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and
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WEIMAR JOWES
Editorial ' Page Editor
The editor controls and takes full responsibility for till*
pace- He has no control over or responsibility for what
appears elsewhere in the paper.
THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 12. 1959
DIFFERENCE OF OPINION
Thinking Going On
i
It may he the voters of this county should have
indorsed all nine of the bqnd issues passed on in the
election of a fortnight ago. Maybe they should have
voted agai/nst all nine.
We don't pretend to know. That's a matter of
opinion ? as the differences of opinion revealed by
the vote totals showed'.
What seems to be most significant about that
election was not how it went here, but the diversity
of opinion reflected in the precinct-by-pr^cinct vote
totals.
A majority of the voters in three Macon pre
cincts ? Franklin, Highlands, and Millshoal ? fa
'vorcd all nine of the bond issues. Majorities in four
precincts ? Smith's Bridge, Burningtown, Flats,
and Nantahala No. 1 ? were against all nine. And
in the other eight precincts, the issues favored or
disapproved by the majority of voters varied.
There can't be that much difference of opinion
without some thinking going on ; thinking, most
likely, by the individual voters.
It's only when there is that sort of thinking, that
sort of diversity of opinion, that democracy works.
When the individual voter doesn't think for him
self, democracy can ? and often does ? descend
to something approaching mob rule.
Elias Ammons
Elias Vance Ammons typified the best traits of
the mountain man.
While he was a leader ? he helped found the Hol
ly Springs Baptist Church; he served it as a dea
con from the time of its organization; for several
terms, he was a member of the board of county
commissioners ? he will be remembered as Elias
Ammons, the man. His influence would have been
felt, had he never held any position of leadership.
Coming from a family of solid, substantial citi
zens, he was quiet, unaffected, unassuming. Always
ready to pull his share of the load? plus, he did it
unobtrusively. On any question where principle
was involved, on any matter of right or wrong,
there never was any doubt of where he stood.
Those who knew him best, in fact, say of him
that no word better describes him than "depen
dable". Dependability is a great virtue, character
istic of a person of strength.
The contribution to this county of the strong,
quiet man called I '.lias Amnions will live on in the
lives of its people long after his name is forgotten.
Our Best Manners
Our best mountain manners to our neighbors
across the Cowees in Jackson County On the open
ing of their fine new hospital.
With a capacity of 50 beds, the overall cost
neared the million dollar-mark. And the facilities
and the beautiful location are things to be proud
of, as well as the cost.
While the hulk of the money came from federal
and state funds, the new hospital never could have
been built without local support, including a gen
erous gift from the late C. J. Harris and a fund
raising drive, back in 1956, that netted some $87,
000.
How much it is regarded as a community insti
tution, something that belongs to all the people of
Jackson County, was indicated by the eager hun
dreds who stood in line, at the open house Sunday
afternoon, to go through the new hospital.
It was a long, hard pull. Now that it is finished,
it is more than a .place to treat the sick. It stands
as eloquent testimony to what can be wrought by
faith, backed by hard work and sticktoitiveness.
Wise men talk because they have something to say; foola
because they have to say something. ? Plato.
Prize Youth, Too
As usual, Macon County F. F. A. ahd 4-H boys
and girls "did us proud" at last week's W. N. C.
Fat Stock Show.
First place in the best group of three calves, sec
ond place in the best group of five, 19 blue rihbons,
and other honors were convincing evidence the Ma
con County youngsters had some fine calves at the
annual event.
The results represented hard work by the boys
and girls, good teaching by their advisors, encour
ment by their families, and, back of all that, fine
training, through the years, of the young people by
their parents ; for it takes ambition and intelligence
and determination and energy to do anything
worth-while.
Macon County not only had fine calves at the
show ; there were also fine boys and girls there.
Smaller Umbrella
(Hoi yoke, Colo., Enterprise)
Money saved for a rainy day buys a much, smaller umbrella
than It used to!
Something Forgotten
(Raleigh News and Observer)
The picture drawn of the difficulties of children getting to
school in Cherokee (County), as painted by Representative
Lillian Cover, sounds almost like the days of the pioneers. The
solution proposed, however, doesn't seem exactly like the bold,
self-reliance supposed to have existed in earlier days.
