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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1956
Page TWO
Southern Pines
North Carolina
“In taking over The Pilot no changes are contemplated. We wiU try to keep this a good
paper. We wiU try to make a Uttle money for aU concerned. Wherever there seems to be
an occasion to use our influence for the public good we will try to do it. And we will
treat everybody alike.”—Jaimes Boyd, May 23, 1941.
Worthy Holiday Season Charities
Holiday season charities that we commend
to readers are the Christmas Seal Sade of the
Moore County Tuberculosis Association and
the Christmas Cheer program sponsored by
the Veterans of Foreign Wairs.
' For the nation, this year’s Seal Sale is the
50th that has been conducted. As we look
back through the years, “TB seals” are re-
cadled as very much a part of Christmas—an
experience that is part of the memory of most
persons now living.
In Moore County, the Seal Sale has always
evoked generous support. The Association’s
record of assistance to sick people and their
families, dating from many years ago when
tuberculosis was a greater public health prob
lem and a more harrowing personal emer
gency than it is today, has long commanded
universal respect over the county. The Seal
Sale has its Own completely organized Negro
division which is an outgrowth of the large
amount of assistance given to Negroes since
the Association was organized. For several
years, the Negroes of Moore County have giv
en $1,000 or more, derived from many hun
dreds of small contributions, to the Seal Sale
campaign.
Next Spring, the Association will conduct
a free x-ray program over the entire county.
putting an added burden on its finances for
the coming year. This calls for added gener
osity in giving to the Association now.
The VFW’s Christmas Cheer program is
very carefully organized. The families that
receive baskets of groceries, toys and other
gifts are those whose names have been pro
vided by the coimty welfare department.
Their need is certified by the department’s
investigations.
Containers for food donations are in local
grocei-y stores, and toys for children in needy
families may be left at the VFW post home.
Members of the pofet will repair toys that are
not so badly broken that they cannot be re
paired—but there is not much time left to do
the work. If toys are to be given, they must
be given quickly. *
Similar distributions of Christmas baskets
are made annually to welfare-approved fami
lies in all areas of Moore County, han-
died in most communities by a civic club
or other organization. Readers who do
not live in Southern Pines and who want
to help these Christmas Cheer efforts
can find out through the welfare department
at Carthage what group is handling the pro
gram in their community, if they are not able
to obtain the information by inquiring local
ly.
Success Secret In Racial Relations
An Associated Press feature story from
Louisville, Ky., stresses a point that The Pilot
has often made in discussion of school segre
gation and racial relations: that a prepared
community is a successful community in
meeting the various crises that have been and
will be created in the South by the court de
cisions that are continually extending the
legal privileges of Negroes.
Integration of the schools in Louisville, the
story points out, proceeded peacefully and
satisfactorily—in contrast to other communi
ties in Kentucky, Tennessee and Texas where
violence flared and bigotry and mob action
took command.
There are two striking facts to the Louis
ville story, the AP article points out—and by
“the Louisville story” the writer means a
full 20 years of conscious effort on the part
of the city’s press, the city’s government and
the city’s civic leaders of both races, toward
the improvement of race relations:
“1. The moves to improve the Negroes’ lot
were led on the white side almost exclusively
by people who call themselves Southerners
and who are descendants of Confederates.
“2.1’he Negro apparently has never felt any
need to agitate, and thus there has been no
hardening of racial prejudice in the communi
ty.”
Mark Etheridge, publisher of the two Louis
ville newspapers that have helped to create
the “climate of opinion” that has allowed such
great progress in racial relations, is a native
of Mississippi. But it was in 1937 that he
wrote his first editorial on the need to help
the Negro.
As long ago as 1942, there were 60 Negroes
on a planning commission for the future of
the city, placed there by Wilson Wyatt, a
mayor who foresaw the coming pattern of
racial relations.
Towns and cities all over the South can
take a lesson from Louisville. Sooner or later,
all will face a race relations crisis of one kind
or another—regardess of all such conifortable
but in the end, we believe, ineffective bul
warks as the Pem-sall Plan for the North Car
olina schools. .
FoUowing the Supreme Court school deci
sion of May, 1954, we said that it was time
for wide-scale inter-racial communication
and planning right here in Southern Pines
and Moore County—yet little along this Ime
has been accomplished.
