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Editorials
The Spirit of Christmas
Os all the holidays, this season of
the year has a special quality that is both
intangible and very real.
Being home for Christmas is a uni
versal desire. Brotherhood is proclaimed
and practiced more than at any other
time. Differences are subdued, and all of
us concentrate more on how we are alike
than on how we are unalike.
We think more about what we can
do for somebody. Each of us has his or
her own anticipated excitements and the
odds are better than usual that realiza
tions will live up to expectations.
For this season, whatever our age,
we all become young in attitude. What
ever our faith, we share the holiday
spirit. Whether our collars are white or
blue, we can resolve to do something
special for our fellow human beings to
add to the joy of living.
This Christmas Season, 1972, the
mystery and magic of Christmas night
are very real as hundreds of millions of
people in small countries and great
nations across the breadth of the world
join hands in the eternal wish of peace
on earth and goodwill toward men
In this day of instant communica
tions. flashing in words and pictures the
sometimes confusing kaleidoscope of
world events, it seems appropriate to
give thanks for one gift that has pre
served the humanity and the hard-won,
accumulated knowledge of man through
thousands of years the gift of the writ-
A Time for Every Purpose
“To every thing there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the
heaven.”
These words from the Bible of Ec
clesiastes have meaning and application
to a multitude of experiences and cir
cumstances within everyone’s life. They
apply certainly to the changing seasons
of the year and to the coming of winter
on this twenty-first day of December.
Even to those of us who live in
warmer climes, winter brings to the
minds of most of us visions of soft,
delicate swirls of snow, the delicious
smell of freshly baked cookies and hot
chocolate after a walk in the brisk wind.
And the glow of a child’s face on Christ
mas morning is never to be forgotten.
Revenue-Sharing Check
Chattooga County has now received
its first revenue-sharing check from the
federal government after a delay of al
most two months from the originally
scheduled date.
True, the amount received was
somewhat less than what local officials
had been led to expect, but it is a
welcome "windfall,'' and can be used to
good advantage
They Are Always With Is
It is a traditional custom for news
papers to call attention to the plight of
the community’s needy at Christmas
time. This is a worthwhile undertaking,
and it is appropriate to make a special
effort at Christmas to see that every
child, especially, is remembered in some
way.
It’s true, as some point out. that the
needy deserve attention throughout the
year. But there is also nothing wrong in
putting forth a special effort one that
perhaps cannot be duplicated every week
of the year at Christmas
If there are nearby families in dis
tress. if there are children likely to have
She ^ummrruilk Nma
WINSTON K MPT
DATID T. MPT. n. General Manager
JAMBS D. EBPT Managing Miter
WILLIAM T. MPT Advertiting M«aa|«r
WOODBOW W. MPT New* Bdtter
ten word.
In countless languages, the written
word has spanned the whole surface of
the earth, making knowledge of God and
the teachings of Christ lifelong, everyday
companions of men and women every
where.
Through the written word, all men
know the story of Christmas. These
words endure to be read and re-read
again and again. How else could the
story of that night long ago in Beth
lehem be preserved to give us faith
through the years? How else could the
story of Tiny Tim and the name of
Charles Dickens have become synony
mous with the Spirit of Christmas.
Countless millions of children have
listened in breathless wonder as their
parents read the fantasy-conjuring words
of “The Night Before Christmas,” which
tells of the reindeer, the fur-trimmed red
suit, and the jolly cry of “Merry Christ
mas to all and to all a good night!”
So, let’s give thanks to the written
word. Its power has preserved the Spirit
of Christmas, and its wisdom may yet
save mankind from his own folly.
In our own community, Chat
toogans are busily preparing for this
special season. But they will not be too
busy to remember that Miracle in a
Manger which occurred almost two thou
sand years ago. It is a story that never
grows old.
Merry Christmas!
We think of a sparkling white
blanket of purity covering the ground
and of the peace and tranquility that lies
over the countryside as Mother Nature
takes her well-deserved winter slumber.
