Newspapers / The Franklin Press and … / Oct. 13, 1960, edition 1 / Page 2
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ftanWitt lift and Bighlaniifi fflarmtian WEIMAR JOKES Editorial Page Editor THURSDAY. OCTOBER 13. 19 SO Poor Swain County ! Poor Swain County! It had to battle the federal government for 17 years to get that government to agree to build the Bryson City-Fontana road, which it had con tracted to build, hack in 1943. Now, just as that battle seems won, it appears that Swain County, a tiny speck on the U. S. map, must fight all the wildlife and conservation enthu siasts in America. For word comes that North Carolina opponents of the road have enlisted the support of national wildlife and conservation or ganizations. and that these organizations are pre paring to oppose any Congressional appropriations for the long-promised road. "Don't despoil a natural wilderness!" is the bat tle cry. It's a cry that strikes a responsive chord with most of us. Hence the reported widespread opposition, even by people who've never been near North Carolina, to this road through the Smoky Mountains National Park. It strikes a responsive chord with us. Further more, we do not question the sincerity of these enthusiasts. What we do question is whether they have any factual l>asis for their crusade. We began to doubt that when Tar Heel oppon ents fired their first blast. The man who is afraid he can't win an argument on facts usually seeks to throw doubt on his opponent's motives. That's exactly what happened in this case. The very first major blast against the road, fired a few weeks ago, was in the nature of an indictment of the en tire population of Swain County, as boorish and unenlightened dollar-chasers. Much more important are the historical facts. The trouble with this crusade is that it's "50 yeans late. Once this portion of the park was "a natural wilderness". But it was "despoiled" half a century ago, when the lumberman came in. The area was pierced by roads. It was the scene of saw mills and lumber camps. There were even perma nent villages. Today it is "a natural wilderness" only in the sense that, like any other cut-over area, it has grown up again. > The basic issue, of course, remains what it has f>een from the beginning. The basic issue is not whether the road is needed, or/ whether il is de sirable, <>r even whether the proposed location is the right or wrong place to put it. The real ques tion is a .simple one. It is whether the government of the United States will live ii|> to its pledged word. Since that is a question of fundamental morality, it is somewhat disillusioning to find wildlife and conservation enthusiasts willing to ignore it. Even If the are<i in question still were "a natural wilder ness", it would be disillusioning to find this group of people closing their eyes to. the sacredncss of a promise. < And since this is only one iti a series of promises the federal government has broken, or has tried to break, it i.s even more disillusioning that neither candidate for Congress from this district has seen fit to go on record as pledging himself to seek an investigation ol' the situation. If what appears to be an utter lack of moral sense, somewhere in Washington, that all this promise-breaking indicates ? if this doesn't war rant an investigation, what could J Maybe Both In this space last week, wo suggested t hat a top need of this community is a public auditorium. There isn't an auditorium even at the Franklin school. We hastened to add, though, that first an even more urgent need should be met ; that the first need is adequate space for our county records, where they will be absolutely sale' from fire. Well, maybe we can safeguard our records AND have an auditorium. Among possible ways to make sure our records won't be lost in a lire is the modern process of microfilming ? photographing- them on film, and then storing the tiny film in a safe place. That done, in case the records should be burned, we'd have a copy. I In suggesting, last week, that microfilming might be an answer to the problem, we admitted we had no idea how much it might cost. Well, it seems it wouldn't cost anything. The State Department of Archives and History, we are told, will make microfilm copies of Macon County's records without charge. We respectfully suggest to our county author itie.s that surely this is worth investigating ? im mediately. Debate Raises Ouestions fV (?"acts brought out by the Presidential nominees, when thev con fronted .each other over TV and ra dio last week, raised some questions the candidates themselves did not discuss, but that would seem to demand consideration. Among