While it is true that there has been no crisis
here, such as an attempt at school integration,
there is no assurance whatever that such a
crisis, in education or in other fields, wiU no
be faced in the future. To meet it successfuUy,
we must be prepared-and inter-racial action
and communication is the heart of any pre
paratory procedure.
Challenge To School And Parents
There is no doubt that to many the trial
of Principal Irie Leonard seemed a strange
affair and more than a little unfortunate. The
offense itself, and the student misbehavior
that led to it, seemed if not trjvial certainly
not very important. A student is out Of line,
is, as it would seem, insolently provocative
and an adult in authority loses his temper
and shakes him. A good many will be tempted
to say: “So what?” or shake the head with the
comment: “Spare the rod and spoil the child.
But it is possible to share those feelings and
still have the conviction that there is some
thing, indeed, that inclines to the belief thqt
this so-called trial may have been a salutory
thing. Depending, Of course, on what follows.
We ar-e not concerned, right now, with the
principal figure who acted as many might
have acted at that immediate moment. It is
what lies behindj what brought about the im
mediate moment that calls for study.
To put it plainly:* what is wrong when
school discipline is such that eight boys are
“hostile and defiant,” to use the defendant’s
words; that a room is “in an uproar” during
a talk presided over by the principal, the at-
mospiiere such that he feels justified in strik
ing, or at least severely shaking, a sixteen-
year-old junior student in order to restore
order?
Why? Why have these boys been disciplin
ary problems for three or four years? Why
are they “agin the government,” as they ob
head of the school. Inevitably, we would
think, nis mind will turn towards those
whom he coaches, who are, as a rule the most
responsive, the most obviously rewarding of
his students, as well as those he necessarily
knows the best. His interest in these students
is bound to have an adverse effect on any
others, not primarily interested in sports, or
poor material, who may be the chip-on-the-
shoulder members of that easily rebuffed,
sensitive, looking-for-trouble teenager group.
As the case was going on in Carthage Mon
day, we were struck with the similarity in
the boys on the stand. All were at ease, quick
witted, assured; yet there was an immaturity
about them that fitted their immature be
havior. There was the impression that not one
of them knew where he was going in the
least; that none had any particular feeling
either for or against principal or school. In
fine, that here was malleable material, ma
terial ready to be helped or harmed. And
ready now.
Every parent has come up against such
Ifeelings about his children, and probably
every school teacher, too. Certainly all pa
rents will agree that in them lies the first re
sponsibility to see the challenge of their chil
dren’s needs and work to answer it wisely.
This must also be the response of a fine teach
er and a school to such a challenge as that
posed by the participants in this incident.
We believe the community will be watching
now to see how things go on and that watch-
are tney agm xiie guvciiiuicni., now to see now uimgs eo
viously are? Why are they so immature, be- good for all concerned. We be-
, . !_•» -1-^1 j*,^*.*) wTiaf >ins "hApn .1 _x +qVo nnHpr trulv
having like children? Further, what has been
done to get this group out of the groove of
troublesomeness that they seem to be in?
It is interesting to note that most of the
group aren’t members of teams. In last week’s
editorial we commented that it was probably
a mistake to have the principal also the head
coach. Economically perhaps a necessity, it is
one that should, we believe, be rectified and
Wint could be rectified by a town that cares
as much about its school as Southern Pines
does. We doubt greatly if a principal who is
also the coach can show the widespread inter
est in every pupil that is the first object of the
“Greetings!”
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The Public
Speaking
‘Beautiful Southern Pines’
(From two of the school supervi
sors who visited lipe recently.)
To the Editor:
We enjoyed our visit so much.
The meeting of Supervisors was a
good one, but even if it had not
been, the trip to yoim town
would have been entirely worth
while just for the pleasure of en
joying your beautiful trees. How
have you managed to preserve
your beauty spots in these so rap
idly changing times?
^ Your Chamber of Commerce,
^ or whoever is responsible for the
beauty of the town, must be a
most sensitive group of people.
I wish more citizens of our
once lovely little North Caroluia
towns would go to see your beau
tiful Southern Pines and profit
thereby.
ANNE HOLDFORD
(School Supervisor
Edgecombe County)
To The Editor:
Recently I attended a state con
ference in Southern Pines. My
stay was made most enjoyable by
the beauty of your town. The
trees—Wholly, dogwood, magnolia
and pines—were indekcribably
lovely.