But the crowning jewel of the winter
season is the celebration of Christmas
and the continuing miracle of the whole
Christian world joining hands to reaffirm
its faith and reverence for the Lord
whose way we follow.
To ever think there is a season, and
winter is a time of faith, a time to
ponder, a time of exhileration, and a
time to prepare for the change and op
portunities to come during the lengthen
ing days of spring that will so shortly
follow.
Several days ago, Commissioner
Harry Powell released a list ofpriorities,
spelling out the proposed uses for this
money. This listing of priorities seems
well thought out and could result in
many worthwhile improvements to our
county.
We believe the commissioner will use
the money wisely.
little to be happy about on Christmas
morning, those with the means can make
their Christmas a satisfying one by doing
something about it
Chattooga County’s veterans are
people who are doing something about
it Each year, Mason-McCauley Post
6688. VI W. and American Legion Post
129 provide gifts, candy, fruit, and nuts
to the community’s needy children,
many of whom would not know the joy
of Christmas except for the thoughtful
ness of these two groups.
It is a worthy community service
and deserving of commendation.
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A MIRACLE!
The war in Vietnam, by practically
any measurement, is coming to an end so
far as the United States is concerned.
The most important measurement is, of
course, the weekly casualty count of
zero, or very close to it, that we have
experienced. We will soon be coming as
close to a peacetime situation as we have
been for many long years. The next
question is, then, what will happen to
government spending, wage and price
controls, and the course of inflation
Nothing short of a bona fide prophet
with a God-given gift of second sight
could answer these questions with any
precision. But, at this point at least for
the short run, some idea of what comes
next is pretty generally becoming ap
parent.
As any taxpayer will testify, govern
ment over the last decade has been the
nation’s number one growth industry
with very few exceptions. Expansion at
the federal level continues If spending is
held at the $250-billion level, proposed
by the Nixon Administration, it would
still mean an $ 18.4-billion increase in
spending over last year. This would be in
the 1973 fiscal year ending next June
30, and the deficit for the period would
be $25 billion. But there is much pres
sure to spend more money. Even with-
I (S From Our Earhj Files |
I juSSil 1 |
$ 30 Years Ago 8
§ DECEMBER 17. 1942 §
Christinas shopping ad: Men's Silk and Satin lies 25c up; Men’s and ft
g Boys’ Pajamas 59c up; Men's Flannel Robes 51.98; Women's Hand- ft
bags 98c up; Women's Crepe and Wool Dresses 54.98 up: One Lot >•:
S Women’s Winter Coats $7.98; Men’s Belts 25c to 98c. §
I’’ * 1
ft 20 Years Ago §
ft DECEMBER 25. 1952 g
| A Chattooga County 4-1 Fer. Wayne Plunkett, has been named a state |
& winner in the hybrid corn contest . . VFW and American Legion officials g
g have reported that plans are complete for the annual Yule party for needy ft
ft children at the Memorial Home.
I** * |
ft 10 Years Ago »
§ DECEMBER 20. 1962 g
g An announcement was made here this week that Best Manufacturing ft
•< Corporation of Menlo will hire 100 additional employees .. . Frank Boggs, a
§ noted bass singer, will present a concert Sunday at the Summerville First $
§ Baptist Church.
The Summerville Newt
It the Official Organ
of Chattooga County
itew AD Mail te
WB SDMMBBVILLB NBWS
P. A Su lit
Ite—nnii, Georgia J 074 7
News Commentary
WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE THINKING
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out any new major social programs,
enacted by Congress, spending and debt
could rise by another $5 to $lO billion,
bringing an even more intolerable deficit
of S3O to $35 billion.
It doesn’t take much imagination to
conclude that any such level of spending
would build a fundamental, inflationary
pressure that could not be resisted. This
being the case, tax increases would be on
the way no doubt about it. With this
sort of outlook, there is little chance
that the country will be released from
wage and price controls anytime soon
(The end result will be) public sup
port for control of the expansion and
cost of government activities with
greater reliance on private initiative and
competitive enterprise in a free market.
