Newspaper Page Text
Page 2
Editorial
COMMENTS
Congratulations, NOHS Graduates!
The night of June 3 will mark a milestone
in your lives. It will be a poignant moment.
As you receive your diploma and a congratu
latory handshake from Principal Homer Sharp,
you will be a little loathe to relinquish the years
of familiar studies, classrooms, friends, successes
and experiences.
The freedom and tolerance of the yesteryears
will suddenly vanish, as you turn to face an adult
society. “Commencement” is a well chosen title
for your Graduation. For now, as you enter college,
the Armed Services, business, or whatever role
you choose, you are thrown more nearly upon
your individual resources than ever before. And,
the economic, social and spiritual challenges of
the world you face have never been greater.
Fortunately, Graduates have never been better
prepared to meet such challenges. The“ Education
Explosion” of recent years has tapped the human
mind and released unprecedented brain-power in
Safety On Our Highways
What price will we pay for safer driving condi
tions? What is the average Georgian really will
ing to do to make the highways safer? Appar
ently not too much.
Georigans have not wanted driver education in
the schools. It’s a frill. It costs too much. We
have insisted on having football stadiums and gym
nasiums, but it costs too much to have a course
in driver education. In sports, a fine team gives
a school or a community a good reputation and
statewide publicity. The players receive trophies
and get big write-ups in the papers. The only re
ward for being a good driver is that it saves lives
and property. That’s too intangible.
Georgians don’t wear safety belts. Stand on a
busy street corner where you can see inside the
passing cars, and this becomes fact. Nationally,
a survey showed that of one million cars checked,
65 percent were equipped with safety belts, but only
38 percent of the drivers questioned said they “al
ways” used the belts. Just over 50 percent did
admit to wearing the belts on long trips. The iron
ical fact is that most of the traffic fatalities occur
within 25 miles or less from home.
Georgians have not been concerned about the
competency of drivers on the roads. If they had
been, the standards for obtaining a license would
be much more severe. And if Georgians were
really concerned with safer highway conditions,
they would have made sure the laws would prevent
a person with a revoked license from driving.
Georgians are dead from wounds inflicted by a mo
tor vehicle in the iiands of a driver whose license
had been revoked.
Georgians are not particularly “sold” on traffic
According to the laws of statistical probability,
one in every 100 people who are reading this edi
torial about epilepsy and epileptics should be able
to say, “It’s about me.’*
There are two million people in the United States
with epilepsy -- twice as many as with cancer and
twenty-five times the number of tuberculosis pa
tients. Yet tire combined income in 1966 for all
voluntary charitable agencies concerned with epil
epsy was one-tenth that of the major organiza
tions concerned with TB, one-sixteenth that of the
major organization concerned with cancer.
These are only figures, statistics, numbers on
paper. But they are examples of the neglect that
this disorder has suffered. Epilepsy is among the
oldest ailments known to man, but it is probably
ignored or misunderstood by more people than any
other disorder is today.
Though such men as Socrates, Julius Caesar,
and Napoleon have suffered from it, this dis
order is still clouded by the ignorance and fear
Sweden is considered an advanced welfare state.
In Sweden, the government "takes care” of you
from birth to death. But the bill for this kind of
care comes high. Those who live in the delusion
that government provides free services will find
it instructive to compare the taxes paid by U. S.
citizens against those paid by Swedish citizens.
In the United States, which so far is only partly
welfarized, taxes take about 22 percent of a single
person’s income and about 18 percent of the income
of a married couple withouth children. Social-wel
fare Sweden is tiie highest taxed nation in Europe.
THE COVINGTON NEWS
II IS - 1122 PACE STREET, N.E., COVINGTON GA. 30209
MABEL SESSIONS DENNIS
Editor and Publisher
LEO S. MALLARD
Assistant to Publisher
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF
NEWTON COUNTY
AND THE
CITY OF COVINGTON
Only Statistics?
The Price Os Security
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER
— Published Every Thursday —
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Single Copies 'ls
Three Months $2 50
Six Months $3.25
Nine Months . —54.00
One Year $5.0?