such questions were two having to do with the nation's economy. In discussing the economic situation, Senator Kennedy remarked that "we can't even consume what we produce", and he cited the low rate of steel production. While the two men would do it in somewhat different ways, both .see the answer to that problem as further stimulation of the econ omy. That, inevitably, would mean still greater production. Since over-production is generally con sidered to have been one factor in bringing on the Great Depression, does the candidates' answer on this make sense? Vice President Nixon, in speaking of the so called civil rights issue, made the point that the government can bring pressure to bear toward fair employment practices, since one-fourth of the nation's employees now are working, directly or in directly, on government contracts. If on^-fourth of all the nation's workers are now engaged in gov ernment 'Work ? that is, defense work?what would happen if we were able to achieve what everybody is .praying for? a real peace, with resulting dis armament? If three-fourths of the work force, that is, is now producing more than we can consume, as Senator Kennedy said, how would we provide jobs for the other one-fourth if world peace permitted lis to stop making arms? Those questions, undiscussed by the candidates, are perhaps quite as important as any they did dis cuss. Old-Timer Defined (Rushvllle, Ind., Republican) An old-timer is one who remembers the assurance that re lief measures would be abandoned when prosperity returned. Camera As Poll Watcher (Mooresville Tribune I A number of election contests on November 8th will have photo finishes ? and they won't have to be the neck-and neck type of race, either. A new kind of camera called the Identograph, and using Polaroid film that produces a finished picture in one minute, will provide a silent and incorruptible watcher at the polls. in a number of test areas across the nation, and is expected to eliminate expensive physical recounts that may cost thou sands of dollars. The camera is held in position by a rack attached to the face of the voting machine and photographs up to 70 candi date names and their total votes simultaneously. In fact, one camera may be used to photograph the tally on several ma chines. Lighting, aperture, Shutter speeds and distance are all present for operation by laymen election officials without technical knowledge of photography. The identograph also documents each picture by photographing the name of the county, the precinct, ward and machine numbers and the election clerk's signature as well as the names of candidates and votes cast for each. Officials of the Shoup Voting Machine Corporation of New York, builders of this one-?yed policeman, note that it will eliminate the need for an offical canvass after every election and will provide a permanent record of all election results. And, most particularly, in the case of a recount, the com plete election tally can be made from the Identograph photos on file instead of resorting to the present costly, time-consum ing procedure of individually rechecklng voting machines at polling places or tack in the warehouses after Election Day. Like the Kansas Cttlans In that song from Oklahoma, we would say the makers of this derlce "have gone about as fur as they kin go" in reducing the expense of actual vote-gather ing and in protecting our Individual vote from misappropria tion ? through skulduggery or human error. But we would like to emphasize that It Is still the voter's 100 per cent responsibility to judge which candidates are most deserving of his confidence ? and then to register his choice at the polls ? with or without the voting martiine and/or Identograph. LETTERS Likes Franklin Editor, The Press: My wife and I are spending our second summer in one of Mrs. Hattie Mann's cot' ages outside of Franklin, In one of the most beautiful settings I have seen anywhere. Perched on the side of the mountain, with two beautiful lakes on either side of a lane, It Is truly an artist's dream, and so quiet and restful. We are also Impressed by the friendliness of the people here. Franklin Is such a place as is not to be found much any more. Saturday seems to be visiting day, with little knots of people talking to each other. Would also like to extend thanks to the personnel of the various business establishments, particularly the Post Office, the Bank of Franklin and the Conley Motor Company for courteous and efficient service, and the radio station for re ports on Hurricane Donna, which did so much to assure us our home In Florida was In no danger. So, thanks to all you nice people. Hope to see