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3axfesott Vragrtss-^rgns J. D. Jones Publisher (1908-1955 Doyle Jones Jr. Editor and Publisher (1955-1975) MRS. MARTHA G. JONES PUBLISHER VINCENT JONES EDITOR Published every Thursday at 129 South Mulberry Street, Jackson, Georgia 30233 by The Progress-Argus Printing Cos., Inc. Second Class Postage paid at Jackson, Georgia 30233. Address notice of undeliverable copies and other correspondence to The Jackson Progress-Argus, P.O. Box 249, Jackson, Georgia 30233. NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION TtmtH 1B ra NNA SUSTAINING kn ” g MEMBER —1975 One Year $6.24 School Year $5.20 Editorials 4 Plus 4 Equals 8 Years Probably none of the many constitutional amendments to be voted on by Georgians in the November general election will attract as much attention, or result in as much argument, as proposed constitutional amendment No. 2. This amendment would change the present provision in the State’s constitution which permits a governor to serve unlimited terms, so long as they are not successive. In its place, if the amendment is adopted, would be a provision that no governor could ever serve more than two terms in his lifetime, although he would be eligible to serve back-to-back terms, or eight years, if he could be reelected to successive terms. The amendment makes sense in this corner, based on the principle that good, electable governors could be elected to successive terms, while those unworthy of reelection could always be denied a second term. If past history is any guideline, such an amendment would not be abused. Since 1960, three ex governors have been soundly defeated in comback attempts. Of the last four governors to serve full terms, Ernest Vandiver, Carl Sanders, Lester Maddox and Jimmy Carter, the odds would have been tremendous against any of the four being elected to a second term, had they been eligible to offer. Traditionally, Georgia govern ors usually make more enemies than friends during their four-year tenure. But a great deal of their declining popularity sets in during the third year of their term, when sides are being chosen and anew leader is stepping forward to be anointed. This, we feel, is the most conclusive argument for a constitu- Beware of False Prophets As usual, the sky gazers, squirrel tail watchers and cater pillar counters are predicting all kinds of dire forecasts for the coming winter. All of the way from an early fall to a white Christmas, to a blizzard with minus 10 degrees. We would have more confi dence in these prognosticators of doom if some of their pet theories were a little more believeable. One, for instance, says his forecast of an extreme winter is based on the fact that the squirrels have started picking nuts in mid-August and are scurrying around, packing them away for the The Political Pot Thickens There will be something for everybody in the November presidential elections. President Ford and Jimmy Carter for two main political part'es. Lester Maddox for the American Indepen dent Party. Tom Anderson for the American Party. Roger L. Mac Advance SubscripUon Rates. Tax Included: TELEPHONE 775-3107 OFFICIAL ORGAN BUTTS COUNTY AND CITY OF JACKSON Six Months $3.91 Single Copy 15c tional provision permitting guber natorial succession. The single four year term limits a governor’s popularity, and power, at the most to a two and one half to three year span, after which he is treated as a has-been with all of the attention being focused on his successor. No governor, no matter how well prepared or intentioned his administration, can put into effect a complete program in so brief a time. A five or six year period before his popularity begins the ultimate decline would double the time span he now has in which to institute new programs and, hopefully, effect some economies of operation. Georgia is one of only eight states which does not permit gubernatorial succession. Nineteen states have provisions allowing two consecutive terms, and 23 states permit unlimited succession. De spite laws in these 42 states which permit either successive terms, or unlimited terms, it is difficult to name a state in which a so-called political machine has complete control. The days of Huey Long, Boss Crump and Eugene Talmadge are gone. The electorate is too well informed, too segmented by racial, economic and political philosophy to permit such domination and power as these men once wielded. We feel the people of Georgia should have the opportunity to elect an electable governor to another term, as well as the chance to throw out one not worthy of his hire. The amendment has some powerful backing. Both Governor Busbee and Lt-Gov. Miller have endorsed the idea, but seem to differ on just how much either of them should back their conscience with active support. winter. Any