EDITORIALS, FEATURES ...
THE NEWS—THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1961 SEC. II, PAGE 1
No valid arguments
against bond issue
What are the arguments against passage of the $61.6
million bond referendum next Tuesday? The News knows
of no valid arguments.
But the most effective way to attack the logic of those
who oppose this much-needed capital improvements pro
gram is to examine their arguments. To this, and most
other public bond referendums there have been two basic
points in opposition:
(1) “We already owe too much money. If this work
has got to be done it ought to be on a pay-as-you-go basis.”
—North Carolina has a sizeable bonded debt, indeed,
which it is paying on schedule and with no difficulty.
The state also has an excellent bond credit rating? and con
servative estimates show no tax increases as a result of the
proposed new bonds. The needs are here and now—not two,
five, or to years hence when pay-as-you-go funds might be
accumulated. And, building costs continue to rise in a
proportion that represents a greater cost than the interest
on long-term bond loans._*' _.
11 on ballot...
(2) “I am against some of the bond proposals.”
There are 11 proposals on the ballot. If you must op
pose some of them, do so. But do not vote against the en
tire issue because of some individual projects you do not
favor. ~~
And remember—every single project involved in this
referendum has already undergone careful scrutiny by the
Appropriations Committee of the General Assembly—
Which itself has reduced certain projects already.
It should not be necessary to point out the local bene
fits to Orange CoUnty that are involved in these tremen
dously important bond-contingent projects for the Univer
sity. There is far more than a selfish interest involved for
hometowners of Orange.
Big— and favorable
vote is in order here
The News i< confident, that the statewide bond refereh
dnm will pass by a good margin next Tuesday, and that
reverv precinct in Orange County will favor the issues as
they did two years ago.
But we are concerned for the margin of support the
Land of Orange will give the referendum proposals. The
margin m-favor of similarly worthwhile issues has been
better than i o to-one sometimes in the past. The local
totals should stack up that way again.
Unfortunately, though, Chapel Hill and Orange Coum
ty folk are too omplacettt at times. We have a fairly pros
perous country, and a generally comfortable lot. The Uni
Note: Your own view, on the opinion. expressed above are
invited. If you agree, disagree, or heve some additional insight
on this matter you are invited to give the public the benefit of
your thinking in a "lottor to the editor." Please limit these to
300 words. . <
dittos; of (Grange Count?
Pub!ished Everyl, Thursday By
l THE NEWS INCORPORATED
Hillsboro, N. C. Chapel Hill, N. C.
Box 647 ' Box 749
Telephone 968-4444, Chapel Hill; 4191 Hillsboro
Entered as Second Class Matter at the Post Office at
Hillsboro, North Carolina, under the Act of
March 3, 1879
F.DWTN J. HAMLIN .. .. .. Publisher
ROLAND GIDUZ .. . Editor
Hillsboro Office -„..a_ —I- N. Cburton St.
Chapel Hill Office 3M E Main St., Carrbore
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Still Man's Best Hopei
-Walt Partymiller, York Gazette * Daily
versity has fared pretty well to date. And the good fights
for public improvements have been fairly well fought
hereabouts. '• * ■ ■ . ~ .-;j- ________
Result has been that Orange supported bond referen
dums. But the turnout at the polls has generally been one
fourth or less of the total for general or primary elections
Orange County owes it to itself to be disturbed and
concerned to a degree that it will turn out a BIG vote as
well as a favorable one.- ——1-— -
'The Age of Orange'
is a good complement
Orange County has borne a> far greater share in the de
velopment of North Carolina "‘that its geography and pop
ulation would give it on an average basis.
This is skillfully shown and well-documented in “The
Age of Orange,’’ Prof. Ruth Blackwelder’s newly-published
history of the county from itsTouriding in 1752 until the
Civil War.
- By sub-title . lone—“Political and Intellectual Leader
sliip in North Carolina,- 1752-186-1”—Prof. Blai kwelder’s
work shows the richness of Orange County’s contributions
in this formative era. . _
The book is dedicated to the memory of citizens of
Orange County “who saw the changes that were needed
in their county and state in the 18th and 19th centuries and
who had the courage to work and achieve them.”'
So “The Age of Orange” is of more than provincial in
terest by its neatly-organized exhibition of this county’s
gifts to the state through the many outstanding leaders it
produced. '
Was biggest, most populous ...
As the state’s largest county in population and size
soon after its founding, Orange held regional pioneers in
the public school and transportation movement in this
state. It came to be a pivotal county in political struggles.
The whittling away of 10 other counties from its borders,
beginning in 1770,-took away Orange’s greatest potential
in agricultural lands and industry. '
But it left the core county with men of vision who
early made of it an educational center exclusive of the Uni
versity. It is noted in “The Age of Orange,” for instance,
that over half of the boys and girls in the County between
ages five and 21 Were in local schools in i860—and further
that more than 5b different schools and academies existed
in the county during its first century of history.
“The Age of Orange” is a tine complement to the bi
centennial history of the County by UNC Profs. Lefler apd
Wager in 1933. And the “Age” shows a heritage that
Orange County has made to grow and prosper in the years
since those covered by Prof. Blackwelder’s book.
Merchants have a duty
> . />. 1/ »\,. " '
on student complaints
Of late there have been quite a number of UNC stu
dent protests against Chapel Hill merchants. To our think
ing these protests are not well founded, but that is not the
point.
Sure as an Army dogface is going to gripe, so are stu
dents going to complain about local business practices and
(Editorials contmued on Pane 3)
Newsman's Notepad . ,
Incident gives
a lab tryout
of freedom,
proves a point
The Conference on Freedom
and the First Amendment held
in Chapel Hill last weekend pro
vided an un-planned and in- •
teresting laboratory test of
that sacred liberty—freedom of
speech.
Around 150 personsabout
equally divided between the ~
races—assembled for the meet
ing. By a showing of hands at
one point in the day-long pro
gram around one-fourth of their
number were ministers. Through
the day they hammered away
toward practical means of ap- .
plying the guarantees of the first
amendment. Their primary aims
were abolition of the House Un
American Activities Committee
and its state satellites, and pro
motion of civil rights, particular
ly in elimination of racial
discrimination. To the observer
the group seemed a serious dedi
cated lot with a zeal for its aims,
whether one wholly agreed or
not.
True to tradition . . .
But- true to the tradition of
Chapel Hill, the occasion was
not without its surprise con
troversy. Col. Henry "Royall of
Chapel Hill, in a letter printed
in both local newspapers on the
day before the conference last
week, attacked the meeting and
its sponsors, -terming the use of
a local church for this purpose
“anti-Christ.”
As the sessons opened a young
Hitfh Point public relations man
dentfied as Arthur Lyon hand
ed out pink mimeographed flyers
linking the meeting to alleged
Communist front groups. Mrs.
Stephen Emery of Chapel Hill
also passed out literature hostile
to the snirit of the conference.
Both orotests were nominally
accented bv the delegates pres
ent for the rally with .puzzled
casualitv.
THiring the afternoon CoL
Tfovall and Mr. Lyon sat through
the meeting as silent observers
of the scene. Then, during a
brain-storming open #orun» ob
siM»*»esti*ms for safeguarding—
first amendment freedoms the
spontaneous -test occurred.
visa Mary Gilson. Chanel
Hill’s plain-sooken octogenarian
NOTEPAD, Page 3)