Points out of Ga. - Year $7,00
Plus 3% Salos Tax
(Best Coverage; News, Pictures, and Features)
all fields of man’s knowledge. With the best
possible high school preparation, you have made
the initial step toward a rich, meaningful life.
But, it should be remembered that a high school
education is the initial step; and, that today’s
complex society demands the highest degree of
learning for those who would achieve their goals.
It is gratifying that higher education has never
been more attainable, to those who desire it enough
to earn it, than it is today.
In your quest for knowledge, never lose sight
of the fact that there are two realms of learning -
mental and Spiritual; and without the latter, the
verities of life are lost, and with it man’s very
purpose of living.
We join your faculty, parents and many other
friends in wishing you every success in both
realms of knowledge; and heartily congratulate
you upon your Graduation!
laws or rigid enforcement. Arrests for traffic
violations number in the tens of thousands, and about
the most that can be heard is the woeful cry, “Why
aren’t you out arresting criminals? Why are you
bothering an upstanding citizen like me?”
These few items are an image which has re
flected the thinking of Georgians in the past.
But perhaps there is an awakening. Maybe there
is a new dawn.
The 1968 Georgia General Assembly heard from
the people. And the people said in chorus, “We want
something done about highway safety.” It wasn’t
unanimous, but it was decisive enough to generate
more traffic safety legislation than Georgians had
ever known. They said they would sanction addi
tional use of radar, but they did this with a very
“watered-down” version. Sort of like informing
the bank robbers that you won’t arrest them for
stealing money unless an officer is right there at
the scene at the time of the robbery, and is in
plain view of the bandit. However, the radar as we
now have it is better than no radar at all.
Georgians have also spoken up to reprimand the
habitual traffic violator. They put in the Point
System to regulate the chronic offenders. And with
that they installed the Implied Consent law to deal
with drinking drivers. These two pieces of legisla
tion should improve highway conditions.
For the thousands of Georgians who are concerned
about having one safe trip after another, there is no
guarantee. However, if each driver who is con
cerned will take every step at his command to im
prove his own driving skills, he is most certainly
pursuing a positive way of life.
that unjustly label epileptics as incompetent or
mentally retarded.
According to the newly-formed Epilepsy Foun
dation of America, medical science has enabled
more than 50 percent of all epileptics to com
pletely control their seizures and another 35
percent to significantly control them. But often
just the word “epilepsy” on an application or
form can still prevent a person from getting a
job, entering schools, and, in a number of states,
from marrying and having children -- even though
the heredity factor in epilepsy has been shown to
be insignificant
Misconseptions about this disorder have helped
to create these barriers, and the fact that epil
epsy has long been neglected does not help. If
you care enough and want to know the facts,
write for them — to the Epilepsy Foundation of
America, Greater Atlanta Chapter, 1409 Peach
tree St. NE, Atlanta, Ga. 30309.
Total taxes paid by the average worker in Sweden
now exceed 40 percent of his income, according to
U. S. News & World Report. Swedish people in
the medium braket -- incomes of about SB,OOO
a year — pay well over 50 percent if all taxes
are added up.
No, the security of the welfare state is not free.
Moreover, it is provided at the expense of liberty',
for certainly there can be little liberty where people
have lost the power of decision over their pro
ductive efforts.
MARY SESSIONS MALLARD
Anociat* Editor
LEO MALLARD
Advertising Manager
Entered at the Post Office
at Covington, Georgia, as
mail matter of the Second
Class.
OUR WEEKLY LESSON
FOR
Sunday School
PICTURE OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN
Devotional Reading: Matthew
5:3-11.
Memory Selection: Keep your
heart with all vigilance; for from
it flow the springs of life. Pro
verbs 4:23.
Intermediate-Senior Topic: Is
Goodness Enough?
Young People-Adult Topic:
Picture of a Righteous Man.
