fage 2
THE KINGS MOUNTAIN HERALD. KINGS MOUNTAIN, N. C.
Thursday, March 2, 1972
Established 1889
The Kings Mountain Herald
206 South Piedmont Ave. Kings Mountain, N. C. 28088
A weekly newspa.per devoted lo the promotion of the general welfare and published
for the enlightenment, entertainmnt and benefit cf the citizens of Kings Mountain
and its vicinity, published every Thursday by the Herald Publishing House.
Entered as second class matter at the post office at Kings Mountain, N. C., 28086
under Act of Congress of March 3, 1873.
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
Martin Harmon Editor-Publisher
Miss Elizabeth Stewart Circulation Manager and Society Editor
Gary Stewart » Sports Editor, News
Miss Debbie Thornburg Clerk, Bookkeeper
Paul Jackson
Herbert M. Hunter
MECHANICAL DEPARTMENT
Ray Parker Allen Myerg
Rooky Martin Roger Elrown
• On Leave With The United States Army
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TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE
A soft junsu'rr tunwtii tiu\iy u-rotti: hut grievous words stir up anger. Proverbs 15; 1.
Hairline of Difference
How tough is too tough and how
much bending is too much bending?
The recent student battle at Kings
Mountain High School poses the ques
tion of the hairline of difference — be
tween the cruel martinet policy and the
policy of licen.se.
Students say the trouble was 90
percent racially inspired, a local civil
war between the black man and the
white man.
Principal causes of the I’acial ori-
gin:
1) Parental attitudes on race, e.x-
pressed at the high school by their chil
dren of both races.
2) Inter-racial dating, generally
colored boys dating white girls. The
white boys don’t like it, nor do the color
ed girls, breeding built-in emotional
trouble—and a matter quite legitimate
under federal law, without the province
of school faculty and administration, a
matter of parental menage initially, but
finally and conclusively the province of
the emotional tastes of the respective
boys and girls.
3) Principal J. C. Atkinson, the con
census seems to be, has leaned too far
to the easy side in w'hat some interpret
as a "peace-'at-any-price” policy, so con
tended by students on both sides of the
Atkinson equation, by some faculty
members, and by Mrs. Martha H. Ware,
a substitute teacher, who contends she
was unsupported by Mr. Atkinson when
she took the deck of cards of students
gambling" in her class. Mrs. Ware says
she saw the players passing money and
has been black-balled as a substitute
teacher since she wrote a letter to the
editor published in the Kings Mountain
Mirror. There is a time and place for all
recreations ~ or almost all — but the
classroom is no place for card-playing,
gambling or not.
Blame must accrue to Mr. Atkinson,
if the charges aie correct, and in turn
to Superintendent of Schools Don Jones
and finally rests with the board of edu
cation. A particular case in point was
the action on the student protest of the
playing of “Dixie” by the high school
band. There was a student protest, too,
against the non-playing of “Dixie”. But
the boai’d of education honored the an-
ti-“Dixie’’ group, largely Negroid, when
population of the school approximates
77 percent White and 23 percent Negro
today and was similar when the “Dixie”
business blew many months ago.
But the percentages are relatively
unimportant. This was a matter of prin
ciple, and high time the board of educa
tion said, “Excuse me.” The Herald posi
tion at the time: Play “Dixie”, the folk
tune embraced by the Civil War soldiers
in gray, AND the “Battle Hymn of the
Republic”, the hymn embraced by Civil
War soldiers in blue. Both songs pre
dated the Civil War. “Dixie” was re
cently upheld for what it is by a federal
court. While “Battle Hymn of the Re
public” has not been tested in the courts,
it is most reasonable to assume that the
decision would be the same.
In view of the recent unpleasantness
and the subsequent meeting of more
than 200 concerned parents, the board
of education would do well to hold a
public hearing and invite any and all to
air their thinking to solving a problem
fired by prejudice and fanned by stupid
ity. The Herald likes the statement of
the parent of a high schooler who said.
“I love everybody.”
Examination of histoi-y is worth
while, not for the superfluous detail of
dates of battles, political results and
other adenda, but only if the history
points a way to avoid the pitfalls of the
past and to eliminate past mistakes to-
aay and tomorrow.
It is thus no time for recrimination
ibout the past but high time for all cit
izens—black, white, red brown or yel
low—^to return to sanity. In the recent
incident, Kings Mountain has been luc
ky. There were some painful injurie.s,
but none sufficient to require more
'’n first aid treatment. Somebody
d have been dead.
