?he Iflntttklht |JresB and ?he iHighlanite J?nrintian Second class mall privileges authorized at Franklin. N. C Puoltshed every Thursday by The Franklin Press Telephone 24 B euuest Whenever a man gives up something he has toved and I labored for. a part of him dies. And what could be more natural than for a man. at death, to bequeath what he has found good? Although I shall continue as editor of The Franklin Press, 1 my ownership and business ties with the paper will be broken l August 31 As that date neared, I have found myself looking ; about for something of value I could pass on to the news paper, a?>d to its owners and staff members of tomorrow, and I the tomorrows after that. r X found what I was looking for quite by accident. It was in \ the first editorial I ever wrote for The Press, nearly 12 years ( ago. In it, I first pointed out that a newspaper, by its very nature, is a semi-public institution; and that the public, therefore, was entitled to know what Its future objectives and policies would be. Then, as the best way to Indicate those, I stated some of my beliefs ? beliefs about people, about our ; form of government, and ajbout the small newspaper's rela- j tionship to those two. As I re-read that long-forgotten introductory editorial, I 1 suddenly realized that all these years, without being con- A scious of it, I have been putting those convictions to the test; and that they are valid ? so valid they are the one thing I possess of real value. So that piece, written as a sort of Confession of Faith, now becomes a sort of Last Will and Testament. t Here it is: ; > * I believe in the character and the intelligence of plain people. I believe that the conclusions reached by the majority of average men and women about ; public affairs generally are both right and sensible. 1 I believe that the expert's usefulness is confined to 1 the technical field - ? on fundamental questions of i right and wrong, of what makes sense and what 1 doesn't, and of the fitness of men for public office, I put my trust in the mass judgment of ordinary folks. I believe, moreover, that, even when the people are wrong, they are right? it is their gov ernment, an.l they have the right to make their own mistakes,. * * ? 1 believe, however, that freedom ALWAYS is in danger, arid that democracy will work otvlv so long as the electorate is: (1) honest: (2) inde]>endent : and (3) informed. The only honest ballot, is that cast with a view to the well-being of the whole nation, or state, or county, or town, or district. If the time ever comes when the mass of the voters go to the polls think ing chiefly of individual or group interests, mob rule isn't far away. The only independent convictions expressed at the polls are those representing conclusions reach ed by each voter, individually. When the individual ceases to do his own thinking, fascism is on the way in. And of course the only intelligent voter is the voter who is informed. When the people do make mistakes. I believe it is due, not to lack of char acter or intelligence, but to lack of clear, unbiased information. There can be no democracy without* first of all, the public school system, and, second, media for the dissemination of public information. * * * Information about world, national, and state af fairs is available to the public through the daily press, the radio, and a dozen other media. But none of these does, or can, adequatelv inform the citi zen about what is going on in his own commun ity ? the progress being made at his church or at the district school, the deliberations of the board of aldermen, the proceedings of the board of county commissioners. For this, there is but one medium, the county newspaper. And because good local government is quite as important in a democracy as good state Or national government ? is. in fact, the very foundation of the two latter? the county newspaper has a vital func tion to perform. Though far narrower in its field, its service, in mv opinion, is even more important ? and often more salutary ? than that of the great daily. I believe the primary duty of a newspaper is to serve as a mirror for the community in which it is published. Whatever the mirror may reveal, the people have a right to see ; be the news good or bad. the public "can take it". If the mirror reflects a pleasing picture, the people of the community, encouraged, will try to make it even more pleas ing; if it refletcs a blemish, the people, give them ttime, will do something about it. With every opportunity, of course, there goes a ?responsibility, and this is especially true of a news paper. I believe its first responsibility is to publish the local news ? fearlessly, accurately, and with out bias. Its second is to speak out boldly, when ?he situtation demands, on any matter that affects the public interest. I But J believe that most persons, most of the time, try to do the right thing as they see it; so The I'ress, when it criticizes, usually will damn deas, movements, or acts ? not individuals. And, is a rule, its- policy will be to encourage and work 'or the desirable, rather than merely condemn the indesirable. * * * I