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Jackson Trngress-^rgus
J. D. Jones Publisher
(1908-1955
Doyle Jones Jr. Editor and Publisher
(1955-1975)
MRS. MARTHA G. JONES PUBLISHER
VINCENT JONES EDITOR
Published fevery 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.
gONAL NEWSPAPER
hsagLUtt.
>sl NNA SUSTAINING
S MEMBER —1975
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Editorials
.=**-.MU** ••• r
Tuesday Is To Be The
Day of the Democrats
Headed by electors pledged to
support Jimmy Carter, down to
Congressman John J. Flynt, Jr.
from the Sixth Congressional
District, on through a list of state
elective offices to the Butts County
nominees in the August primary
and run-off, the Democratic Party
has much to offer voters next
Tuesday.
It is a ticket offering seasoned
politicians, fresh new faces,
winners all in the fractricidal strife
of party primaries, a ticket marked
by the quality of its nominees and a
ticket that Butts County voters
should not have difficulty subscrib
ing to, and voting for, with a great
deal of enthusiasm.
Some of the smile has been
taken from Mr. Carter’s face but he
still emerges as the most
promising political leader the
Democrats have brought forth in
this generation.
Arrayed against his whole
some Christian character which
seems to antagonize those who do
not wish their political candidates
to appear too pure, is a series of
sorry spectacles conducted by the
Republicans under the guise of
good government. Abuse of power,
betrayal, political blackmail, bur
glaries, perjuries-you name it, and
the country has had it the last few
years.
Against such a background of
political chicanery, President Ford
emerges as superior to those Who
preceded him, a man a little larger
than the political legacy left him,
but overall a man who has to sink
28 Amendments Are Far
Too Many For Most
The ballot voters will be
handed next Tuesday may not be
bed-sheet size but it would cover a
small table.
In addition to the party choices
offered, there are 28 proposed
constitutional amendments with
general application throughout the
state.
Among the most important, in
our opinion, are Amendment No.
2, “Shall the Constitution be
amended so as to allow a Governor
to succeed himself for one
four-year term?” Why not? We
believe the people of Georgia have
sense enough to reward a good
governor with a second term, and
throw out a bad one after one term.
Amendment No. 10 would
provide by law for indemnification
with respect to the death of a law
enforcement officer, fireman or
prison guard killed in the line of
duty in an amount not to exceed
$50,000. A much needed change.
With the hoods declaring open
warfare against any person
wearing a uniform, the families of
these men, and women, need and
are entitled to this protection.
Advance Subscription Rates, Tax Included:
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OFFICIAL ORGAN
butts county and
CITY OF JACKSON
six Months $3.91
Single Copy 15c
or swim with his party. The fleas
come with The dog, you know, and
there is no separating them.
At the Sixth District Congres
sional level, incumbent Jack Flynt,
slated to become the dean of the
Georgia delegation next January, a
man now rising to the full tide of
power afforded by the seniority
system, is bearing the full brunt of
a well-financed attack by his
Republican opponent.
At the risk for Butts Countians,
and the entire Sixth District, is the
tremendous loss of power and
prestige that Jack Flynt has built
up in his 12 terms as your
Congressman.
Jack Flynt’s friends are legion
in the Sixth District. They
remember his efforts, to bring
fiscal restraint and responsibility
to government spending and they
remember his conservative ap
proach towards the creation of an
ever larger, and less responsive,
federal government.
Sixth District Democrats will
step forward on Tuesday and
insure Mr. Gingrich a return to his
classroom work as a professor at
West Georgia College. We wish him
a long tenure and much success
there.
Through the several state
elective offices, down to the old
Butts’ boys, Blue and Leverette
and Beauchamp and Briscoe and
all the rest. All Democrats and all
worthy of your support next
Tuesday, right down the line.
Tuesday is the day for all good
Democrats to stick together, vote
together and celebrate together.
Amendment No. 20 provides
for the operation of bingo games by
non-profit organizations. This
amendment makes an exception to
the present law against lotteries.
As such, it is full of potential
dangers, although the full import of
the change is not manifest by the
language of the amendment.
Amendment No. 22 would
empower the General Assembly to
exempt from ad valorem taxation
certain property of non-profit
homes for the aged. This does not
apply to a great many of the
so-called nursing homes which now
are operated as profitable ven
tures. A good amendment, well
intentioned.
Amendment No. 4 would
change the name of the Depart
ment of Community Development
back to the Department of Industry
and Trade, where it was 10 years
ago when we left it. Evidently, a
bid to capitalize on advertising and
promotion that went into building
the Industry and Trade image. It is
nice to see some evidence of
common sense return to govern
ment.
