The Alleghany Times
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DEVOTED TO THE CIVIC, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ALLEGHAN Y COUNTY
Volume 9.
SPARTA, NORTH CAROLINA,THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 1934.
4 PAGES
Number 44.
This Week
In Washington
Washington, Mar. 20 (AS).—
The popular expression nowadays
■when two political observers meel
—and everybody in Washingtor
is either a politician or a politi
cal observer—is "Well, tht
honeymoon’s over.” The refer
ence is, of course, to the love
feast in which the President,
Congress, business, industry, agri
culture, labor and all the other
elements of the American popu
lation have been sitting together
for the past year. And what is
implied in the phrase is that Mr.
Roosevelt is not so likely to have
everything his own way from now
on. He probably will get most
everything he goes after, for an
other year or so to come; but
he will have to fight for what he
gets or much of it.
Tiiere is, as yet, no effective
organized opposition, either with
in or without the Democratic
party; nothing whatever that can
be called organization among the
Republicans, who are in a good
deal of a mixup among them
selves as to what policy to pur
sue or -Whether to sit tight and
await developments. But there
are many minor manifestations
of dissatisfaction, some of which
contain the seeds of future
trouble for the Administration.
First Serious Stumble
Mr. Roosevelt, however, is, an
adept at meeting trouble. The
most serious trouble that he has
faced thus far is the uproar over
the cancellation of the air mail
contracts and the effort to carry
on the air mail by the use of the
Army’s planes and flyers.
The death of ten young Army
men in the first two weeks, and
the doubt as to whether there
had been sound ground for the
barring of commercial companies
from the mail routes aroused a
storm of protest here among
Democrats as well as Republicans,
which the President met by or
dering mail-carrying by the
Army suspended except under the
most favorable conditions and
starting the machinery for the
restoration of the air-mail ser
vices to commercial companies
equiped and manned to per
form.
Wo better proof coum De ad
duced of the President’s political
acumen than the appointment of
Col. Lindbergh on the Committee
to investigate the whole subject
of army and commercial aviation.
Outcome—Better Service
One outcome of the whole air
mail matter is to force into the
consciousness of the American
people and of many in Washing
ton who did not understand the
facts, that the Government’s air
■services ^re away behind those
of commercial companies, in
speed, quality and equipment of
planes and in the skill of their
aviators. This is the result of
several factors, one of them being
the fact, of course, that Army
and Navy fliers are trained for
only one thing, which is war;
and a fighting plane is not in
tended to carry cargo or pas
sengers or to make scheduled
flights “blind” at night.
Another important factor, how
ever, is the Governmental idea,
which applies to everything any
Government does, of “standing
pat” on fixed ideas and designs
for everything. So Army planes
are equipped with engines which
were discarded as inefficient by
commercial concerns several years
ago, built to designs which make
speed impossible. And the Army
fliers are still getting the same
sort of training they got during
the waT.
The Promised Veto
There is a general feeling here
that the President’s promise to
veto any bill for increasing pay
ments to veterans will not have
a very serious reaction on his
political popularity. Congress will
pass such a bill, because it seems
necessary to a good many Con
gressmen to go on record in
favor of it, if they want to be
re-elected—as all of them do.
But it is believed here that there
is a strong public sentiment
against this particular form of
Government extravagance.
Even the President’s closest
friends concede that he will not
have such a unanimous Congress
next year, mere win ue a. guuu
many' Republicans elected to suc
ceed Democrats next November.
There does not seem to be any
sign at this time, however, that
there will not be a comfortable
Democratic maority in the House
and Senate—unless something un
foreseeable happens between now
and election. And the President’s
dominance is so great that he can
afford to lose a good deal of his
ascendancy and still be in full
control of public affairs.
There is a growing belief that
the President is not so greatly
influenced by some of his radical
advisers as had been supposed,
but on the contrary is genuinely
concerned with maintaining the
(continued on page 2)
Incorporate New
“Co-Op” To Serve
Fanners Of State
Organization Will Absorb
Functions Of Three Pur
chasing Agencies Which
Are Now Operating
Raleigh, Mar. 20.—The Farm
ers Cooperative Exchange, a
State-wide cooperative organiza
tion which was incorporated here
last week with an authorized
capital stock of half a million dol
lars, will be in active operation
by May 1, according to M. G.
Mann, general manager.