believe that the hope of America lies, not in its ?hies, hut in its towort unity to escape the cities' indecent crowding, taste, and pressure ? the opportunity to LIVE as veil as to earn a living? is destined to win the rec ?gnition it deserves, but hasn't received in the past. * * * I believe i,n youth. Some of it is a bit frowzy [round the edges ? but some of vouth always has >een. Today's youth is better than yesterday 't : and f tomorrow's is not better than today's, the fault vill be yours and mine. Xo investment, no matter how good, ever yet las paid as high dividends as the investment of hought and time and money in the things that ierve youth. * * * I believe a better community ? better churches ind schools, better economic opportunity for all, setter citizenship ? is far more important than a signer community. Mere bigness is greatly over rated in America today. Besides, as a community becomes a better one, it is .sure to grow; but the reverse is by no means certain. And 1 believe that growth, if it is to be stable, must come slowly. That is as true of an enterprise as of a community, and it is mv hope that this newspaper's staff can improve the paper, not over night, but gradually : make .each issue a little bet ter than the last.. No bequest should bind the devisee, and I would not seek to bind those who come after me. It is my hope, though, that they, too, will prove these things and, finding them true, will adopt them as their own. Weimar Jones Letters Appreciation Dear Weimar, On behalf of the Franklin Jaycees, I would like to express our appreciation to you and your fine staff for helping us make the annual Macon County Folk Festival the greatest success In its histpry. The Jaycees realize the importance of a newspaper in our town. Your paper is an asset to Macon County. We would like to return the many favors you have extended. Please feel free to call on us at any time. ROBERT W. MOORE. President, Franklin Jaycees. Franklin. An Appeal To White Friends Editor of The Press: To our white citizens and friends of Macon County: Please help us to keep our people from making the same foolish mistakes people have made in other places. We do not want our children to go to your schools, because we are proud of our school building. Bui we would appreciate your help with our school. We would like our school equipped with the necessities like your school. And of course we want the best teachers available? teachers who are interested In our school. We want no confusion in our community and we want nobody coming in here stirring up confusion and getting some of our people who know no better to follow them. And you can help us avoid that by helping us have a better school. Better homes and schools build better communities. MRS. GARFIELD McKINNEY, I President, Chapel P. T. A. Franklin, Route 1. ' If You Only Knew (Lion Magazine) You probably wouldn't worry about what people think of you if you could know how seldom they do. Elvis Must Go ? Or It's Buttermilk! (Cartooge-Jay-Bird) Elvis Presley has got to go, or else station WFSC has got to check with local dairymen before playing "All Shook Up" . . . Latest word is that the Parker boys' cows commence giv ing buttermilk the instant Elvis begins to warble, or wobble, that Is. . . . And In The U. S. A.? (Chilton, Wise., Times-Journal) The New York Times had its' correspondents In the far corners of the world check on mall deliveries and got these ahswers: Three or four deliveries dally are routine In cities In Japan, Italy, England and France. In Pakistan the postman makes five deliveries a day. In barbarous Moscow the lettercarrler makes 28 deliveries. The Five Horsemen Of Our Highways & w f V 01 STRICTLY Personal _ I By WEIMAR JONES Probabljr because I have al ways said,1 emphatically, that I never would retire, some of my triends have pretended to mis understand that piece I had in this space a couple of weeks ago, about my changed status at The Press. In It, I empha sized that I was merely shift ing the direction of my ener gies a bit, not retiring. (Mat ter of fact, I wouldn't stop work if I could, and I certain ly couldn't If I would!) Anyway, I've been kidded a lot about my "retirement". The latest was in the bank last week. When someone, in apparent Innocence, said: "Well, I hear you've retired", I pre tended to be angry, and repli ed: "Brother, that's a fightin' word with me". Whereupon T. Y. Angell put as aptly as any body could just what the situ ation is: "As I understand it", he said, "you haven't retired; you've just moved out of the complaint de partment." ? > ? * I wonder sometimes about these folks who call themselves self-made. They seem inclined VIEWS . . . By BOB SLOAN Changing times make for changing ways. This was brought to me rather forcefully by an an nouncement by the Winn-Dixie stores the other day of their profit sharing and employee benefit program. Time was, when working In a grocery store was just a job. It offered no security and little opportunity for advancement. Today this grocery chain offers an em ployee benefit program with low cost life insurance, hospital and accident insurance, sick