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Editorials
Three, Plus Fifteen, Equals Zero
Sounds a little contusing, doesn’t it?
Well, frankly, it does to us, too.
The Summerville City Council has
several proposals pending in regard to
improvements in the traffic control
pattern in our city which — in the
main — seem very sound.
Certainly, no one can fail to agree
with the plan to repaint the traffic
lines at the parking meters on city
streets. The change in the angle of
parking and, in certain cases, the
widening of the parking spaces is a
welcomed improvement.
Another proposal under considera
tion by the city fathers is to revamp
the present traffic control system.
This — on the surface — sounds like a
wonderful idea.
At the risk of being repetitious, we
again say that no one can fail to agree
that certain improvements and addi-
There Should Be a Limit
It has become very difficult for the
average citizen to save for his old age.
Federal and local taxes take most of
the surplus an individual can accumu
late. If the tax collector don’t get it
while he is alive, they take as much of
his estate as possible when he dies.
The government is seeking to pro
vide too many people with a tax-sup
ported ticket on a political gravy train.
This ultimately means the death of in
dividual independence.
Gov. E. D. Rivers
Eurith Dickinson Rivers, better
known as “Ed" and one of the most
controversial governors in Georgia’s
history, died in Atlanta Sunday at the
age of 71.
Although unsuccessful in his first
two tries for the governor’s chair, Mr.
Rivers’ 1936 victory was a landslide,
carrying 145 of the state’s 159 coun
ties He became widely known as
Georgia’s first "modern governor".
The former governor was responsible
for many "firsts" in Georgia govern
ment At the tim° of his election, Geor
gia still was in the throes of the Great
Depression, and many Georgians had
Too Serious to Tolerate
(Chattanooga News-Free Press)
What kind of situation is it when
armed mobs engage in gunbattles with
police, ravage and riot and burn and
loot?
It is the kind of situation that has
been going on in Tampa, Fla., in Pratt
ville, Ala , in Cincinnati, Ohio, and in
too many other places. It is the kind
of thing that is threatened in a dozen
major cities of the nation during the
coming summer.
It is also the kind of thing that de
cent people cannot tolerate.
In the face of National Guard re
inforcements, Negro mobs have con
tinued their rampages. They have come
to think that in a mob is anonymity
and that the attitude of the top lead
ers of this country is such that noth
ing serious will happen to criminals
who vent savagery upon their neigh
bors.
When there were bloc votes to win,
the President and others were quick
Demands in Reverse
It does not take too long a memory
to recall Hitler’s divide and conquer
technique nor the compromises and
concessions that permitted the over
running of nation after nation prior
to World War II It requires even a
shorter memory to recall the infiltra
tion of communism since the second
world war. The time came to call a halt
and that was done in Viet Nam
Whether Viet Nam was the time and
place to stand firm is beside the point
now The United States is already com
mitted. Any signs of weakness will
simply prolong the war and cost more
lives.
When the Secretary of State is com-
aJhr Summeruillr Nema
JAMES D ESPY Managing Editor
DAVID T ESPY. JR General Manager
WINSTON E ESPY Co-Publisher
WILLIAM T ESPY Advertising Manager
WOODROW W ESPY News Editor
tions have long been needed.
The problems — among others —of
the utter confusion of the traffic is
lands on South Commerce Street and
the chaotic condition of the traffic
jams at Rome Boulevard and Lyerly
Highway have been with us for a long
time.
At present, the flow of traffic is con
trolled, primarily, by three traffic con
trol systems at the city’s three main(?)
intersections. The plan under consid
eration would add 15 additional lights,
but all of these would be massed at
the present three locations.
It does seem a little confusing — to
us, at least — to expend a lot of ef
fort and approximately six to ten thou
sand dollars only to end up with . . .
three traffic control systems at the
same three intersections.
There is hope, however, that the
young people—who see their earnings
taken for all manner of political
schemes—will awaken in time to vote
“no” to most of the fantasies of the
tax and spend planners.
