THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1960
Page TWO
ILOT
Southern Pines
North Carolina
“In tairing over The Pilot no changes are contemplated. We will try to ^eep this a go^
paper. We Will try to make a Uttle money for all concerned. Wherever there seems to ^
an occasion to use our influence for the public good we will try to do it. And we w U
treat everybody alike.”—James Boyd, May 23, 1941. .
Shortsighted Policy on Indians
As this is written early this week, the
Harnett County controversy over admis
sion of a few Indian pupils to schools at
Dunn has not been settled—but the re
fusal of the Harnett school board to ad
mit the Indians had been made known
throughout the world.
However the board of education views
the matter, most of the nation—not to
mention those vast areas of the world
which are sensitive to racial conflicts—
see the board’s attitude as Sanders does
in his cartoon on this page today. Even
the mayor of Dunn is sympathetic with
the Indians in their effort to stop having
to make a 70-mile round trip to go to
school each day in another county, be
cause Harnett provides no special facili
ties for them.
North Carolina Indians for the most
part have a record of good citizenship.
Their Pembroke College, attended by
both white and Indian students, is an in
stitution of some stature. And persons of
good will will remember always, with
gratitude and amusement, their routing
of the Ku Klux Klan in the well-known
incident of several years ago.
The shortsighted attitude of the Har
nett board of education has created un
told, unnecessary disapproval for North
Carolina and the United States.
Protection of School Time
Our attention has been called to an ed
itorial from the Salisbury Post,-comment
ing favorably on the “theme for educa
tion” adopted by the Rowan County board
of education for the county schools there
this year; “Protection of School Time for a
Quality Curriculum.”
The editorial continues:
“Even though this slogan will never
catch the public’s fancy like the snappy
“Snap Back with Stanback,” its objective
should be of utmost concern to all persons
interested in a good school system.
“Educators are declaring war on all ac
tivities that encroach upon the. limited
amount of time available for educational
purposes.
“Such activities include selling tickets,
booster buttons or magazines, Halloween
parties, music festivals, photographs for
school annuals, miscellaneous announce
ments, and meetings of organizations that
have no educational value.
“This new policy does not mean that
there will be no more Halloween parties.
clubs or pictures in the school annual. It
does mean that such activities will be
done on the student’s time, not the time
set aside for education.
“With an avalanche of organizations—
most of them worthy ones, too-— horning
in on school time, school officials had to
crack down on the intruders. We’d say it
was high time they did!”
The Pilot has long advocated such a
policy in the local schools and has gone
on to urge abolition of the mid-week bas
ketball game which, though not played on
school time, cuts a large hunk of study
time out of a night that should be one of
the main homework nights of the week
for high school students.
The Rowan County theme is one on
which most parents and educators can
agree. In fact, we have the feeling that a
great many of the students themselves
would like to eliminate activities that in
terfere with school work. An increasiiigi
number of young people, we find, are tak
ing the business of education more and
more seriously. '
‘The Church Is Not the Candidate
“The church is not the candidate”—thus
spoke a Charlotte Baptist pastor. Dr.
Claud U. Broach who reasonably suggests
that Protestant-Catholic rivalry be taken
out of politics and be confined to the
realm of theology where it belongs.
“There are many well-founded reasons
why Protestants should be on guard
against aggressive political ambitions of
the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic
Church,” said Dr. Broach, “and there are
vast differences in our theology. But the
church is not the candidate.”
Those seven words are ones to remem
ber and ponder as the political campaign
progresses this fall.
Sen. John F. Kennedy, the Democratic
presidential candidate whose Catholic
ism makes him not acceptable to some
voters, has taken the lead in speaking di
rectly on this controversial matter.
The Pilot reprinted his eloquent words
on the subject at the Democratic conven
tion, after his nomination. His subsequent
comments on the religious issue have been
equally as convincing.
He has noted, for instance, that the First
Amendment to the Constitution guaran
tees the separation of church and state.
On this very important point (which in
our opinion makes the whole controversy
superfluous). Senator Kennedy said:
“No church should undertake to im
pose its views on public agencies; and
no public agency should single out for
attack any church or church organiza
tion. Under the First Amendment,
our government cannot-—directly or
indirectly, carelessly or intentionally
—select any religious body for favor
able or unfavorable treatment.”