The lady representative from Cherokee came all the way to
Raleigh to ask the Highway Commission for a footbridge or
"at least a log" across a creek near Andrews which 12 children
have to wade every day to catch a school bus.
Of course, no children ought to have to wade a creek to
catch a school bus. But if all they need is a log footbridge
to cross a creek, it seems strange that a politician has to
cross the State to get it for them. It's fine for the State to
educate the children, but it seems too bad that adults have
forgotten how to do anything at home for themselves.
LETTERS
Not Too 'Citified'
Editor, The Press:
Getting The Press really means a lot to me. I used to live
in Atlanta and could visit you all often, but rarely can now,
because of distance. Reading The Press Is the next best thing!
Don't try to get too "citified", though. Everybody loves
Franklin as it is ? except tor the courthouse.
JOHN M. BRA GO, JR.
Durham, N. C.
'A Good Place To Live'
Editor, The Press:
Don't anybody ever say Macon County Is not a rood place
to live! Especially Patton community. We still have good, kind
folks left in this world.
To prove it, when Mrs. Elizabeth Blaine Emory celebrated
her 100th birthday, October 21, she asked me not to have t
"bij dinner" or a crowd. We didn't have said dinner, but
friends and relatives called throughout the day and part of
the night, with loads of gifts and good wishes.
She wants especially to thank Mrs. Harley Stewart, Mrs. Ted
Blaine, Mrs. Lots Krlckbaum, and Mrs. R. D. Wells for taking
time out of their busy day to make her a pound cake and to
come "sit a spell" with her.
Just because people have been In this world a long time is
no sign they still can't appreciate being noticed and reminded
they are still on earth.
Among all the cards she received was one from the Gov
ernor of North Carolina. Where, or how, he knew about it, we
don't know, but ,do appreciate it.
MRS. LEONA D. EMORY
Franklin, Route 1.
Strictly Personal By WEIMAR JONES
There's ? lot of sense. It seems
to me. In a facetious comment of
the Rev. Jack Waldrep, director
of religious education for the
Farmers Federation.
Says Mr. Waldrep:
"There's such a thing as being
so broad minded you forget to be
high minded."
? ? ?
This Is strictly personal. It's one
man's opinion ? and he could be
wrong.
Nobody may agree with me.
Some people. In fact, may think
I ought not to say it.
But I think It's true. And I
think it's high time somebody said
It.
A lot of land In Western North
Carolina, and specifically in Ma
con County, is being bought up by
folks from out of the state, par
ticularly from Florida. Some of it
is being bought by people for
homesltes, and that's fine. But
most of It, I'd gueas. Is being
bought as speculation; and by
people who aren't interested In
living here, aren't interested In
Macon County. Their sole interest
is to sell at a profit.
Well, I hope these speculators
lose their shirts.
Not because they are from out
of the state; some of the finest
people we have here are relative
newcomers, who came from Flori
da and other states.
But because the speculator, gen
erally speaking. Isn't interested in
the community at all. He doesn't
care who buys the lots in his sub
division: he doesn't care what
they do with them; he Isn't inter
ested in whether they put up at
tractive homes or shacks and
honky tonks. All he's Interested
in Is selling the land at a profit,
and then taking the profit and
Something To Give His Creditors
(Commercial Dispatch)
The doctor finished his examination of the man and shook
his head regretfully.
Doctor ? "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you have a bad case of
smallpox."
The patient turned weakly on his pillow and said to his
wife: "If any of my creditors come pestering around now,
Mary, you can tell them I am finally In a position to give
them something."
Newspapers In The School Rooms
(Christian Science Monitor)
Newspapers have become increasingly useful In recent years
as a supplement to the basic textbooks In grade schools, jun
ior high and high schools In many parts of the United States.
This is not entirely a new development, since some teachers
have made use of newspapers for 30 years or more to vitalize
such subjects as English, natural science, and social studies.
With world developments moving ever faster, It is more and
more difficult to keep standard textbooks up to date. But by
paralleling textbook fundamentals with events of the day
from the printed page, teachers not only show the application
of school subjects to current living, but equip pupils in the
use of a source of information for their adult lives.
