North Carolina Newspapers

Editorial Comment Ability To Ploy Or Pay? Protective members of the Murpby High School girls basketball team have been ad vised by Coach Sue Reynolds that a basket ball dlnic will be held during the third week at July. "You are required to attend this clinic. The cost to you will be around $10.00," a notice from Miss Reynolds said. It added that the cost of the clinic would be "well worth the money" and reminded prespective players, "once again you are required to allaal" High School athletics should be open to all students on an equal basis. It seems to us that this required clinic at a cost of about $10 would discourage many girls who perhaps couldn't afford the fee. We think this is wrong. We feel that the supposed purpose of high school athletic competition is defeated by this fee system. Membership on a team should be judged by ability to play, not ability to pay. Guarding Against Burgulars The safecracking efforts over the weekend at two Murphy automobile dealerships offer a warning to other businessses with safes. The tear gas bombs that exploded when the safes were tampered with made the robbery attempts unsuccessful. We believe other business men should con sider installing these bombs to greet would be safecrackers. Let the word get around that safes are rigged and adventure in safecracking might not seem like a good adventure. Businessmen can guard against substantial losses, too, by using the night depository at the bank. Removing large sums of money from a business place at the close of a day would be a simple, but effective, deterrent. Let the word get around that there isn't much worth stealing and the effort required will seem not worth the potential haul to would-be burglars. Congratulations! t ? A total of 298 boys and girls in Cherokee and Clay Counties received their high school diplomas this week. We congratulate them and wish them every success in the years ahead. We feel compelled to remind them that graduation is really not an end. It is a be ginning. May it be the start of the life that each one dreams of. We feel certain that as the years go by, each of these 298 graduates will be glad that they stayed in school. Hpyocrisy, Not Federal Intervention, Is Problem (From the Cheraw Chronicle) A good friend whose opinion we respect but cannot agree with tried to convince us recently that the federal government is the Negro's biggest handicap to obtaining first class citizenship in the South. "If the federal government would stop ! tUftpg" to shove integration down our throats i tfcK South would quickly solve its racial difficulties, " he argued. He maintained that the old taboos about integration of schools and public facilities have disappeared down South and the only resistance left is to federal intervention. Some of the points on which we could agree were that the South has abetter chance of solving its racial problems than does the North, and that it is a case of the pot calling the kettle black when the North points an accusing finger southward. There was a time when the absence of federal intervention would have kep the South's racial problem from rising to the surface. But that point in history was passed long before the federal government started "shoving integration down our throats." The civil rights movement was not started by the civil rights bills passed in the 60's. They were this nation's response to the fight for civil rights and racial justice. It is foolish to believe that the struggle would be over if the federal government turned its back on the problem. As bad as the situation has become, it could have been much worse if the nation's leaders showed no concern at all for the plight of the minority race which makes up more than ten per cent of the population. Experience has shown that the white ma jority, north or south of the Mason-Dixon Line, seldom takes any widespread voluntary action on major civil rights guarantees. Major gains by the Negro have come only after action by the legislative or executive branches of the federal government. If, as our friend maintains, the South is ready to accept integration on a volun tary basis, all we have to do to stop federal intervention is to eliminate the conditions which caused this involvement. The theory that federal intervention has caused all our problems is only one of a long list of hypocrisies surrounding race relations in the South as well as the rest of the nation. One of the most common hypocrisies we practice is telling the Negro that the road to full equality has to be earned, when no matter what be wccoritplishes lie' will be judged by the color of his skin. ' - Only in this area of race relations has the North been slightly more progressive than the South. We have failed to make any substantial distinction between Negroes who are responsible, educated, productive, law abiding citizens and those who are ignorant, lazy and lawless. As a nation we have failed to make the kind of distinction that would be an incentive to more Negroes to try to earn a place in the sun. If substantial gains are to be make toward racial peace and Justice, individuals must be Judged by standards other than the color of their skin. The same kind of hypocrisy is found in education and housing. We maintain that the level of Negro education must be raised before elimination of the dual school system can be accomplished. Yet as long as Negroes are taught in inferior schools by inferior- trained teachers, there is little chance of changing the status quo. A Negro family will never be able to prove themselves capable of being good neighbors in a decent neighborhood as long as their choice of housing is limited by tradition. We can hardly