The new organization will take
over the functions of the three
purchasing organizations that
have been operating in the State
—the Cotton Growers Supply
Company, of Raleigh, the Pro
ducers Mutual Exchange, of Dur
ham, and the Southern States
Cooperative.
The initial working capital will
be furnished by these three or
ganizations and it is expected
that additional capital will be
secured through the Farm Credit
Administration’s Bank for Co
operatives at Columbia, S. C.
The new cooperative, the ser
vices of which will be available
to every one of the State’s more
than 275,000 farmers, will serve
as a cooperative purchasing med
ium for feeds, seeds and fertiliz
ers and other farm supplies and
equipment, and will also provide
a cooperative marketing outlet
for poultry, eggs, and livestock
and for crops not now handled
by commodity cooperatives.
Under the plan local distribut
ing points will be set up all over
the State—probably one or more
to a county—and the organization
will operate on a cost basis with
patronage dividends being paid
back to members.
Although comparatively new in
in the South, the idea of co
operative purchasing has been
successfully practiced by North
ern and Western farmers for
some time.
The Farmers’ Cooperative Ex
change is patterned after the
Grange League Federation of
New York State which has been
in successful operation for 10
years and which does an annual
business of more than $30,000,
000.
Leaders of farm life in the
State have unanimously endorsed
the cooperative, pointing out that
it will eliminate competition, pass
on to farmers the benefits of
large scale buying and tie togeth
er more closely the various agenc
ies dealing with farm betterment.
W. W. Eagles, of Macclesfield,
is president, and Dudley Bagley,
of Moyock, vice-president of the
cooperative. E. S. Vanatta, of
University Station, is secretary
treasurer, and B. W. Haigh, of
Raleigh, is assistant secretary
treasurer.
The directors are: U. Benton
Blalock, Raleigh; C. W. Tilson,
Durham; W. E. Funderburk, Mon
roe;, J. W. Albritton, Calypso;
and J. W. McCorkle, Kemers
ville.
INCOME TAXES IN STATE
FOR 1933 SHOW DROP
Raleigh, Mar. 20.—Income tax
collections in North Carolina for
1933 were approximately $2,000,
000 below the previous year,
according to an announcement
issued yesterday by Commissioner
of Revenue A. J. Maxwell. It
was pointed out that the drop
in the collections was due to the
decreased earnings of tobacco
companies in the state.
The income tax collections
through March 17 were $433,
312.15 lower than those for the
same period last year.
Maxwell explained that the re
duction in income taxes from the
tobacco companies had been par
tially off-set by increases from
other sources.
The diminished income receipts
have about blasted hopes for a
surplus in the state general fund.
Hope for salary increases for
state employees in the near fut
ure were also smashed.
It has been estimatd that the
1933 income tax would yield the
state around $6,500,000.
Maxwell said that although the
reduction in revenue from the
tobacco companies was estimat
ed at $2,000,000, the total in
come tax would‘probably be less
than the $6,600,000 anticipated.
Doughton Opposes
House Silver Bill
Wa&hingtonj Mar. 20.—With
the exception of Representative
Doughton, the North Carolina
i delegation presented an unbroken
r front in approval of the Dies
silver bill which passed the
House yesterday. Representative
Doughton explained his vote in
opposition to the bill with 'a
statement that he has confidential
and definite information that the
President is opposed to the meas
ure, and that the administration
believes its passage will inter
fere with the recovery program.
Doughton said the “ayes” that
passed the bill in the House were
“a mere gesture.”
The North Carolina delegation
voted solidly for the Bankhead
cotton control bill, which was
passed by the House yesterday,
also. The passage of this bill
augid& well for the Kerr measure,
which would impose a similar tax
on above-quota tobacco.
Higgins Will Not
Be Candidate For
Solicitor Again
Reidsville Attorney Is First
To Announce Intention
Of Seeking Office. Other
Names Mentioned
Attorney Carlisle Higgins, Sparta,
Solicitor of the eleventh judicial
district of North Carolina, has
announced that he will not en
ter his name as a candidate to
succeed himself. So far as is
known, only one candidacy for
the office has been announced,
that of Allen H. Gwyn, widely
known Reidsvill'e attorney, who
made known Saturday night the
fact that he is seeking to become
Solicitor Higgins’ successor. At
torney Gwyn announced his can
didacy as subject to the Demo
cratic primary to be held in
June The fact that no other
candidacy ha.s been announced is
believed to have been brought
about by others waiting for
Solicitor Higgins to make the
first move. Solicitor Higgins was
elected to succeed Solicitor S.