THE JACKSON PROGRESS-ARGUS, JACXSON, GEORGIA THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1976
The Last
Straw
BY
VINCENT JONES
Next Tuesday will end the
agony for a large segment of
the voting populace who have
undergone considerable
mental anguish while asses
sing the basic qualifications
and abilities of the two
candidates for president.
The debates have not been
helpful in resolving the
issue. Both candidates have
been evasive, their answers
often vague and irrelevant to
the question asked, and the
feeling persists that a good
high school debater could
successfully challenge either
of them.
Mr. Ford has not instituted
an energy policy as such for
a nation dependent on foreign
(often alien) countries for 60
percent of its oil supply. Mr.
Carter said he would have an
energy policy but he didn’t
say what it would be.
Mr. Ford said inflation has
been cut in half during his
two years as president. Mr.
Carter said unemployment is
unacceptably high, but he
didn’t outline how he is going
to put people back to work.
Mr. Ford defends his
defense budget as essential
to keeping America strong.
At various times, Mr. Carter
has indicated he would
whack from five to fifteen
billions from it and still keep
America’s strength intact.
But he didn’t say where the
cuts would come and what
kind of efficiencies would be
installed to bring about such
a budget reduction.
Both candidates have
weaseled on forced busing,
on abortion, on prayer in.
public schools, substantive
tax reform and a number of
other issues that many
Americans consider vital.
So, for many, the choice
between the two men simply
boils down to a question of
believability, of which candi
date appears to be the most
forthright and honest in the
presentation of his platform.
Which of the two seems to
be more genuinely concern
ed, not with the Michigan
cherry growers or the
Sumter County peanut farm
ers, but with the welfare and
hopes and aspirations of all
Americans everywhere.
Somewhere, also, in weigh
ing the candidates’ qualifica
tions it seems one must
weigh the potential of the
two men, Which man has the
greater intellectual ability,
the broader vision, the longer
look at what America can
and should be far down the
roads of tomorrow?
When these criteria are
applied, it is difficult to fault
Mr. Carter. Although his
explanations of specific pro
grams may appear fuzzy at
times, Jimmy Carter is an
articulate spokesman of the
dreams most of us hold for
America.
And, although he may not
possess the organizational
ability or the political
sagacity to bring the nation
to its full fruition, the
promise he holds out is worth
a try.
Candidates are famous for
their double-talk. No person
running for the presidency
would wish to voluntarily
take positions that would cost
him millions of votes. That is
the reason the debates have
settled very little. Neither
candidate wants to make
unequivocal stands on any
issue, for fear of antagoniz
ing large segments of
potential voters.
There is reason to believe
that Jimmy Carter, when
elected, would attack the
problems of this nation with a
singleness of purpose and
with the vast intellectual
abilities he possesses in a
manner that would be more
direct and less devious than
his campaign oratory.
The promise of America.
Perhaps that is the main
issue in the 1976 presidential
campaign. Which man can
best fire the imaginations of
our people, can best wade
through the welter of
secrecy, intrigue, red tape
and governmental ineffi
ciency, and never lose sight
of the image of America’s
V S, roll Dwn'n
Memory Lane
News oflO Years Ago
The Butts County Lions
Club is sponsoring a Beautifi
cation Project to be carried
out in conjuntion with the 4-H
Clubs. Lion Carl Brack has
been appointed chairman of
the project.
Members of Jackson’s
Volunteer Fire Department
were royally entertained by
the management of the
Westbury Medical Care
Home in Jenkinsburg at a
steak supper. The firemen
were honored for their efforts
in fighting a stubborn blaze
at the Jenkinsburg home.
Members of Macedonia
Baptist Church will dedicate
their beautiful new house of
worship on Sunday, October
30th. Lightning struck and
destroyed the old church
building in May, 1965.
Mr. and Mrs. Rufus Adams
of Jackson announce the
engagement of their daugh
ter, Carol Elizabeth, to
Benjamin McCaskill Gar
land, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Benjamin B. Garland of
Jackson.
Deaths during the week:
Mrs. Daisy Wilson Knowles,
82; Mrs. Nannie Bishop
Cochran, 84; Julian A. Duke,
47; Harper Daniell Smith, 62.
News of 20 Years Ago
Sponsored by the local
National Guard company,
the famous Ring Brothers
Circus will play a one-day
stand in Jackson on October
25th at the new National
Guard Armory.
A dedication service, fol
lowed by open house, for
their new educational build
ing will be held Sunday at the
Jackson Presbyterian
Church. Miss Georgie Wat
kins was chairman of the
finance committee and Mau
rice Carmichael headed the
building committee.