expect Negroes to be as prepared to accept skilled jobs and other employment opportunities opening up today when they have been allowed to perform only the most menial tasks for the most part since the days of slavery. To reduce the high crime rate among Negroes will require the eradication of conditions that breed lawlessness among low income groups, regardless of race. Laws alone cannot solve this country's race problems. Legislation will not rid the nation of racial prejudice or the hypo ciry used to justify it. In the final analysis the solution can only be found in the hearts and minds of American citizens. The CHEROKEE ^ POST OFFICE BOX 190 28906 / \ SCOUT and Clay County Pra&ntm MURPHY. NORTH CAROLINA OFFICE# IN MURPHY. N.C. PHONE AREA CODE 704 *37-5122 ESTABLISHED JULV. 1?89 Jock Owens EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Bob Sloan EDITOR IN CHIEF Dave Bruce managing editor Red Schuyler advertising manager Jim Morgan production manager Weaver Corringer studio manager Thomosine Almond .bookkeeper Myra Lunsford typesetter Barbara Waldrup .typesetter Hugh Carringer compositor Published every Thursday a* Church Street, Murphy North Carolina. 28906 Second Class Postoge Paid At Murphy, North Carolina $3.09 One (1) Year In Cherokee, Clay and Graham Coun ties, N.C., ond Nantahalo, N.C.; Towns, Union ond Fannin Countlee, Go., and Polk County, Tenn. ALL OTHER AREAS 1 Year M.00 . 6 Months $3.50 All subscriptions delivered In North Carolina Include the state's three per cent sales ton. TO THE EDITOR You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help small men by tearing down big men. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatreds. You cannot establish security on borrowed money. You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man's initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves. Respectfully yours. If Lincoln were alive today he could not give a better summation of the causes and criticism of the cures of most of our national ailments. . The Editor Around Capitol Square By WILLIAM A. 8 HIKES WCWHOHMmOWScovt Raleigh Bureau XWWMWKM? State Treasurer Edwin Gill carried 97 of the state's 100 counties in his Spring primary bid for nomination on May 4. Earlier reports indicated he carried only 90 or 95, tut a later, official check showed an amasiag W. Not only was this t surprising sweep, it apparently was a feat unequalled by anyone else involved in a major state wide contest in the recent pri maries. Exact count-by-count breakdowns are not yet avail able from the State Board of Elections abstracts although state wide vote totals have been certified. A Gill victory of such pro portions is both impressive and politically significant for a number of reasons. TRIBUTE TO GILL First, it must be regarded as high political tribute to the veteran state treasurer, now 68 years old, and his principles, reputation and experience. He was opposed by a young er man, State Rep. Sneed High of Fayetteville, who also stands tall In state political circles and is identified closely with the Sanford organization. He served as State Revenue Com missioner under former Gov. Terry Sanford and returned to the legislature in 1967. A year ago, High crossed swords will Gill on the floor of the legislature, during a joint session in which Gill asked lawmakers to consider the mat ter of increasing legal interest rates in order to keep state investments competitive. VIGOROUS CAMPAIGN In effect, this was an open ign shot in the vigorous and challenging campaign High wag ed against Gill** He criticized sharply and called for changes in methods and procedures of investing st ate funds, in placing state money on deposit in banks, in admin istration of state retirement funds. He called for more im aginative leadership and advice in various official and ez-officio duties of the State Treasurer, such as chairman of the Banking Commission and a member of the State Board of Education. Gill stood quietly and firmly on the state's financial and fis cal record and pointed to its highest possible (AAA) credit rating for bonds. He said many of High's statementswere scat tershot and erroneous. CLOSE CONTEST PREDICTED Many observers predicted a close contest, feeling that High would offer perhaps the strong est primary challenge to any incumbent member of the Coun cil of State. One reason, of course, was that Gill is a conservative, closely allied to the present middle-of-the road administra tion, and that he was active in offering advice to Gov. Dan Moore in Moore's 1964 cam paign against a Sanford-High Letters To The Editor Dear Mr. bruce, I would like to thank you for the wonderful article you put in the paper about my class. The children were very excited about it. You brought out in the arti cle the very things that I was trying to teach my children. I wanted them to understand that a person is a first class American citizen regardless of the color of his skin. I also wanted them to learn that they must learn to make their own decisions, and not be guided by what their parents have always thought. Another interesting thing a bout the campaign were the par ent's reaction. They said they were beseiged with pleas from the children to find out about all the candidates and then go into the booth and vote. One mother said she felt guilty if she lidn't get up every morning and read all the articles in the paper :oncerning every candidate. She said she even began to agree with some of the things that Dr. Hawkins said. I also want to say how much Eric and I enjoy reading the Scout. I read .the Scout word For word. You have dam a marvelous jab in improving the Scout to the excellent paper it low is. Thank you again for the ?x