God's will In Meth odism and then resolutely to set about achieving a Christian brotherhood in the church that will be tree from racial dis crimination and segregation." Both of these statements preceded the Supreme Court's de cision. The General Conference has now made voluntary integra tion possible. No individual, church, conference, or jurisdic tion is forced to integrate. When two-thirds majorities mu tually vote to do so, it is now permissible. This seems to me to be democratic without being coercive. It steadfastly up holds the principle of Christian race relations, but does not force the pattern of action. It means that if we become Chris tian enough we can and will do something. In the meantime, neither God nor the Methodist Church forces anyone. Social patterns change slowly. Probably this is well. It Is Interesting that the early church accepted human slavery as a part of Its society. Paul even sent a runaway slave back to his master. Now Christians do not condone slavery. We change slowly; we move more slowly than we should, but we do move. Thank God for that. I am sure that God will forgive us if we have been too slow, or if we have frequently been afraid, particularly If we finally see the right and follow it. Sincerely, REV. S. B MOSS Franklin. VIEWS b ? i -1 By BOB SLOAN Naturally everyone is greatly in terested in news concerning the health of President Eisenhower, and news conferences are of great value in letting the public know. However, last Saturday afternoon I saw something in connection with this which practically sick ened me. It was such an exaggera tion of the former and misuse of the latter. ' On a television broadcast of a news conference with James Hag erty, press secretary for the President, newsmen asked some of the most unreasonable questions. For example, with the President not off the operating table twenty four hours, Mr. Hagerty was ask ed where the President would spend his convalescence? To begin with it isn't a matter of major importance where he rests and certainly np one could expect the matter to be settled before the anesthetic wears off the patient. Another question which they be gan asking the minute Eisenhower entered the hospital was, "will this effect his decision to run for re-election?" Certainly the matter is a question in which millions of Americans are interested, but anyone who gives even a passing thought to the matter knows that it is not a decision which the President or his secretary would make hastily. When they know, I think they will say so. I can't help but feel that quest ions like those above are asked solely with the hope that an answer which can be misconstrued into a sensational news item will be given. Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, and Eisenhower all have given newsmen a lot of consideration. Attempts to get news at/ their expense is mighty poor gratitude, and unfair to the newsreader I think. Do You Remember? (Looking: backward through the files of The Press) 50 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK Horace Harrison, who has been with the Anderson Hardware Com pany in Atlanta for several months past, is spending a few weeks with his family here. Mrs. W. A. Curtis went to Sylva Friday and will spend two weeks visiting her daughters at Sylva and Bryson City. Mr. H. G. Robertson left Sun day morning on a business trip to Asheville and to attend the meeting of the K of P at Greens boro. 25 YEARS AGO The Town Board has authorized the erection of a new drinking fountain on the court house square. Flaming azaleas and also the white scented azaleas are expect ed to be blooming in their full glory on Wayah Bald and other members of the Nantahala family next week. A meeting for the business men of Franklin and all others inter ested will be held in the town hall next Monday night to discuss plans for re-establishing the Franklin Chamber of Commerce. 10 YEARS AGO Miss Jessie Fotts. student at Woman's College of the University of North Carolina, is at home for the summer vacation. Her sister, Miss Nancy Potts, student at Western Carolina Teachers Col lege, is attending summer school. ? Highlands item. Joseph Ashear returned to his home here last week after spend ing a month visiting relatives and friends in Pennsylvania, Mary land. and Virginia. Mrs. W. W. Landrum and daughter. Pat. and the Misses Angle and Callie Deal were in Greensboro last week for the com mencement exercises at Woman's College of the University of North Carolina, at which Mrs. Lan drum's daughter. Miss Imogene Landrum, was graduated.
The Franklin Press and the Highlands Maconian (Franklin, N.C.)
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June 14, 1956, edition 1
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