Our study of eleven weeks in
the “Wisdom” literature of the
Bible is nearing the end of the
Old Testament portion, which
will close next week with the
third lesson on Job.
The title of our lesson is giv
en as “Picture of a Righteous
Man,’’ but we must draw this
picture rather as the reverse
side of the negative as Job here
lists almost entirely the things
that he did not do. We must
remember that this is a brief
for the defense of his actions
and reputation.
The character of Job did in
actual fact represent the right
eous man as we have on testi
mony of the highest authority.
“Hast thou considered my ser
vant Job, that there is none
like him in the earth, a perfect
and an upright man, one that
feareth God and escheweth
evil?’’ (Job 1:8).
Last week we studied the story
of how one catastrophe after
another fell upon this righteous
man. We should understand that
between this and the previous
lesson there are long speeches
by the three would-be comfort
ers.
The basic problem of the whole
book is to account for the suf
fering of the righteous. Job’s
friends claim that suffering is
always the result of sin. In
answer to them Job stoutly main
tains that in his case, at least,
this is not true.
The chapter from which our
lesson is taken today ends a
lengthy series of discourses and
is the final part of a long re
buttal by Job as he maintains
that his suffering is not a re
sult of sin or its penalty.
Today we make a study of
the whole thirty-first chapter
in which Job gives a picture
of a righteous man rather in
reverse as he makes a serious
attempt to vindicate his conduct
and refute the charges and in
sinuations that have been made
against him.
In this chapter, however, Job
goes even further and considers
his record in regard to his moral
duties to God and to his fellow
men. He claims he has not
had impure thoughts or commit
ted adultery. He disclaims hy
pocrisy and injustice to his ser
vants. He denies malice toward
enemies, a lack of hospitality,
a covering up of his sin or any
injustice to laborers.
1
Herman Talmadge
■
REPORTS FROM THE UNITED STATES SENATE
■'* ' *
THE CONGRESS must not allow itself to be caught in the
emotional heat wave sweeping the country, or stampeded into a
new massive spending spree.
With all the pressure being brought to hear —a good part of
which emanates from mobs in the streets of Washington and
other large cities—the Congress ought to be wary against hastily
railroading through legislation that either needs more time and
study, that the country cannot afford at this time, or which in
fact is not desirable at all.
We have been swamped by fast and furious proposals for more
money to expand many existing programs and to create a vast
array of new ones, principally in the area of providing handouts.
Some members of Congress are giving a willing ear, this being an
election year, although just a few weeks ago almost everyone was
talking fiscal restraint and beginning to act like they knew what
that term means.
♦ ♦ ♦
THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC problems of our cities are
critical, and they deserve our attention. I have supported legisla
tive programs for the alleviation of these problems and, to the
extent possible within present budgetary limitations imposed by
the costly war in Viet Nam, I will continue to do so, particularly
in the area of education and job training.
In my judgment, we cannot overestimate the importance of
education and job training for, in the final analysis, these go to
the real heart of the problem. And it is just as vital in our rural
areas as in the cities.
» * »
HOWEVER. I KNOW of nothing that has happened recently
to change or improve this nation’s economic situation, as tragic
as the events have been. We are still waging a s2'2-billion-a
-month war in Viet Nam. and we are still confronted with the
possibility of a S2O billion deficit this fiscal year.
In this connection, the widespread public opposition to the
proposed federal tax increase goes tar beyond the usual American
resentment against having to pay more taxes.
People are not only opposed to more taxes, they are tired of
the fiscal policies that got our economy in this shape in the first
place, and of continually spending ourselves deeper in the red
without any apparent regard for revenue.
I certainly do not believe the American people are in any
mood for more taxes or any more spending programs now.
THE COVINGTON NEWS
In fact the long list of sins
to which Job pleads “not guilty’’
could be used to draw the pic
ture of an “unrighteous” man,
though it is no doubt better for
us to think here of the oppo
site, the Old Testament view
of a truly good man.
This picture of a righteous
man may have been set forth
very early in biblical times.
