Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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“rms ncwBEKKY SUN WIDAY, MAY 24, 194« 1218 College Street NEWBERRY, SOUTH CAROLINA 0. F. ARMFIELD Editor and P liaher Published Every Friday In The Year Entered as second-class matter December 6, 1937, at tht postoffice at Newberry, South Carolina, under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1879. President at Fault In Coal Mine Strike By SPECTATOR The twelve day resumption of work by the coal miners may or may not mean more than twelve days work. We should be foolish to leave the bars down. Now is the time to provide measures against the repitition of great stoppages of work. I do not argue against strikes since every man has a full right to leave his work—unless un der a specific contract. Even in that case the law will not compel a man to work. Let us concede the right to strike and it follows that a man has a corresponding right to work. If the striker is entitled to the right of peaceable withdrawal from his work, the right of every man to engage in work peaceably should be enforced. Our laws and our Government support the striker and virtually give him an absolute title to his job. That not only works against the employer but works harshly against other men who need work and want to work. John L. Lewis could be brought to terms quickly, if the President of the United States really meant to serve the nation. The miners have rights as citizens; they cannot be forced to work. But, we, too, have rights; and we are in the ma jority. Two measures could be resorted to in a day: 1. Recommend repeal of all the laws under which Labor has become a privileged class, controll ed by arrogant leaders. The recom mendation of that to Congress would be the most salutary measure pro posed in the Congress in many years. The second measure could be the taking over of the mines by the Government, with a call by the President to workers of the nation, to report to the mines as volunteers, such volunteers to have the option to remain permanently, if they wished to, do so, and this support ed by a joint resolution of Congress. Our present course is one of abso lute impotence, because America is today the plaything of its politi cians, who will sacrifice the whole nation for votes; or quail before the effrontery of John. Lewis, rather than lose some votes. We waste time and energy in denouncing John L. Lewis; he is only enjoying an opportunity made for him by our laws and leaders; the obligation rests squarely upon the President and the Congress to perform a simple duty. Let us de mand of the Government that it serve the whole nation. Our Presi- ent attitude only magnifies John Lewis into a National despot; he is the pampered creature of our laws and Presidents. gusted with the Democratic Pri mary, the Conventions, and the way things are done in the clubs. My friend tells me that when the time comes to choose delegates' from the clubs to the County Convention the few men present voted for cer tain big-wigs who were absent, not recognizing those who were present. Unfortunately, most citizens pay no attention to the Democratic clubs and do not attend; furthermore, a little group usually organize them selves into a ring for the occasion, regarding the , Party leadership of great honor and importance. It may turn out to be of great importance. We must not be surprised at “rings”, or groups which band to gether and “engineer” all the [ things. Even in Church conven tions, Bankers’ Conventions, and any other convention, a group usu ally “engineers” the proceedings. The Reverend Joe Doe becomes a Doctor of Divinity because the right man sponsored him. So with various so-4|alled honors. Seldom, indeed, is any man chosen for any thing solely on merit. He may have merit, of course, but he needs a friend who will call attention to the merit—and keep calling, sometimes. Recently I saw several gentlemen in the office of a friend of mine. They had come to ask that my friend arrange for P. G. to address a club, the said P. G. being in a mood to become a candidate and wishing it to appear that demands for him were coming spontaneously from all over the State!! Nay, Nay; nothing like that. Most of the apparently spon taneous demand was very carefully thoroughly and persistently worked up. We must not wonder that poli tical clubs and conventions are “en gineered.” Spectator has received a letter from a, citizen who is much concern ed about our Government. He is a citizen who takes his citizenship seriously and wishes to do his part to make this as free as the nation was when he started to make his way in life. I quote from his let ter: “Now as to the Democratic Party in South Carolina, they are headed for a big surprise. I predibt that at the next National Conven tion of the Democratic Party a resolution will be offered and pass ed amending the ruling, to provide that any State or Territorial Democratic Party Organization that prohibits any American citizen from voting in the primaries andjor par ticipating in the Democratic Party Organization will be barred from membership from the National Or ganization. So you see it will not be a matter of the South Carolina Democratic Party seceding from the National Organization but they are going to be kicked out and kept out until they agree to take the color ed people into the party on the same basis with the white people. This will happen because the Na tional Democratic Party will be fac ed with a proposition of losing the colored vote in the North or making some of our political leaders angry. The National Organization does not believe that they would lose the vote of the “Solid South” on account of such action; they believe that the worse that could happen would be that the Republican vote in the South would be increased, but not enou to change the results of the election, because this same resolu tion would be offered and passed at the Republican National Conven tion. There will not be many South ern State Organizations kicked out; South Carolina, Mississippi and Louisiana, will probably be all, and maybe not even Louisiana. I pre dict this is bound to happen. If you use this in the Spectator, please don’t mention my name.” The picture is not as reassuring as one might wish, but who can gain anything