ew* - journal
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Published Every Thursday ai Kaetord. N. C. 28376
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IAUKIE IELEAlR Reporter
MKS. PAUL DICKSON Society Editor
Second ( ftttuyc Paid at Kaclurd. N. I'.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1971
( )[iiniun imri mmmrnlurv
by Paul Dickson
"The New Deal was a bloodless economic and social revolution, based '
on the premise that the economic balance could no longer be maintained
by the functioning of economic law alone," wrote Margaret Coit in her
biography, "Mr. Baruch."
How far we have come since the day of the New Deal of which this was
written, almost 40 years ago! How far toward a completely managed
economy! How far toward national bankruptcy! How far toward the
chaos of inflation!
To hear many people tell it, we have come too far, past the point of no
return, and chaos and anarchy are inevitable. 1 am not one of these.
To me the people who think economics should operate strictly on the
natural laws of supply and demand and the like are putting property
values ahead of human values. They are the ones who said 38 years ago
when Franklin Roosevlct was getting the New Deal going that he was
going to ruin the country, and they are the ones who will tell you today
that national ruin is just around the corner. Well, FDR fed people who in
a free economy had been starving, and we may be deep in debt today, but
there are fewer of us hungry than there have ever been. More of us have
more things than any people on this earth ever had before.
People all over the good old U.S.A. are today worrying about their
W'fff example, when 38 years ago their counterparts were worrying
leir n?J^ meal, and not confusing themselves even slightly with
VI
ts of rig
Well, today ml?t of us get enough to eat, and if we don't get it, it's
nobody's fault but ours, and we spend our time worrying about the way
things are changing, and they aren't like they used to be. You know, Man,
folks these days are talking about things that are for real, you know what
I mean, and sex and long hair and that sort of stuff, had those of us who
never had it so good want to figure a way to hold back the passage of
time. Well, it'll never happen. We had the raccoon coat and the flask on
the hip and these days sex is discussed and for all 1 know practiced pretty
much as anyone is inclined. It's different, that's for sure, but who's to say
it's worse, really?
As we come to another day of Thanksgiving, it seems to me we have
very much for which we can be thankful.
We have the biggest national debt anyone could ever dream of, a good
many thousand dollars for each person in the country, but we have the
money to pay it, or to pay the interest on it, and we are still producing
more of everything than any people on the face of the earth ever have.
We have school problems all over the country, but more of our children
are getting better educated than anyone's children ever did. They are
growing up honest, and caring about things, and asking their elders
embarrassing questions about why things are like they are, but isn't that a
blessing rather than a curse?
Isn't one of the big roots of our discomfort about the young of this day
and age the fact that they seem to want to deal with the raw truth in most
situations and let the chips fall where they may?
In addition to lacking the hunger that many used to know and having
ho'nest, better informed youth, is it not a fact, also, that any American
today has a better chance of a fair deal from his government than ever
before?
If we happen to be Jewish or Hindu, is it not a freedom that our
children will not have to be exposed to Christian prayers in their schools?
Is it not great and inspiring that Senator Sam Ervin finds a new way
every week or so to point out a personal freedom which our great
constitution has in it?
With all the regulation that we love to gripe about, it's really teriffic to
be able to gripe, loudly and long when we feel like it, isn't it? And,
distasteful though it may be, there is something about a country where a
labor leader can snub and be discourteous to the President and get away
with it.
Yes, if we find ourselves having a hard time getting into a feeling of
Thanksgiving, all we really have to do is give a thought or two to East
Pakistan, or Biafra, or Northern Ireland, and any of a hundred other
places in this world, and some in this country, for that matter ... just a
thought or two should be enough to make us thankful.
Browsing in tho files
of Th? News-Journal
25 years ago
Thursday. November 28. 1946
Final ritei were held at the Sanatorium
Tuesday afternoon for Dr. Paul Pressly
McCain, superintendent of all of the
State's tubercular hospitals, who was
killed in an auto accident about 11 miles
south of Raleigh Monday morning.
The death knell of tobacco acreage
control and a 10 - year era of farm
prosperity in North Carolina inay have
Men sounded with the recent election of
? Republican Congress.
? ? ?
Most of the day in Hoke County
recorder's court Tuesday before Judge
B ?
Henry McDiarmid was ipent in the
hearing of evidence and argument on the
charge againtl seven defendanti charged
with breaking the hunting laws in a
variety of wayi.
