Newspapers / The Franklin Press and … / Oct. 10, 1957, edition 1 / Page 2
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EDITORIAL VV/ould It? "The law is what the Supreme Court says it is", we are told. We are told, too, that Rood citizenship demands* respect for the courts and obedience to the law. Well, if the Supreme Court should rule that black is white, or that two and two make five, would that, then, become "the law of the land"? And would Rood citizenship require that all of us become color blind and revise our arithmetic? Our Best Manners Our best mountain manners to the folks respon sible for last week's county fair. If everybody got a bouquet who deserves one, the florist business would boom. For it was an extraordinary event, and it was made possible by the cooperation and hard work of a lot of people. Congratulations to the officials of the Macon County Fair Association ? Mr. Bryant McClure, Bryant McClure chairman, Mr. Niler >>lagle, vice-cnair chairman, Mrs. Lawrence Patton, sec retary, and Miss Marie Jennings, treasurer; to the personnel of the Ex tension office; to Mr. Wayne Proffitt and his F. F. A. boys, who did a lot of the labor; to the businessmen whose generous support made the fair financially possible ; and to the many others who helped. What made the fair exceptional was the high quality that marked every phase ot it. Nobody who hasn't experienced it can guess the imagination, the patience, the skill, and the hours of time that went into those excellent booths. And the individual exhibits won the praise of out-of county visitors as being as fine as they had seen at any fair. It is quality, in anything, that counts. And, judg ed by that standard, the people of Macon County ( | have built here, in a period of three years, some thing that should make us all proud. Encouraging Signs For several years now, a considerable segment of the American public has been indulging in a binge of emotionalism about matters relating to race. The self-righteousness that pervades the air is reminiscent of the prohibition campaign of the Anti-Saloon League and the abolitionist extrem ists of an even earlier day. Examination of any week's newspapers will re veal a score or more of illustrations of this crusad ing fervor, But to cite just three instances ? recent cases in which this unreasoning fervor was carried over even into official action: The Pentagon's riot alert to all army units in the South ; a federal court's ruling invalidating an old will that provided funds for a school in Philadel phia for poor white boys ? because a .public offi cial was a trustee of the fund, the court ruled, Negroes must be admitted ; and the tendency to ward thought-control indicated by the re-writing of the Stephen Foster songs and the barring of Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn" from the New York schools. Well, here and there are signs that the pendu lum may have started back. The letter, reprinted from The Christian Science Monitor, at the bot tom of this page, and the editorial from a New Hampshire newspaper seem encouraging signs that hysteria may be giving way to returning sanity. Who Isn't Handicapped? It not onlv is unfair and unchristian to cast aside as worthless the elderly and the handicapped, as has long been the custom in this country. It is stupidly wasteful. Fortunately, something: is being done about us ing the talents of the handicapped, as observance of this as Employ the Handicapped Week indicates. Perhaps the best way. for all of us to learn to look sanelv at the so-called handicapped is to ask ourselves: Who is not handicapped ? For how many of us have perfect eyesight, or. perfect hearing or perfect speech? How many of us have bodies with out defect? And which of us does not suffer from some mental or emotional handicap ? if no other, a feeling of inferiority, or the even more fatal malady of over-rating ourselves? Bayonet No Cure (Manchester, N. H. Union Leader) You can't teach mutual respect and liking between blaofc and white at the end of a bayonet. You cannot solve the Negro problem in the United States by the use of para troopers. This newspaper abhors and detests un-American and un christian discrimination against Negroes, which takes place in the North as well as the South. But you cannot force Whites to associate with Blacks by the use of court decrees any more than it was possible to solve the deplorable habit of excessive drinking by passing the Prohibition Law. At the time of the Supreme Court decision, which smashed the South's old-age practice of teaching Whites and Negroes in separate schools, this newspaper warned, in an editorial entitled "Fire Starting In The South," of the tragic conse quences of the decision. Before the Supreme Court decision, there had been over many years a gradual improvement in race relations in the South. Lynchings had all but disappeared, Negroes were being admitted to professional schools through out most of the South, Negro doctors were being invited to join Southern medical societies, and the economic condition of the Negro had been vastly improved. Progress was being made ? too slowly, but definitely in the right direction ? toward mutual self-respect between Blacks and Whites. Then came the segregation decision by Eisenhower's Su preme Court. This attempt to use force, to use the courts to change overnight race relations which had been a way of life in the South for generations stopped peaceful evolution of racial harmony right in its tracks. Even then, it was not too late, but the Republicans, hungry for the Negro vote in the North, would not let the decision rest. They had to use force, with the tragic and terrible re sults before us today. A secret Communist could not have planned it better, Eisenhower's Administration has turned the clock back dec ades on a problem going back to the Civil War days. Behind the show of virtue, either sincere or stlf-serv'ng, the Administration has not only brought us a stark tragedy in human relations, but seems detefmined to use paratroopers to destroy the right of the several States, as guaranteed by the Constitution, to handle their own affairs. Under the excuse of attempting to solve the race problems, has