Some scholars have considered
Job as one of the oldest books
in the Bible, possibly from Pa
triarchal times. On the other
hand, some modern critics have
even placed its date after the
Jewish exile. The content of
the book has been called “The
Philosopher as Poet.” The book
is almost entirely, except for
the introduction and conclusion,
in Hebrew poetry. Some recent
scholars have said that the poetic
portion is probably a very ancient
epic and the prose introduction
and conclusion have been added
later. However that may be,
the book has meant a great deal
to many believers through the
centuries.
At the beginning of our lesson
text Job starts to draw for us
a picture of a righteous man
by giving the various iniquities
from which he has kept him
self free.
“If I have walked with vanity.”
The word here does not signify
what we usually mean when we
say a person is vain. This does
not signify pride in himself or
his appearance or qualities; ra
ther it means that he has not
walked In falsehood and that he
has not lived a lie.
When Job says he has not
“walked” in falsehood, this is a
very common biblical way of
describing life. We are all on
a journey in this world. We
walk in away. Our Master
often used the symbol of a road
or way, saying that the road
to life eternal was a narrow
way and difficult, but on the other
hand the way is broad that leads
to destruction. Our journey in
this life is also often spoken
of as a pilgrimage. Sometimes
we liken ourselves to a ship
on a voyage. Job declares that
in his daily walk he has habit
ually avoided falsehood. If we
take the opposite of this the first
virtue in our picture of a right
eous man is truth.
“Or if my foot has hasted to
deceit.” He had not walked in
vanity nor had his foot “hasted”—
or run in the way of deceit.
The opposite of those who walk
to falsehood and run to deceit
is given by Isaiah in the well
known passage, “But they that
wait upon the Lord shall renew
their strength; they shall mount
up with wings as eagles; they
shall run and not be weary; and
they shall walk and not faint”
(Isa. 42:31).
(Our Advertisers Are Assured of Best Results)
fjo
Route 1, Box 48
Covington, Georgia
May 27, 1968
Mr. Leo S. Mallard
Covington News
Covington, Georgia
Dear Mr. Mallard,
Your last week column about
hungry American people impres
sed me and I would like very
much to commend you for it.
It is indeed a very sad situa
tion that individuals all over
the land are suffering from hun
ger, but as a Home Management
Aid of Newton County I feel
that our first concern should be
our own county. Charity begins
at home and spreads abroad.
People in Newton County have
suffered and are still suffering
from lack of food. We have
people who do not have an ade
quate amount of food, especially
the right kind of food. We have
families that do not make enough
money to provide a decent liv
ing.
It has been said that we have
no people in Newton County suf
fering from the lack of food, but
this is untrue. We have people
who are in need of many things,
and I would like for anyone who
would desire to go with me or
any of the other Home Manage
ment Aids to visit the homes of
some of the most needy and see
for themselves the condition that
exists. I don’t mean just Ne
groes.
I have worked with many white
poor and done the best I could
to assist them with their pro
blems, with very little help or
encouragement from the various
agencies in the County. I be
lieve all of the Aids in the Coun
ty have done their best. But
in many instances we have been
rejected and turned down.
We have been told that the
poor people’s condition is caused
by laziness. But how do they
know? In many cases poor health
has caused such a lack of energy
that people become disabled and
are not able to do a good day’s
work. Or how do we know
that others would be unable to
do a good job if they were al
lowed some training under good
supervision that was kind, un
derstanding and allowed them
a chance? Everyone has to have
a first experience.
Being in a low income group
myself, I have used my own
money to help others see a doc
tor, or to try to help them get
aid from some other source.
Many times I have failed. I have
also carried my own food to in
dividuals in need of it, especially
where children were involved.
I have picked up and delivered
surplus food commodities be
cause of transportation difficul
ties. I have tried to help white
and negro people get jobs for
themselves. More often than
not we were rejected.
I have often wondered if peo
ple realize that some people are
born into such poor environments
that they do not have a chance
to grow up with the initiative
or ability to help themselves.
Who is trying to help them?
Does a Christian care?
