ftanKlitt Witi4
and
?hr Higlilanite fflaruttiati
WEIMAR JONES
Editorial Page Editor
THURSDAY. SEPT. IS. l?Ni?
TIM I-. TO ACT
A Gross Injustice
This newspaper is in no position to pass on the
acuracy or inacuracv of a report that links the
proposed Xantahala-I )uke deal with prior approval
of a power rate increase for this area.
Nor do we know the reason for the long delay
in seeking State Utilities Commission approval of
the proposed sale by Nantahala Power and Light
Company of its distribution system to Duke Power
Company.
What we do know is that the delay is doing a
gross injustice to this whole region. Any uncer
tainty always is demoralizing; uncertainty about
so important a thing as power is seriously demoral
izing. In view of that, the length of the delay seems
both unreasonable and unconscionable.
The delay has now stretched out to more than
a year. Yet the people of this region are told it is
still planned to go ahead with the deal, but they are
left in the dark about when application for its ap
proval will* be filed. It mav be another week or
another month or another year.
It is time for Nantahala and Duke either to tile
their application, so the issue can be settled, or to
publicly announce that the deal is being abandoned.
Elementarv fairness demands that.
Here's OUR Chance
For vcais. a few ] )t*? >| >!?.? hi* re said, and kept oil
saying, we otiyht to have a county lair. It was a
loti^ time yettinji iroiii^, though, and there were
two things that lield it hack: First, inertia; and,
second, doubt that Macon ( ountv would support
a fair.
Finally, hack in 1 ' > 5 5 , the fair was established:
rather, a fair was held that vear, as a sort <>i leeler
to see if we could have one.
Since then, the growth of Macon County's lair
has been phenomenal. In 1 1 > 5 5> . for example, there
were 31 Ml exhibitors: last \ ear, there were 1 , 5( K (.
And this vear ? October FM5 ? the fair will be
held in its ow n building ; a structure has been erect
cd on a plot, at the old count v home, donated by
the countv commissioners.
The new building:, which is so constructed it
can easilv be enlarged as the demand dictates and
the monev makes it possible, will have cost, when
the finishing touches are put on, close to $12,000.
Where did the monev conic from? Well, it hasn't
all conic vet : there is a debt o! close to $0,000 on
the lair building. Much of the othet* $0.( HK) came
from contributions, most oi them lairlv lari;e con
tributions.
W here is the rest to conic from? Well, the most
likelv source is the small contributors, the men and
women who can't ,urive S- r or $10 or even $.i. but
can donate $2 or SI or 51) cents. l,incoln said the
Ford must have loved the common people, he made
so mam ol them; it also could be said lie must
have loved those who can make onlv small contri
hutions to wortln causes, for lie made a lot ol us
like that'. There arc enough like' that, that ii even
hall of them made their contributions, the lair
building probable -would In- paid lor. Furthermore,
those of lb who do uri\'e our S- or $1 or .ill cents
will feel ini^htv j^ood about the fair. We can lion
csth sav it is our fair.
Want to help? Then set,' Mrs. (irate Tatham,
Just The Thought Makes Us Drool
-VIA A 1 1 1 l< \ 1.1)
Thank.-; to a favorably se ason
the busy little bees have produced
the hi; *.est crop of sourwooti h n
?y in this section since 1947 ac
cording to beekeepers. We b* \.v\ e
the t:uth of the statement from
the amount of this delicious h ,n
ey now available As a usual thing
good pure sourwood honey Ls
about as hard to come by as m:n
cy at income tax paying time.
Not only is there a bin crop of
sourwocd but other flavored h n
ey too, say the beekeepers John
Ford, down on Log Cabin Associa
tion property, can scare up some
3.000 pounds of fine honey this
?eason Two of his colonies prod
uced 300 pounds each. and others
did almost as well. George Sher
rtU Fred Hooper and Luther
Deitz are ^mong beekeepers re
porting outstanding honey prod
uction this season. Mr. Deitz has
one six-super hive producing 40
pounds per super. Some of this
fine honey has been sought from
as far away as Durham in this
state and New York City
The sad part of this story is
that the men who have enjoyed
working with bees are fast fading
away and too few of our younger
generation have tV courage and
knowhow to grow and care for
this little honey-maker.
What is better for breakfast
than hot biscuits, butter and good
real honey0 We can hardly think
of any food so good, and so
healthful. Let's keep the bee>
working.
