Newspapers / The Franklin Press and … / Nov. 21, 1956, edition 1 / Page 8
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(lit* fflrnnklitt nub QLht Jttarxmiatt Entered at Post Offlo*. Franklin. N. 0., m eeoond olaee matter Published *my Thursday by The Franklin Praaa Franklin. N. O. Telephone 24 WD11AB JONES BOB 8 SLOAN .... J. P. BRADY . . . . bolfe neill . . . . us. ALLEN SILKR . . . OARL F. CASK .... nUKK A. STAKRETTE . . O. 1. CRAWFORD . . . CHARLES E. WHl'l'l'lNQTON DAVID H. SUTTON . . . . . Advertising Manassr . Km Edltoc-PhotograplMT Reporter Society Edltor-Offloe Manager . . . Operator-Machinist Compactor Commercial Printer NOVEMBER 21, 1956 Encouraging Suicide The revolt of the Hungarians against their Soviet masters is one of the bright pages in the story of man's never-ending battle to be free. The raw cour age that would have been inspiring under any cir cumstances was emphasized by the treachery of the Russians. With little in the way of arms, with almost no organization, these people fought on for three weeks; the Russians had to bring in tanks and hundreds of thousands of troops to extinguish the fire. This could be the beginning of the end of Rus sian domination of its unhappy satellites ; even Tito publicly brands the Kremlin's actions as a "fatal" mistake. It could be the beginning of the end. But if so, the United States can take none of the credit. We, who owe our own independence to the aid of out siders, were much too busy with Far East oil to give a thought to Hungary as its citizens were shot down by the thousands. The most we could bring ourselves to do was beam messages of encourage ment. It was like encouraging a man to commit suicide. Time To Crack Down This newspaper repeatedly urged that the one way street experiment be given a fair trial. Now that it has had it, we believe most fair-minded people will agree it has tended to lessen congestion and to speed traffic. The trouble is it has speeded some traffic too much. The one-way streets offer an ever-present temptation to speed. And a lot of drivers are suc cumbing to that temptation. If we continue to have automobiles making 40 and 50 miles on Main and Palmer Streets, the cure will prove worse than the disease ; because if the speeding continues, somebody is going to get killed. We respectfully suggest that the same authority - that requires motorists to drive one way can and should be used to require them to drive at a safe speed. Parris Island Again There's .something wrong at Parris Island. The case of the drunken sergeant who led a group of recruits on an unauthorized night inarch that ended in drownings had hardly been disposed of before there was another scandal at the South Carolina Marine Corps base. This time it was a 19-year old drill instructor indulging in a form of sadism that would disgrace a nation only half civilized. He has been convicted by a court martial of forcing two recruits to .suspend themselves by their toes and elbows over a naked bayonet point ed at their stomachs. The significance of these two incidents is not in the incidents themselves. It lies in the fact that two such incidents, coming so close together, probably are not isolated cases ; they are merely the ones that came to light. Do these two, even though they may violate the written rules, really represent the spirit of Marine Corps training? There is an alarmingly large body of evidence indicating they do. And who was responsible for putting' the life and-death authority Marine Corps instructors seem to have over recruits into the hands of a 19-year old boy? Aren't those responsible for that bit of irresponsibility really the guilty parties in this latest incident? Th* Marine Corps has investigated the inci deti-t Maybe it's time we went a step farther and the organization that permits such % happen. 'Did Themselves Proud' Over 'a period of decades, there has grown up here the idea that no good thing can come out of Macon County. Rather, that no good thing can happen in Macon County; for we've been able to boast for years about what Macon's sons and daughters have accomplished when they went else where. That old myth that we can't excel here at home has been tottering lately ; it's been disproved many times in recent years by Macon youth, and adults too. And last week it got another body blow. For at the Western North Carolina Fat Stock Show, farm youth from this county demonstrated that one of the many things we can do well indeed is to produce fine cattle. A calf from this county won the reserve (.second place) championship ; top place for the best five animals