you again next summer. HORACE L. CLARK Jansen Beach, Fla. P. S. Also, we have enjoyed your editorial page very much. All the items are so very Interesting. DO YOU REMEMBER? . \ i 65 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (1895) He who shuns the public gaze Thinks advertising never pays. ' Mr. I. J. Ash showed us some nice Leconte pears Monday from his orchard. The frost Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings of last week killed an abundance of cane and injured some corn. Misses Maggie Crawford and Kate Robinson left for Greens boro last Wednesday, the former to enter the Normal and In dustrial School, and the latter to enter the Brockman Music School. At E. K. Cunningham's: Coffee, 5 lbs. for $1. ? Adv. r , 35 YEARS AGO (1935)1 Headline: WATER OF LITTLE TENNESSEE NOW FORMING MUNI CIPLE LAKE IN CITY LIMITS .OF FRANKLIN ? Waterways Closed Oct. 8 ? Lake Will Cover 225 Acres ? Seven Miles of Boating ? Power House And Lines Nearing Completion. The school is getting along nicely with Mr. Ray Moses as teacher ? Lower Tesenta item. 15 YEARS AGO (1945) Misses Mary Raby, Hazel Morgan, Ida Mae Dowdle, and Evelyn Norton, of Macon County, are among those recently elected officers of the Woman's House Government Associa tion at Western Carolina College. 5 YEARS AGO (1955) A long-range program for developing a city park in Frank lin is being investigated by the Franklin Teen Center organiza tion. Tomorrow morning Macon County will be presented a Green Pastures flag, as one of the outstanding counties in the state in this activity. Group Of Baptists Issues Declaration Of Conscience' RALEIGH ? A Declaration of Conscience on tile religious issue in the Presidential campaign was issued last week by a group of Baptists, through Dr. Clarence Poe Signers include Irving Carfyle, of Winston-Salem. Judge Hubert Olive, of Lexington, the Rev. Eu gene OUve. of Wake Forest Col lege. Lacy Williams. Raleigh at torney. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Belk. of GoUkboro, and many others. The text of the Declaration fol lows: Prom a deep and irresistible ."tense of conscience, we. the fol lowing Baptists 'coming chiefly from one small circle of personal friendships out of the many who might join us) feel it our duty to voice a solemn warning about a regrettable and. we think, unjusti fied trend toward bitterness and a disunity that dould hinder our work and progress for a genera tion to come. We refer of course to the fiercely, debated .so-called "religious Issue." To begin with, we would sug gest thanks rather than criticism for those who sincerely and open mindedly and with a willingness to be shown, asked questions about religious aspects of the cur rent campaign. Only by raising those questions could they have been brought promptly and squarely into the open, met and faced. Now we think those who raised these tissues should be gratified that they have received frank and courageous answers ? answers we think adequately can did. explicit and unrestrained. Indeed we think it should be a matter, of congratulation for all our people of both parties that these five things now seem to have been made clear about both candidates for President: 1 1 Beth have emphatically and repeatedly pledged full support to the separation of church and state. " 2 > Both oppose government aid to parochial schools. 3> Both oppose an American embassy to the Vatican. 4> Regardless of conditions in other countries and centuries, both regret and deplore the re strictions on freedom of religion wherever they exist. 5) Both would opprsc any at tempted church control of any President in his official duties. We can only ask whether these solemnly given assurances are at variance with our Baptist views ? or actually in strict harmony with them? And with either candidate In office America's laws would still be made by an overwhelm ingly Protestant House and Pro testant Senate, interpreted by a heavily Protestant Supreme Court, and highly important nomina tions confirmed by a Protestant Senate. And if either candidate should die or be disabled he would be succeeded by a Protests ant Vice-President. Furthermore, even if we should be un-Christian enough to unjusti fiably deny his sincerity, would not cither candidate (for the sake of his own re-election lean over back ward to avoid any appearance of letting his church affect his sworn duty? We think so. Certainly Mr. Nixon does not foil:w closely the traditional Quaker lines. And as for Mr. Kennedy, as the ably im partial Christian Century says: "Mr. Kennedy has repudiated so many of the official positions of his church that he has been at tacked repeatedly In the Catholic