I am deeply grateful for people
of a town who plan and preserve
such loveliness for others to
share and enjoy.
MARGARET B. KORNEGAY
Goldsboro
' . riviwSS-'
WORLD NEEDS GOOD MUSIC
The International Language
In aa article appearing on
this page last week. Dr. Ben
jamin Siwalin, director of the
North Carolina Symphony
Orchestra, pointed out that
cultural values are perma
nent, that the potentialities '
of the human mind are "vir
tually illimitable" and that
it is unworthy of America to
be represented in foreign
lands by the vulgar and
banal miusic which forms a
large part of the music
heard in this nation today
and which also makqs its
way overseas as representa
tive of American culture and
taste.
The second part of Dr.
Swalin's article appears be
low, including his suggestion
for an nTmual world series of
symphony concerts and other
musical events. Thus he
notes, music, which is an in
ternational language, would
become an instrument of
peace, good will and under
standing.
Dr. Swalin has brought
either the North Carolina
Symphony or the Little
Symphony to play in South
ern Pines for fte past sev
eral years in concerts spon
sored by the Sandhills Music
Association.
His article continues as fol
lows:
Aspiration is one of the most
important manifestations of life
itself, and the desire to learn and
know is innate with man. And
one of the primary tasks of edu
cation is to subordinate our so-
called “likes” and “dislikes” in
the attainment of high, rational
and esthetic objectives.
Somehow I cannot help but
feel that man possesses an innate
esthetic urge. He admires a gor
geous sunset. He longs for a cot
tage by the sea or a cabin in the
woods, and he seeks to build an
impressive home, church or
school. Even before the dawn of
civilization, there is evidence to
show that man has had a great
sense of form.
Almost Everywhere
Good music, like oxygen, is in
some quantity almost every
where. It is not only a great hu
man and social art, but it is a
complex and technological
science and one of the large
mechanized industries of the na
tion. It pervades the spirit of
Christmas and Easter. It is heard
in public schools, homes, chtirch-
es, concert halls and theatres. It
is requisite for dancing and war;
and it has become a major study
in colleges and universities
throughout the nation. Every ra
dio program demands a maxi
mum of music and a minimum of
talking—and this is an era in
which there appears to be a
heavy over-emphasis on the
spoken word.
Good music is a significant
type of thinking that ennobles
and inspires man; and it consti
tutes virtually the only interna
tional language in the world to
day. As such it should be used as
a factor for peace, good will and
understanding among i>eoples.
Like education, science and na
ture, it should belong to all the
people.
The citizenry of North Caro
line should take increasing pride
in the North Carolina Symphony
Orchestra; and, if they are to
merit it as their great human
instrument, they should support
it vigilantly, for everything that
grows must be nourished.
Last season, the North Caro
lina Symphony Orchestra gave
107 performances and reached
140,000 children in 67 free, edu
cational programs. The orchestra,
furthermore, travelled 8,000
mUes, visiting small, remote and
rural communities as well as the
larger urban centers. Symphon
ic art can become in North Caro
lina that great artistic and spirit
ual expression through which the
people of North Carolina may be
able to interpret greater things
than they can as individuals.
Scuul
lieve that the school wiU take under truly
earnest consideration a problem that has,
apparently, defied such efforts as they have
given it for a good many years. They will
study whether, in truth, athletics are too
prominent in the school life; and whatever
else in which they may be at fault and that
could have contributed to the recent trouble.
If all concerned will look upon this incident
as a challenge which must be met—which, we
know, is one reason why those who instigated
the case brought suit at all—then maybe it
will have been worth the controversy and
considerable anguish it has caused.
Honest Candidates
It’s no secret that many of the
magnificent words uttered by
candidates for public office are
products of other minds—or at
least of other typewriters—than
their own.
Pete Ivey, director of the News
Bureau at Chapel Hill, tells
about the professor at the Uni
versity who quoted a couple of
candidates.
One office-seeker, the profes
sor said, got up, made a long
speech and concluded by saying:
“If you can’t vote for me, vote
for the person of your choice.”
Then, to illustrate the hazards
of the ghost-written speech, the
professor told about another can
didate who spoke for an hour,
then closed his notes and said:
“Now for a few words of my
own.”
Another Dog Story
But this one was told in
churdi.
