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VENIN VJ
By Quimby Melton
"Jesus Accepts the Cross” Is
the title of this week's Sunday
School lesson. The Memory Se
lection is “I, if I be lifted up
from the earth, will draw all
men unto me.” (John 12:32.)
The background Scripture is
John 18 and 19; but only part
of Chapter 19 is printed in con
nection with the lesson. This lay
man believes one should read
all of both chapters to get a
better understanding of the les
son.
In chapter 18 we read of Jesus
being betrayed by Judas, of Pe
ter striking one of the soldiers
who seized Jesus, cutting off his
ear; of Jesus then being bound
and taken first to Annas, father
in-law of the high priest Caiph
as, of all the disciples fleeing,
save one —believed to have
been John — accompanying Je
sus, and the other —Peter —fol
lowing “afaroff.” and denying
he even knew Jesus, and the
cock crowing.
Pilate still trying to find some
way to satisfy the angry crowd
called their attention to the cus
tom of releasing some prisoner
at the time of the passover and
they chose that he free Barabas,
a man with- a long criminal re
cord, rather than Jesus.
In chapter 19 the soldiers mak
ing sport of the occasion mock
ed Jesus, put a crown of thorns
o- His head, put a cloak round
His shoulders and saluted Him
as “King of the Jews”.
Pilate continued to say he fo
und no fault with Jesus and the
crowd shouted “Crucify Him.”
Then Pilate did a complete ab
out face; when the Pharisees
told him there was but one
king, Caesar, and that if he did
not order Him to be crucified
“You are no friend of Caesar”.
That turned the trick and Pi
late gave in saying in effect
"He’s yours do as you choose”.
— 4> —
So the long, hard trip to Cal
vary began — “Jesus bearing
His cross went forth,”
Then we have the story of the
crucifixion. Among other things
we are told is that the soldiers,
after they had stripped Jesus
of His clothing, divided His gar
ments among them until they
came to His cloak. This was
woven into one garment, and so
the soldiers “cast lots” to see
which one would get the cloak.
The lesson ends with the state
ment of Jesus, “It is finished”,
and He bowed His head and
gave up the ghost.
— 4> —
As one reads the story of the
crufixion, in each of the Gospels,
one is impressed with the dual
significance of The Cross. It is
the emblem of the greatest ex
ample of love and at the same
time the greatest example of
evil, the world will ever know.
Selfish, evil men, thought they
had gotten rid of “this impos
ter" in the crudest fashion pos
sible. But they had done noth
ing of the sort. They had immor
talized the Spirit of this man,
God come to earth Himself, and
had proven to all mankind that
God “so loved the world” that
He was willing to offer His
Holy Son as the supreme sacri
fice for all mankind.
The cross has never been the
same since that day on Calvary,
Bishop Donald Tippett tells of
* little girl who looked at a
cross placed on a table for the
first time and asked her mother
"What’s that plus sign doing on
the table?” The world has had
this “plus” sign held aloft ever
since Calvary.
The cross is the central sym
bol in the Christian faith. It is a
silent witness of God’s love and
the moment of Christ’s supre
me glorification and His trium
ph over death.
The Easter message has been
the same since the day the wo
men first found the empty tomb.
He Lives!
And so shall we.
That is why the Christian chur
ch has as its symbol of mercy
and unlimited love the cross —
rather than a stone, from an em
pty tomb.
He Lives!
Thank God for this truth.
Industrial Growth
In Georgia Up
ATLANTA (UPD— Industrial
growth in Georgia for the first
quarter of 1968 has exceeded
the first six months of last year
by 38 per cent, the Department
of Industry and Trade an
nounced Thursday.
Julius Bishep, chairman, said
the first quarter 1968 figure for
new industry of $89,191,460 was
about three times the $28,776,000
for the first half of 1967.
LBJ Urges Nation To Pray
For End To Racial Hatred
Weather Worries
Peach Growers
Peach growers in this area of
the state kept a watchful eye on
the weather today. The threat
of a freeze and frost eased some
what this mdrning with revised
weather forecasts. But growers
remained apprehensive.
Dr. E. F. Savage, the state’s
peach expert at the Georgia Ex
periment Station in Griffin, said
peaches in this area could take
down to 28 degrees for a few
hours tonight and still survive.
He said there is a definite wea
ther threat to the crop.
Forecasts early Thursday ni
ght said freezing weather was
Calls For Calm
Maddox Denounces
Slaying Os King
ATLANTA (UPD—Gov. Lest
er Maddox, denouncing the slay
ing of Dr. Martin Luther King
as deplorable, joined White and
Negro leaders today in a plea
for Georgians to maintain
“peace and calm.”