The Butts County P.T.A. is
holding a Halloween Carni
val at the Jackson High
gymnasium on Tuesday
night.
Mr. and Mrs. N. K. Vickers
of Flovilla observed their
fiftieth wedding anniversary
on Sunday, October 14th, at
the home of their daughter,
Mrs. W. A. Smith, Jr.
Deaths during the week: E.
I. Rooks, 81.
News of 30 Years Ago
Local pecan growers are
unanimous in declaring the
current crop as the smallest
in a generation. The crop last
year was bountiful.
J. M. L. Comer has
identified the following win
ners of FFA awards at the
Butts County Fair. Arthur
Freeman-dairy calves; Ray
Lowry-pigs; Billy Greer
oats; Leonard Colwell and
Billy Greer-lespedeza; Her
man Cawthon-corn; James
Biles-cotton; Jack Knowles
pasture.
Jackson voters have re
turned Mayor W. M. Redman
to office and elected these
councilmen: J. H. Turner,
first ward; J. A. Dodson,
second ward; J. S. Ball, Sr.,
third ward, and J. W. O’Neal,
fourth ward.
Miss Elizabeth Hood, home
demonstration agent and
chairman of the women’s
division of the Butts County
Fair announces that the
Mimosa Garden Club was
first place winner in the
flower show, Jackson Garden
greatness that always seems
to elude us?
We believe that Jimmy
Carter can best lead this
country out of its present
doldrums into an era of true
greatness.
Club, second; Towaliga,
third; Hawthorn, fourth, and
Cherokee, fifth.
Deaths during the week:
Mrs. L. L. Washington, 60;
W. C. Pinnell, 67. For over 20
years, Mr. Pinnell served as
manager of the Jackson Ice
Corporation.
News of 40 Years Ago
Formal opening of the
Sim’s 5 and 10 Store,
Jackson’s newest business
concern, has been announced
for Friday, October 30th.
The installation of 600
opera chairs in the new
school auditorium has been
completed and a modern
heating system will be
installed as the next project.
A fine type of farm-to
market road now being
constructed is that from
Stark to connect with Route
16 at the Watkins and Lemon
farms. The road leads from
Stark by Hall’s Bridge to the
intersection near Pepperton.
On Tuesday afternoon the
members of the Towaliga
Community Club, in order to
show their love and apprecia
tion for Prof. John Harkness,
gave a pantry shower for his
mother at the home of Mrs.
George Harkness.
Deaths during the week:
Mrs. A. H. Smith, 81; W. F.
Smith, 68.
News of 50 Years Ago
Jackson’s White Way has
been completed and lights
were turned on for the first
time Monday night. There
are eight lights around the
court house yard and twelve
in the business district. J. H.
Rooks, superintendent of the
water and light department,
supervised the installation.
Miss Rubie Moore, daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. W. O.
Moore of Cork, has been
named Queen of the Butts
County Harvest Festival.
Miss. Moore teaches in the
public school at Worthville.
Food at the. Jackson Club
Corporation’s booth will be
donated by local merchants.
The Silverman’s Bread was
donated by Etheridge-Smith
Cos., Morris Supreme hams
by Paul Tyler & Cos., Town
Talk Flour by Barnes
Trading Cos. and Empire
coffee by Paul Tyler & Cos.
Under the auspices of the
Jackson Kiwanis Club, the
first consignment of bream
has been deposited in the
Central Georgia Power Com
pany lake, according to G. B.
Mallet, chairman of a
committee handling the
matter.
At the Jackson school
Auditorium, moving pictures
of the Storm at Miami, plus
Rudolph Valentino in The
Sheik.
Deaths during the week:
Dr. J. H. Eakes, of Griffin,
former pastor of the Jackson
Methodist Church around the
turn of the century.
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Emphysema
Hoimo ® ver 22.ooo
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ciippies
mk $100,000,000
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Give to Christmas Seals
Help your local
lung association
FIGHT EMPHYSEMA
It’s a matter of life and breath 1 1
By Mrs. Cindy Brown
Today’s world is not all
bad; the space age we live in
has created miracles -
medical and economic ones. I
wish though that some things
had not changed: Halloween
is one of them.
Do you remember how
“Trick or Treating” used to
be a real highlight of the
year? And it was a pretty
safe highlight at that;
wandering up to almost any
front door, not being afraid to
eat any goddies received.
Times have changed, un
fortunately. For one thing,
most children can afford
(through their parents’ gen
erosity) to spend at least a
quarter a day on junk, if they
are allowed to do so, and a
child can no longer play
ghost or goblin at any given
home. After all, some sick
persons stick razor blades or
poison in Halloween candy
and fruit.