Dr. Craig told it recently in a
graceful introduction of the Pine-
hurst High School Glee Club to
the congregation at Pinehurst.
(The club sang two anthems.)
This is the story:
A little boy had a mongrel bup
and asked his father to give him
five dollars so he could enter the
puppy in a dog show.
Said the father, “Son, you
know Ruffy is a nice little dog
but I just don’t believe he would
ever win a prize.”
“Oh, Dad,” said the little boy,
“I don’t expect him to win a
prize. I’d just like him to have a
chance to meet some nice peo
ple.”
The glee dub appeared to en
joy the story, and so did the con
gregation. Even though the
clergyman made it quite clear
that it was the latter who were
being given an opportunity to
meet '“some nice people.”
How Fast?
The average ant is capable of
crawling 12 feet a minute on a
fast track, according to officials
of the Bronx Zoo.
In All Countries
As an antidote to deterioration
of human relations in the world,
I should like to reiterate a sug
gestion which I have already
made to the head of the Cultural
Division of the United Nations:
that we, have, under the sponsor
ship of the Cultural Division , of
the United Nations, an annual
world series of symphony con
certs and perhaps, subsequently,
performances by choral, operatic
and theatrical organizations, to
be given in all countries of the
world as an instrument of peace,
good will and understanding
among peoples.
We should also consider the
necessity for the establishment
of a world parliament, world
court, international police force,
reasonable press guarantee, a
unification and logical develop
ment of the world’s spiritual re
sources, international monetary
controls, logical trade exchanges;
a logical development and equi
table distribution of the world’s
material resources, especially
food; a judicious limitation of the
world’s population, at least in
certain countries and on a tem
porary basis; and the prohibition
of war.
If one doubts that there is
money for all these things, let me
remind him of the cost of- war
for even one day.
Need Ideas, Actions
We need fearless men and
women who are thinkers and ar
tists. We need men and women
with great ideas and determined
actions who will serve their
country in peace with the same
fervent idealism that they evince
in war.
Let us give thanks for all of
the felicities that we receive and
enjoy—^for citizenship in this
greatest of all nations, for the
sunrise and the sunset, the moun
tains and the sea, the perfect
form of the child when it is born,
and for the great language of
music.
Validity of the Bible
To The Editor:
In Rev. Martin Caldwell’s re
view of Werner Keller’s book,
“The Bible As History,” Rev.
Caldwell says, “The validity of
the Bible does not rest on wheth
er the events recorded in it are
historically true or not. The
value of the Bible lies in the fact
that the events it records are re
ligiously true.”
Well now. Rev. Caldwell—
about 1920 a commission of 25
leading clerg3mien of the Church
of En^and was set up by the
Archbishop of Canterbury to
study and report on Christian
doctrine, “with a view of demon
strating the extent of agreement
within the Church of England.”
The Conunission sat for 15 years.
They certainly subnnitted a un
animous report, but so far from
demonstrating the extent of
agreement, it showed that these
learned divines disagreed on al-
most every important point of *
doctrine!
What a change of face from the
days when Tom Paine and thous
ands of others were persecuted
for daring to doubt the teachings
of the Bible!
Equally appalling was “A New
Commentary on the Holy Scrip
tures,” edited by Dr. Gore, Bish
op of Oxford, which was the
work of 61 leading scholars of f
the Anglican Church. Miracles
were put down 'to the Semitic
habit of exaggeration, and the
.manifestations of the Day of
Pentecost were ascribed to
“psychological phenomena” pro
ducing some form of hysteria!
To such extremes are the
clergy forced in their efforts to
run away from the great fact
of mediumship, which demon- ^
strates that the miracles were
nothing but psychic phenomena
occurring in strict accordance
with the natural laws, and that
the prophets, the apostles and
Jesus himself were mediums of
outstanding degree. All this
shows the extent to which the
Church has fallen away from its
original conception of the Bible
as the “infallible word of God.”
Now, Rev. Caldwell—in view
of the above facts, what do you
mean when you say, “The value
of the Bible lies in the fact that
the events it records are reli
giously true”?
^ REV. TOM O’NEIIL
T h e P I L O T
Published Every Thursday by
THE PILOT, Incorporated
Southern Pines. North Carolina
1341 JAMES BOYD—1944
Katharine Boyd Editor
C. Benedict Associate Editor
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Composing Room
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