“I call on every citizen to re
main calm and to pray that
peace and tranquility will con
tinue to be ours,” the governor
declared.
He was one of many civic
leaders who expressed shock
and regret at the death of the
Nobel Peace Prize winner, who
carried his fight for civil rights
from his Atlanta home to cities
throughout the nation.
The Atlanta University Cen
ter, composed of six predomi
nantly Negro colleges, called
King’s death a “heartbreaking
tragedy” and suspended classes
on all campuses Friday and
Saturday “out of deep respect."
“Dr. King was a symbol of
everything Negro people have
stood for in their struggle for
full rights as human beings and
citizens in this country and
throughout the world,” the cen
ter’s council of presidents de
clared.
Call for Restraint
The council called upon "all
persons to use utmost restraint
during this most difficult per
iod.”
The Student Nonviolent Coor
dinating Committee, however,
called King’s death a "lesson
which White America has taught
us many times before.
“Dr. King was the symbol of
nonviolence — and White Am
erica shot him down,” SNCC
declared.
Atlanta Mayor Ivan Allen Jr.,
who told Mrs. King of her hus
band’s death Thursday night,
appealed to Atlantans to respect
the principles of peace for
which King stood.
“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
was a dedicated leader of the
Negro Americans of this coun
try. His unnecessary death is
a great tragedy,” Allen told a
press conference.
The mayor urged citizens of
Atlanta to “continue to advocate
and adhere to the principles of
Country Parson
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“All boundaries (national,
racial, social and economic)
make enemies of folks who
otherwise would be friends.”
DAILY NEWS
Daily Since 1872
on the way tonight and frost mi
ght occur. But they were revis
ed today and the temperature
may not go that low.
Dr. Savage said peach trees
in this area were loaded with
fruit blooms and that some cold
weather might thin them out.
He said this morning he still was
concerned about the weather
threat but not as much as when
the freeze reports first came out.
He said he would keep close
check on orchards at the Grif
fin station for possible weather
damage during the night.
non - violence,” which Dr. King
preached.
Maddox said that while he
and King had differences, he
“deeply” regretted his death.
“I deplore and denounce the
shooting of this evening as I
have previously dnounced the
shooting that killed a youth in
Memphis last week, a cab driv
er in Nashville and law enforce
ment officers and innocent law
abiding citizens in many cities
of America during recent
times,” Maddox said.
“To survive, this nation
through its leaders must de
nounce lawlessness," Maddox
declared.
Clergy and Laymen Con
cerned about Vietnam, a peace
group of which King was co
chairman, called his death an
“unspeakable tragedy.
"Dr. King’s life was a testa
ment to international asd dom
estic peace and freedom,” the
group declared.
Wallace Says
Assassination
Tragic Act
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (UPD—
Former Gov. George Wallace,
one of Dr. Martin Luther King’s
most bitter foes, called the Ne
gro leader’s slaying "senseless,
regretable and tragic act.”
Another enemy, former Sher
iff Jim Clark of Selma, Ala.,
said, "I think a man of vio
lence died by violence.”
Clark led the charge of
mounted deputies against King
and his marchers that broke up
the first start of the Selma-to-
Montgomery civil rights march
several years ago. The demon
stration later was completed
and helped bring about the vot
ing rights law.
"He proclaimed himself a
man of nonvoilence but both di
rectly and indirectly he caused
every riot in the United States
over the past 10 years," Clark
said. He added, "I certainly
don’t go along with his being
murdered.”
Gov. Maddox To Present
Silver Star To Widow
Os Griffin Marine Hero
Gov. Lester Maddox will pre
sent a Silver Star to the widow
of a Griffin Marine who was
killed last July in the Vietnam
fighting.
He will present the medal to
Mrs. Geraldine P. Helton, 1802
Spring Valley Circle. Her hus
band, Sgt. John K. Helton, 25, of
Griffin, was killed while on pat
rol July 6 in South Vietnam,
The presentation has been sc-
GRIFFIN
Griffin, Ga., 30223, Friday, April 5, 1968
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(Griffin Daily News Staff Photo)
Easter Seal Bunnies
Margaret Owen (1) and Rhonda Carney are two of the Griffin High cheerleaders
who will be dressed as bunnies to collect money for the Easter Seal Compaign in
downtown Griffin Saturday. A door-to-door campaign will be held Monday night.