"^he "get tough’’ policy just inaugu-
Not Signing
The state’s crop of new cters, in
the IS to 20 age group, are no "ushing
to register, at least not in this area of
this state.
At last count, only about 250 had
put their names on the books in Cleve
land, and only about 400 in Gaston
where, Mrs. Robert Query, secretary to
the elections board, says the potential
is 7000.
Mrs. Sam Hair, secretary to the
Mecklenburg board, has reported the
same seeming disinterest.
Of course, there’s plenty of time
until April 7.
Governor candidate Pat Taylor re
plied to a question on the subject here
Wednesday; “It varys over the state,
Where the registrars visit the high
school, the youth registration is good.
Where the registrars do not, the regis
tration is poor.”
Voting remains a right, a privilege,
a prerogative. Indeed to cast or not to
cast is the province of the eligible vot
er. But he isn’t even eligible until ho
registers.
The Nixon Trip
What will be the result (s) of the
Nixon trip to China, off-limits since 1949
and the Communist take-over, as the
United States has been off-limits to citi
zens of mainland China, before Red
China’s admission to the United Nations
last year.
The few tangibles are mutual ad
mission of athletic teams, newsmen, and
limited travel between the two countries.
Dropping' of some trade barriers is in
dicated and to be further explored.
The Nixon contribution is the state
ment that the Nationalist Chinese and
Red Chinese will be left to settle their
own differences, which is earning the
President the charge of “sell-out.”
Further results must await the pas
sage of time, as perhaps Mr. Ni.xon and
Mr. Chou En Lai would say themselves,
were complete frankness the order of
the day.
On the matter of “sell-out”, which
to all intents and pui’poses it is, the
Nixon policy is realistic. Chiang Kai-
Shek’s role as spokesman for China
ended with the Red talr?-over in 1949.
He has spoken for 12 million Chinese
refugees on Taiwan, wliile the Red re
gime has spoken for the 700 to 800 mil
lion Chinese on the mainland.
The good offices of the United
States, after World War II, were used
in an effort to marry tiie two Chinese
factions. General George Marshall tried
and failed. General Albert Wedemeyer
made the final effort, returned with the
report: a pox on both their houses.
Nationalist China has been sustain
ed monetarily by the United States ever
since, and presumably the “sell-out”
will not include a cut-off of the mone
tary aid the Taiwan Chinese receive.
Othenvise, President Nixon must be
given credit for having mastet%d ele
mental addition and mathematical com
parison.
Eight hundred million vs a dozen
million.
Who speaks for China?
Nothing of importance may be gain
ed by the trek to the Orient, but there
was not much to lose.
Lalon Franks
His many friends w'cre shocked at
the death, at 4.5, of Lalon Lee Franks,
veteran postman.
Few knew that he suffered from
emphysema, a severe and incurable res
piratory illness.
Jlr. Franks w'as unassuming, quiet
ly friendly, a postal employee who
knew what the “service” portion of post
al service meant.
rated may have come late.
But it remains much lietter to be
late than never to annve.
There is no substitute for disci-
piJine.
MARTIN S Viewpoints of Other Editors
MEDICINE
By MAB'HN HARMON
THE TIME OF
PEACEMAKING
President Nixon and hi.s crit
ics iron' the Demo.’rutic party
The subject for today is school no^v \ igorously en gaged with
discipline.. .in the lighter vein. other where legitimate crit
icism ceases and aid to tlie enemy
m-m begins, and this is an argument
we would prefer to keep out of
because it is pure politics.
Their elders won’t admit it to
their children but virtu.ally all
will recall that the pattern of Abcut all we realiy want to
tixlay lias not changed ikaui ye.s- say on the politics or the matter
teryear. Students to not wait.
They give the teacher an e.xamin-
ation on the first day of .school.
The test is; who’s gonna be boss,
us or you. It the answer is "us'
tlie teacher is headed for an un
happy, frustrating .vear in which
he will impart iittle knowledge
into the collcetive and individual
crania ol "us”. Happily lor D,.iit
teachers and "us”, teacher usual
ly passes that first-day te.st.
mm
B. N. Barnes, the former school
superintendent, was graduated
from Wake Forest College in 1926
and was tendered the principal-
ship of a rural school in liis h-me
county of Robeson. There w.is a
rat.her large Joker in the de:k.