Some leaders in Congress are already
saying it is time to “stop, look and lis
ten”. The world has never seen such
prodigal public spending as the U.S.
taxpayer is asked to sanction.
lost their homes because they couldn’?
pay their taxes One of the first acts
of his administration was to begin
homestead exemption.
He also started the State Highway
Patrol, gave free textbooks to Geor
gia’s school children and greatly im
proved and expanded the state’s farm
roads.
Although misery had dogged his
later years and he had ceased to be a
figure in Georgia politics, Mr. Rivers
will long be remembered by a great
many Georgians.
We express our heartfelt sympathy
to members of his family.
to speak out. Where are they now to
condemn lawlessness, to set a national
standard of support for law?
When a mob engages police in a
gunbattle, are we far from anarchy?
When a mob fights for days in the
streets, are we far from revolution?
Will we wait until the mob comes
down our street?
Will the President wait until the
White House is stormed?
Those who have the responsibility
for maintaining peace and order have
gone too far down the road of per
missiveness. Chaos will be the result if
we continue.
Let us demand of our leaders now
that they take actions not merely to
quell the outbreaks that have occurred
but to suppress those that are threat
ened for the months ahead.
The situation is too serious to be
ruled by political opportunism or tol
erance of lawlessness.
polled to spell out the nonsense in
volved in the proposition that this
country should stop bombing North
Viet Nam without equally concrete
concessions from the North Vietnam
ese. one cannot help wondering if the
lessons of recent history have already
been forgotten by those who suggest
such a course.
Why not tell North Viet Nam that
we would come to the conference table
if they would stop sending troops into
South Viet Nam but with no offer on
our part to dispense with the bombing’’
This — in reverse — is what is being
asked of the United States.
When 1967 began, economists
thought the national economic situa
tion had a dangerous pallor. Now the
pallor has deepened, and the patient
seems in real trouble. Unless the right
medicine is given, the United States
could face terrible economic illness in
the next fiscal year — the worst case
of “deficititis” since the end of World
War 11.
The new year began with President
Lyndon Johnson’s es’imate of an $8
billion deficit in the fiscal year com
mencing July 1. In recent days, how
ever, Secretary of the Treasury Henry
H. Fowler gave a sll billion forecast
for the deficit when he asked Congress
to hike the debt ceiling to $365 billion.
Mr. Fowler’s forecast is based on the
assumption that business activity will
accelerate rapidly and that the Con
gress will approve the six per cent tax
surcharge sought by the President.
The calculations of the Secretary of
the Treasury could prove to be overly
optimistic. Some economic observers
are of the view that the deficit could
pass the S2O billion mark. If this stu
pendous deficit develops, the American
people will really feel its impact in
terms of runaway inflation, tight
money, whopping taxes, and, in all
likelihood, unwelcome price and wage
controls.
"Doves" in the country are quick to
blame the war in Vietnam for the def
icit. Certainly, Secretary of Defense
Robert S. McNamara made poor calcu
lations as to the cost of the war. He
grossly underestimated the expendi
tures required — hardly the kind of
performance one expects of an official
described as a human computer. But
defense spending is not the villain.
After all, expenditures for national de
fense are necessary expenditures for
the safety and survival of the Ameri
can people. Americans are ready to
double defense spending if the security
of the Republic is at stake.
The fact is that in recent years non
defense spending has climbed faster
than defense spending. Six years ago,
spending on defense amounted to $44.7
billion. In the current fiscal year, de
fense spending totals $68.7 billion, or
DES ARC (ARK) JOUR
NAL — The average U.S
family will pay $3,300 in
taxes (federal, state and lo
cal) in 1967, according to the
Tax Foundation. Inc. How
the average family can sup
port several governments
and one and one-fifth au
tomobiles and still manage
to somehow dwell indoors,
wear clothes and eat is an
unfathomable mystery
PLATTEVILLE (COLO.)
HERALD — District Judge
Lester H Loble of Helena.
Montana, says a publication
The Summerville News
Is the Official Organ
of Chattooga County
Address All Mail to
THE SUMMERVILLE NEWS
P. O. Box 310
Summerville, Georgia 30747
^>^2
rUf- If A r 5
£ I- •
^FATHER’S day
Jt? JUNE 18
Sensing the News
< a J
—a—
Swimming in Red Ink
GRASSROOTS OPINION
from the nation's press
By Thurman Sensing
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
Southern States Industrial Council
an increase of 54 per cent.