? ? ?
Friday. November 29th, the local high
school football team will meet Boonville
for the Class "B" championship.
? * ?
Troy Whitehead of Charlotte has
purchased the Edinburgh Cotton Mills
and the mill is now operating under the
name of White-Tex Mills. Inc.
? ? ?
The Terpelchorean Club of Raeford has
announced that it will sponsor a dance in
the Armory here on the night of Friday.
December 20.
'PermiasioD to come aboard, air'
By LAURIE TELFAIR*
Another View On
Plea Bargaining
About a week or so ago, after the
editorial about "plea bargaining" in the
courts was published, I talked to a
Fayetteville policeman about the practice
of reducing driving under the influence
charges to careless and reckless driving.
While this is not illegal, there is some
criticism of the practice and, since the air
is thick with charges about our court
system, I thought I'd pass along his ideas
on the subject.
He has no qualms about agreeing to a
reduction to the lesser charge, he said,
and does so frequently.
"I am here to prosecute, not
persecute," he said, "and if a man learns a
lesson from being arrested and taken into
court, then I really don't care if he loses
his license for a year and has to drive on a?
limited driving privilege."
Since it costs about $500, including
fines and attorney's fees, to get a DUI
reduced, he said he figured a driver had
learned a big lesson.
The usual fine for careless and reckless
driving is about S50 but if a DUI charge is
reduced, most judges will give about the
same fine that they would have given in a
drunken driving case ? anywhere from
$100 to $:oo.
A reduction is also a matter of
convenience for the police officer, he
said, because the driver pleads guilty to
the charge and there is no chance that he
will appeal a conviction to superior court,
as he might if he is convicted of driving
under the influence. With the volume of
drunk driving cases in Fayetteville, this is
a real consideration as a police officer
could be tied up in superior court on
appeals for a major portion of his time if
even a small percentage of drivers
appealed.
Puppy Creek
Philosopher
Dear editar:
When I read in a newspaper last night
that 87 tons of cornbread mix had been
recalled by Ihe Food and Drug
Administration because it contained too
much of something called aflatoxin. I
began turning over in my mind the things
I can think of that have been recalled in
recent months.
These included soup, tuna, detergents,
swordfish, cereals, lipstick. toys!
airplanes, automobiles and a few
diplomats. There may have been others
that escaped me but this gives you an idea
of how the recall business is booming
If it keeps up the President may have
to establish a new cabinet position to be
known as Secretary of Recall.
Several columnists have suggested that
it would be simpler to check foods before
they leave the plant, rather than waiting
till they get on Ihe grocery store shelves
but this takes all the drama out of it!
There's no news value in cornbread
suppressed, but cornbread recalled, that's
a head liner
If the President does establish a
Secretary of Recall I can foresee many
opportunities for the office other than
those involving foods, cars, and such like
For example, there are some votes I
cast for certain people over the past few
years I'd sure like to recall. At the time
they seemed like good, sound votes,
passing any standards set by the Food
and Drug Administration, but after the
candidates got into office or on the
grocery store shelf as you might say, I
could tell right off they contained
botulism If not worse
You can say sure, but you can recall
them at the next election.
That's right, but that's a mighty long
time to have to put up with contaminated
cornbread or politicians.
Yours faithfully,
J.A.
His willingness to consider a reduction
did not apply, he said, if an accident was
involved or if the driver was behaving in a
manner that was dangerous to others on
the road.
We didn't get to finish our discussion
and maybe we'll take it up again
sometime.
But I think his point of view ia
interesting and offers another explanation
of plea bargaining other than colluaion
and prosecutor and defendant. I also
think his reasons are valid onea for
reducing a charge to a lesser one.
At any rate, reductions, nol prosses
and other matters of prosecution are the
sole responsibility of the solicitor, but as
a matter of policy, the police officers are
usually consulted. However, the solicitor
must decide how and when and why to
prosecute as the best means to conduct
the state's business. If sometimes their
decisions conflict with the opinions of
the police officers or the judge, it still
must be remembered that they are
performing their job.
