Newspapers / The Franklin Press and … / July 17, 1958, edition 1 / Page 2
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(Elt? ifntaJtlitt ^rtss nnb % CJte jHtghlnniis ^iHarmtinn Second cUfis mall privileges authorised at Franklin N I Puollshed every Thursday by The Franklin Press Telephone 24 Established in 1886 as The Franklin Press Member; N. C. Press Association, National Editorial ituociation, Carohnas Press Photographers Association. Charter member, National Conference of Weekly Newspaper Editors. BOB S. SLOAN i Publisher and Advertising Manager J. P. BRADY News Editor WEIMAR JONGS ...... Editor MRS ROBERT BRYSON Office Manager MRS BOB SLOAN Society Editor CARL P. CARE Operator- Machinist PRANK A. STARRETTE Compositor CHARLES E WH1TTINGTON . . Pressman O. E CRAWFORD Stereotype! DAVID H. SUTTON Commeiclal Printer SUBSCRIPTION RATES Outbids Macon Couhtt One Year $3.00 BU Months I TS Three Months 100 Two Tears 5-23 Three Years 7-50 iNsm Macon CouVitt One Tear $ 2.3 0 Six Months 1 75 Three Months 1.00 Two Years Three Tears 4.23 0.00 JULY 17. 1958 We Still Think ? 4 ?? We still think that crooked traffic sign in the middle of West Main Street (at Harrison Avenue) ought to be .set upright. To tourists, entering Franklin from the south and west, it's the first thing that meets the eye. What would you or I think of a town we'd never seen before, if our first impression was one of don't-care about its street housekeeping? 'Progress' Here are some revealing sidelights on modern progress, especially American style progress : Thanks to medicine and technology, one-fifth of all the people who ever lived on this planet are alive today. The population of the world is increas ing by 40,000,000 a year ; at that rate, the planet will be twice as crovyded, 30 years from now, as it is today. All these people are going to have to be fed, clothed, and otherwise provided for. But ? Did it ever seem to you that, when a highway is to be built or an industrial plant is to go up, they use the best agricultural land anywhere about? You were right. Each year in the United States, a mil lion acres of farm land are taken out of production for highways and industry sites. That has been go ing on for years. A more recent development is the vast amount of land being taken over for military use. The total today is put at 29,000,000 acres, which would constitute a belt 14 miles wide from New York to San Francisco. And did you ever wonder, in passing an automo bile graveyard or looking into a garbage can, if the American people aren't alarmingly wasteful of ir replaceable minerals? You were right about that, too. The United States, with 7 per cent of the world's population, is absorbing 60 per cent of the world's minerals. Yet most of us insist on doing exactly what other Americans are doing, because we want to bave "progress". Franklin's Loss Franklin is losing two families it can ill afford to lose. The Russell McKelveys will be lost to Raleigh, the Harmon Onuses to Pittsburgh. The members of these family groups have been good Macon County citizens in more than the nega tive sense of not doing wrong things. They have been positive, constructive forces for the upbuilding of this community, always ready to do their part, and more, in any worth-while cause. At first blush, The Press felt a little resentful at news of their departure. Franklin needs such people so badly ; Raleigh and Pittsburgh surely can't need them as much as we. On second thought, though, we concluded that no community ever has enough of such citizens ; and we join their other friends in wishing them well as they prepare to make their contributions elsewhere. Refreshing A refreshing bit of news comes out of a recent convention of the North Carolina Association of the Deaf. Delegates to the convention went on record as opposing the special $G00 exemption given the deaf on federal income tax. "We are better able than the blind to earn equal wages, and therefore able to pay our share of the nation's taxes", explained the outgoing president, George P. Morrison. For a group not only to ask for special favors, but to shun them is something new under the sun, in today's world. North Carolina's deaf put most of the rest of us to shame. "One Of These Days We Really Oughta Start Rowing" HI Voters Got Incomplete Report (Charlotte Observer) (July 10) There is little doubt that the people of the Twelfth Congres sional District were inadequately informed by the press dur ing their recent House campaign. There were two candidates in the Congressional primary. One, the incumbent, fell seriously ill six days before the ballots were to be cast. He was, even by the later admission of his wife, a "sick man" during the final week of the campaign. The seriousness of thk illness was minimized by the attend ing physician, and his diagnosis was allowed to stand without question by the newspapers of the district. At the time that Congressman George Shuford was, admit tedly now, a ''sick man," the people of the Twelfth District were told that he had gone to the hospital for a "check-up." Then they were told that he had undergone "a slight neck operation," or "minor surgery." A medical statement released less than 24 hours before the polls opened declared that he should be able to return home "within the next few days." The Congressman, although improving, is still a patient at Bethesda Naval Hospital. There has been no evidence that he suffered any setback in the interim. The people went to the polls believing Mr. Shuford's troubles to be very minor and purely temporary. Actually, they were serious. It remains to be seen whether they are temporary. Editor Weimar Jones is correct when he asserts that 50,000 people went to the polls under "a complete