The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1938-06-30
through
Hazel
Eyes
By
Hazel Brannon
Monday is July 4th.

countries who today are ruled over by
dictators. Americans, by their birth
and training, abhor dictatorship and
because of this feeling there is no
danger Of a dictatorship in America
today even II we had a President
who wanted to be a dictator.
The President of the United States
has a great deal of power. That
power Is given him by the people of
the United States through their rep
resentatives in congress. They can
take that power away from him any
time they get ready to.
America Is still ruled by a great
mass of people. not just a select
ed minority. We don't have to wor-
ny about relationships.
Our congratulations go this week to
Joe Dale, editor of the Lawrence
County Press at Monticello, who this
week celebrates his fiftieth a%nniver-
sary as editor and publisher Of his
newspaper.
Joe has been q member Of the Mis-
sissippi Press Association longer than
any other living member and is still
n Of its youngest members from the
standpoint OF activity.
Nice work, Joe, Mississippi needs
men like you. men who will
stay at home on the job and give year
after year Of progressive service to
the communities In which they re-
side. men who are not after fame
and fortune so much al they are after
a hfe Of service and a job well done.
An attractive picture Of a cottage
at the Holmes County State Park
appears In the current issue Of Mis-
sissippi Forests and Parks along with
pictures of other state parks. II and
when our park is finally completed
1t will be I'M OF the most popular
spots in the county.
Every day particularly o Sundays,
a large crowd visit the park for pic
MICS n swimming. II puts at the
disposal of our people much needed
r~ecreational facilities and Is an at
traction FOR tourists ms well.
-
In the current issue of Ken APP
pear an interesting article by Mis-
sissippi's noted editor, Walter Scott
Meriwether, Charleston. "Who Start
ed the Spanish-American War;" Is
the title OF this heretofore unknown
story.
Skipper" Meriwether tells us the
battleship Maine was sent to Havana
because Of a misinterpreted cable to
a New York newspaper and not as
a warning to the Spanish government
to behave as believed heretofore.
Mi. Meriwether was in charge Of
the Havana bureau OF the New York
Herald n scooped the world on the
sinking of the Maine which started
the Spanish-American war. His story
Is extremely interesting and will be
enjoyed by everyone who reads 1t.
The sinking of h Maine in 1892
caused war and blood shed. After
viewing the attitude of nations to-
day toward sinking battleships and
merchant ships we wonder what
WYNN hdPPSh toNdy II aiObiCt IA
nay incident should occur.
County Attorney Pat M. Barrett is
calling attention OF our readers this
week to the laws governing slot ma
chimes and liquor in Mississippi.
Everyone should know, of course,
that slot machines and liquor are
illegal but they have been with US
so long there might be some doubt
on the subject, at that.
Needless to say as long as they are
laws 1t is up to the city Inc county
authorities to enforce n uphold
them.
BY the constant breaking of these
two laws a disregard and contempt
for all law is bred. Such a condition
If unchecked leads TO serious crime
We think this notice given by our
County Attorney is given with the
expectation that citizens who are in
formed on the law will obey the law
OF course some of us are not so
optimistic on the subject.
But those who fail to heed Pats
warning may suddenly wake up some
morning in Jail.
1t must be a revelation to tourists
who visit Mississippi to be told that
we are a dry state.
They go to hatcher and find open
bars of all kinds. They go to visit
the National Military Park at Vicks-
burg and they find ditto. They visit
our famous Mississippi Coast and
they find the same thing.
Some very polite people say we are
not consistent.
We say we are not very honest.
Prohibition laws are fine if they
are enforced and the people want
such laws.
But they are not enforced in Mis-
sissippi because our people don,
want them enforced bad enough 10
see that they are, Perhaps we like
to drink too well.
Maybe we are getting out on the