by wishful thinking or closing his eyes to the facts? The facts point to the conclusions sug gested by my friend whom I quoted. Another thoughtful citizen is thinking of offering himself in the General Election because he is dis- Another candidate has entered the race for Governor—Frank E. Cope of Orangeburg County. We have now two citizens who are expected to offer for Lieutenant Governor—B. V. Chapman of Newberry and Chas. Verner of Greenville. Mr. Cope is regarded as one of the pre-eminent farmers of the State. He comes from the fertile and prosperous community named Cope, near Denmark. Of course the men of Cope may say that Dqyi- rrark is near Cope. At any rate, when you come to Bamberg, Den mark and Cordova you are not far from Cope. Does not our Governor hail from that community? He is a man from Mullins now, a full- fleged Pee Deean, though the Oraqgeburg origin was valuable. Our men of scholarship insist that Pee Dee is one word—Peedee. But we need not quarrel about that. Mr. Cope will probably make a good run. B. V. Chapman of Newberry was once a Senator and knows the Senate. He has more re cently been a Solicitor, a public prosecutor—which might argue for him if he will try to compel respect for the Constitution. I know Mr. €hapma n and esteem him highly. Mr. Verner of Greenville has Loans! ON REAL ESTATE AUTOMOBILES AND PERSONAL PROPERTY NEWBERRY INSURANCE AND REALTY CO. NED PURCELL, Manager TELEPHONE 197 Exchange Bank Building served some time in the House and has enjoyed the high regard of his associates. Shall the Negro vote in the Demo cratic Primary? I think the Demorrats should maintain a White Man’s Party, exclusively. The elec tion laws of South Carolina are so elastic that they do not bar any group or ticket. A very thoughtful citizen has asked me if, in my opin ion, a man may be placed before the voters in the General Election stand ing alone. For example, may John Doe be printed on a ballot as fol lows: For State Senator: John Doe: that, and nothing more? The law prescribes what shall be on a ballot; and the law includes State and County officers on one ballot. If a State-County ballot with all the offices scratched, but one, may be counted it would appear that the one might be voted on in the first place. I think it would be rul ed out, however, as an incomplete ballot. It may appear to be a case of legal tweedledum and tweedledee, but there you are. I have been asked again whether the denial of srfch a one-man tick et violates any constitutional right of that citizen; and whether such denial might ultimately prove to be the denial of a Republican form of government as guaranteed to the States by the Constitution. The Courts would probably hold that the State has jurisdiction of the form and method; and that unless a citizen (can prove something aimed specifically against him, but enjoy ed by others, he has no just cause of action. most matters the Executive might act, if the Congress had not legislat ed on the subject. On that broad grant of power my office created a ‘ censorship of the movies, not allow ing any film to be shown until it had been approved by the censor. But we have no such legal system in the United States; nor should we have it. Our Constitution defines the pow ers of the President and of the Con gress; it also prescribes limitations on them; then, to prevent assump tions of power, the Constitution de clares that all other powers are vested in the States or in the people. * Probably a majority of the voters in the United States have become twenty-one years old since 1933. We have a generation not accustomed to constitutional processes; a gen eration regarding the President as supreme. Millions of our citizens know virtually nothing of our Constitution or constitutional his tory. All that is equally true of South Carolinians and the South Carolina Constitution. My mind turns to this because of something I’ve just read, that General Marshall holds the veto power i n China because he may ap prove or refuse to approve a lorn of five million dollars—if it be a loan. Who, what offifcial, and with what authorization, decided to lend five hundred million dollars to China? I am not discussing the loan on its merits; but the authority to make the loan. If South Carolina admits negroes to the Primary you may expect something drastic from some direc tion. What is constitutional govern ment? Is that the kind of govern ment which prevails in the United States. Have we Constitutional government in South Carolina? If not, why not? How and why do we depart from the Constitution? I should be presented clearly. Since 1933 the United States has done so many things because of emergen/cy that we are now ac customed to Executive action on a thousand matters which should be decided by Congress. I was in a South American country ten years and prepared a number of presiden tial decrees (for that country). On RADIO AND TELEVISION SALES - SERVICE We Specialize in— PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS AND SOUND EQUIPMENT Sale of for Rental INTER OFFICE COMMUNI CATION SYSTEMS Geo. N. Martin 1303 Friend St. Phone 74-J Directly Opposite Post Office TELEPHONE 269-M HOURS: 9:00 TO 12:00 1:00 TO 5:30 Dr Z. Cecil Lynch OPTOMETRIST 1304 MAIN STREET NEWBERRY, S. C. TRUCK TIRES Are Scarce WE HAVE THEM IN STOCK The Famous DAVIS Rayon Cord Construction SIZES: 650 x 20, 32 x 6 700 x 20, 32 x 6 750 x 20, 34 x 7 825 x 20 Users Of Truck Tires Are Asked To Investigate For Money Saving Prices on Quality Tires. Western Auto Associate Store R. P. MEDLEY, Owner Graduation PHOTOS Remember that import ant day with a remind er—a Photograph. We specialize in artis tically lifelike gradua tion pictures that high light character. Nichols Studio 13091/2 Main'Street Telephone 233 JEWELRY < Young, ambitious, wonderful . . . youth looking for ward to a bright future, and they deserve gradua tion gifts of distinction, beauty and lasting value . . . Jewelry. FOR HER FOR HIM RINGS FOUNTAIN PEN SETS FOUNTAIN PEN SETS BILL FOLDS SPRAY PINS MENS RINGS RING AND EAR-BOB IDENTIFICATION SETS BRACELETS BANGLE BRACELETS WATQH BANDS COMPACTS TIE SETS WATCHES CIGARETTE LIGHTERS WATCH BRACELETS IDENTIFICATION BRACELETS PEN KNIVES BELT BUCKLES LOCKETS CIGARETTE CASES PEARLS WATCHES W. E. Turner, Jeweler 1103 Caldwell St. Telephone 19-W