in the show wejat to Macon ; likewise first place for the best group of three animals raised in one county ; and first and third place for showman ship went to young farmers from this county. The youngsters not only "did themselves proud" ; they gave to the success psychology we've long needed here a healthy shot in the arm. Wasting Our Talent Four years ago, 27 million Americans voted for Adlai E. Stevenson for President. This year, 25 millions cast their ballots for him. And, as the Greensboro Daily News remarks: "Among: his millions of supporters are many who be lieve that his penetrating mind and eloquent voice should not be lost to the field of American government. During the campaign he focussed the attention of voters on serious national and international problems, on the perils of nuclear warfare, on the need for vision and imagina tion and fresh initiative in foreign policy, an the need for more sympathetic help for the farmer, the small busi nessman and the white collar worker at home." And yet what use does America make of the "penetrating mind" and "eloquent voice" of this man? The fact that he lost both elections in no wise lessens his ability. And in this period of vast problems and great danger, surely the United States can ill afford to waste ideas and ability. The problem is not new, of course. Consider the past quarter of a century: * For 20 years the United States has made no use of whatever political .talent Alfred M. Landon has; and he was a big enough man to be the Repub lican candidate for President. For 12 years, the abil ities of Thomas F. Dewey have been unused, on a national scale ; and for four years we have made no active use of the talents of Stevenson. Furthermore, we leave our retired Presidents to twiddle their thumbs. Can we afford not to make full use of the experience and wisdom gained by four or eight years in the White House? For four years former President Truman has had no as signment, and while former President Hoover has made himself useful in the 24 years since he left the Presidency, he has done so in spite of, not be cause of, our system. Would it not be ordinary common .sense to so amend the U. S. Constitution as to automatically elevate former Presidents and the defeated Presi dential candidates of the major parties to the U. S. Senate for life? Come, Be A Sport! (Holyoke, Colo., Enterprise) Peddling malicious gossip is a miserable, unethical, disgust ing pastime. The best way to kill such stuff is to not repeat it. Next time you hear a piece of malicious gossip, just forget it and go throw rocks at your grandma. That would be more sporting than carrying false tales. ?GOD'S CHILDREN' See See him as the child he was. These seven simple one-sylla ble words have taken me half a lifetime to learn. But it has been worth the hard-fought lesson. For these are magic words: with them, you can rise above pettiness and spite, cruelty and arrogance and greed. When you confront a man who shows these unattractive traits ? see him as the child he was. Remember that he began his life with laughing expectancy, with trust, with warmth, desir ing to give love and to take love. And then remember that something happened to him ? something that he Is not aware of? to turn the trust Into su spicion, the warmth Into wari ness, the give-and-take into all take and no-glve. See him as the child he was. Behind the pomp or the rude ness, beneath the crust of meanness or coldness, begin to perceive the wistful little boy (or girl) who Is hurt and dis appointed and determined to strike back at the world. Or the little boy ^who Is frightened, and tightens his jaw and clenches his' fist to ward off some overwhelming fear that hovers deep In the dark past. I Others' Opinions I (Opinion* uprima la tblj ipua in not ntcmatrtly tboaa I at Tha Prtaa. HltotUi Ml*cUd tot nprlntlnc ban, la fact. I an eboaan with a naw to praaantinc a *arlaty of TUwpolnto. Thay an, that la, Juct what tha caption taya ? l/l'SUf Opinions.) _ Unique Animal (Greeley, Colo., Boo8ter) Man la the only animal that blushes? and the only one that needs to. Not Enough (Oconomowoc, Wise., Enterprise) It doesn't do you any good to sit up and take notice if you keep on sitting. Too Early To Wed (Greensboro Dally News) School officials over In Charlotte are getting worried about the number of high school marriages these days. This fall there are 34 individuals In the city high schools and another dozen or more In the county schools who are working at the double careers of marriage and education. "All Ol us discourage early marriages," said the principal of one