But consider the other side of the
picture. In 1961, non-defense spending
was $36.8 billion. Today, it totals $58.7
billion, or a rise of 59 per cent.
In May, moreover, President Johnson
pledged to carry on the Great Society’s
lavish programs and to augment them.
He refused to cut back on the wasteful
War on Poverty, which hasn’t helped
the poor. By promoting the Great So
ciety at this time, he apparently hopes
to regain favor with radical groups
such as Americans for Democratic Ac
tion, which have condemned the effort
in Vietnam.
Mr. Johnson refuses to make a guns
or butter choice. He intends to buy the
guns, but he also intends to give away
a lot of the highest grade butter — in
the form of welfare subsidies of one
kind or another. He gives “renticare”
and ‘‘headstart’’ programs high pri
ority, despite the pressing need for cut
backs in this area in order to assure
adequate funds for defense and sta
bility in the national economy. The
Office of Economic Opportunity is
screaming for more money to spend
in the nation’s big cities this summer—
a form of federal tribute designed to
appease protest groups.
Unquestionably, the American econ
omy is very strong and sound. The
U. S. potential for strengthening free
enterprise is a modern miracle. New
ideas and hard work by skilled man
agers and employes result in new pro
cesses, new services and new goods. But
even the strongest economy cannot
withstand irresponsible spending.
If war imposes a strain, then it is es
sential to remove other stains — such
as the federal government’s commit
ment to welfarism.
If President Johnson refuses to ac
knowledge this economic fact of life,
he will have the American people
swimming in red ink by the time he
ends his term in office. Overspending
on welfarism is what has wrecked Brit
ain. The U. S. should take note of this
horrible example and turn away from
the brink.
Reductions in non-essential spend
ing have never been more essential.
of the names of juvenile of
fenders — and their parents
—has been directly respon
sible for cutting the crime
incidence in his area — in
half.
OSSIAN (IOWA) BEE —
The American culture— or
lack of it — our society in
general. Is so diverse and
many-splendored it is often
hard for our boys and girls
to know who to admire.
When young, the national
heritage is too heavily sold
to them as a cowboy heri
tage. The shooting and kill-
Published Every Thursday by the ESPY PUBLISHING COMPANY
Entered at Post Office at Summerville. Georgia 30747. as Second Class Mail Matter
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SUBSCRIPTION RATE — IN COUNTY. $3.09 A YEAR - OUTSIDE COUNTY. $4.12 A YEAR
Ing of the bad men In the
West, of the wild West in
general, is stresses and we
hardly see any good por
trayals or emphasis on our
more important heritage —
the colonies, the hard times
and Indian wars, the revolu
tion against England, the
Civil War with all Its heroics
and sacrifices, etc.
PORT GIBSON (MISS.)
REVEILLE — In our vast
space program, It is pos
sible we may — in not too
many years — put a man on
the moon — but. here on
earth, with so many strikes
and threats of strikes, It
seems very difficult to keep
one on the job.
COMMENT
By WOODROW ESPY
Eight-Hour Shifts ...
The Summerville City Council has under consid
eration a proposal to establish eight-hour working
shifts for members of the police department.
This plan should meet with the approval of most
of the people of Our Town. A policeman’s lot is not an
easy one under the best of circumstances. They must
work under a great many pressures: the worry of hav
ing made the right decision, the ever-constant threat
of sudden violence, and the long, arduous vigil of pro
tecting the rights and property of the city’s residents.
This is something that must —of necessity —be
done if we are to get — and keep — an efficient police
force. The department is well on its way to “settling
down” now after the somewhat less than desirable
situation that existed a short time ago.
We sincerely hope the mayor and council can
find the way to set this plan in motion in the very
near future.
* * * *
Just About Fed Up . . •
The rioting, mob action and looting that is going
on in cities across the nation is among the most dis
graceful events ever to happen in America.