At the recent Washington press confer-
Congratulations, Cameron
According to a report made to the ^un-
ty commissioners on Monday by the Cam
eron Volunteer Fire Department, families
within a three-mile radius of Cameron
will enjoy a cut of about 20 per cent in
their fire insurance premiums as a result
of establishment of a “fire district that
received Its final, official approval Aug-
A news story elsewhere in today’s Pilot
tells the details of the district’s establish
ment and the vigorous efforts that have
been made by the people of Cameron to
set up and equip the fire department
^ Because the people of Cameron, with
the help and cooperation of the county
commissioners, went about setting up
their rural fire department to meet all
requirements, the residents of the ^area
will enjoy the insurance advantage, not
to mention the security of having fire pro
tection available, for years to come.
We join the county commissioners in
commending the Cameron volunteers, and
all who helped them, on a job well done.
‘‘Who Do You Think You Are? Americans
Or Something?”
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TITANS FACE EACH OTHER
Contest Between Russia and China
ence with North Carolina editors, whicji
was attended by some Moore County
folks, Kennedy was warmly applauded by
Tar Heel editors when he said:
“I cannot believe in 1960 that the
American people are going to say I
should not be President because I hap
pen to go to the church I gb to ... I
can see people not wanting to vote for
me and not wanting to vote for the
Democratic party. But to make their
decision on this—to say it is all right
for me to serve in the Senate, all right
for me to serve in the House, all right
for me to serve in the Navy, all right
for my brother tp serve in the Navy
and lose his life, but not all right for
me to be President—I just can’t be
lieve people are going to make that
kind of judgment.”
\
T. J. Lassiter, editor of the non-daily
Smithfield Herald, a newspaper that is
close to the grass roots, asked Kennedy
at the press conference: “Although you
have made many forthright statements on
the religion issue, some Democrats in our
state and in my county continue to be
disturbed. They question whether you
would be a free man as President—that is,
free to resist any pressures to come from
the Catholic Church. Is there anything
you can say to reassure the people who
are disturbed by the religion issue?
Senator Kennedy replied:
“Yes—two things. First, as Presi
dent of the United States, I would
take an oath to uphold the Constitu
tion of the United, States, including
the principle of church and state sep
aration. The oath is an oath taken be
fore God. If I broke that oath, not
only would I be violating the Consti
tution of the United States, I would
be violating the laws of God. Second,
the President operates in a goldfish
bowl. Everything he does is watched
closely. It is inconceivable that a
President under such circumstances
would attempt to violate the Consti
tution or do anything that would
cause great disunity in this nation.”
All three of these statements by the
Democratic candidate have a ring of
truth about them, truth in their substance
—what they say—and truth in their being
said by this particular man at this partic
ular time.
Reading the statements carefully, one
wonders indeed what the “religion issue”
which looms so large in the outlook of
some persons can be about after all. What
do these persons think that Kennedy
could do or would do—against the pres
sure of the Constitution and a predom
inately Protestant public opinion—to en
danger or hurt the nation?
We urge readers who have their doubts
about Kennedy, on a religious basis, to
keep in mind those seven important
words: “The church is not the candidate.”
Frdm Manchester (England)
Guardian
The contest now going on be
tween the leaders of the Soviet
Union and China is at once awe
inspiring and tortuous. The two
groups, it is now clear, are so
deeply divided on certain essen
tial matters that they don’t mind
advertising their differences to
the world—though so far only in
directly. The importance of these
co-equal Titans and their poten
tial danger to the world needs no
emphasis; neither do the conse
quences of a falling out between
them', such as has often been
prophesied since the Chinese
Communists’ victory eleven years
ago. Yet the struggle between the
leaders of the two sides remains
as yet wrapped up in jargon and
p;recautionary measures. News
paper articles have carried for
ward the dispute, as have ges
tures such as the Chinese refusal
to attend (of all things) an orien
talists’ congress in Moscow.
What the dispute is' about is
clear enough beneath the din of
Marxist text-thumping from both
contestants. Now, as for years'
past, the Peking leadership takes
a. view of home and especially
(foreign affairs which to the more
timeworn Mr. Khrushchev seems
rash—indeed perilous. Peking not
only denies the expediency of
seeking local accommodation with
the West, keeping up friendships
with “bourgeois” Governments
in the uncommitted countries, and
generally renouncing any notion
of forwarding the spread of com
munism by violent means. It
seems at times positively to re
joice in the prospects of a war
with the “Imperialists.” This, it
suggests, is bound to come some
time; better now than later.