I imagine that you, like I,
used to make your own
costumes at home: Ghosts
derived from old sheets,
Hobos from Daddy’s old
\
LEGALIZED GAMBLING
IN GEORGIA
The framers of the Georgia
Constitution wisely raised a
bulwark against gambling in
Georgia by a provision that
“all lotteries and the sale of
lottery tickets, are prohibited
and this prohibition shall be
enforced by penal laws.”
On the basis of this
Constitutional Ban and their
own moral convictions Gov.
George Busbee and former
Governor Jimmy Carter
each vetoed a bill to legalize
gambling on bingo games.
At the last session of the
legislature this bill was
introduced again and when it
seemed doomed to defeat,
because of the strong
opposition of citizens from all
over Georgia, a resolution
was introduced proposing an
amendment to the constitu
tion so as to provide that
bingo games operated by
non-profit organizations
should be considered legal
when the winnings paid did
not exceed $114,400.00 per
year. This is in cash
winnings, now at reasonable
odds of five to one the victims
could be robbed of roughly
one-half million dollars.
The Eighth Commandment
says “thou shalt not steal”
and yet here we are about to
permit these thieves to steal
millions from our .citizens
rich and poor but mostly the
poor and needy. Can we
carelessly put more people
on the welfare rolls, do we
wish to increase the human
misery and suffering beyond
its present level? Can we
afford to put more tempta
tion before our young people?
My answer is no. We must
protect our citizens young
and old, affluent and poverty
stricken, black and white
from this menace.
Let us make this perfectly
clear, this does not affect our
simple social games of bingo
as now played and enjoyed in
our nursing homes, recrea
tion centers and in our homes
any more than it affects
dominoes, scrabble or any
other similar game. They are
and will remain the whole
some games they now are.
For many years efforts
have been made by the
gambling syndicates to legal
ize pari-mutual betting in
Georgia with the introduction
of horse racing and dog
racing. Since this failed they
decide to “lull us gently to
sleep”, “To allay all of our
fears” by selecting the name
of a simple childrens game
“bingo”. This is merely a
smoke screen, a foot in the
door, an opening wedge, that
will open a Pandoras Box
of evils including gambling
halls all over the state of
Georgia.
They would have us believe
clothers and witches’ garb or
princess’ gowns from
Mama’s sewing machines.
Nowadays, Mom or Dad can
waltz into the local 5 and 10
store and purchase any
factory-made costume be it a
batman or bozo creation.
I would really like to return
to my apple bobbing days of
antiquity. One lady I knew
always had hot popcorn
awaiting the local Goblins
while another neighbor, a
well-known Dad, would deck
himself out in a terrifying
monster outfit, sit in a
rocking chair on his front
porch and dare us all to
knock on his front door.
Today’s children reap a lot
of benefits from technology,
but they lose as many
benefits because of our
technical, complicated
society. If I could turn back
the clock, I’d recreate safer
Halloweens. Oh, to be Father
Time on a moonlit October
night chockful of gremlins,
goblins and bright-eyed
children.
LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR
that this bingo amendment is
just as innocent and as
harmless as a newborn babe,
as American as apple pie. It
is one thing to enjoy
recreation, it is quite another
thing to stage something that
bankrupts the family.
Gambling means many
things. To a detective it may
mean the money which
finances a whole complex of
crime, to a church member it
means another word for evil.
To another person it may be
an obsession, and for his
family it may mean tragedy.
I like Webster’s definition “it
means to lose”. Never to win
in the end. This amendment
will be mixed in with such a
clutter of other things on
election day that it will win
by default unless we are very
careful to remember the
number of this amendment.
“Vote against legalized
gambling (bingo) vote -- no --
on amendment (no. 20).
There will be many other
amendments but you may
choose to vote on only cfertain
ones. The important thing to
remember is “no” on “no.
20”.
There are seven million
compulsive gamblers in this
country. This means a person
who is addicted to gambling.
He has a disease the same as
a narcotic addict. There are
fifty million social gamblers
who can easily become
members of this compulsive
group.
THE CASE AGAINST
LEGALIZED GAMBLING
—Gambling is the primary
source of revenue for
organized crime.
—Gambling with its rela
tionship to syndicated crime,
has been exposed as one of
the major corrupting influ
ences upon state officials,
courts and police.
—Legitimate business suf
fers as a resiilt of gambling.
In this Bicentennial year I
cannot close without a quote
from our first president,
George Washington, the
father of. our country,
“gambling is a child of
avarice, the brother of
iniquity, and the father of
mischief,”
We urge you to vote against
legalized gambling on No
vember 2nd. Vote No
on Amendment —2O.
Don Folsom