Most of the money that is
being spent by the Federal Gov
ernment for poor people is being
used for the people who have
always lived on the fat of the
land and from the sweat from the
oppressed man’s brow. And
the poor continues to suffer.
I don’t appreciate the Biracial
Committee for one reason. I
feel that it isn’t fair for a few
people to decide what everyone in
a county must do or accept.
And I feel that this group is
picked by a society that continues
to keep the poor man down.
I believe to settle the issues
of a county, everyone should at
least have a voice in the govern
ment, regardless of his educa
tion, class or the kind of work he
does. And for those who have
had the worst end of the deal,
regardless of education, they can
explain themselves well enough
to be understood.
For a prosperous Newton
County, we should get together
and consider the underpaid and
those who have unequal employ
ment. The people who have
suffered this type of injustice
for so long are the ones most
apt to be dangerous to property
and life, and are most inclined
to destroy what others have ac
complished. They have nothing
to lose but life, and life is short.
It is high time that we face
facts and wake up. We are
going to have to work together
as Christians. Are we going
to be used as God’s tools to
help each other, regardless of
race, creed or color? For the
upbuilding of God’s Kingdom, to
gether we stand or divided we
fall.
Anytime a meeting is called
for everyone who desires to at
tend and is welcome to have the
priviledge of making his com
plaints and bringing his griev
ances, I would be delighted to
attend if my health allows. Al
though I am recuperating from
a heart attack, I pray I will
be well soon.
Thank you again for your col
umn expressing your feelings for
the poor.
Very respectfully,
Mrs. Fred Johnson
ft P^
^7a rfcfucttgie
After graduation night the trip
of life and reality begins with
all of its opportunity, challenge,
disappointment, success, and
failure. It is the most impor
tant trip a person ever takes.
On this journey one leaves his
graph of achievement or failure
for all the world to see.
With this thought in mind, Con
gratulations graduates of Newton
County and R. L. Cousins High
Schools. In this issue of the
NEWS we join the people of our
town and county in recognizing
your accomplishment of the basic
preparation stage for your trip.
Your future is envied by most
of us and only a minority of our
generation question your ability
to guide the nation’s destiny.
Your youthful ambition and dis
belief that “something can’t be
done’” will advance your genera
tion beyond ours.
Such has been the course of
history. We wish you success
in creating a better world to
live in than have those who have
passed before. May you find on
your trip the key to peace in
the world and thus create trust
and harmony among nations be
it out of necessity or by the sin
cere brotherhood of man.
May your generation find the
answer to harmony as Americans
in settling domestic issues es
tablished in our society since
the founding of our nation. We
too dream of an America of
equal opportunity shared by
Americans capable of shoulder
ing equal responsibility.
You will find, as men and wo
men have through the ages, sue-
i
I Layona Glenn
Says . . •
I
Along the way of life we are
provided with certain letters with
the responsibility of working out a
message for others.
Take for example, the letters
e-l-v-i are given for us to use.
We can combine them into
Evil - and make of them some
thing damnable. Or
Vile - something obscene, dir
ty.
Veil - hidden, secret.
Or with the same letters we
can make
♦fl jtyod
♦ MRS. ROBERT I. BURALL
TENTH DISTRICT DIR.
♦ GEORGIA CONGRESS OF PARENTS
♦ AND TEACHERS
As I look back over the past
school year - I wonder what more
could we have done to promote the
welfare of children and youth in
the home, school, church, and
community.
We have tried to raise the stan
dards of home life - Tried to
secure adequate laws for the care
and protection of all children and
youth.
Your “COVINGTON NEWS”,
newspaper has been most coop
erative, and I do appreciate their
interest and cooperation. It is
through this news media that I
have been able to keep you and
your PTA leaders informed of the
Report From Sen. Pennington
Senator Brooks Pennington of
Madison, is expected to qualify
during the coming week for re
election to a fouth term in the
Georgia State Senate, represent
ing the 45th Senatorial District.