Porter Graves, who served the
district for a quarter of a cen
tury.
The Solicitor declined to dis
cuss the accepted fact that he is
to be named to succeed J. R.
McCrary as United States Dis
trict Attorney for the middle
district of North Carolina. Mc
Crary has tendered his resig
nation to become effective June
30. Those who are familiar with
the inside plans of the party are
of the opinion that if Solicitor
Higgins is appointed District At
torney that Attorney Gwyn will
be named to take his place. His
term does not expire until Decem
ber and Governor Ehringhaus, in
case of his appointment to the
Federal office, would appoint
someone to succeed him on July
-1, when he would begin his work
as District Attorney.
During the past several weeks,
a number of names have been
mentioned as possible candidates
for the solicitorship. In addition
to Gwyn, J. M. Sharpe, Reids
ville, and Felix L. Webster,
Winston-Salem, have been spoken
of in this connection.
EXECUTION OF NEGRO IS
OPPOSED BY PLAYWRIGHT
Chapel Hill, Mar. 20.—Paul
Green, noted playwright, said
here recently that if Spice Bit
j tings goes to the electric chair
without any more effort to save
his life, it will simply mean an
other black mark against the
state of North Carolina, already
marked by two executions Fri
day.
Bittings, convicted of killing
bis white landlord in Person
county, has been sentenced to
death.
Green, who interested himself
in the Negro’s case even before
he saw its parallel to the plight
of Abraham McCrannie, hero of
Green's Pulitzer prize-winning
play, “In Abraham’s Bosom,” is
heading a defense committee of
prominent white and Negro lead
ers.
Green said he and Professor
Phillups Russell would appear
before Parole Commissioner Ed
win Gilt and Governor Ehring
haus to intercede for the Negro.
Lindbergh in Washington for Air Conference
m
Upon the invitation of Secretary of War, George H. Dern,
Colonel Charles Lindbergh came to Washington to confer with the
Secretary concerning army aviation matters and also the airmail
flying, it was reported. Photo shows Secretary Dern greeting
Colonel Lindbergh when the tall flyer arrived at the Army building,
hatless and without overcoat.
Judge Delivers Solemn Discourse
Before Sentencing Negro To Death
Tells George Keaton He Should Seek Mercy Of
Omnipotent Judge, Whose Laws He Has Offended
“God grant that the example
of your punishment be a solemn
warning to all, and especially to
the youth of both white and col
ored races. May it bring home
to all the certain assurance that
there is no sin without its wages,
that there is 1^0 vice without its
penalties, just ‘as there is no
virtue without its reward.”
This excerpt is from the talk
made by Judge Felix E. Alley in
Forsyth superior court Sat. after
noon, just before he pronounced
the death sentence upon George
Keaton, Negro, found guilty of
killing Annie Lee Thigpen, young
Negro high school girl. Hi.s talk
was heard by a crowd that taxed
the court room to capacity. The
life of Keaton is to be ended
in the electric chair on April
27, 1934, between 6 a. m. and
3 p. m., according to the sen
tence pronounced by Judge Alley.
Silence that one usually observes
around the dead was conspicuous
during Judee Alley’s talk.
James Brown, Negro, convict
ed of burglary, was also sen
tenced to give his life. This
judgment was entered immediate
ly following the one pronounced
upon Keaton.
The full text of Judge Alley’s
talk preceding the sentence of
Keaton, made immediately prior
to the adjournment of court, and
postponed until the last minute
because of his sincere dislike for
the task he must perform, fol
lowed the citation of the case—
State vs. George Keaton. He
said.'
The law has imposed upon me
a duty unspeakably painful—
that of pronouncing the sentence
of death against a fellow mor
tal—an utter stranger to me and
a member of a different race,
but who, as a citizen of our
state, is amenable to its law.
At all times and under all
circumstances, a feeling of in
describable solemnity attends the
utterance of the stem voice of
that retributive justice that con
signs a fellow being to an un
timely and ignominious death
against the crime of willful and
deliberate murder; a crime at
which humanity itself shudders
and recoils; a crime everywhere
regarded with deepest abhorrence,
the law has denounced its sever
est penalty—death by electro
cution.