not the Federal Government moved closer to a dictator ship? Letters A Good Amendment Dear Editor: In spite of the history of the 14th Amendment it Is a good and indispensable part of our Constitution. The Supreme Court, I feel, possibly read more into it than its language warrants. People have done the same thing to the Bible, yet who would repeal the Bible? I re-read the Amendment after reading your editorial. The editorial was sound. I have no quarrel with what it said. Even so, if we had no such amendment today, we would have to write one. I believe it would have been a part of the original document had It not been for that alien Institution of slavery which should never have had a part In a free country. Interpreters of our Constitution have been fallible men. This Is no fault of the document. To me, the I4th Amendment Is an inspired statement and Ood help us should we ever reject its guarantees. JACK CARPENTER. Dahlonega, Oa. Praise For Hospital 5 Dear Mr. Jones: May I speak a word of praise for Angel Hospital. I have been hospitalized for numbers of days in three of North Carolina's outstanding hospitals. I received excellent care in each. However, none of these surpasses Angel Hospital and the care I have had since my admittance August 3 for treatment for a broken leg. I was here only a few hours before I began to realize the < ? Continued on back page 1st see. A NEWCOMER'S VIEW I South Has Both Desire And Ability To Cope With Its Race Problem (EDITOR'S NOTE: The fol lowing appeared recently kn The Christian Science Monitor, in the form of a letter to the editor. Signed by Robin Black, ?f New Orleans, it seems signif icant as presenting the viewpoint of a non-Southerner, after he has been in the Sooth lone enoagh to have a rood look at the problem presented by two nen living side by side.) As a comparative newcomer to the Deep South. I am continually impressed with the desire and ability of the Southern people to cope with the race problem. This problem la not new: It has existed in various phases since 1619. The South has adjusted itself to past changes and is making an honest effort to adapt itself to present developments and provide for the future. During the past three years, I have talked with many Negroes la Mew Orleans and other parts of the South regarding their views M integrated schools. Most have been willing to express themselves. Of the Negroes I questioned, about 60 per cent thought their children were happier by themselves, atid 40 per cent thought It didn't mat ter. At no time did I talk with a Negro who Insisted upon mix ing with white people for arbitrary reasons. Regardless of whether they pre fer separate schools Or think it doesn't matter, Negroes agree on one point: they Insist that their schools be as good as ours. To this, they have an unquestionable right. Olve them equal facilities and the situation will largely take care of itself. In general, Negroes are no more anxious to mix with us socially than we are to mix with them. Basically, they want four things: equal pay for equal work, decent housing conditions, education for their children, and some kind of financial security for their old age. They have a right to these things, and are getting them ln creaslngly. In ttte last analysis, these are primarily what every one else wants, too. New Orleans has no zoning re strictions against Negroes; they arc free to live wherever they can buy or rent. They are all over the city, within a few blocks of the best residential sections and educational institutions. On the other hand, there are many new housing projects exclusively for them, and some of the newest and most modern public schools are in neighborhoods that are solidly Negro. It is true that we have Negro slums in the South ? both urban and rural; we also have white slums. There are slums for people of both races in other parts of the United States. Unfortunately, we shall probably continue to have them ? we cannot force people to rise above their level. Children are naturally demo cratic. and if they go to school together, eat lunch together, be long to the same clubs and play on the same teams. It is difficult for them to understand why they shouldn't also go to parties to gether. Herein is the point on which white parents, both North and South, agree ? they don't want Negroes "dating" their chil dren. Other sections apparently to not know where to draw the line; the South does, and draw It before the situation become dangerous. All Southerners dra\ the line at exactly the same place it is a subject on which they ar unanimous. It is the only saf stand, and the only one that wi work. This phase of coping with th problem ? knowing Just how fa to go in personal associations I where Southerners have the a < vantage over white people in othe parts of the country. The technl of living side by side but separti ly. of mutually respecting eac other's right to a place in th sun without becoming intimate. : something that has develope logically as a result of nearly 35 years of close association. Many of my friends in the Nort who are loudest in their denunc atlons of the South admit the they have never been south of th Mason-Dixon line. People who ai closest to any problem know moi about it than anyone else; an since It is the Southerners an their children who will live wit It, they should be permitted t work out the Integration problei among themselves. World Series, First Inning Strictly Personal By WEIMAR JONES Since when, and why, has the letter "h" become disreputable? It must have become so consid ered, because a growing number of people, especially younger people, arie slurring their h's, or leaving them out entirely. All you have to do is just listen to people say such words as "when" and "where" and "why". More and more, those words are coming out of people's mouths as "wen" and "were" and "wy". Just as striking is the way we're forgetting that there's a difference DON'T 'MAKE' NEWS Newspapers Just Publish What Happens (Miss Beatrice Cobb in Morganton News-Herald) Frequently newspaper people hear the criticism that only sen sational news makes the headlines ? that the good and worthy things that happen rarely get into print. People who