I'm not saying that solicitors ought not
to be criticized. I just contend that the
criticism should be for the manner in
which they do their job and not on the
job itself. As in every job, decisions have
to be made, for it is not possible in terms
of manhours or even desirable in terms of
some of the charges to prosecute every
one
But I do object to reducing charges
because, like so much in our legal system,
it doesn't operate fairly. The more severe
punishment goes to the poor and the
uneducated while those with the money
to hire a lawyer and the knowledge that
even though one is guilty there are ways
to avoid the penalty can obtain a lesser
punishment.
It is, of course, not impossible for one
to get a reduction without an attorney,
but it is uncommon. This is not meant as
any criticism of lawyers. As professionals
in the legal system, they are moat able to
use it to represent their client's interests.
So two people, both equally guilty, can
receive widely varying punishments, not
through the differences in their offenses,
but through their ability to pay.
But then objecting to that could bring
up an entire new argument. It can be said
with much justification that some are
more equal than others and always will
be
I think I'll save that for another
column.
STORIES
BEHIND WORDS
Bv William S. Penfield
Symposium
A symposium is a conference at which
a particular subject is discussed, or
collection of opinions or treatises on
some subject.
Strange as it may seem, the word
"symposium" originally meant a drinking
party.
After the feasting at a banquet of the
ancient Greeks, the host and his guests
were served wine. Sometimes there was
dancing or tinging, or both. But there was
always conversation.
The Greeks called this social period
"sympotion," a drinking party, from
"syn,' with, and "posts," drinking. From
the conversation or discussions at these
drinking parties, the word "tymposion" -
symposium in English - acquired the
meaning of a gathering for discussion of
tome subject.
People & Issues
CLl H1 BLUE ? ? ?
MORGAN -- Bob Morgan's statement
taking himself out of the Governor's race
on the grounds that his first duty is to the
office of Attorney General can be taken
at face value.
Back in the summer when he was being
pushed hard to get into the campaign for
Governor, Morgan confided to friends
that his personal preference was to
remain as Attorney General for at least
one more term. He felt that he needed
more time to get the consumer protection
role of his office solidified, and he was
really concerned that a less active man
might succeed hint as Attorney General if
he bowed out.
Morgan, however, was faced with a
dilemma. Friends who wanted him to run
for Governor might well flock to another
man four years front now. and close him
out of higher office. The decision a few
days ago to take that chance was a
difficult one to make, but a genuine
concern to keep the Attorney General's
office on the path he had set it upon was
the factor which prevailed. Morgan,
however, may well be back in the
Governor's race in 1976.
ELECTIONS -? Candidates for public
office, both state and local, will have to
make up their minds about running at an
earlier date than heretofore.
Alex Brock, executive secretary of the
State Board of Elections, has sent out a
1972 Primary Election timetable, and
February 21 is the last day on which
candidates for Congress, State offices.
General Assembly, county and township
offices can file their candidacies.
The Primary Date is now May 6, having
been switched back to Saturday at the
special session of the General Assembly,
after Tuesday. May 2. had been agreed
upon at the regular session.
TURNER ?? When Bob Scott, even
before he was sworn in as Governor, went
out to N. C. State University and picked
Dr. William L. Turner as director of hit
Department of Administration some
eyebrows were raised because Bill Turner
had not been involved in state
government before. But it was one of the
smartest moves the Governor made,
because Bill Turner, Rocky Mount native
with a doctorate from Harvard, has not
only proved to be an astute administrator
but also a man with a broad view of
government.
A few days ago Dr. Turner was in
Florida to address the Southern Regional
Conference on Public Administration,
and his subject was on what he called a
"major new phenomena in public
administration." He was referring to the
multi ? county regions plan. It was, he
said, "an idea whose time has come."
North Carolina now has 17 official
State Regions, established by executive
order in May 1970, and already benefits
through better coordinated services and a
big increase in federal funding can be
seen.
As Bill Turner sees it, the multi ?
county regional plan carries forward
Governor Scott's program of "Partnership
in Leadership" in which local government
has a far greater voice in the
administration of public affairs. Dr.
Turner says, "By far the most important
and far ? reaching aspect of this entire
process is the tremendous increase of
community participation in the
governmental decision nuking process."
It it decentralization of government in a
practical way. at he teei it. at lie thinkt
local communities will be able to play a
far more effective role In the future
through the regional program.
INGRAM -? It's beginning to look more
and more like young John Ingram of
Asheboro will be contesting veteran
Edwin Lanier for the Democratic
nomination for Insurance Commissioner,
and he will be making a big pitch for the
young voters.