This trend Is almost sure to have a three-way effect. A
generation of trained readers will look to their newspapers
more and more for significant facts and logical Interpretations
of the world about them. Editors, conscious of such a segment
in their readership, will be stimulated to turn out an even
more meaningful and reliable product. And educators, it may
be hoped, will find journalism a progressively more acceptable
ally In their work.
The newspaper profession must regard the use of its product
In the schoolroom as both a compliment and a challenge.
People Are Funny
(Charlotte Observer)
We are funny, we Americans. i
We charge the French and the Latins with a vast emo
tional immaturity, yet we:
? Spend ourselves into bankruptcy trying to "keep up" with
neighbors we actually despise and whose habits we criticize.
? Kill ourselves at a record rate trying to prove we can
get there fastest.
? Maintain a marriage contract through all sorts of major
emergencies and then split over such questions as whether
"opera" is plural or singular.
? Raise kids who are milder prototypes of ourselves at
identical ages, but mourn their "delinquency" In a time of
relative definition.
?Drink for no good reason, to frequent excess, because it's
something to do.
? Raise all sorts of cain about exorbitant taxes and spend
inordinate time in trying to beat the system, yet continue to
demand lavish services from our government units.
?Crucify a friend on the competitive market, but Invite
hinf to dinner as an honored guest.
?Clamor for judicial reform, but hire a lawyer with reputed
"pull" to represent us in court.
No point in further itemization; we are a paradoxical peo
ple.
Or maybe it's a quality we have in common with almost
everybody everywhere.
going his way.
Vet one of our greatest re
sources. one of the things that
makes this community attractive
to the type of newcomer who is
a desirable resident is the people
who live here now. While our
climate and our scenery make this
a pleasant place to live, it is the
people that giake it a rood place
to live.
And these speculators easily
may cause great influx of people
who won't ? as most of our new
comers to date have ? make this
a better place to live, but a far
worse one. A boom, created by
speculation, could destroy the
things that make Macon County
a good place to live.
And it would be my guess the
amount of speculative buying
that's going on here right now.
by people who don't live here and
who have no interest whatever
In this community makes that a
very real danger.
It's true the speculator has 4
every legal right to do what he
is doing. There's no law against
buying, and then selling at a
profit.
Nevertheless, I don't think this
community should be forced to
stand by, helpless, and see a good
place to live ruined ? just so
somebody who doesnt give a hang
about Macon County can make a /
fast buck.
Surely there is sometlUng that
can be done to halt this thing
before it goes too far.
Pennsylvania Petticoat Crisis
CHAPEL HILL WEEKLY
Togetherness is at a Dremium
In Charlerol. Pennsylvania. The
flaring bulk of girls' petticoats is
claimed to be the reason for over
crowded buses, because the girls
won't let the boys sit next to them
for fear of crumpling their starch'
ed underclothing.
Aside from the fact that this
is a ridiculous practice for girls
to engage in ? cutting their
beaux to spite their yen for men
? it is clearly a setup situation
for wall-flowers. The plain Janes
of Chalerol who don't have
enormous crinolines, or tiers upon
tiers of voluminous petticoats,
obviously are in a position to cut
out all the competition and start
nailing football heroes, basketball
stars, and other High School '
Wheels, simply by virtue of the
fact that the heroes, stars, and
wheels need not stand and sway
to do their school bus courting.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
How To Get A Grade Of 'A'
Bergen Evans in THIS WEEK
I think one of the most fruit
ful moments in my life came
when my old zoology professor,
Dr. Stephen Williams of Miami
? Ohio) University, whom I greatly
respected, told me that he would
give any student an A in his
course who asked one intelligent
question.
Up to that time I had assumed
that intelligence consisted of giv
ing answers. Now I began to see
that the question is as much a
part of knowledge as the answer
? often the more Important part.
Because it's the question that
shows us what we don't know.
Men had assumed from the be
ginning of time that a heavier
object fell faster than a lighter
one ? until Galileo said, "Does
it?" Men had marveled at the
giraffe's neck for thousands of
years before Darwin asked
t. ?
"Why?"