cellent article. Sincerely, Ida Townsoo Waynesville, N. C. Gentlemen: I have known The "Scout" for more years than I would like to admit. I have never seen it turn into a Hate Sheet for any party, as it has for the Democratic Party during the past two years. Makes me wonder if you are now owned by The "Knoxville Journal". I personally think you should change the name of your paper to "The Republican Scout" and since when did so many out of stater's, know so much about a city, a county, a state, as do your five top toys. Yours very truly, O. A. Anderson -Cleveland, Tenn. (Editor's Note; Mr. Anderson enclosed a copy of the Scout masthead with the names of the "five top toys" numbered ac cordingly. All of these men, except Bob Sloan, have been residents of Cherokee County since the year listed after etch name; Jack Owens, 1951; Dave Bruce, 1964; RedSchuyler, 1938; and Jim Morgan, 1950. Bob Sloan was torn in Macon Co unty in 1917 and Is living today in the bouse in which he was torn,) Preyer people never forgot that Gill lacked Moore with a pre diction of a large general fund surplus in 1364 at a time when the Sanford administration was saying there would be no ap preciable surplus available io. carry out Moore's promise^ < across-the-board salary inc reases for state employes. Neither did High and his sup porters feel that incumbents on the Council of State are -- or should be -- politically im pregnable. They reached that Gill was vulnerable, but this reasoning ? thus far, at least ? backfired. LOSES THREE COUNTIES It appeares from a still un plished county-by-county list ing that Gill carried all but three counties ? Cumberland, Hoke, and Madison. Cumberland is High's home county and Hoke adjoins Cum berland and lies in the same judicial district. Madison, as is often the case, is a mystery. Gill's largest margins precent agewise, were in a couple of the other western counties, Chero kee and Clay, and he carried aU of the state's big popula tion counties with the except ion of Cumberland. Gill was appointed treasurer by the late Gov. William B. Um stead in July, 1953. He was elected to the office the next year, and won successive four year terms in 1956, 1960 and 1964. OTHER BIG WINS It is expected that when county by county lists are complete, figures will show that Sen. Sam J. ErvinJr.andperhapsLt.Gov H. P. (Pat) Taylor Jr., carried as many or more counties. But neither had an opponent of the political stature and experi ence. Ervin, with three primary op ponents, polled 499,392 of 638, 237 votes cast in the U. S. Sen ate column by Democrats. It is believed he carried every county, although this may be subject to revision. A Voice In Til* Wilderness The plight of the stray ani mal is both pitiful and unnec essary. It behooves any per son of Christian intent to aid these cats and dogs so mer cilessly thrown out on their own. Anyone who has exper ienced the deep satisfaction of rehabilitating one of these un fortunate animals will know the appreciation and love they give in return. How can anyone be content with a full stomach when right outside his door is one starving, both for food and af fection? Let us give to our brothers in animal bodies and receive the blessing ourselv es that giving creates. Student Intern Appointed Thomas C. Posey, a social science major at Western Car olina University, has been app ointed to a student internship in resource development with the Upper H law as see Develop ment Association. His appointment was an nounced by Association Presi dent R.D. Bruce ol Murphy. The internship is sponsored by the Resource Development Pro ject of the Southern Regional Education Board and financed by a grant from the Tennessee Valley Authority. For 12 weeks, the intern will work closely with local REA development personnel. His task will be to survey job op portunities in the five- county area with particular attention to the need for skilled services. He will work under the dir ection of a project committee consisting of John Ramsay of Brasstown, chairman; Dr. Cli fford Lovin of Western Carol ina University and Jerry Far ley of TVA. Card Of Thanks The family of Mrs. Mildred Laney acknowledges with deep appreciation the numerous ex pressions of kindness shown them by their many friends dur ing the death of their loved one. Pat Laney and Family HI UhU WALL TO WALL CARPET DIRECT FACTORY TO Y00 PRICES ? We Have All Types Carpet Consisting of, Dupont 501 Nylon - Herculon - Kodel Acvylan - and Modacrylic. We have A Complete Line of Pad We do Our Own Installation CallUs For Free Estimate - Day or Night WE HAVE A COMPLETE STOCK OF THROW RUGS. OPEN MON. - SAT. 8:00 A.M. TILL 6.00P.M LOCATED 4 MILES EAST OF MURPHY IN PEACHTREE COMMUNITY Palmer & Cook Discount Store Highway 64 East - Murphy, N. C. Phone 837-2044 11 x14 portrait PHOTOGRAPHER'S HOURS: oo PLUS 40c HANDLING CHARGE 3 Days Only! Tue.-Wed.-Thur. June 4-5-6 10 AM- 1 PM; 2 PM-5 PM DAILY Wed. 10 A.M. - 12 Noon Any child photographed ? choose your Big 11*14 portrait from several expressive poses in a few days portraits delivered to you in this store ? Groups Si 00 per extra child. COLLINS - CRAIN DEPARTMENT STORE Murphy, Two good reasons why so many other-make owners moved to Ford Country: Our cars. And our deals! MUSTANG HARDTOP Mustang Hardtop- famous for starting a new trend in cars. Sleek," sporty styling. Luxurious standard equipment in a class by itself. Bucket seats. All-vinyl interior. Full carpeting. Three -on-the-lloor stick shift Great options include three V-8's. Hardtop, lastback, convertible ? and the hardtop carries the lowest pric? tag. Get tha original! See the light. The switch is on. ..to Ford. BURCH MOTORS 'M phone 837-2121 Dwl?r No. 698 Murphy, N. C.