Chairman Ray SlAionton said solicitors Monday night would not have seals since
they have been mailed to most people. He said, however, some people may not
have received seals and he wants to give everyone an opportunity to contribute.
INSIDE
Hospital. Page 2.
Stork Club. Page 2.
About Town. Page 2.
Funerals. Page 2.
Police Search. Page 3.
Caucus Delayed. Page 3.
Safety Award. Page 3.
Editorials. Page 4.
Billy Graham. Page 4.
Television. Page 4.
Vietnam War. Page 5.
Dr. Brandstadt. Page 5.
Pa>rtain Talk. Page 6.
Tuition Grar.'-, Page 6.
Society. Page 7.
Sports. Pages 8. 9.
Want Ads. Page 10.
Comics. Page 11.
Georgia News. Page 12.
Woman’s Club. Page 12.
Weather:
FORECAST FOR GRIFFIN
AREA — Clearing and colder
with frost likely tonight. Satur
day fair and cool.
LOCAL WEATHER — High
today 67, low today 52, high
Thursday 78, low Thursday 52,
rainfall .7 of an inch; sunrise
Saturday 6:23, sunset Saturday
7:03.
heduled for April 12 at 11:30 in
the governor's office at the state
capitol.
Sgt. Helton was the son of Mrs.
Lillian Helton, 439 North Eighth
street.
He was killed by sniper fire
while leading his squad on pat
rol. He was hit in the chest dur
ing an attack.
Several members of his squad
ron were injured in the initial
The Story’s The Same
‘HE LIVES!’
More than 70 years ago, Good Evening’s Grandfather
— Rev. Isaac Quimby Melton—preached an Easter
Serrrrpn, which his grandson thinks is as appropriate
this day as ever. He will devote his column beginning
Saturday, for several days, to reproducing this.
Firemen Battle
Two Blazes Here
Griffin firemen put out two fir
es Thursday night. Damage was
confined to the outside walls of
a grocery store in one blaze and
a building and supply store was
damaged heavily in the other
fire.
The first alarm sent firemen
to Hutson’s Grocery store at
Chapel and Second streets. It is
owned by Joe Hutson. Firemen
said damage was confined to
outside walls. The alarm came
at 10:40 Thursday night.
The second alarm came at
burst of fire, the medal cita
tion says. Sgt. Helton displayed
bravery in directing his men to
return fire during the attack,
the citation states.
Sgt. Helton joined the Marine
Corps in April, 1963.
Besides his widow, survivors
include a daughter, Tammy, age
one. Mrs. Helton is the daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Franklin
Pitts. Mr. Pitts is a deputy sher
iff for Spalding County.
Vol. 96 No. 82
10:54 p.m. and sent firemen to
Newton Building Supply Com
pany on East Solomon street.
Firemen battled the blaze and
brought it under control in ab
out an hour.
There was heavy damage to
the interior of the building and
its contents from heat, fire, sm
oke and water. The building is
owned by Will Hill Newton n.
Three fire units were sent to
the scene. About 12 to 14 fire
men battled the blaze. Chief Leo
nard Pitts, Asst. Chief Grady
Harper and Inspector Gene
Folds were on hand. Some fire
men remained at the scene this
morning until 2:04.
Chief Leo Blackwell of the
Griffin Police Department today
said the two fires were under in
vestigation.
A spokesman for the Fire De
partment said it was not neces
sary to call in off duty firemen
but that some members of the
department who learned of the
fires reported to offer their help.
Georgian Killed
In Vietnam
WASHINGTON (UPD — An
other Georgia serviceman has
been named among the latest
casualties of the Vietnam war.
The Defense Department list
ed as killed in action Capt. Jo
seph B. Kube, husband of Mrs.
Betty L. Kube of Columbus.
Congress Asked
To Meet Monday
By MERRIMAN SMITH
WASHINGTON (UPD —Pres
ident Johnson today proclaimed
Sunday a national day of
mourning for Dr. Martin Luther
King and asked Congress to call
a special meeting Monday night
to hear his “constructive
recommendations” for easing
racial tensions.
Johnson, addressing the na
tion on radio and television “in
this hour of national need,”
vowed that “America shall not
be ruled by the bullet.”
“I did not understate the case
Sunday when I spoke of the
divisiveness that is tearing this
nation,” Johnson said.
The President noted that
Congress would be in adjourn
ment over the weekend but he
hoped that a joint meeting of
the House and Senate could be
called no later than Monday at
9 p.m. EST.
The President met with top
Negro and government leaders
earlier.
He had hastily arranged the
meeting after Negroes took to
the streets in more than a
dozen big city ghettos, smashing
windows, looting and hurling
bricks.