voice these views have likely never taken the trouble to think seriously about the charges they are preferring against news papers. The answer to the "com plaint" is that newspapers don't make the news ? they just print it, the good, when it is that, as well as the bad. Certainly no critic of newspapers can charge that Billy Graham's New York "Crusade" has not "made" the newspapers in New York* ? and throughout the nation ? In a big way. He has truly "made" news in New York this summer. I read a story recently which is apropos to this subject of good and bad news. It seems that a ship anchored off an island in s the Pacific Ocean had sent a boat ? in to rescue a man who had been * stranded on the dot of land for ' a long time. 0 e When the boat reached shore, U one of the sailors told the man the captain had sent him some e newspapers. The weather-beaten r man was puzzled and asked why J the captain was interested ? in j"1 having him read what was going on In the world. c "He wasn't quite sure whether g. you'd want to be rescued after h you had read them," the sailor ,e replied. Is The tendency of most of us is d to become disheartened and cyn i0 leal when we read about the hor ror, corruption, immorality, brutal h lty and death spreading over the earth. it Worse still we find ourselves ,e wishing we could withdraw to a -e fanciful "desert Island" and thus ?e escape the unpleasant realities of d life. d Just reading about bad news h or good news, whatever the days a bring forth will not within Itself n change the fundamental principles and nature of any human being. between the pronunciation of "oo" and "ew". A double o, of course, properly has a sound like "ou", as in "too", "shoot", or "choose". On tlje other hand, "ew" is almost two syllables; it has the sound of "eu", as in "few" and "mew" and "stew". But listen, and you'll hear a constant repetition of "Noo York" and "noos", and many others. These two are neither Southern isms nor mountainismS, and sure ly we in the South and the moun tains have enough bad speech habits without going outside and importing new ones! ? ? ? At a recent meeting of one of the smaller rural community de velopment organizations here, the group discussed ways and means of raising money. Later, I asked one of the members what they wanted money for. "The Church", was the reply. Now that group is made up of Methodists and Baptists and Presbyterians, and possibly mem bers of other denominations. But since only one denomination has a church in the community, that one is "the church", and every body. of whatever faith, was pitch ing in and working to make it a better church. I ran across the same thing, more recently, on Cartoogechaye. That community has churches representing more than one de nomination. But the community organization (which is headed by a Methodist) has been hard at work raising money to help the Baptists build a parsonage. The parsonage is the biggest project under way on Cartoogechaye Just now, so the development organi zation is putting in its licks where they seem most needed. If these rural organizations never had done anything else, the creation of a spirit like that makes them a thousand times worth while. ? ? ? Looking for something in an old issue of The Franklin Press, one day last week, I ran across a little editorial deploring the fact that parents no longer taught their children to say "sir" and^'ma'am". The piece concluded by remarking that "a genuine show of respect and courtesy does something to the person showing those attitudes" ? something beneficial. I glanced at the top of the page; the time was 1950, seven years ago. By now, I thought, most children have never even heard those two forms of address. Imagine my surprise, therefore, at what happened when I had occasion, that same evening, to - call a friend. A pleasant boy's voice answered the telephone, and when I asked if I might speak to his father, the courteous reply came promptly: "Yes, sir!" Maybe we're getting back to politensss, even from children. ? ? ? I like this, reminiscent of the days when the railroad station was an important point in every town. It is from The State maga zine's "Watch Your Language!" column, by W. P. S.: "May favorite darkey-ism is: " 'Littler de station, bigger de agent.' " ? ? ? Where does that old expres sion, "poor as Job's turkey", come from, and what does it mean? Matter of fact, did they even have turkeys In the days of Job? Rather, did they have 'em in Job's country? BV>r the turkey, as we know it today, originated in America, a then undiscovered country. DO YOU REMEMBER? Looking Backward Through the Files of The fw 65 TEARS AGO THIS .WEEK (1893) The frost on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings of last week killed an abundance of cane and injured some corn. J. A. Porter, the shoe drummer, shouldered his grips Thurs day morning and resumed his circuit. The old Liberty Bell left Philadelphia on the 4th, and reached Atlanta (for the Atlanta Exposition) yesterday. Miss Allie Caler, while digging In the yard a few days ago at the residence of A. P. Munday at Aquone, dug up a five dol lar gold coin of date of 1830. 25 TEARS AGO (1932) Macon County is to receive $450 out of the first allotment of federal emergency relief funds In North Carolina. Alfred Daves, Nantahala farmer, reported last week dis covery of theft of between $900 and $1,000, which he had hidden in a barn. Decision to employ a county welfare worker has been reach ed by the County Commissioners and the County Board of Education. Miss Rachael Davis, of Highlands, has been tenta tively employed. 19 YEARS AGO E. J. Whltmire, 8. W. Mendenhall, W. E. Baldwin, and Carl Slagle left Friday for an extended tour of the Western states. The Franklin Town Board Monday night decided to hire Herman Chllders as a full-time water superintendent, at a salary of $175 per month. The County Board of Education Is considering re-naming the school at Franklin, and decided at Monday's meeting to ask for name suggestions from the public.
The Franklin Press and the Highlands Maconian (Franklin, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Oct. 10, 1957, edition 1
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