misapprehension." They were denied "their right to pass judgment on the facts" simply because they were denied the facts. Even if it is true, as the Asheville Citizen-Times claims, that the newspaper did not know the facts, it also seems clear that the paper made no considerable effort to find out those facts. Misleading statements were allowed to go unquestioned even though the rumor of the more serious illness was widespread. Shuford's opponent claims that he knew within two hours after the Congressman was hospitalized that no mere "check up" was involved. There is doubt among the leaders of the Western N. C. Press Association as to what, if anything, they can do about the affair when they meet on Saturday. Certainly the Association should Investigate fully and make public its findings. If the press itself is not vigilant in defending "the right of the people, in a democracy, to know," it defaults a prime ob ligation. Shuford Case: Was Truth Hidden? (Greensboro Daily News) (July 10) What is the responsibility of the physician and family of a public official stricken by serious illness six days before a heated election? And what is the responsibility of the press? These questions rise in the wake of charges by a prominent newspaper editor, Weimar Jones of the Franklin Press, that "50,000 voters" were "purposely and deliberately deceived" in Congressman George Shuford's campaign in the 12th District. Representative Shuford, opposed by the dynamic shoe manu facturer, Heinz Rollman of Waynesville, entered an Ashevllle hospital six days before the May 31 primary. But no news of his hospitalization was published in the Ashevllle newspapers until four days later ? and then only that the congressman was confined ''for minor surgery and a checkup." On Friday, the day before the election, the Ashevllle Citizen carried a small Item saying Shuford "was reported as improved" fol lowing "a slight neck operation." On election day the news paper published a page 1 story saying "a favorable report was issued Friday" on Shuford'* condition by his physician, Dr. E. W. Schoenheit. Then several days later ? after Shuford's victory ? the Ashe vllle Citizen revealed that the congressman had "suffered a slight stroke" and surgery performed on his neck May 28 was to relieve pressure. Editor Jones, a former president of the N. C. Press Associa tion and highly respected In the newspaper profession, urges full Investigation of this failure of the press to "meet its responsibility." As a result the Western North Carolina Press Association will discuss it at its Saturday meeting In Ashevllle, and the matter may come up at the N. C. Press Association meeting next week in the same city. Did Congressman Shuford's physician know he had suffered a "stroke" six days before his crucial election? There Is evi dence that he did. Was the physician less than candid In In forming the public? It seems that he was. Shuford and his wife, now In Washington, insist that the congressman did not suffer a stroke? that the condition was an "athermorous plaque in the large artery in the left side of his neck." But the Ashevllle Citizen quoted "attending physic ians" two weeks after the operation as saying he had suffered a "slight stroke." Was the press fully diligent In ferreting out news of Shu Strictly Personal By WEIMAR JONES Within the space of a week, re cently. I learned some things from an inanimate object ? that batter ed old automobile of mine. First of all. I learn'fed ? in the only way learning really counts; that is. by experiencing something ? how the tempo of things has changed In a relatively short peri od. I got behind a horse and wag on. on a narrow road, and for a distance of 50 yards or so. I had to adjust the pace of my auto mobile to that of the horse. Those SO yards seemed like five miles; I thought I'd never get by. dolly! but the horse-and-buggy days were s'.ow, sure enough. But you won't believe how real ly slow until you. yourself, have the same experience! Second. I learned something considerably more important, when I had to drive to Brevard. I had an appointment there, and I was a little late leaving Frank lin. Remembering how hard it is to make time on that crooked road. I pushed myself all the way. Result: While I got there on time, I arrived tense, and tired from being tense. On the return trip, I didn't have to be back in Franklin at any particular hour, so I took It easy. And when I got here, I look ed at my watch; I had made the return trip without strain, and it had taken me just five minutes longer than it had taken to do exactly the same distance under pressure. After that experience, I hope I'll have sense enough never again to start anywhere without giving myself plenty of time. And if there Isn't time and to spare, I'm going to take It easy, anyhow. Life's too short to get hot and bothered just to save five minutes. ford's condition? Claude Ramsey, executive editor of the Citi zen-Times, said his papers had ''published what the family and the doctors told us." Although rumors were circulating that Shuford had suffered a stroke, he said his papers had not attempted to question the information released by the family and the physician. Whether there was collusion in suppressing the news, as Jones charges, may never be knowni But this whole matter, paralleling James Hagerty's efforts to underplay President Elsenhower's illness, may produce seri ous political repercussions next November when Shuford op poses a Republican adversary in that strongly two-party reg ion. It may also influence other physicians, laymen and editors to deal more responsibly with the public's right to know about the health of their officials. If the press managed to get the story of President Eisen hower's