It is clear by now that not only
Mr. Khrushchev but the temper
of Russia forty-three years after
the revolution is set against this
kind of apocalyptic faith in vic
tory through world-wide disaster.
The Soviet leadership has also
shown itself sceptical of China’s
breakneck expansion at home,
especially through the communes,
though here Peking too has had
second thoughts. The question
now is how far the two sides will
go in contending for the leader
ship of the international Commu
nist movement. At the Bucharest
meeting in June Mr. Khrushchev
seemed to have confirmed Soviet
leadership over the lesser parties;
since then Soviet propaganda has
sought in veiled terms to exact
compliance from the Chinese as
well. The Chinese h^ve so far,
stood their ground; their latest
retort to charges of “dogmatism”
and “sectarianism” is to suggest
that they would be ready to man
age without Soviet economic aid
if need be. They still have friends
among the Communists in the
emergent nations even though
their brutal conduct in matters
like Tibet and the Indian frontier
dispute has lost them credit in
the new nations at large. On the
face of it both Peking and Mos
cow would have everything to
lose by going as far as an open
breach. Each is immensely im
portant to the other’s defence.
Yet, not even Communist leaders
can always follow their material
interests. For co-equal Titans to
stand together is always difficult.
If either side becomes convinced
that the other insists on defense
policies which must be highly
dangerous to both, the two may
reach breaking point without
having intended it.
The Irony in Voting Rights
From the Bertie Ledger-Dispatch
There is good evidence that
millions of Americans are not
much interested in their Ameri
can citizenship. They can, one
would think, take it or leave it
alone. Many leave it alone on
election day, the time when a
citizen can most effectively make
his influence felt in the conduct
of government.
There is a biting irony in this.
For while these millions of in
different citizens fail to exercise
the right and privilege and obli
gation of voting, others are en
gaged in a struggle to assure this
, right for themselves.
The irony was pointed up one
recent day when various news
papers printed a story about a
drive to register an estimated 6,-
500,000 men and women in Mid
western states who are not regis
tered to vote in the November
elections. On the same day, there
was news about the U. S. Civil
Right Commission’s investigation
of complaints by Louisiana Ne
groes that they have been denied
the right to register or have found
their names purged from regis
tration lists.
Americans who take lightly the
responsibilities of citizenship dis
honor the past and taint the fu
ture. T)iey show little regard for
the sacrifices of those who made
tyrants acknowledge the people’s
right to govern; they show little
understanding of a prime fact
about self-rule—that it withers
away if it is not exercised.
REASON FOR
INDUSTRY
The Public Speaking
Family Enjoys Stay
In Southern Pines
’To the Editor:
Within, the next few days, hav
ing fulfilled my military obliga
tion at near-by Fort Bragg, my
family and I will leave Southern
Pines. Our experiences with the
town and its people have been
predominantly favorable, and our
departure is not unaccompanied
with a certain regret.
In retrospect, there are a num
ber of things that stand out in our
minds. We found here in South
ern Pines, the most competent,
informed, and helpful pharmacist
we have ever come in contact
with. We found that this area
justifiably boasts of exceptional
medical facilities with highly
qualified and renowned doctors.
We found a progressive niunipipal
administration run by accommo
dating individuals; a filling sta
tion owner who genuinely appre
ciated our business and who cer
tainly deserved it; a comparative
ly substantial library; a modern
traffic department; and a consid
erable weekly newspaper with
thorough local coverage.
Naturally, there are a few neg
atives in our recollections; the
garageman who tied up my car
for a week and did little good for
it and still less good to my wallet;
the TV repairman who underesti
mated the value of business cour
tesy and who overestimated the
value of his services, and one or
two other such incidents.
But, these, of course, are minor
and do not greatly detract from
the favorable whole. Southern
Pines has been good to us and
good for us and we have fully
enjoyed our stay. You have a
fine and pretty town of which
you may well be proud—and we
shall miss it.