The alternatives of continued massive
government growth and cost, inflation
and control over the economic life of the
nation, has not until now been palatable
to the United States as away of life. If
matters can be kept in a reasonable
balance so that options are still open, it
seems likely that in the longer term the
course of thorough-going welfarism and
regimentation will prove unacceptable
once again. Industrial News Review
‘ JL
BECAUSE IT IS CHRISTMAS ...
We rejoice in the sound of the words and the glory
of the message: “ . . . on earth peace, goodwill to men.
But we do not always feel the meaning in our hearts and
put it to work in our lives.
One who did was Henry Van Dyke, the late Ameri
can clergyman, writer, and poet whose famous Story
of the Other Wise Man” has brought joy and inspiration
to thousands of people over the years. Among his
writings is a piece called “The Spirit of Christmas, and
we think you’ll like it as much as we did. We are happy
to reprint it, from us to you:
“We are thinking of you today because it is Christ
mas . . . and tomorrow because it will be the day after,
and so on through the year. We may not be able to tell
you about it every day, but that makes no difference,
the thought and the wish will be there just the same
Because it is Christmas, so many things follow.
Because it is Christmas, the world stands still for a while
in reverent memory of the Christ child s birth. Because
it is Christmas, we hope anew for peace on earth,
goodwill to men. Because it is Christmas, we resolve that
the Spirit of Christmas will stay with us throughout the
year.
The Spirit of Christmas should not be confined to a
single day-nor is it. For all those who truly believe in
“goodwill to men” honor it in their hearts and live it in
their lives . . . every day of the year. They cherish the
continuing warmth of friendship, the ever-new rebirth
of the Babe who lived to teach us peace and love.
And though friends may be far away or seldom met,
that, too. “makes no difference.” The steady flow of
hope and goodwill continues to bind together those who
put their trust in the power of loving kindness, and in all
that we mean by humanity.
* * *
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR “COMPETITOR”
We were pleased to receive a complimentary copy
of the first edition of the Pennville News, published by
the pupils at Pennville Elementary School.
As far as can be determined, this is the first time a
school newspaper has been published in an elementary
school. We were also pleased to have been invited to the
school to help these young people get off the ground
with their new venture.
We offer our congratulations to these pupils at
Pennville. They have done an excellent job on their first
edition, and perhaps a few of them will decide to make
a career of journalism.
Who knows? Maybe some day one of them will be
sitting in my chair.
* * *
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
Today’s mighty oak is just yesterday’s little nut that
stood its ground.
* * *
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
Doctor: “You’d better stop drinking. It’s affecting
your hearing.”
Patient: “I’d rather not. Doc. The stuff I’ve been
drinking lately is a lot better than the stuff I’ve been
hearing.”
THIRTY
From the Nation's Press
SPRINGHILL (LA.) PRESS & NEWS JOURNAL:
“The cry of the ultra liberal is: We must change to meet
the changing needs of our people. The cry of the ultra
conservative is: Is there nothing sacred, what is good
enough for grandpa is good enough for me. Both are
wrong. This country must progress, but progress cannot
be made without a solid background, a keystone in law,
tradition or past practice. Nothing stands still, but
nothing successful progresses unless it has a solid foun
dation.”
♦ * *
PLAINVIEW (NEB.) NEWS: “Newspapers in
Russia, so reports go, are ‘red,’ but not read. Russians
just don't seem to read newspapers the way Americans
do, mainly because the chief function of the Soviet
newspaper editor is to defend, explain and promote the
Communist Party’s policies and achievements. News
from beyond the country, which the Party wants to
block out never appears at all. Official news is played
up. Other news gets a paragraph or two. Nothing for
deaths, except official obituaries, marriages, etc. A little
different from American newspapers, huh?”
• ♦ *
WARR ACRES (OKLA.) PUTNAM CITY
NORTHWEST NEWS: "In the last 12 years, our total
gross national output in the U. S. has jumped 80
percent, a total of S4OO billion . . . Personal incomes
increased S3OO billion and the number of employed
climbed a whopping ten million . . . Looks like the free
enterprise system does work . . . .”
Thursday
OMMENT
By Woodrow Espy
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