idiot who ever owned a pecan tree knows that squirrels always begin their nut raids in mid-August, as soon as the nuts are about two-thirds grown. A green hull means nothing to a squirrel, who can shuck it and get down to the kernel in about two minutes. Every year, the forecasts come of an extremely cold winter. Made often enough, the odds favor the experts hitting about one out of ten. Maybe this will be the one. But the squirrels haven’t told us anything this year that they don’t say every year. They love pecans. And they are hungry. Bride as a Libertarian and Eugene McCarthy as an independent. The political pot may boil a little higher with the addition of this foursome, but there is not enough salt in the whole crew to add any savor to the quadrennial stew over the presidency. THE JACKSON PROGRESS-ARGUS, JACKSON, GEORGIA The Last Straw BY VINCENT IONES One of the items that should rank high on the agenda of the next Congress is the question of the Postal Service and what to do with this agency that is half government, half private business and seemingly under the control of neither. After Congress removed the post office department from under its paternal wing, the Post Service was created with a Board of Governors directing its activities. Faced with increasing mail volume, the need for heavy capital expenditures to pro vide the tools of mechani zation and the operation of obsolescent facilities, the Service hasn’t done as poorly as it has been given credit for. At the heart of the matter is the question, should the delivery of mail in this country be operated as a service of government, or as a private business? No one expects the U. S. Dept, of Agriculture to show a profit, or to charge a farmer for the knowledge it has gained from costly research, done at the expense of the taxpayer. The U. S. Dept, of Commerce renders countless services to the business sector, all free gratis, with the taxpayer picking up the tab. There is no expectation that the Treasury Dept., or Health, Education and Wel fare, or the Defense Depart ment with its 100-billion-plus budget, will show a profit in 1977. They all provide services that the people of this country deem vital and they are supported fully with tax funds. Doubtless, the founding fathers of the republic never envisioned the post office department as a money making scheme, or even an agency that could become self-sufficient in its opera tion. The same basic need existed in the early days of the republic as it does today--Americans need good mail service to provide for mass distribution of news papers, magazines, letters, circulars, educational mater ials and other printed matter that can only be delivered from one person to another by a mail delivery system. The real danger is that unless the upward revision of postal rates is stopped, the communication of informa tion through the printed media may soon become a luxury that cannot be afforded by those people who need it most. Witness the 200-to-500 per cent increase in subscription rates to the weekly news magazine, a great deal of which was brought on by escalating postal rates. Daily and weekly newspapers are caught in the same vicious cycle of spiraling mail costs and. as a result, the public has to pay more for reading material that, in the best interests of the republic, it should have at the lowest possible cost. Congress needs to come to grips with the matter of an effective mail delivery ser vice for this country. And the rate structure for the delivery of mail of all classes should be kept at a reasonable level to en courage the dissemination of information by public jour nals and private letters. If there is a deficit, and there will be, it should be borne by the taxpayer who bears the burdens of every other deficit o! every other government agency. Certainly there is need of reform in the present postal system. The fat catting needs to be cut out and the service shaped up to provide max imum service at minimum cost. The quality of the mail delivery system has deterio rated in almost direct proportion to the rail transportation decline in this country. Jackson once had V Si rol I Memory Lane News of 10 Years Ago Word has been received from the Oriental Missionary Society, Inc., of Greenwood, Indiana, that Rev. and Mrs. W. Andy Holston have been accepted for missionary duty this winter in Brazil. Rev. Holston is presently pastor of the Pleasant Grove Congre gational Methodist Church. The Jackson Senior 4-H Club has elected David Ridgeway, Jr., president Antoinette Brownlee and David Cook, vice-presidents; Julian Wells, secretary; Perry Ridgeway, reporter, and Paul Rice, parliamen tarian. Paul Collins, a high school student, is now working part time at Shields Jewelry. A group of Jackson Kiwanians judged a beauty contest last week at the Fayette County