illness, although belatedly, surely it could do the same about a congressman in North Carolina. (EDITOR'S NOTE: In its July 3 editorial on this sub ject, The Press did not charge "collusion" on the part of the Western North Carolina press or of amy newspaper. On the contrary, it suggested the newspapers were used "unknowingly, no doubt". Attention is called to the fact that this editorial and the other two reprinted discussing this matter all were pub lished prior to Saturday night's meeting of the Western North Carolina Press Association.) In Reply To A Charge ( Asheville Citizen) (July 12) With ail good will and tolerance to the views of others, The Citizen claims personal privilege in rising to reject vigorously and entirely any charge it was derelict in its responsibilities in handling of the news developing In connection with the Democratic primary on May 31 in the 12th Congressional Dis trict. The Citizen has NO apologies for its coverage. It gave no endorsements and made an honest, careful effort to see that the candidates for the Democratic nomination for the U. S. House of Representatives received fair space in Its news col umns. > We feel we must speak out now, however, since the press of Western North Carolina generally and this newspaper spe cifically have been charged with being delinquent in the re porting of Rep. George Shuford's health in the final weeks of his victorious campaign. The indictment was returned by Weimar Jones in The Franklin Press and followed reports from Heinz Rollman, runnerup to Mr. Shuford in the election, that he knew Mr. Shuford had suffered a stroke several days before the voting. Over the past week, outraged howls have issued from some of the downstate press assailing The Citizen as being negli gent and failing to report Mr. Shuford's true condition to the district's electorate. To summanize, Mr. Shuford was hospitalized six days prior to the primary, on a Sunday. The following Wednesday, it was learned that he had entered the hospital for what was then described by Mr. Shuford's spokesmen as minor surgery and a checkup. This information was acoepted at face value. Representative Shuford had been hospitalized at least twice before in recent months and the impact of the fact that he had been taken to the hospital again was somewhat dulled. In the remaining days before the election, this newspaper made no attempt to harass the Shuford family or to force its members or Mr. Shuford's physicians to go beyond their statements that he had undergone neck surgery and that his , condition was good. The reassuring statements contradicted rumors circulating at the time that Mr. Shuford was desperately ill. By accept ing and publishing the only official word available, The Citi zen felt that it had discharged Its duty. After the primary, it was disclosed that Rep. Shuford had Indeed suffered what has been commonly referred to as a light stroke, although Mr. Shuford says his physicians have never so described his illness. He did have a neck operation to relieve his condition. Our critical peers have editorially chastised us for our course. The Implication is that Mr. Shuford and his family lost all claim to privacy when he entered the political arena and that The Citizen should have employed any spying or un ethical tactics necessary to precisely diagnose his illness. Would they apply this policy to all federal, state and local governmental employes who owe their Jobs to political affilia tions? To all persons of prominence? How far we should have gone can be debated endlessly. Suffice to say, our decision was made on the basis of the standard operating practices of responsible Journalists to re port what they know from qualified sources, a policy of re porting only properly attributed facts. Right or wrong, It was our decision to make. If we napped, Weimar Jones has properly nudged us. We resent, however, his suggestion that the district's newspapers be investigated. No agency, be it private or governmental, can tell us or any other newspaper what to print or how to print ft; neither can a self-righteous Piedmont press with a short memory and a roving eye on Western North Carolina circulation. Plaint of elderly man. overheard on Franklin's Main Street: "I can't find anybody to talk to any more. They're" all listen ing to television all the time." ? ? ? E. S. Purdom passes along this bit of wisdom, which he read some where : "Hindsight always has 20-20 vision." ? ? ? Here's a typical bit of mountain humor, and typical of mountain humorists. It was said with never a trace of a smile. Customer at stamp window at Franklin post office: "I hear the price of stamps is going up to 4 cents?" Postal clerk: "That's right." Customer: "Wouldn't it pay me, then, to buy a lot of stamps, while they're still cheap?" ? ? ? Want ad seen in an old news paper: "Wanted: Woman to wash and iron. She also must be a plain cook." Was the woman of the house taking no chances with her hus band? This beautiful and challenging prayer was composed by Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt: "Our Father who set a restless ness In our hearts, and made us all seekers after that which we can fiever fully find, forbid us to fee satisfied with what we make of life. ? "Draw us from base content and set our eyes on far-off goals. Keep us at tasks too hard for us, that we may be driven to Thee for strength. "Deliver us from fretfulness and self-pity; make us sure of the goal we cannot see, and of the hidden good in the world. Open our eyes to simple beauty all around us and our hearts to the loveliness men hide from us because we do not try enough to understand them. Save us from ourselves, and show us a vision of a world made new. "May Thy spirit of peace and