press." We are not here urging support for any candidate or party. Every man or woman should vote for whichever candidate and which ever party he believes will best serve America. But from a deep sense of conscience we do say this ? that we believe the choice can now be fairly made without re gard for the so-called "rellgkxis Issue." Under such conditions of na tional and international peril as now threaten all our lives, all vot ers should concentrate on prob lems affecting our national safe ty. world safety, and the safety of millions of human beings. To create unnecessary confusion might easily prove a national dis aster to us and our denomination. Certainly only disaster can result if church leaders. inexperienceo in politics, are innocent enough pr naive enough net to know and to recognize one of the basic facts of all political life, which is this: If any organization, including any church, works to defeat the candidate of one political party It thereby inevitably and automati cally makes Itself to some extent the ally or agent of the other pol itical party ? with all the dangers to its spiritual unity, its prestige, progress and growth which such a definite political alliance could bring for a full generation to come. This is a supreme danger re gardless of party which we think now confronts us as Baptists. We can easily hurt ourselves far more than we hurt any candidate. For this reason we most earnestly en treat all Baptists to discourage all who would keep up a needless ly confusing fight In which (as we have shown) the Baptist posi tion has already been substan tially accepted. Instead we would urge every voter to support the party and candidate who. by the noblest Christian and humanitarian atti tudes. best premise 1) not only to make America millltarily strong but to so conduct national and in ternational affairs as to give us the indispensable confidence and trust of many nations we ta>uld bring to our side ? and 2) < above Bll else* who will work with su preme determination and dedica tion to end the whole anti-Chris tian system of settling Interna tional disputes by killing, wound ing. maiming, mutilating, and en feebling men. women, children, and infants. We submit that the perils which now confront our nation and hu rnjinity demand a mighty and massive constructive unity of ac tion by all Christian sects to save world peace. By concentrating on this end and forgetting all minor things that might divide us. Bap tists can best serve the today and tomorrow of our denomination and that Prince of Peace under whose banner we should all rejoice to serve. STRICTLY PERSONAL Br WEIMAR JONES Twice recently this column has been devoted to strictly personal opinions about politics. Two more comments, this week, and I prom ise these Strictly Personal discus sions will deal with c.ther sub jects. The first comment is serious, the second not so serious. Mary people must wonder ? be cause some people have asked me, point-blank: "Who are you for, Kennedy or Nixon?" or "Why don't you get on one side or the -ther" or "Why don't you tell Press readers how they ought to vote?" To answer that last question Is to answer all three. I don't tell Press readers haw they ought to vote for these rea sons: First of all. I'm no second Solo mon. Second, I'd be wasting my breath to try to tell them; be cause. If I know my Macon Coun ty neighbors, they'll do their own thinking ? do It. with or without unasked advice either from a newspaper editor or a politician. Finally. I don't consider that my Job. I don't think it's the job of a newspaper editor to try to do his readers' thinking: his job Is to try to stimulate them to do their own. And the only way he can do that, in my opinion,' is to discuss the issues and the candidates as objectively as possible, praising either side, when praise seems due, and criticizing either, when damns seem due. Now for the second comment. I'm sorry, deeply sorry, for both Mr. Nixon and Mr. Kennedy. I'm sorry .far them because of the physical strain a modern Presi dential campaign puts on the candidates. I'm sorry for them because, as the nominees of their parties, they must feel a heavy responsibility ? and whichever is lucky ? or unlucky ? enough to win will have a back-breaking respon sibility. I'm sorriest of all for them, though, for a wholly different reason. I'm sorry for them be cause, under our present-day Madison Avenue approach, they are expected to smile, all the time. Don't misunderstand me: I like to see a person smile. Further more, I know it is said that we have to use fewer muscles to simile than to frown, and so smiling is supposed to be easier than frown ing. But I don't think a man should be expected to smile when there's nothing to smile about. Imagine having to smile aU the time! Having to smile when you're dog-Aired, when you're cut of sorts, when, maybe, you're down right mid about something! 