The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1958-08-29
OTHER EDITORS
COMMENT ON VIKINGS
WHO .DEFAME OUR STATE
(From The State Magazine)

lFrom The State Magazine)
Here's quote from an inter
view given by Harry Golden, edi-
tor of the Carolina Israelite at
Charlotte:
"a Pitney-Bowes sort of fellow
who comes South wants to be ac-
cepted." Golden says. "Get in the
country club and things like that.
So he does three things. He gets a
recipe on how to make mint juleps,
is briefed by his wife (who has read
"Gone With the Windy on how
to behave under the magnolias and
when he gets to town he writes a
Letter to the Editor on desegrega-
ton which concludes, 1T will never
work. After that he's in. He's
an aristocrat."
This is hardly par for the South
batting course. 1t is not even
worthwhile to say it is a lie, or
that the smart set long since has
dropped the magnolia and mint
iulep sneers as too corny for &C
ceptance.
What attracted our attention is
the fact that Golden is qualified
to give a somewhat better account
of what happens to stranger in
North Carolina.
| He came South and established
journal largely devoted to criti-
cal observation of Southern atti-
tudes and customs. We can agree
that every section needs criticism,
though some of us may feel that
we are up to here in our share
of it.
In the same interview, Golden
acknowledges that he did not have
to stultify himself to thrive in
North Carolina. Instead of credit
ing his acceptance to witless
oversight on the part of his
neighbors. who mistook him for a
humorist, he might more truth
fully, and certainly more grace
fully, have acknowledged their good
humor, intelligence and tolerance.
A man as keen aus Golden is said
to be surely could recognize that
much of his success came to him
because he was fortunate to oper-
ate in an environment. with virtues
the very opposite of the shallow
standards he confers upon it.
Matter of fact, while Golden
seems to think North Carolinians
and humanity generally have bene-
fitted from his ostentatious broad
mindedness, actually it is the 9TH
Ell way around.
We begin to wonder if Golden
were to move his enterprise to
Yankeeland could he with such
comfortable IMMUNITY fatten off
his old neighbors by ridicule?
i think he would starve to
death.
But let the Anti-Defamation
League consider this SANDER on a
race of long-libeled people. What
discourages US is to come upon
these examples of steady drum
fire of little literary lies which
have alienated so many outsiders
from the South.
Because they appear to have the
authenticity of on-the-scene- re-
porting, these homemade lies are
especially well-received up North.
Golden's papers has northern read
ers, and they probably think he is
an honest observer. And no matter
how stale these wisecracks seem
to Southerners, they undoubtedly
are accepted in the North as literal
descriptions of the Southern char
acter.
Well, one more merry little lie
out of a thousand makes slight
difference in a depressing situa-
ton. But we'd like to put in the
record for newcomers that to be
accepted as good neighbors, club
members, or even "aristocrats"-
whatever Golden thinks they are
they should not depend on the
Golden Plan for Getting In.