illumination iso enlighten our minds that all life shall glow with new meaning and new purpose, through Jesus Christ our Lord." How Did We Ever Happen To Start Shaking Hands? MRS. RENA B. LASSITER (In Smithfield Herald) In these political handshaking times, I have been constrained to think a bit about this custom of shaking hands. I am inclined to agree with the Chinese that it is a queer sort of custom. But no queerer than the Chinese cus tom of shaking one's own hand. My little research has revealed that handshaking originated a long, long time ago in the Orient. It is said to have started by the medieval robber barons who had to take off their steel gauntlets to show that they were friendly or peacefully disposed to the other fellow. But why did the custom persist when men ceased to wear armor and steel gauntlets? Browsing around to find some thing on the subject of handshak ing, I picked up a book published around 20 years ago In which there is a sort of essay on hand shaking. "The Importance of Liv ing" is the title and it was written by that well-known Chinese phi losopher, Lin Yutang. Lin Yutang made no bones about expressing his dislike of this Western custom, but if it has to be done he prefers the Chinese custom of shaking one's own hand. "Of all the ridiculous Western customs," he said. "I think that of shaking hands the worst. I may be able to appreciate West ern art, literature, American silk stockings, Parisian perfumes and even British battleships, but I cannot see how the progressive Europeans could allow this bar barous custom of shaking hands to persist to the present day." Then he went on to point out that he thought it an unhygienic custom along with its other un desirable features. But notwithstanding Lin Yu tang's objections and of others who may agree with him, there seems to be no decrease in hand shaking in this country. Many people like this form of greet ing. Some profess that you can tell a man's character by his handshake. If he takes your hand in a limp, clammy sort of fashion, it denotes a spineless character. If he grips it in an aggressive, vice-like manner, no matter if he almost crushes the bones, it in dicates a positive, strong charac ter. Then there is the fraternal handshake that reveals whether one is a Mason, or a member of some college fraternity. And the women used to have a way of touching your hand lightly with the tips of their fingers that de noted I know not what. No matter what one reads into a handshake, the politicians seem to be all for it. Maybe you saw the candidate for weeks before he became a candidate and he nevet thought to shake your hand. But the ink is hardly dry on his an nouncement before he is greeting you with an outstretched hand. As flimsy a reason as handshaking is for getting your vote the poli tician evidently believes in its potency. It becomes in election times a point of social etiquette that must not be neglected. NOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO MUSIC? What in this wide world has happened to music? Without getting into the tech nical aspects of music, which very few persons are able to do with out fear-of-ocntradiction, stop for a moment to analyze what is bom barding our brains today. The classics survive, by their very nature, but the competition for listeners is becoming rough in deed, Graceful waltz music, pleasant to the ear and soothing to the nerves, passed out of the picture long before man discovered tran quilizers. There are many among us who remember the jazz of the Roaring Twenties, but even that has a mel ancholy ring today. Sentimental ballads were the vogue during the war years, but they, too, have failed to survive. So-called popular songs flit across the landscape and die al most as soon as they are born. Folk music was the rage (or awhile but that was soon corrupt ed by opptrtunists of the music - world. When Elvis was tucked away in a bare-walled barracks for a long winter's nap, we thought that orace had fnally descended upon the land. But no! Now we must contend with "one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people-eaters." We can't bear to dream of what might be next! ? Kannapolis Inde pendent. 1 UNCLE ALEX'S SAYIN'S What some of these fellers that's always preach in "trade at home" really want Is for the rest of us to pay more and get lew. Shucks! ain't nobody THAT patriotic! DO YOU REMEMBER? Looking Backward Through the Flies of The Preaa 65 TEARS AGO THIS WEEK (1893) Rev. James T. Nolen preached In the Methodist Church Sunday. Mr. Ham Slagle, of Cartoogechaye, was In town Wednesday with a load of June apples, for which he found ready sale. The magistrates and Commissioners will meet tomorrow at Iotla Ford to locate the place for the new bridge across Tennessee River. 25 YEARS AGO (1933) The tax valuation of Macon County has been cut approxi mately a million and a quarter dollars by the reassessment authorized by the last Legislature, according to C. Tom Bry son, register of deeds and county tax supervisor. 10 YEARS AGO Don Allison is the new American Legion post commander here. Other new officers lnglude: Gilmer A. Jones, first vice commander; Robert Palter, second vice-commander; Robert Porter, adjutant; Prltchard Smith, Jr., finance officer; and the Rev. Hoyt Evans, chaplain. Mrs. R. 8. CMohundro has sold her Interest in the Children's Shop to her sister-in-law, Mrs. Gract 0"Mohundro, who Is now sole owner. Franklin senior Girl Scouts will baby sit, without charge, during the period the State Board of Health's mobile X-ray units are here.
The Franklin Press and the Highlands Maconian (Franklin, N.C.)
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July 17, 1958, edition 1
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