In designating Sunday a
national day of mourning,
Johnson urged the nation to
pray for an end to racial
hatred.
“In our churches, in our
homes, in our private hearts, let
us resolve before God to stand
against the divisiveness in our
country and all its cons—fen
ces,” the President said.
Johnson attended memorial
services for the slain Negro
leader at Washington’s National
Cathedral after the meeting at
which he issued an appeal to
the nation “to deny violence its
victory in this sorrowful time.”
Mrs. John F. Kennedy, whose
husband was also slain by an
assassin’s bullet, issued an
emotional appeal to the nation
for an end to racial violence
and hatred.
"When will our country learn
that to live by the sword is to
die by the sword?” Mrs.
Kennedy asked.
Johnson’s declaration that
"America shall not be ruled by
the bullet" came shortly after
black power militant Stokely
Carmichael had told newsmen
that Negroes “will have to get
guns” and take to the streets to
avenge King’s assassination.
Not Rescheduled
Johnson postponed plans to fly
to Hawaii for a Vietnam
strategy review after he got
word of King’s death and had
not rescheduled the trip.
After the White House meet
ing, the President and other
Kremlin Approves
Viet Peace Talks
By HENRY SHAPIRO
MOSCOW (UPD—The Krem
lin today broke its silence and
announced approval of Ameri
can-North Vietanmese talks
aimed at ending the war.
"Realistic,” said a Soviet
government statement.
The statement, published by
the official news agency, Tass,
applauded North Vietnam for
its statement accepting Pres
ident Johnson’s Sunday offer of
talks.
“The Soviet government be
lieves that in its statement, the
government of the Democratic
Republic of (North) Vietnam
indicates a realistic way to
ending the war in Vietnam, to a
political settlement in the
interests of the Vietnamese
people, in the Interests of a
normal situation in Southeast
Asia,” the Kremlin announce
ment said.
The Kremlin had been silent
until now on Hanoi’s offer to
discuss with American diplo
mats the end of U.S. bombing of
North Vietnam as a means
toward peace laika.
King Often
Visited Here
As a boy, Dr. Martin
Luther King was a fre
quent visitor to Griffin.
His uncle, the Reverend
Joel King, was pastor of
Mount Zion Baptist
Church about 1940-43.
Many Griffin people re
member the pastor and
the nephew who visited
him.
participants went to National
Cathedral for a memorial
service for King. King spoke
there Sunday night in his last
appearance in Washington.
Johnson called on men of “all
races, all regions and all
religions...to deny violence its
victory in this sorrowful time
and all time to come.”
“Men who are white—men
who are black—must and will
join together now, as never in
the past, to let all the forces of
division know that America
shall not be ruled by bullet but
i only by the ballot—free and just
| men.”
Heavy Heart
Johnson told Negro leaders
assembled in the cabinet room
that “once again, the heart of
America is heavy—the spirit of
America weeps—for a tragedy
that denies the very meaning of
our land.
“It is the fiber and fabric of
the republic that is being
tested,” Johnson said.
“We have moved toward
opening the way of hope and
opportunity and justice. We
have rolled away some of the
stones—of inaction, of indiffer
ence of injustice.
“The work we have begun is
not done. But together, a nation
united, a nation caring, a nation
concerned—together we shall
overcome.”
Roy Wilkins, executive direc
tor of the NAACP, Whitney
Young, executive director of the
Urban League, Housing Secreta
ry Robert Weaver and Supreme
Court Justice Thurgood Mar
shall were among the Negro
leaders who assembled at the
White House.
Top administration leaders
joining Johnson at the meeting
included Vice President Hubert
H. Humphrey, Defense Secreta
ry Clark Clifford and Underse
cretary of State Nicholas deß.
Katzenbach.
The Kremlin statement said,
“The further development of
events depends on whether the
United States will make the
following step:
“Whether it stops bombing
and other acts of war against
North Vietnam fully and uncon
ditionally and whether it takes a
positive view of the well-known
proposals’’ for a settlement
demanded by Hanoi and the
Viet Cong's National Liberation
Front.
“This Is demanded by the
interests of peace in Asia and
throughout the world.”
However, the Soviets said,
"Aggression does not cease to
be an aggression because not
the whole of the Democratic
Replic of Vietnam but only part
of its territory is bombed.
“Bombings continue on al
most half” of North Vietnam, it
said.
The statement came five days
after President Johnson made
his announcement of cessation
of bombing In most of North
Vietnam and three days after
Hanoi agreed to sit down for
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