On the afternoon of the 19th
day of January, 1933, according
to the evidence introduced at
your trial, without the semblance
of justification or mitigation or
excuse, you shot and killed An
nie Lee Thigpen in the presence
of two of her schoolmates while
she, innocent and unoffending,
was’ returning from school to her
home. According to the evi
dence, without a moment’s warn
ing, and without giving her a
moment’s-time to send a last fare
well to her family and friends,
or to utter a parting prayer, you
sent crashing through her body
the swift and cruel messenger of
death; and as she fell, mingling
with the report of your deadly
pistol as it echped through the
streets, was her piteous pray, r
for mercy, which you refused to
hear. Human aid and medical
skill- could not save her, and on
the morning of the 2nd of March,
1933, faster than the fleeting
shadow of the -swiftest wing;
faster than the passago through
space of the rays of light, thrown
by the .strong arm of the new
born morning, and fleeter of
foot than the lightning’s steeds,
the spirit -of Annie Lee Thigpen
took its flight into the mysterious
realm-s of the great unknown.
At a former term of this
court, a grrand jury of Forsyth
county indicted you for this
heartless crime. Upon this in
dictment you were duly arraign
ed and thereunto pleaded not
guilty. You have been tried by
a fair and impartial jury of your
county. I have endeavored to
give you as fair a trial as I
know how to conduct; and in
your tri-al you have had the as
sistance of counsel able, learned,
eloquent, and zealous in youi
defense.
You have been convicted by the
verdict of an impartial jury of
the highest crime known to our
law. You have now been brought
into this court to receive the
judgment of the law and the
solicitor for the state has prayed
that the court now proceed to
judgment. What reasons have
you now to show, George Kea
ton why the sentence of death
shall not be pronounced against
you according to law?
God grant that the example of
your punishment may be a sol
emn warning to all, and espec
ially to the youth of both the
white and colored races. May it
impress deeply upon the minds
of all the salutary lessons it is
intended to teach; to guard
against the indulgence of every
unhallowed and vindictive pas
sion; to resist temptation to any
and every selfish, sordid, and wick
ed purpose; to listen to the warn
ings of conscience and yield to
the plain dictater- of duty; and
while they instinctively shrink
with abhorrence from the first
thought of assailing the life of
another, may they learn to .rev
erence the law6 of God and soc
iety, designed for the, protection
of their own lives. May it bring
home to all the certain assur
ance that there is no sin without
its wages.; that there is no vice
without its penalties, just as
there is no virtue without its
reward.
It is -said that the object of
criminal law is two-fold; It seeks
to prevent crime by punishing
the guilty so that thereby the
offender himself may be reform
ed and also that by the example
(continued on back page)
i Supplementary Gym
Projects Approved
Attorney Sidney Gambill, C. A.
Miles, local CWA Administrator,
Prof. Charles R. Roe, principal
of Sparta high school, and J. E.
Joines, Sparta, and L. K. Hal
sey, Piney Creek, were visitors
in Raleigh from Sunday to Tues
day. While in the capital city
they obtained approval of supple
ment projects for both the Sparta
and Piney Creek gymnasiums,
which are now being constructed
under the CWA program.
The supplements call for an
1 additional expenditure of more
j than $5,000 on each of the gym
nasiums. Each of the buildings
will be brick-veneered and the
flooring is to be of maple. As
originally planned, the buildings
would have been left with rough
floors and metal siding.
I Wilkes Resident
Dies As Result Of
Automobile Crash
Coupe Driven By Lonnie
Busic, Galax, Collides
With “Pick-Up” Car In
North Wilkesboro
Mack Felts, 27, resident of
the Hays community, near North
Wilkesboro, died Monday morn-,
ing at 4:30 o’clock in a hospital
in North Wilkesboro as a result;
of injuries received in an auto- j
mobile accident Saturday night
in that city when the light “pick
up” car he was driving collided
with a coupe driven by Lonnie
Busic, of Galax, son of J. F.
Busic, of Piney Creek, Alle
ghany ccunty. The collision
took place at the intersection of
Main and Sixth streets. A skullj
fracture and internal injuries
were said to be the causes of I
Felts’ death.
The truck is said to have been
knocked from the street into th
side of a grocery store, throwing
the occupants to the pavement.
Mrs. Felts sustained severe in
juries and wras badly lacerated
but chances for her recovery are
thought to be favorable. Ervin
Vinchett, Raymond Hayes and
Levi Hutchinson, the other oc
cupants of the truck were also
painfully injured. The coupe
was occupied, it is said, in ad
dition to Busic, by Nancy Busic
and Beulah Parsons, North Wil
kesboro, and Hale Halsey, also
of Galax, none of whom ware
injured.