The feeble excuse put forward by misguided per
sons that the cause of these riots is unemployment,
inadequate housing and other social conditions is
just not compatible with other factors.
There are other ethnic groups in our country —
Puerto Ricans - Cubans - Chinese and - yes - white
Americans — who are forced to live in under unde
sirable conditions, but you do not see them in the
streets defying the laws of our society.
The most absurd proposal brought forward is
that the State of Massachusetts is considering asking
the federal government for assistance in rehabilitat
ing the areas of Boston that were ravaged by lawless
mobs.
The riots could have been put down before this
wanton destruction was accomplished. If the people
of Massachusetts want to condone acts of this kind,
that is their privilege, but they should not expect
other people’s tax money to be used in this manner.
We believe the people of the country are just
about fed up with the elements of our society who
have no respect for the rights of others.
We do not believe they will go along with the idea
of underwriting anarchy.
| Minister Speaks J
By REV. B C. BOWMAN
Pastor, Welcome Hill Baptist
Church
SUCCESS AND
HAPPINESS
Several days ago one eve
ning, I was sitting in the
stands of the Chattooga
County High School football
stadium when more than a
hundred clean-cut young
men and women marched
across the grounds to take
their seats as high school
graduates of this school. My
thoughts ran like this: "Al
most everyone wants to be
useful, happy and success
ful in life.” But where are
we to find these things that
make life worthwhile? We
will only find them in Jesus
Christ. He said, "He that will
find life must lose his life,”
and that happiness does not
consist in the things that we
possess.
Napoleon said, "I will get
power and then I will be
happy.” He brought Europe
to her knees, he made thou
sands of widows and or
phans; but he died in exile,
a broken and bitter man.
You would not say that his
life had counted.
However, there is a story
told of a man who was
picked up off the battlefield
during the Civil War. He
was seriously wounded, but
he made God a promise that
if He would let him live, he
would devote his life to
God’s service. The years
went by and this man died.
. : . ; W.ftat had he done? He had
"built a great church, two
hospitals and a great uni
versity. He had sent thou
sands of boys and girls to
school. Russell Conwell’s life
had counted because he had
lost it for Christ’s sake.
Spiritual Awakening
America stands in need of
a great spiritual awakening
because her potentials for
success are being wasted;
but we are interested in
every thing other than the
one ' thing that will bring
success and happiness, and
this one thing is to put
Christ first. We need a re
vival of Christianity In
Chattooga County, in the
State of Georgia, in America
as a whole.
A few years ago one of our
former presidents used this
topic in the Republican Con
vention. Mr. Hoover had seen
many years pass by and
these years had taught him
that a nation which counted
its spiritual values of no use
will eventually come to ruin.
He realized that America
had wandered far away
from God, and his plea was
to return quickly and seek
God’s favor. This is not only
the view of Mr. Hoover, but
it is the view of everyone
who is alert to the trend of
the times, for we can see
that we are far, far away
from God.
The prayer “O, God save
America from spiritual
ruin” should be upon the
tongues of every born-again
Christian. Yet Satan has
done his work well in bind
ing the hearts of the people
of God with the desires of
the flesh. Jesus himself
said, "The deceitfulness of
riches, the cares of life, and
the lust of other things
would choke out the word
(Continued On Page 5)
Editor
Summerville News
Dear Sir:
I want to commend you
and your paper for the item
that appeared concerning
Mrs. John Stubbs and her
recent retirement from the
Chattooga County School
System. I do not know of a
single person in Chattooga
County more deserving of
your praise than this fine
lady.
Throughout the past year
and one-half as I have tried
to assist the Beersheba
Presbyterian Church, Mrs.
Stubbs has been a tremen
dous help in the work and
spirit of the project leading
to the restoration of this
historic Presbyterian church
in the Teloga community. I
am confident that it has
been her fine spirit of co
operation and zeal which in
no small measure made this
accomplishment a reality.
We appreciate the high
quality of your paper and
the splendid service it ren
ders in the county of Chat
tooga. With best wishes, I
am,
Sincerely,
Robert C. Pooley
MEMBER