1 take it Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Nix on are human, just like you and I. Well, if they're life me, there's nothing so relieving, some times, as to se?wL The right to scowl is one I have no intention of surrendering, and I don't think a man aught to be' asked to surrender it Just be cause he's a Presidential candi date. Franklin D. Roosevelt, you re member, once emmicated seme new freedoms everybody should have ? freedom from want, free dom from fear, etc. Well, I think it's time we added one more. I think we ought to add. free dom from having to smile all the time. Yes. sir. we ought to add an other freedom, and make it apply even to Presidential candidates Freedom to SCOWL! For most of us, the mechanical' marvels of today are beyond either description or comprehen sion. Take the matter of speed. In travel. One recent Tuesday morning, at her home in San Diego, Calif., Mrs. W. D. Hobart read in The Press that "Aunt Nail" Ray had just celebrated her 100th birth day. Two days later, on Thursday afternoon. Mrs. Hobart visited. "Aunt Nan" here in Franklin. Incredible, isnt it? But What is most Incredible of all is not the machine Jhat made that possible, but the human mind that made the machine possible. Back of each of our incredible modern ' machines is the incredible human mind that first envisoned. then invented, then perfected it. Even more remarkable, per haps, are the qualities of the human spirit illustrated by this little incident. When Mrs. Hobart. the former Miss Kate Robinson, lived in Franklin, she knew "Aunt .Nan." of course ? knew her well. But there was a wide disparity in their ages, and there was the differ ence of race. Moreover, it has been forty years since Mrs. Ho bart moved to the West Coast, and forty years' absence creates a wide chasm between the closest of friends. Yet. despite all that ? and de- ' spite the fact that poor vision makes it difficult for this former Franklin woman to get about ? the old friendship, the old loyalty, sent her, almost at once, to see "Aunt Nan." Modern machines marvelous? They are. indeed. But don't dis count the marvels of the human mind, and of the inexplicable human spirit. LO, THE POOR INDIAN! Blessings Of Civilization MEMPHIS COMMERCIAL APPEAL Lo, the poor Indian, is swapping his tepee for an FHA-approved house and mortgage. Julian Zimmerman, the big boss of the FHA up ir Washington, states with pride the FHA has JUST 2 KINDS OF VOTERS There are two kinds of voters ? those who support your candi date and a lot of ignorant, pre judiced fools. ? Washington (la.) Journal. reached out to provide FHA houses to the Navajo and Hopi, and that the agency has its eye on more of the noble tribesmen. The Indian long has been im posed upon, and It is assumed he may be able to accept philosophi cally this last outrage as but an other indication of the wily ways of the white man. The Indian will learn that he will have to have a prescribed a mount of land for each family wickiup, that a drainage slough will have to go just where he plan ned to hang his hammock, that he'll have to have so many nails ? for each board, that side framing will have to be 16 inches on cen ter. and that he will not be allow ed to have a nice soft dirt floor but will have to have a sub-floor treated against termites. He will learn he must have an other flopr over the subfloor, the roof shingles will have to be of a prescribed weight. He'll have to have a bathtub and be expected to use it. Each room must have a floor plug at a certain distance. He'll have to, have a stove and chimney and no longer will be nble to cock on an open fire by the front door. I i 1 ? Then, he'll really get a shock. He'll find he has to go to work every day to pay for the danged thing. No longer will he be able to sit cross - legged in front of his tepee selling blankets made In New Jer sey and Indian bead moccasins made in Japan. There will be no place for his 16 dogs. Lo, the poor Indian. Indeed! NOW PRICE MAKES IT IMPORTANT I don't understand how anyone In this democracy ol our* doesn't i like politics and take part In It. It la the most fun there Is. And now tfiat your taxes are higher than your grocery bill. It's import ant, too. ? Englewood Herald.
The Franklin Press and the Highlands Maconian (Franklin, N.C.)
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Oct. 13, 1960, edition 1
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