Tile soil., d liad aeeti subject to
the ministrations of no lo.s.s than
■three principals the previous year.
The first one lasted only a few
weeks, and the second infoimeti
his supeiio.-^ he would NOT re
peat NOT be returning following
the Christmas holidays. The thir.d
had more intestinal fortitude. He
would complete the term but lie
would NOr repeat NOT be re
turning in the autumn of '26. Mr.
Barnes related, "Don't guess 1
would have been ojlered the Job
except that the .school committee
was desperate and I was courting
the chairman’s daughter. Well, I
needed a Job and accepted the
offer.”
m-m
Somebody erroneously spread
the report that Bhanson Barnes
had been a mem'oer of the Wake
Forest boxin-g team. "I’d done a
little intra-mural bo.xing,” Mr.
Barnes recalled' wi: h a chuckle,
"out nothing akin to what it re
quired to make the varsity.”
Even this help didn't save Mr.
Barnes the test. In that day, a
principal taught several classes
in aciditicn to attending to ad-
ministeative duties. On .the sec
ond day, tlie Principal was sum
moned out of cla.ss for a princi
pal's chore. He returned to find
the class in bedlam and an eras
er war in progress. He picked cut
the lad he gue.ssed to be the
ring-leader, grabbed him by the
scruff of the n,eck, acquired a
paddle, spread the lad across the
desk and made the boy’s sitting
arrangements painful for a few
days. "You know,'' he said, “those
boys got interested in cleaning
up the .school grounds for an ath
letic field, and the}’ became my
best friends.” Mr. Barnes had
passed the test.
m-m
Don Jones was talking Wednes
day about the different methods
of discipline. An Asheville teach
er in liis high schoul had a funny
pupil. The boy, sitting on the
back row, was play-acting a fish
erman. The arm went back and
the line was cast. Then, as the
boy reeli*d in his imaginary
(at-^h, his right leg moved sky
ward. The tcac-her said nothing
as he slc-wly meandered back to
the fisherman. The lad cast a-
gain, rt‘eled_ in, right leg chas
ing ozone, arfd landed his catch.
Abreast thi; fisherman, the teach
er grabbed the imaginary fish,
unhooked it, and droped the ima
ginary catch into liis side p.ocket.
'Thi' teacher had passed his te.st.
is that the Democratic would be
deprived of a useful political
weapon if Mr. Nixon conid per
suade public opinion that it is
treasonable to criticize his elglit-
p.int peace plan, and President
Nixon would be deprived of a
useful political weapon if the
Democrats could perscade public
opinion that he is not .sincere in
trying to make peace.
This is, on both sides, a mat
ter of political weaponeering. The
readiness of both to reach for
blunt instruments is in itself evi
dence of how close the politicians
seem to think the election may
'ce. If Mr. Nixon were sure of an
easy win he could efferd to relax
take the political highroad, and
v!i tuail> esciiew the treason wea
pon. If file Democrats were sure
of an easy win tliey would avoid
any implication that the presi
dent might be playing politics
with peace. O'ovouiousiy, neither
side at this stage is confident
enough to be willing to take - a
chance on high-level nolitics.
As for peace in Vietnam; it is
highly doubtful that anything
said in the political campaign in
the United States is going lo make
any real difference to the poten
tial leadership in Hanoi. Right
now, the leaders there have only
one preoccupation. They are
launched on their biggest military
effort in three years. Everything
tx rns on how the battle goes. If
it goes well for them, they may
be able to get better terms out of
Washington than Mr. Ni.xon has
yet offered. If it goes badly, they
may be very liappy indeed to pick
up the offer as it stand now. If
it is a draw, they can always
treat the Ni.xon offer for what it
well 'be, an opening bid for a
round of negotiation.
But n-ot until the battle is over
are the men of Hanoi liltely to
take a serious look at the Nixon
offer. And that won’t be until
after he reiurn- from Peking. By
then the situation could be differ
ent. However, from their point
of view, why do business with
Mr. Nixon until they see how the
election turns out? He might not
■be reelected. And there can be
no n;aJor military cliange be
tween April and Dcccm'oer.