Fair Association treasurer, at the A. S. C. office
in the Agricultural Building; or you can hand your
donation to any agricultural worker.
Less Than Convincing
Voicing a pica i'or national unity, Vice President
Nixon last week asked tor a moratorium on critii
cism ?>t" the present administration's foreign and
defense policies, so lonjf as the Red dictators are
gathered in New York at the United Nations.
Why just while the dictators are in New York?
Does anybody doubt that every word spoken in
the campaign is reported to Mr. Khrushchev,
wherever he may he?
Mr. Kennedy, as a matter of fact, in an earlier
statement, addressed directly to Khrushchev, made
it completely clear that criticism by no means im
plies disunity. As has always been true in this
country, we Americans insist upon the rijjfht to
criticize, but always politics stops at the water's
edt|e.
Since foreign policy and defense are generally
conceded to be the major campaign issues, what
Mr. Nixon really was asking for was a morator
ium on Democratic politicking ? while the Re
publican campaign proceeded apace.
... I
In view ol the fact that whatever is said in the
campaign is reported the world over, Mr. Nixon's
argument against criticism while the dictators are
in New York seems a bit thin. His political self
seeking. in the name of national unity, seems more
than a bit hypocritical.
Why Not Act As One
It's too late for this year. It's probably too late,
even, for next year. Hut it's not too early to start
.planning for the year after.
Macon Count v is a unit. The needs of each part
of tin- count y are much the same as those of every
part, ll one area lags, it holds back all the rest of
the county. 1 1 one area goes forward, it pulls all
the rest of us forward. And so the future of every
part of the county is tied in with the future of the
count v ;is a whole; and the future of the w hole
county is tied in with the future of every neigh
In >rho< id.
\\ liv. then, shouldn't we be working together
as a single unit ?
Win not a single chamber of commerce for the
entire county a Macon Count\ Chamber of Com
merce?
Such an agency not only should and could pro
mote the county as a whole: by adopting some
long ran^e goals, it should and could make sure
that the promotion would help build a better,, as
well as a bigger, community:
The letter from Mr. I -'red H. Stewart on this
page indicates how ready people of one part of the
county are to cooperate with the people of another.
Decline And Fall
(Chapel Hill Weekly i
In lH7i! Gibbon completed his notable work. "The Decline
and Fall oi the Roman Empire." Here is the way he accounted
for til!- fall of t'le empire: ill The rapid increase in divorce;
the undermining ol the dignity and sanctity of the home,
which is the basis of human society. <2i Higher andt higher
taxes and the spending of public monies for free bread and
circuses for the populance. (3) The mad craze for pleasure;
sports becoming every year more exciting and more brutal.
1 4 1 The building of gigantic armaments when the real enemy
was within, in the decadence of the people, (5> The decay ol
religion faith fading into mere torm, losing touch with life
and becoming impotent to warn and guide the people.
Productive
(Asheville Citizen i
Mountain farmers arent lacking In resourcefulness when It
comes to making their farms more productive.
Two years ago, due to a labor shortage, Maoon County
4-H'er Jimmy Taylor and his father collected pine cones.
They processed, treated and then sowed seed from the cones
on cutover woodland. Today the Taylors have a good stand
ol young pines.
In Swain County, R. Dan Morris converted a section of his
poultry house to trout rearing pools, and now has about 30,000
fast -growing flngerllngs.
Both are examples of what is being done in modern-day
agriculture and what can be accomplished with Ingenuity.
Is Foreign Policy THE Issue?
(Ralph McGill In Atlanta Constitution)
The presidential campaign so far has been a careful one
of feeling out the country. Neither Nixon or Kennedy, nor
their fellow citizens, for that matter, are sure about the mood
of the country.
There Is unanimous belief there are more undecided voters
than at any time in history. The farmers are not yet en
thusiastic about the agricultural plans announced by either
candidate. The religious issue remains, although Dr, Peale Is
presently lacking in peace of mind and condemns as "unwise"
his participation In the statement against a Catholic for
president. The effect of Sen. Kennedy's Houston statement is
not yet possible of evaluation.
There is a growing belief that foreign policy is more im
portant than political strategists had anticipated. Both can
didates find audiences most responsive to it.
You can straighten a worm, but the orook is In him and
only waiting. ? Mark Twain.