But It isn't just scientists who
should ask questions. No one
knows all the answers and if he'
thinks he does he has stopped
thinking and growing. Part of be
ing alive and in touch with the
world around and within you, lies
in searching for your own answers,
in asking your own questions.
ONE OF THE SAD
PERILS OF AGE
Older workers are warned to
start practing for the golden years
of retirement. Try, for example,
to imagine what it will be like
going all morning without a coffee
break. ? Vancouver (B. C.) Pro (
vince.
DO YOU REMEMBER?
Lookinf Backward Through the Files of The Presi
65 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
(1894)
A larger proportion of the
colored people than usual, of
Franklin township, voted the
Democratic ticket In the No
vember 6 election.
We learn that a cabin on
Sugar Fork was burned last
week with all the contents, and
the family was left destitute. A
subscription paper was circu
lated in town Saturday and
contributions were taken to
help the family.
I had in my pocket 26 coins
composed of pennies, nickles,
dimes, quarters, halves, and dol
lars, amounting to $13.91. How
many pieces of each denomina
tion? A prize for the first cor
rect answer sent to The Press.
35 TEARS AGO
(1924)
Mr. Byrd Jacobs has sold his
farm on Iotla to Mr. Perry
Swafford.
Chief of Police Coffey has
been attending federal court in
Asheville this week.
Mr. W. L. Higdon and bride
moved into Mr. Higdon's hand
some new residence on Main
Street last Monday.
15 YEARS AGO
(1944)
The Home of Fred Guest, oa
the Highlands highway, just a
short distance across the river,
was destroyed by fire Friday
morning.
5 YEARS AGO
(1954)
A Franklin 4-H club member,
Otis Stiwinter, has been nam
ed territorial winner of 4-H
farm and home electrical proj
ects. %
MOST EFFECTIVE WE A FOX
Needed In U. S.: 'Constant Flow Of New Ideas'
SMITH FIELD HERALD
When a top Republican and a
top Democrat agree on an Idea
about Ideas, It must be an Idea
that the rest of us should listen
to.
Here Is Arthur 8. Flemmlng. the
Administration's Secretary of
Health, Education and Welfare,
speaking at Brown University:
"Our educational community is
falling to Insist on the pursuit of
excellence In communicating
ideas."
And here is Democratic Can
didate John Kennedy in a recent
speech: "What we need now In
this nation most of all is a con
stant now of new ideas."
Are we encouraging "new ideas"
In our public schools and in our
colleges?
The public schools seem caught
in a bind of pre-sputnik and post
sputnik pressures. Before the
Soviet sputnik soared aloft and
made us re-examine our educa
tional policies, schools of America
-were tending more and more to
ward excursions, projects, life
adjustments, and learning to get
along well with other people ? to
the detriment of learning reading,
writing and arithmetic. After ths
sputnik, there has been a tre
mendous surge toward making
courses harder, adding more
mathematics and science, "chal
lenging" the children to their
utmost in order to keep up with
the Russians.
If the child is crammed into a
double mold ? one to give him
the hard oore of basic education,
the other to give him all the frills
of life-adjustment ? will he have
time to think, time to dream, time
to conceive this "constant flow
of new ideas" that Sanator Ken
nedy believes our nation needs?
And what about ideas at the
college level?
The student editor of a South
ern college newspaper recently re
ported a classroom Incident that
shocked him. A professor asked
members of his class to write
down five Issues that they were
concerned about in the world to
day. Some complied with alarclty.
Others were hesitant. Finally one
puzzled girl said: "But, sir, sup
pose you are not concerned about
any of the Issues?"
This seemed to be the kind of
apathy the college editor had been
meeting, from the student body
when he wrote editorials on world (
affairs, on the Cold War, on edu
cational weaknesses. He deplored
apathetic students. "You are like
a malignant growth slowly cover
ing the campus and the nation",
he scolded editorially.
Is the oollege editor right? Are
we, as a nation, stopping the flow
of new Ideas? Are our colleges
encouraging fresh thinking or do
they try to fit their students into
a conformist mold?
In the new era of "tepid war"
that seems to be replacing the
Cold War, we will be competing
with Russia for the friendship of
the uncommitted world. Economic
strength will be one of our weap
ons. But will we have the "con- i
slant flow of new ideas" that must
be our most effective weapon?