Senator Pennington is current
ly serving as Chairman of the
powerful Agriculture and Natural
Resources Committee of the Sen
ate which is charged with the re
sponsibility of handling all legis
lation affecting agriculture and
conservation of game and fish
as well as our natural resour
ces, and polution of our rivers
and streams. He is a member
of the Appropriations Committee,
Highway Committee, Defense and
Veterans Affairs Committees,
Aviation and Tax Structure Study
Committees.
The Senator was named Chair
man of the Agriculture and Nat
ural Resources Committee in an
unprecedented move the first
year he was a member of the
Senate. Committee Chairman
ships, particularly those of ma
jor committees, have historica
lly been based on seniority and
length of service on such com
mittees, but in view of his out
standing achievements in the field
and his efforts throughout the
state as a private citizen in the
area of agricultural development
and education as well as con
servation, he was appointed
Chairman of the Agriculture and
Natural Resources Committee
his freshmen year in the Senate.
Senator Pennington was one of
the youngest men ever to re
ceive such an honor.
THE TRIP
By: Leo S. Mallard
cess and recognition on life’s
trip as individuals, not as groups.
Individual initiative, drive, fur
ther training and education, and
the development of your ability
to take a task handed you and
follow through to its successful
accomplishment will single you
out from the masses around you.
Opportunities still exist in
America more abundantly than in
any other nation on earth. Suc
cess stories of men and women
as individuals have built our na
tion into the greatest, most pros
perous, Republic on earth.
There may be many things that
you disagree with in this nation,
but stop and ask yourself: Would
I trade my citizenship in the
United States for citizenship in
any other nation on earth? Most
all would answer in the negative.
In this democracy of ours peo
ple still count. Individuals stand
out as leaders and rise to meet
the needs of our nation in every
generation and through their hope
and belief in the principles for
which they stand they create
faith in the mind of the masses
to follow their leadership.
On life’s trip you will either
be a leader or a follower-the
choice is up to you. One road
is hard to travel, the other is
easy. On one you will have to
take a stand, the other you may
remain anonimous. At the end
of the road of leadership is
fulfillment in knowing that you
have succeeded in making the
world a better place to live-the
follower will have existed in the
world that you have helped to
create. Good Luck!
Live - awake, active, as a
“live wire” that can be a force
for good or destruction.
Or by shortening the “i” we
can express the vital existance
granted us here on earth.
How are you using your supply
of lettes?
Will this earth be a better place
because of your manipulation of
the letters?
Let us so live that we may help
others to live and serve each oth
er and serve God.
great PTA work being done by the
National Congress of Parents and
Teachers as well as by your state,
district, and local PTA units.
This will be my last article
of the 1967-68 school year. How
ever as your Tenth District Dir
ector, I will continue our PTA
work. I stand ready to assist
you in anyway, throughout the
summer months.
Together, I’m sure we will
continue to try to develop be
tween educators and the general
public such a united effort as
will secure for every child the
highest advantages in all phases
of education.
Legislative statistics show that
Senator Pennington is unique in
that he has never introduced leg
islation that failed to pass the
Senate and that legislation aff
ecting agriculture passed out of
his Committee as being in the
best interests of the farmers,
has never been defeated in the
Senate.
Senator Pennington, who was
in the news recently when the
Federal Government took action
to force him to accept money he
had never collected from the
State Treasury for legislative pay
over the years, had elected to
serve in the General Assembly
without reimbursement. When
forced to comply with the fed
eral ruling, the funds were turned
over to a scholarship fund for
deserving students.
The 45th Senatorial District,
which Senator Pennington repre
sents, is composed of Jasper,
Morgan, Newton, Putnam and
Walton Counties, and this year —
under the recently approved re
apportionment plan — Includes
Rockdale County.
Tech Student Wins
Architectural Award
Gordon S. Gray, a fifth-year
architecture student at Georgia
Tech, has received a $250 award
for his design of a neighborhood
learning center (school) in the
Tech 1968 annual Reynolds Alum
inum Prize for Architectural Stu
dents.
May 30, 1968