For the;n, the choice is fairly
simple. Tliey eovid, in theory,
make peace with M*". Nixon riglit
away. But to do that would be
to give up the possibility of win
ning all by dealing a shattering
demoralizing defeat on the armies
of South Vietnam. Why make
peace now before they know h: \v
brittle, or tough. South Vietnam
really is? Or they can put off
peacemaking until next year.
They have nothing to lose by
waiting. Mr. Nixon’s peace terms
aren’t going to be any laugher in
1973 than in 1972. "They might
gain by waiting.
In other words, if Mr. Ni.xon
wants a negotiated peace this
spring or summer, he is g-oing
to have to make his offer more
tempting than anything yet pro-
pcsed. Meanwhile, it is highly
unlikely that anything said on the
political hustings here is -oing
to make much difference. -- The
Christian Science Monitor.
Don himself had a real prob
lem. School bocks were purchased
by the students and were re-sala
ble. Books began disappearing
and it was discovered a young
entrepreneur was stealing the
books and selling them. With ap
proval of superintendent and
board of eilucation, Don expielled
the boy. Ten day.s later the boy
was back, begging for readmit-
tance with the pledges he would
give no more trouble in any di
rection. "If I do,” the boy .said,
“you vwn’t see me except as I
wave goodbye j)assing your room.
Don, amid considerable criticism
from his .superiors, readmitted
him. The boy was true to his
word, graduated that year, went
on to We.stern Carolina and made
a fine record. His .senior year he
was prg.si’dent cf tlie campus
Young Democrats club, later be
came president of the state YDC.
He worked for the state during
the Sanferd admini.stration, tod'iy
holds a higlily rcspxmsi'ole posi
tion with one of the state’s larg
est banks.
m-m
There are a lot of methods. A
piano teacher here seme years
ago was tough, when called for
int.n ■ p'.-acticing students) ad
dressed them in language, more
commonly associated with the
barnyard or barraicks. At year’s
end her pupil list had dwindled
to 15, which hardly produced an
eating return. I attended her re
cital. The fifteen played, some
brilliantly, everyone of them well.
m-m
Today, 27 years ago. I acquired
the Herald. Naturally, I will
celebrate the birthtjay in high
f-ashion. I’m going to the dentist.
TAX LAWS ASSAULT
MARRIAGE
Are federal t.-i.x laws encour
aging couples to live in sin? V.'ell,
look et a hypo'het'cal ca~e of
Sam and Pam whoso incomes are
$1.5,000 and $11,000 ro.speclivoly.
If they are married and file
.tr-iot cr .separate return.?, their
1971 tax bill is $6,434. says the
Commorex' Clearing House. But
If they’re not married, their com
bined tax is $5,-152, or $9x2 Ic.'s.
Were their earnings higher, the
tax savings for remaining single
would Increase.
That’s a blow a.gainst the old
institution of marriage, but we’ll
guess it will’ somehow survive it
to outlive those who write our
weird tax laivvs. - New Orleans
(La.) Times-Picayune
... OR GIVE IT BACK
A popular slogan often seen on
bumper stickers - especially in
Middle America, wherever that is
—offers a choice to this country’s
domestic critics which many of
them resent: "America: Love It
or Leave It.”
■Several amended versoins of
this slojan have appeared in re
cent months, but the one we like
best showed up recently on a pos
ter at the Bureau of Indian Af
fairs in Washington, D. C., ac
cording to a weekly news maga
zine.
Written by some anonymous '
Navaho or Sioux, no doubt, it
proclaims—^what else? —“Ameri
ca; Love It o'c Give It Back.”
Touche!—Bos'on Herald Trav
eler.
KINGS MOUNTAIN
Hospital Log
VISITING HOURS
Daily 10:30 to 11:30 AM.
3 to 4 PM. and 7 to 8 PM.
Mrs. Garnett E. Smilli, Cherr>'-
Mrs. Harold L. Alexander, 212
S. Ga-ston St., City
admitted SATURDAY
Mr.-:. Anzarlah Jamerson, Route
I).