Busic was arrested by Patrol
man R. I. Moore but was releas
ed Sunday uder bond of $1,000.
Felts was a son of Mr. and
Mrs. Jl N. Felts, of Hays. In
addition to his parents, he is
survived by the widow, Mrs. Wil
lie Felt.s, and the following
brothers and sisters: Tom, Bruce
and Oscar Felts, Mrs. Monroe
Myers, and Misses Dorothy and
Hazel Felts, of Hays, and Mrs.
E. M. Lowe, of Saxapahaw.
Funeral services for the de
ceased were conducted at Moun
tain View church Tuesday.
Dry Law’s Support
In State Is Urged
Raleigh, Mar. 20.-—'The United
Dry Forces of North Carolina
which recently formed a per
manent state organization with
Dr. William Louis Poteat, presi
dent emeritus of Wake Forest
College as president, today adopt
ed a resolution appealing to all
voters, regardless of political af
filiation, to cast their votes only
for those candidates known to
favor retention, strengthening
and enforcement of the prohibit
ion laws of this state.
The meeting also adopted reso
lutions of respect for Dr. James
A. Campbell, dry leader, who died
Sunday.
Members of the board of trus
tees from mountain and seashore
counties were here for the first
meeting, and their reports indi
cated that most of the state’s
counties have perfected perman
ent organizations and begun
campaigns in behalf of prohibit
ion and temperance.
A tentative budget calling for
annual expenditures of $10,917
was adopted. The greater portion
of this fund will be used to
finance an educational program
stressing the evils of alcohol and
Intemperance which will be
launched at an early date.
Easter Sunday To
Bring End Of All
CWA Employment
Relief Activities To Be
! Carried On Under Presi
dent Roosevelt’s New
Three-Point Program
Washington, Mar. 20—Easter
Sunday, April 1, will mark the
cessation of an emergency pro
gram through which the Roose
velt administration provided nec
; cssities of life to millions of
Americans for almost a year at
j a cost of more than $1,000,000,
000. Relief workers will no
longer be Federal employees after
April 1. They will receive bene
fits through local sources under
i President Roosevelt's new three
point, long term relief policy,
which has been underwritten by
' Congress with a $950,000,000
appropriation.
Civil works, through which the
government fed, clothed and hous
ed 4,000,000 Americans during
the winter months, no longer will
exist. The CWA ranks will have
been reduced by approximately
2.500.000 persons.
Federal pay checks will be dis
pensed with. Approximately 1,
500.000 persons who will sur
vive the CWA demobilization will
receive a minimum wage of 30
cents an hour for work from of
ficials of the particular com
munity, or county, in which they
live.
1 he federal government will
continue to contribute resources
to aid the unemployed and desti
tute, but its activities will be
supervisory rather than direct.
The President's three-fold re
lief program was conceived on
a long-time planning rather than
emergency basis. Under its term9,
states, cities and counties will
administer aid on the basis of
need under the following inter
pretation by Federal Emergency
Relief Administrator Harry L.
Hopkins:
“A person in need is one who
has no resources, with no member
of his family employed, and who,
unless he gets a job, cannot nay
his rent or buy food.”
The President’s new policy will
benefit these groups:
1. Needy city dwellers.
2. Farmers.
3. Families “stranded” in single
industry communities.
GREENSBORO MAN SUPPORTS
SALES TAX IN THIS STATE
Durham, Mar. 20.—Candidates
for the 1935 General Assembly
who oppose the state -sales tax
must find something as feasible
to take its place, George P.
Geoghehan Jr,, of Greensboro,
chairman of the legislative com
mittee of the North Carolina
Real Estate Board, told board
members meeting here this after
noon.
“A workable system as ade
quate as the sales tax must be
suggested before we can dispense
with it,” he said.
He added that the three per
cent. levy kept North Carolina’s
schools open and dragged the
state out of the depression.
'Many bring their clothes to church instead
of themselves."
MARCH
19— William Jennings Bryan,
political leader,born 1880.
20— “Uncle Tom’s Cabin" ap
pears in book form, 1852.
I Paris/
22—Germans fire on Paris
with 75-mile guns, 1918.
23—Philippine Aguinaldo sur
renders to Funston, 1901.
SjtfSSL, 24—Indians sell Rhode hland
for801bs.onead.1638.
2S~ ‘Full Dinner Pair* be
comes Republican S)m>
bol, 1900.
•WHO