pay program, coupled with stock purchase program and a college scholarship program for theit children. Programs of this typt are becoming more typical ol the attitude of our large busi ness concerns toward their em ployees. Perhaps It is enlight ened self-interest, but call 11 what you will It Is nice for th< recipients. * ? ? When the town license plate: are sold next Spring I an wondering If the residents o East Franklin are going to havi to get one along with the peo pie of Franklin. Ever since the construction o the school In East Franklin sidewalk has been desperatel needed, but we seem to be fur ther away from getting on than ever. 8peaklng of sidewalks, ca anybody think of anything tha Is needed worse than a side walk on Palmer street from th Intersection with Phillips stree at least to the intersection wit Maple street. Some day a school child wl be run over In going to the Eai Franklin school, or a pedestrla will be killed on Palmer stree and we will have a great surg of sidewalk building. Let's sav that life now. to boast abouf their handiwork. Some of 'em, it seems to me, i might more appropriately apol- ] ogize. ? * * Now they're changing the old , songs ? "Swanee River", "In , the Ev'ning by the Moonlight", , "Old Black Joe", etc. ? to elimi nate all reference to Negro slav ery. ( How far can Americans go to ward refusing to see anything they don't want to see? It would make just as good sense to pretend there never were any New England slave ships, or any Southern slave owners. * ? ? You have to pay for progress; if not in money, then in com plexity. That was brought home to me the other day in Sylva, where they recently put in the dial telephone system. I had occa sion to telephone the Harris Hospital, and in the drug store where I asked to use the tele phone, they inadvertently gave me an old directory. So I dialed the same old fa miliar, easy number ? 14. I was told that was not the correct number now, and was given the number to dial. And what do you suppose It was? Another easy two-digit number, or even one with three digits? Not at all! It was "Justice 6-4-1-4-3." A name, plus FIVE figures. Well, I'm just a country boy from Franklin; so I'd forgotten half those numbers before I even got 'em dialed. Which brings me back to what I said in the first place. Progress is wonderful, but ? "You have to pay for prog ress; if not in money, then in complexity" ? In this case, five figures and a name's worth of complexity! Sgt. Moore Shoots With Army Team Sergeant First Class Alvin J. Moore, whose wife, Loretta, lives on Franklin, Route 3, recently participated in the National Rifle and Pistol Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio. Sgt. Moore, regularly stationed in Germany, fired for the All Army pistol team in the matches. Aug. 12-17. He entered the Army in 1949, received basic training at Fort Jackson, S. C:. and arrived in Europe in April, 1956. He was last stationed at Fort Benning. Ga.. and is also a veteran of service in the Far East. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jess W. Moore, live in Sylva. STAMEY REUNION Members of the Stamey family here plan to attend their annual family reunion Sunday at the home of Jake W. Stamey in Clarkefville, Ga. DO YOU REMEMBER? Looking Backward Through the Files of The Press 65 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (1892) ' Mr. Tom Price's mother came down from Rabun Monday and will spend some time with him. The town council and Mr. A. S. Bryson are at logger-heads about working the street in front of Mr. Bryson's lot. Dr. J. M. Lyle is dead. He was one of the leading citizens of Macon County and a good man is gone. Dr. Lyle will be missed In the church and educational interests of the county. He was a practicing physician 38 years. 25 YEARS AGO (1932) ' Judge Hoyle Sink, who commented Tuesday that the court 1 house smelled "like an old tobacco can", on Wednesday sent * a prisoner to clean it up. A man given 30 days In the county jail is to' be released, under guard, once a day to do the worlt. In addition to the guard he will be accompanied by a bucket, mop, and strong soap. Assailing the North Carolina grand jury system as an * archaic, expensive piece of unnecessary legal machinery, Su " pcrior Court Judge Hoyle Sink recommended its abolishment ~ in his charge to the grand Jury at the August term of court Monday. "The grand Jurors are employed to sift evidence, at great cost, that already has been sifted. I have never known ?J of an Instance where a grand Jury was worth a hill of beans." ?t The third shipment of Red Cross flour for Macon County !* arrived Saturday and totaled 420 barrels. ,? 10 YEARS AGO h The tax valuation of Macon County properties of the Nan tahala Power and Light Company has been Increased by a U quarter of a million dollars. it Installation of the 115 parking meters recently bought by n the Town of Franklin was being completed Thursday and >t Mayor T. W. Angel, Jr., announced the meters would go Into e operation at Friday noon. e Mrs. Nelson Lakey and three children, of Winston-Salem, visited her mother, Mrs. Maude Mason, recently. ? Tellioo item.