of the Charlotte schools. "We feel that Individuals need to take care of their education before they take on the re sponsibilities of marriage." And the assistant school superin tendent added, "Students who marry need to recognize the fact that a strain is to be put on both marriage and educa tion. if they let one suffer, chances are both will suffer." Taking cognizance of this new educational problem, a re porter for The Charlotte Observer set up a teen-age panel on the subject. The six teen-agers admitted that high school marriage had become "kind of a fad" but they voted solidly against It. One of their concerns was the influence such mar riages exerted over other high school students, who are all too likely to say: "If they get marrlSd and are happy, why can't we make a success of It?" One girl hit to the very heart of the problem: "I don't see why teens even want to get married," she said. "Boys fuss so much because dating' costs them so much money. Why do they get married and have to buy food and clothes for girls ? and even braces?" It's encouraging to note that at least six teen-agers think early marriages are a bad Idea ? but why do so many high school youngsters think it's a good idea? Divorce statistics show that 25 per cent of all marriages end In divorce and that a very large percentage of these failures occur when the couples have married before they were 20. Tastes change rapidly in the teens, say marriage Experts, and the mate an 18-year-old will select so often falls to be the mate he wants at 25 or 30. There are also heavy strains placed upon a teen age marriage that do not occur later when a man is old enough to support his wife and the woman is old enough to be ready to manage a home and family. Perhaps the present tendency toward early marriages goes hand in hand with the growing tendency of teen-agers to "go steady" with one boy rather than happily playing the field as their mothers used to do. Only in dating many boys can a teen-age girl determine for herself, by experience,' what kind of boy she would choose for the rest of her life. When the stag line gave way to the philosophy of dance-only-wtyh-your own-date, early marriages becajne inevitable. STRICTLY PERSONAL By WEIMAR JONES The recent death in Asheville of Archdeacon J. T. Kennedy re calls the period when he lived here; and that, in turn, recalls the distinctions white people of that time made in addressing Negroes. Persons of the Negro race were referred to as "nigras" (I must have been nearly grown before I ever heard the word pronounced with a long e), "colored people", or "darkies". The first was a gen eral term, spoken without emotion of any kind; the second conveyed an attitude of respect; the third connoted affection. In addition, of course, there was the term of derision, "nigger": but it was used much oftener by colored than white. Well-bred persons, in fact. Just didn't say "nigger" ? as a never-to-be-forgotten licking administered by my mother taught me the one time I used the word The distinctions went much farther than that, though; there were subtle ones based on age character, and personal relations Except for those of really dis reputable character, all elderlj Negroes were "aunt" or "uncle" And whether those terms were used out of respect or in affection or both, was conveyed by the voice. Had I dared refer to "Aunt' Martha Porter or "Uncle" Dick Adding ton (who "conjured off' my warts when I was a small boy) without the title, I'd have got another memorable chastise ment; I probably dreaded even more the scorn of these respected and beloved friends and mentors For their approval and affection were coveted. We had deep affection for and Him As The Child He Was Sydney Harris In Richmond News-Leader Or the little boy who was given too much too soon ? and given things instead of feelings ? and now can clutch his power or his purse the way he used to clutch his teddybear, because there Is nothing else he feels Is really his for keeps. See him as the child he was. Regard the faces as they pass you on the street: adult faces on the surface, but the child is lurking not too far beneath the skin ? the child who eats too much because he craves the sweetness of affection, the child who drinks too much because he cannot face a motherless world, the child who brags and lies and cheats to wrest revenge lor some huge Indignity that is gnawing at his heart. And then look again, closely and you will see what the Book means when it calls all of us "God's children" ? you will see a glimmer of hope behind th* hate, a glint o f humor behind the harshness, a