DO YOU REMEMBER?
Looking Backward Throagh the FHh ol The Pi m
65 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
(1895)
H. G. Trotter left Monday with a drove of cattle for
market.
Mr, J. Lee Barnard sings "Rock-a-by-Baby" to a new boy.
Major W. H. Higdon, of Ellijay, pressed our pavements with
his brogans Saturday.
Last Wednesday a party belonging to the U. S\ Geological
Survey went into camp at the old Camp Ground one mile
from town.
The wire fence men left last Thursday, after selling the
rights for all the townships in Macon. They carried away
perhaps $500. Our people will soon be ready for the next
patent fake that comes along. But we* are a progressive peo
ple, you know, and bound to keep up with the procession.
35 YEARS AGO
I (1925)
Headline:
ANOTHER GREAT DEVELOPMENT IN PROSPECT FOR
FRANKLIN ? Mr. W. D. Almazov and Miss Sophie Albert Pur
chase from Loneir Heirs 2,300 Acres Five Miles West of
Franklin on Siler Mill Creek ? Plan Magnificent Development ?
Work to Start at an Early Date.
The new addition to the General Mica and Clay Company's
plant at Iotla Bridge is now running on a part-time basis.
15 YEARS AGO
(1945)
Officials of the Snow llill Methodist Church have been
elected as follows: Carl T. Sorrells, charge lay leader; Clyde
N West, Sunday school superintendent; and Mr. West, Mr.
Sorrells, Joel Dalton, Ernest Cabe, Lee Hurst, Mrs. J. L. West,
Jr., and J. L. Brogden, stewards.
5 YEARS AGO
(1955)
The FYanklin Lions Club this week is taking another step
toward obtaining house delivery of mail here. Teams from
the club are measuring 25-foot lots on each side of all streets
within the corporate limits.
./ m/.yoi;j /?)? nuronr
Have Schools Shifted Too Much Emphasis To Math And Science?
Reprinted from XORTII CARdUJV.I EDUCATION
(EDITOR'S NOTE: l)r. Gray
is dirwtor of the Department
of Art. East Carolina College.
Greenville, N. C.>
By WELLINGTON B GKAY
The nation's press has recently
been jammed to overfl wing with
articles having to do with the
need for more education in math
ematics and the sciences. This
hue and cry from all quarters is
the result of inc: eases being made
in these two fields, particularly
by countries having different poli
tical ideologies from that of the
United States, notably Russia. To
those of u.s in the field of educa
tion but not particularly in the
areas of mathematics and the
sciences, this tune is beginning
to grow monotonous. While we
are the last to say that these two
areas are not very important, we
do say that there are other areas
of learning in the educational
world which arc just a.s imp:r
tant to the individual, to his
country, and to the free world.
We are living in a very techni
cal age. an age in which distance*
have shrunk to the point where
we are no longer Isolated, regard
less, of where we live in the w rid.
Transportation and communica
tions have thus made us nil neigh
bors in the real sense of the word
Because of this fact alone, we
must now understand zur neigh
bors just as we understand people
in our own towns and cities, even
though these newer neighbors
have different customs, languages,
religions, etc. In these areas, there
fore, we need more understand
ing rather than in the fields cf
mathematics and the sciences,
important though they are.
There is a very real danger in
propagandizing any special aspect
of a curriculum be it in high
school, in college, or in university
In zealously pushing any specific
field we often train individuals in
that field to the detriment of ctl>
er areas in which they need to oe
educated In the high school situ
ation. for instance, when we in
sist on increased courses in
mathematics and science, what is
taken out of the present pro
gram? There is just so much
time available. Do we eliminate
English or American history? If
we do that, we soon will incur the
wrath of educators who can tell
us all too emphatically that the
usual student coming to the col
lege today can neither read nor
write well ? in some instances
not well enough to communicate
intelligently with others. Of a
certainty the D.A.Rli and other
worthy groups will become more
disturbed than they are today if
we reduce the Ameiican history
which is offered in the high
school .
There are some courses, how
ever, which could be cut from the
curriculum for some students. All
boys do not have to have indus
trial arts; nor do all girls have
to have home economics, as these
courses are taught all too often in
the high school today. All stu
dents in the high school do net
have to have art or music, of
course, but if we want to continue
to educate intelligent citizens for
the United States and for the
world, we shall need to expose
our students to these areas.