WUiiam Queen, Be.ssimer tity
Tliqmas Robert Foster, Route 3,
Mrs. William W. Willis, Route
3, City
Cast iniii Hwy., Bi's.seimer City
.Mrs. Frankie Moore, 4400 Mar-
grace Ril., City
Emmti Ramsej', 114 Lackey SM
City ^
William L, White. Route 2, B<>s
.semer City
ADMITTED TUESDAY
Biirber, 715
Will-
Mrs. Thomas D. Bryant
Roman Byers
Millard B. Caldwell
Mrs. George Clary
■Mrs. Hubert G.^ Clemmons
Rufus Doster
Annie Dulin
Mrs. I. J. Fulls
Wilda Haskett
Fred C. Hu,alies
\erdie K>>rns
Mr.s. Artliur L. Montgomery
Vv alter .Morehead
Mrs. R'ibert B. McClain
Mrs. Billy T. McMun-y
Cliarlie Nitholson
Joan Parker
Raymond Roberts
George T. Runyans
Bv-atrice Sherrill
Mrs. Robert E. Thompson
Minnie Cobb
.Arthur Williams
Wray A. Will-feims
Bessie Wood
Jesse H. Yarbro
Sara Alexander
Inez Fowler
Mrs. William H. Lewis
Siiirlsy Moore
Elnara Rass
Pearl Slyers
Ea^jy Walker
Mrs. W. D. Byers
Warren Elli.son
ArShur Lee Frye
Mrs. James E. Tliornburg
Dan H-. IBoheler
Cecil Cole, Jr,
Clyde R. Goodson
Mrs. Jesse M. Rippy
Mrs. Lee R. Sellers
Mrs. Ben Short
Charles Childers,
Mrs. Thomas B. Smith
Samuel P. Williams
ADMITTED THURSDAY
Mrs. Major -Elaek, Route 1, Gro
ver
James H. Fields, Matthews St.,
Clover, S. C.
Mrs. Earl M. Huffman, Route 2,
Bessemer City
Thurman Lorg, Route 3, City
Horace Mathis, Route 1, Forest
City
Mrs. Howard .M. McCarter. Route
3, Clover, S. C.
Sandra Johnson, 5 Chestcx-field
Ct., City
Michael Eugene Weaver, Route
2. City
ADMITTED FRIDAY
David 3. Adaims, Route 2, Bes
semer City
Mrs. John W. Murry, Route 2,
Bes.sf mer City
Anderson D. McCarter. Route 1
City
Boyce Popt», Route 2, Bessemer
City
ADMITTED SUNDAY
Ruby Dingus, Grover, N. C.
Mis. Dokid Lee Dover, Bo.s.semor
City
John Robert Gonlon, 111 Lackey
St., City
Ivan Lawson, City
Ranson Pruitt, Route 2. Shelby
Mrs. Belvin Stri^ilK-, 66 Trailer
Park, Bessemer City
Robert Glenn Holt,
City
Mrs. Jerry D. Tucker, 117 Oviens
St., City
Williaim -Archie Joiinston, Route
1, Bessemer City
ADMITTED MONDAY
Julia Eskeiw, 115 East Ohio .Ave.
Be.s.se.mer City
Rickey Feimster, 218 Walker
St., City
Lesco Gardner, Route 1, City
Nell Ra-.s Green, 506 Bridges
Dr.. Be.ssemer City
Thelma Canienter, 210 Carpen
ter St., City
Felix Johnson, 207 Briixt St.,
City
Amos MeCluney, 442 Crocker
Rd., City
Harris Oliver M'cCbnnell, 619
George Rliea
iams St., City
SBREa ‘I ainoy ‘)SoH '’'>'4
Jackie Ann Clayton, Route 2,
Bi'ssemer City
Mrs. Jack C. Brown, Route 1,
City
Dennis Lee Hope, 118 Wells St.,
City
Horace E. Kiser, .511 W. Mtn.
St., City
Blanche Maehowicz, 112 Castli'
wood Rtl., City
Johnny Nations. 1019 Linwo.xl
Bessmner -Df-. C'tfY
■Mrs. Hubert R. Prince, Routi- 1,
Ga-donia
^Bessie Rtimseur, Route 2, Be.-ise
mer City
William Ttxld Rhodes, 317 Elli.-;
Sr., City
GROUND COVER
Liriope is one of the best ever
green ground covers you can
use in home landseai>es. Liriope
is actually a lily. In the propet
environment, it multiplies rapid
ly and succeeds with little care,
according to North Carolina
State University horticulturists. It
is particularly valuable on slopes
to prevent Washington and in
shady places where grass is
problem to establish and mai^B
Keep Your Radio Dial Set At
1220
WKMT
KINGS MOUNTAIN, N. C.
News & Weather every hour on the hour.
/
^^eather every hour on the half hour.
Fine entertainment in between
Specials
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