The 42 - year - old lawyer who it
serving his first term in the General
Assembly was in Chapel Hill recently and
talked to a student group on the subject
of discrimination against the young driver
in automobile insurance.
"Less than 10 percent of our under 25
drivers are even involved in accidents and
it is not the American way to penalize 90
percent of our young people for the error
of 10 percent." Ingram declared.
Rep. Ingram knows tlul the high cost
of auto insurance It a good issue for a
campaign, but Ed Lanier's record for
holding down insurance costs under
existing laws is well known too.
ERVIN ?? Senator Sam Ervin. the
foremost champion of Freedom of the
Press in the U. S. Senate, is getting a lot
of invitations to speak before press
groups around the country.
He was in New Orleans recently to
address the National Newspaper
Association's fall meeting and trade show,
and he was introduced by Mrs. Margaret
Harper of Soulhport. the secretary ?
treasurer of the North Carolina Press
Association. Another Tar Heel on the
program was Orville Campbell, publisher
of the Chapel Hill Weekly.
ODOMETERS ?? There is now a law in
North Carolina against changing the
odometer of used can and trucks to show
less mileage than actually exists. The
Attorney General. hoWever. has ruled
that changing the odometer is un unfair
method of competition and a deceptive
practice which violates the General
Statutes.
Now, however, the N. C. Auto Dealers
Association has passed a resolution calling
on Congress to pass a law prohibiting the
altering or resetting of motor vehicle
odometers.
In the past the used car buyer has had
no guarantee that the mileage shown un
the odometer was correct, and he usually
went under the assumption that it was
not.
JENKINS - Now that Bob Morgan is
out of the Governor's race. Dr. Leo W.
Jenkins, the president of East Carolina^
University, says he will reappraise thf
situation in regard to his own candidacy*
It's no secret that Dr. Jenkins has been
bitten by the political bug. Some two
years ago he hadevengone so far as to try
and line up county managers in several
parts of the state. But when Morgan
started making moves toward the
gubernatorial race. Dr. Jenkins, a close
Morgan friend, backed off.
The best bet at this point is that Dr.
Jenkins will make another survey and
then decide that alignments with the
other four candidates for Governor have
been so strongly drawn that he will
decide against the race.
Just One Thing After Another
By Carl Goarrh
Did you know that private funerals
were once prohibited by law in North
Carolina?
An act of the 1715 Assembly required
that every plantation fence a burial place
and that four or five neighbors attend the
funeral and view the corpse before burial.
If one refused, he was fined five shillings.
Any sign of violence to the corpse had
to be reported to officers by those asked
to attend the funeral.
The best road in North Carolina in
1790 was made of plank and connected
Fayetteville and Salisbury.
Football in the state today "ain't what
it used to be" back in the early '80's
when it was played at the University of
North Carolina with one hundred men to
each side.
And what games! Arguments
concerning the games weren't settled by a
referee but by a free ? for - all fight.
Comparatively speaking, football as
played today is a gentle game.
Though the original price at which
Charlotte was bought was a bargain price
- 90 pounds - that city once had streets
of gold.
The first few blocks from the square
on Tryon and Trade streets were at one
time paved with gold - bearing minerals
mined at the old Rudisill Gold Mine in
Mecklenburg County.
Two hundred and seventy ? five of Ihe
300 kinds ut crude drugs grown In ihc
United States are grown in North
Carolina.
The United States had two presidents
in office at one time Grant and Hayes.
North Carolina also once had two
governors in office at one time, Hold en
and Worth. Worth was sworn in on
December 15, 1865 while Holden,
appointed as provisional governor by the
President of the United Slates, served
from December 16 to December 28. On
the latter date the President asked Holden
to vacate his office.
The first constitution adopted in
America was by the Watauga settlement
of 16 families which James Robertson of
Wake County established west of the Blue
Ridge in 1770 This was the first free and
independent government in America.
Though North Carolina claims James
Knox Polk as one of her TIlRKt
presidents, the state gave Henry Clay, a
Whig, a majority of 3,390 over Polk.
If you'll dig into history, you'll find
that very few of our towns carry their
original names, many of them having
been changed several times.
When established in 1783, Wadesboro
was named New Town. Later it became
Newton, the present Newton in Catawba
County at mat time bearing another
name Later it became Wadesborough.
finally modernizing its spelling and
becoming Wadesboro