touch of tend erness that no defensive wall can wholly obliterate. Only in this way can we guard ourselves against re sponding in kind, against re turning pettiness bo the petty and cruelty to the cruel. And only in this way can we find the path to the green plateau of adulthood, where we can look down upon God's children with a sad but loving glance. from some of these black-skinned friends. I remember the time when we had a bereavement In our ' family, and "Aunt" Martha came to see my mother. She came to the back door, of course ? that was a matter of custom; but once Inside the house, she took, with out question, the best rocker, when Mother proffered It to her. The sympathy In her voice soon brought me, unnoticed In the con versation, to tears. "Aunt" Martha was quick to notice, and In a moment I was In her ample lap, my head on her bosom, and my grief soon assuaged by the croon ing comfort of her voice and the gentleness of the work-worn hands that enfolded me. ? ? ? The Rev. J. T. Kennedy fell Into an entirely different category. Since he was an adult when he came here (he told me in recent years the circumstances of his coming to Franklin to study theology under the late Rev. J. A. Deal, Episcopal rector here then), we had not known him all his life, as we had "Aunt" Martha, "Uncle" Dick, and the other elderly Negroes. Besides, he was not elderly; "uncle" ' would have been Inappropriate. Furthermore, he was a skilled cabinet-maker, a teacher, Mid, finally, a cleryman. Beyond tnat, there emanated from his tall, spare figure a poise, a dignity that commanded respect: nobody would have thought of calling him by a given name. 80 he became "Kennedy" to young and old. And the Inflection given the name bespoke a respect no "mister" could have. * * ? A number of years ago I saw an outpouring of affection and respect for him that he must have treasured as long as he lived. It was at a meeting of the Ashe ville diocese of the Episcopal Church. It fell on the 50th anni versary of Kennedy's entrance into the ministry, and when thai was pointed out, and tribute was paid to his life and work, this man, the only Negro present, was given a standing ovation that obviously was as sincere as it was spontaneous. Afterward, I interviewed him for one of the Asheville news papers. In the course of the Interview, I asked him if he felt there had been improvement in good will between the races during his half century as a minister. He thought a long time before he answered. Then he said: "Yes, I am sure there has been. But good will, you know, is some thing you can't hurry". 1 Do You Remember? (Looking backward through the files of The Press) 50 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK The Board of County Com missioners met and among rou tine business transactions the following claims were allowed: , Dr. P. L. Siler, $50 for six months as county physician; Jno. W. Mann, $11.35 for part of expense in putting up court house bell; W. B. Jacobs, $2.50 for fighting fire to protect stock law fence. We had a first class snow . ' Wednesday, reaching a depth of ' about five inches. Smith's Bridge, near Otto, has some very dangerous holes in the floor and it seems that our bridge officials should attend to it without delay before some one has a horse crippled. 25 YEARS AGO The Rev. A. P. Ader, formerly [ pastor of the Ogburn Memorial ? Methodist Church at Winston ; Salem, has been assigned to ? the pastorate of the Franklin 1 Methodist Church succeeding . the Rev. G. Clifton Ervin, who . has been transferred to the . Hillside Street Methodist Church r in Ashevllle. Men's heavy flannel shirts, 98c; denim weight overalls with flap on pocket and interwoven suspenders, 69c; broadcloth dress shirts, 49c.? From an ad vertisement by Polly's store. Mrs. Kate Slmpkins, of Ashe vllle, is visiting her brother, T. C. Bryson, of West's Mill. 10 YEARS AGO , Thanksgiving opens the sea | son for quail, rabbit, and ruf i fed grouse. New daily limit on , quail is reduced from 10 to i eight. On rabbits the limit is I 10, and on grouse the limit is two. Miss Nora Leach was elected president of the United Daugh ters of Confederacy at a meet ing held last Friday night at the home of Mrs. Lester S. Con ley. Miss Barbara Stockton, daugh ter of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Stock ton, has been chosen to play on the senior class volley ball team at Breneau College.
The Franklin Press and the Highlands Maconian (Franklin, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Nov. 21, 1956, edition 1
8
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