In the college situation, promi
nent educators have gone on :
record as stating that from one
third to one-half of the courses
which the student pursues in col- I
lege should be those of the "gen.
eral education" variety. In the ?
recently-dead past we have called
this educating the "whole per
son." Educators take the tack
that in this fast-moving world to
day the student has t> know
much ab:ut many different,
things. It is good that a college
student studies a so-called "foreign
language": the literature of the
world: economic political, and
sociological courses. especially
concerning geography: the fine
aits courses in art. music, anc
literature. The?e offerings give
the student the tool.' with which
he can understand other peoples
of the world. These courses offer
the armaments by which we can
win friends w.thout having to go
to war.
In the recent past. too. we have
had shortages in many fields in
the United States. Since the be
ginning of worlH War I \v? have
had a teacher shortage, especially
in the elementary school. No*'
this shortage is creeping into the
high school and the college as a
result of the increasing enroll
ment. Just after World War I
we had a shortage of physicians
In the United States. We still have ,
this shortage with us. a shortage i
which is a comparative thing:
and I can remember net too many
years ago when we had a shortage
of linguists.
We still have all these short
ages and more Teachers and
physicians are just as important
'?> ou1' national defense as are
? dentists and mathematicians.
I.st. u- not lose our heads and
Mv,ir..p th.' boat just because at
this present time perhaps we need
particular kinds of people in oc
cupations or professions a bit
more than we did yesterday, and
more than we might need them <
tomorrow. Let us not put all our .
cuss in the one basket and neglect
other areas of our educational
pattern to the detriment of the
individuals whom we are attempts <
ins to educate. Let us teach art.
mi:?ic. literature, language, econ
omic-. sociology, and history, a* ,
'vr" as mathematics and the i
sciences. Ab: ve all. we need to
educate people to think in many
fields rather than in narrow, '
highly specialized fields from the 1
rradle through the university. 1
Because I hold to these con vie- 1
tions. I herewith submit a minor- '
Ity report ? a report favcrlng <
courses which help an adult en
|oy the living he earns! i
STRICTLY
PERSONAL
By WEIMAR JONES
These are the opinion* and con
clusions of one man ? and he may
be wrong.
They were arrived at, though,
over a period of years, after much
reading, much thought, much
conversation (with Catholics as
well as Protestants), and after
much honest effort to be objec
tive.
Some people thought, this time,
there'd be no "religious question",
as there was In 192S. Many peo
ple have hoped the Issue would
just go away. Most people are sur
prised that. Instead, it has assum
ed a bigger and bigger role in the
campaign, more and more loaded
with emotion ? emotion, incident
ally. that is not confined to the
partisans of just one side.
Why has It happened?
I think a major part of the ex
planation lies In a mistaken ef
fort to over-simplify the situation.
We've either said. "The reli
gious question is THE issue". Or
we've said: "There IS no religious
issue."
We've either said: "NO Re-man
Catholic should ever be elected
President". Or we've said: "EV
ERY person who even raises the
question is a bigot".
Is it as simple as that? I don't
think so. I don't think it's a sim
ple question at all. but a complex
one.
To analyze the two opposing
statements. two paragraphs
above: Suppose it were possible
to prove that their religion un
fitted 99 out of every 100 Cath
olics. Would it follow that the
100th Catholic was unfit?
On the other hand, does any
body honestly believe that all who
have reservations about a Cath
olic for President fit Webster's
definition of the word "bigot" ?
"One obstinately, irrationally, of
ten intolerantly, devoted to his
own church, party, belief or opin
ion"?
Because partisans on both sides
assume it is a simple question ?
or maybe because they want it to
be a simple question, so it can be
simply disposed of ? many people
proceed from premises that I
think are inaccurate, if not down
right false.
Am:ng the premises that 1, per
sonally, reject are these:
1. The Roman Catholic Church
is an evil and designing institu
tion. consciously plotting to cap
ture this and all other govern
ments.
I know too many good Cath
olics who are patriotic enough to
oppose such a plot, if they knew
about it, and are intelligent
enough to know about it, if it ex
isted ? I know too many such
Catholics to swallow that one:
2. The Catholic Church and
clergy never will try to influence
government in this country.
I think they will try to influ
ence government in this country
? with or without a Catholic
President. They will if they're as
honest in their convictions as I
think they are; they will, certain
ly. whenever what they consider
moral issues get over into the
political sphere.