Fair. Includ ed were T. E. Robison, Sr., Denny O’Neal, Frank Fore hand, Hugh Glidewell, James Payne and former Kiwanian Roy Goff. Deaths during the week: Mrs. Craig Parker, 40; Mrs. Inus Maddox Dodson, 83; Mrs. Mattie Chapman Mitch ell, 64; Mrs. Dellie Barkwell Kent, 42. News of 20 Years Ago Supt. D. V. Spencer reports that school enrollment for the 1956 term is down by 85 from that of a year ago. The figures are 2,108 for 1956 and 2,193 for 1955. Four Jackson youths were injured in a car-train collision at the Pepperton Cotton Mills crossing. In jured were Teddy L. Parker, Charles Wells, Dennis Wise, and Sandra Horton. Johnnie Horton was not injured. Butts County’s tax millage for 1956 was set at 45 and one-quarter mills, applicable to a total digest of $2,394,327, up $120,000 from the 1955 digest. Alvin Thurston has retired after 27 years of service in U. S. Coast Guard. Harold Wells celebrated his Bth birthday by inviting Gary, Larry and Jan Whitaker and Frankie and Wayne Lawhon to a birthday party. Miss Linda Turner, 11, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Woodrow Turner, of Jackson, is rehearsing her role as a dancer in the children’s Civic Theater production this fall in Atlanta. Deaths during the week: Mrs. Texas Thaxton Bennett, 85. News of 30 Years Ago Butts County Commis sioners by a unanimous vote discontinued the sale of beer in the county after December 31, 1946. The City of Jackson has set its tax millage at 10 mills and Butts County has set its rate at 21 mill for 1946. A heifer blonging to E. S. Settle has been destroyed after exhibiting symptoms of rabies. Fred Proctor of High Falls destroyed a cow eighl passenger trains a day, most of which picked up or delivered mail. Now we have none. The present Postal Service cannot be faulted for this cut-back in rail service. Public or private? The Postal Service needs to go one way or the other. The guess here is that Congress reluctantly will take over again the delivery of mail in this country and operate it as a service rather than a business. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1976 suffering from rabies. Mad foxes are believed to be the source of the rabies break out, which is extensive in this area. Marvin W. Pope has been elected sexton and auxiliary policeman, filling the post formerly held by W. E. Watkins, who recently re signed. Mr. and Mrs. Howard Jolly entertained at a delightful party Monday for the teachers of the Jackson school. Deaths during the week: M. S. Maddox, 77; Hugh Cordell Kelly, 31. News of 40 Years Ago Three WPA projects are being carried out in Butts County. A sewing project employing 13 women has been started at Flovilla. About 10 men are engaged in eradicating the phony peach disease, and about 60 men are working on a road project from Stark to Route 16 at the T. E. Watkins place. A. T. Buttrill and N. A. Powell will operate the filling station at McDonough Road and West Third Street, recently constructed by B. K. Carmichael. The Board of Education has decreed that caps and gowns will be worn by the 1937 graduation class. The Pepperton Mill base ball team has won the championship of the Dixie Industrial League and will play Barnesville in a pot season game. Pepperton won both halves of the split season. Mr. and Mrs. George Thomas Thurston announce the marriage of their daughter, Marion Ossie, to S. G. Morrow of Miami, Fla. Deaths during the week: Mrs. J. R. Hammond, 65; W. Tom Kinard, 81. News of 50 Years Ago The Farmers and Mer chants Bank has sold to Mr. G. P. Saunders four brick buildings on Second Street and the Dr. O. B. Howell residence on the corner of College Avenue and Demp sey Street. The Howell home, it is stated, will be occupied by Mr. and Mrs. T. E. Robison. The tax rate for Butts County for 1925 has been set at 19 mills. Miss Marion Groover, of Dixie, Ga., a former English teacher and librarian here, has donated a valuable collection of books to the local Hawkes Library. Rev. A. R. Woodson, pastor of the Jackson and Fellow ship Presbyterian Churches since June, 1925, has re signed to accept a pastorate in Chelsea, Oklahoma. Hostesses for the Woman’s Club meeting in September will be Mrs. R. P. Newton, Mrs. L. P. McKibben, Mrs. L. P. Lester, Mrs. Elwood Robison, Miss Nettie Rae Pittmen, and Miss Mary Newton. Deaths during the week: D. Z. Plymale, 79, a member of Cos. “H”, 3rd. Ga. Reserves, during the War between the States. “Heredity is a theory you believe in when your child’s report card is all A’s.” (E. E. Kenyon) nbIRAiRRI By Mrs. Cindy Brown School has started; the local stores are sporting Fall and Winter clothes in their windows; football games have begun; and there’s a nip in the air. Do you realize that in all reality, Christmas is just around the corner? Do you realize that Thanksgiving turkeys are spending their last days on earth? Do you realize that I am getting older and time is flying? I thought I would never get to be sixteen - the magical age when kids become adults through driver’s licenses. Sixteen came and went. Then I thought I would never get to be twenty-one. Twenty-one was as special as a birthday cake, a diamond ring, a once-in-a-lifetime happen ing. The strange thing is, though, ever since 21 went by, things have happened too fast. My children think I’m old “really old.’’ They ask me how things were “way back when.” Why is it that I have so much to do and so little time to do it? Some times I think God should let all of us live to be a hundred, then I might accomplish what I’m sup posed to get done just for this week. “Mama, I’ve got a ball game at 3:00; Mama, I’ve got ‘Whatsoever • f jP Things’ By Donald E. Wildmon THE FELLOW WHO FORGOT HIS SERMON The little village church was crowded. The congregation was waiting anxiously to hear the message that the speaker was to bring. It was no ordinary occasion. For a hometown boy was about to preach his first sermon. As the young Methodist preacher arose to speak, he gave evidence of doing some extensive homework for his sermon. The fact that he was a very educated person was one which he wished for the people to immediately recognize. For three weeks the young man had worked on that sermon, making sure that it was a sermon of the highest intellectual stature. He was doing pretty good with his sermon, impressing the people with his brilliant mind, when he happened to use a very intellectual word to impress the people. One young lady, sitting on the front row, evidently not able to comprehend some of the preaching from such an intelligent person, snickered when the young preacher used the word. In fact, she hid her face to keep from laughing out loud. It was a very disturbing experience for the young preacher. The snickering upset him so much that he forgot the rest of his sermon. Very badly embarrassed at the situation, the young man soon admitted to the congregation that he had forgotten the rest of his sermon. As he headed toward his seat, a thought ran through his mind. “Well, you can’t remember your sermon. But isn’t there anything that Christ has done for you that you can tell them?” Immediately the young preacher turned and headed back to the pulpit. And so, for the second time that day, he proceeded to tell, in a spirit of enthusiasm, of what the Carpenter of Men had done for him. After the service was over another young man came up to the preacher and said he wanted Christ to do the same thing for him that He had done for the young preacher. And so the first of countless opportunities to spread the Good News was opened to the young preacher who had forgotten his sermon. I think there is a lesson for us here. Our Creator doesn’t need someone down here on earth to use their brilliant and intellectual minds to impress folks. What He wants and needs is someone with heart enough to simply tell what He has done for us. For the greatest preaching isn’t to be done through the brain-as important as that part of the body is to every minister. The greatest preaching with the most far-reaching effects comes from the heart-from one who can say, “This I know God can do, for He has done it for me.” Being a minister, I believe I need all the education and study I can get. And I have spent the greater part of my life pursuing it~and still do. But I have found that what does the most good is not an intellectual sermon, but a simple sermon from the heart which folks know to be true. Perhaps the best thing that ever happened to E. Stanley Jones-one of America’s greatest ambassadors of goodwill to India-was that he forgot his first sermon and spoke from,the heart. And maybe it will happen again-to each of us. Series E Bonds pay 6% interest when held to maturity of 5 years (4V 2 % the first year). Interest is not subject to state or local income taxes, and federal tax may be deferred until redemption. . stock . inAmerica. 2()0 years at the same location. a dental appointment at 3:30; Mama, don’t forget to buy my tennis shoes.” Iwould like to go through one day, just one whole day, without anything that had to be done. My Mama never told me it would be like this. Now I can really appreciate how much she enjoyed a day on her own. I haven’t yet figured out how she managed to arrange for one, though. DON’T FORGET Don’t forget my suit’s at the cleaners, Don’t forget to buy the wiener’s. Don’t forget I need fifty cents, Don’t forget the car needs a rinse. Don’t forget to wash my jacket, Don’t forget my tennis racket. Don’t forget to put on the roast, Don’t forget and burn the toast. Don’t forget to pay the bills, Don’t forget the aspirin pills. One day I’m going to forget something, I’ll bet Thank goodness for my sake, it ain’t happened yet!