(NAME WITHHELD
BY REQUEST)
“North Carolina is lucky in a
sense—you might say fortunate—
that it hasn’t been over-indus
trialized. The state failed to get
in on the beginning of the First
American Industrial Revolution
and suffered because it didn’t.
Yet it may have been just as well.
“For we now have an oppor
tunity of avoiding the mistakes
of the earlier revolution—mis
takes that brought about crowd
ings and slums and a waste of
resources.
“We need to concern ourselves
with the avoidance of slum
crowding and pollution of our
rivers and streams.
“We don’t want new industry
just so we can point out to a vis
iting cousin the number of smoke
stacks we have or to be able to
raise the level of the state’s in
dustrial statistics in the nation’s
catalog.
“We are interested in new in
dustry for only one reason—to
provide a better living and to be
able to enjoy a better living.”
—From a speech by Terry
Sanford. Democratic candi
date for governor of North
Carolina
Grains of Sand
Who Are You?
Last year, 9,032 residents of
North Carolina turned to the U. S.
Bureau of the Census for help in
proving they were born. These
persons were among an estimated
,30 million United States residents
who are without proof of age or
birth.
Where to Write
Since 1920 the Census Bureau
has provided more than three and
one-half million persons with
copies of their Census records on
age, place of birth, citizenship, or
kinship. Persons seeking such
records of facts about themselves '
should write to the Personal Cen
sus Service Branch, Bureau of the
Census, Pittsburg, Kansas, for a
Census Records Search Applica
tion Form.
Confidential
The personal information in the
records of the 1900 and later Cen
suses is confidential by law and
may be furnished only upon the
written request of the person to
whom! it relates or, for a proper
purpose, a legal representative
such as guardian or administrator
of an estate. Information regard
ing a child who has not reached
legal age may be obtained upon
the written request of either par
ent
Types of Requests
When the Founding Fathers
made constitutional provision for
a decennial count of the popula
tion to determine allocation of
representatives in Congress, they
could not have foreseen how the
Census would yield a by-product
of such direct benefit to many of
the people it would count.
Requests for personal census
records range from the routine—
persons who realize they are
without legal proof of birth or
age and want to be prepared “if
anything comes up,” to those of
desperation—citizens with plans
made for a trip abroad who are
suddenly faced with a no-birth-
certificate, no-passport situation,
old people unable to obtain need
ed assistance without proof of
age; persons unable to claim their
rightful shares of estates because
of inability to prove relationship.
Records Destroyed
Since it was 1920 before the
last State adopted compulsory
birth registration, many persons
born (before that time did not
have their births i-ecorded. Even
persons who keep orderly records
—with or without governmental
urging—sometimes find them
selves without necessary creden
tials of existence.
Fire and flood and fate in vari
ous other forms have a destruc
tive way with even the best-kept
records. Those of the U. S. Census
have not been immune. Some of
the early census records were
burned by the British in 1814 and
practically all those of the 1890
Census were destroyed in a gov
ernment building fire in 1921.
Down through the years, vari
ous events in the national life
have jolted citizens out of their
perhaps reasonable assumption
that their physical presence was
proof enough that they had been
born, and that what their parents
told them was sufficient informa
tion as to where and when.
Vanishing Job?
Logically, the job of the Cen
sus record searcher is one which
will eventually work itself out of
existence, since birth registration
has now been compulsory in all
States for nearly 40 years, and as
older persons without birth cer
tificates either obtain Census
transcripts or die without proper
proof that they were ever born.
However, with an estimated 30
million Americans still without
legal proof of birth, this possibil
ity does not worry the present
staff of searchers. Requests for
personal census records have
averaged 200,000 a year over re
cent years.
The PILOT
1941—JAMES BOYD—1944
Published Every Thursday by
THE PILOT. Incorporated
Southern Pines. North Carolina
Katharine Boyd Editor
C. Benedict Associate Editor
Dan S. Ray Gen. Mgr.
C. G. Council Advertising
Mary Scott Newton _ Business
Bessie Cameron Smith Society
Composing Room
Dixie B. Ray, Michael Valen, Jas
per Swearingen, Thomas Mattocks
and James C. Morris.
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Entered at the Postoffice at South
ern Pines, N. C., as second class
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Member National Editorial Assn,
and N. C. Press Assn.