After all. Protestant churches
and clergy seek to influence gov
ernment. Some cf them tried, on
the prohibition question. And
some of them are t ying, righi
now, on a question they may con
sider a moral one, but which has
become a distinctly political ques
tion ? racial integration. While I
have my own reservations about
the advisability of churches, as
churches, taking part in politics,
there is no question in my mind
about their right to do so. That
rights of course, would apply to
the Catholic as well as to Protes
tant churches.
3. A candidate's religion is a
purely personal matter? it Is none
of the voters' business.
Religion is a purely personal
matter, for the private citizen.
But when a man seeks public of
fice, he forfeits many of the
rights of privacy that go with pri
vate citizenship. And when the
highest office in the land is In
volved. the voters have not only
the right to know everything pos
sible about the candidate, but the
duty to consider its Influence on
him In the past and its possible
influence in the future. And since
nothing influences most men
more than religion, a candidate's
religion ? or lack of religion? de
finitely Is a proper matter for the
voters' consideration.
4. The Roman Catholic Church
is "just another sect", differing
no more from Protestant churches
than one Protestant denomina
tion differs from another.
Ask any Cathclic about that!
If he's a good Catholic, and if he's
honest, he'll be the first to say
that the Catholic Church is whol
ly different from Protestant sects.
There is one fundamental differ
ence, as I see it. That difference
is this:
Among Protestants, the final
decision and the final responsi
bility, even on spiritual and moral
questions, rest with the indivi
dual ? that is the whole basis of
Protestatism. The individual may.
and often does, disagree with his
church's teaching ? usually, he
may disagree and still stay in the
church.
No Catholic, on the other hand,
is permitted by his church to
make major decisions, on spirit
ual and moral matters. The deci
sion, and the responsibility for
making it, lies with the church.
And Catholics are taught it is
their duty to accept their church's
decisions as law and as the ulti
mate truth.
? * * 1
"Ah! but Senator Kennedy"
says a pro-Kennedy partisan, "has
explicitly said he will not permit
his church to influence him in
political affairs. Do you think he
is a liar"?
No, I don't think he is a liar. I
believe he is honest in that state
ment. I believe he is determined
that his political decisions shall
be completely free of church in
fluence. ,
I think there is a legitimate
question,* though, as |to how suc
cessful a Catholic may be in
carrying out that determination.
Not because I think the Pope will
give him orders. But because it
is impossible for a man to escape
the effect of religious training
he has had from the cradle: and
because a Catholic's training from
the cradle has been that, in spir
itual and moral matters, he has
no right to make his own deci
sions; and because what are pure
ly moral matters today often are
political matters tomorrow.
I do not say that no Catholic
could be objective, in the politi
cal realm, on such matters as
divorce and birth control. But
because all Catholics have been
taught that divorce and birth
control are sinful, and taught
that the church's pronouncements
on such matters aie the law and
the truth, I think it would be
harder for a Catholic to be ob
jective on such issues.
? ? ?
That brings me to my own,
personal conclusion:
I do not rule out Mr. Kennedy,
just because he is a Catholic. But
in this and future elections, I'll
lake a hard, second look at a
Catholic before voting for him.
I feel about a Roman Catholic
for Fiesident much as I do about
a professional military man for
that office. *< Whether General
Eisenhower, a professional sol
dier, has made a good or a poor
President it is much too early to
say > Both are conditioned by
authoritarian philosophies ? the
decisions <in some areas > come
down from the top. to (^accepted
and obeyed without question. Theo
retically at least, that is in direct
opp:sition to the democratic con
cept. where decisions come up
from the bottom.
Either a Catholic or a profes
sional military man. it seems to
me, has one strike ? mnybe two ?
against him. But not three!
His assets, as a man. and as a
political leader, should be care
fully balanced against that one
or those two strikes. Furthermore,
after a balance has been struck
there, the net result should be
as carefully compared with the
assets vs. liabilities of his oppon
ent.
Kennedy's Catholicism. in
short, is AN issue, but not the
only issue. Nor. to my mind, is it
the chief issue.
If we could get away from the
two conflicting extremes ? "no
Catholic ever" and "only bigots
-aise questions" ? if we could get
(may from those attitudes. I be
leve much of the emotion on this
juestion would evaporate.
Unfortunately. I fear that is
ict likely to happen.