davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-02-04

It is said by men who have nearly experienced
death that they saw their lives instantaneous.
", and in the experience of those who must
turn their backs for while upon society it
is said "IIow is it that this is done to me?"
The sentence of Judge breaks the con.
cord of life. There will now be a chasm sepa-
rating the defendants life into two parts:
those events which occurred prior to trial and
those which occurred after trial.
Those of you who have not suffered
through criminal term of court as litigant
or a lawyer Judge or juror must have diff
Guilty approaching the pain and futility con-
nected with one of the mysteries of life, name
ly; the concept of crime and punishment.
1t has been said that we must win the
arms race, the space race, the race against
disease, old age initiation and every other rat
race that is imposed upon us. II we should
become adjusted to expanding space and
transfer our culture to an unoffending blob
somewhere else in the universe, it would be
frightful thing to recreate thereon the ills that
we are heir to here. But that is exactly what
is going to happen.
Man is capable of spending billions of dol
lars, devoting all of his energy and brains,
and finally succeed in transferring the Mont
gomery County Jail and the inmates therein
to Mars or Venus Man may not only do this,
but also land herein is the tragic note) do it
without laughing or weeping.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-02-04

will be interesting to what happens in the State
legislative session under way to the plan to reap
portion the House of Delegates AS everyone is by now
Wen aware the big suburban counties of the State are dis
eliminated against in the matter of representation And
now Gov Tawes has Endorsed compromise plan which in
part corrects the present rank inequity
Gov Tawes, Democrat last year was able to have
his every wish executed by the overwhelmingly Democratic
General Assembly. And it would be minor miracle if
ne were not able to do the again this year. Hence
would seem the reapporionment bill should pass easily
because now has the Endorsement of Gov Tawes "T
therefore ndorse the (commissions compromise recon-
mendation Tawes has stated land ask the General AS
sembly to support legislation to implement it."
Those who know the workings of the General AS
semby are confident that the Governor really wants
the bill to pass will pass; if he is only rendering lin
service to the cause of rer and the brave
words that were in his PLATFORM it will not! It will be
interesting to what happens in the State legislative
session now under way to the plan to reapporton the
House of Delegates.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-02-04
Political ShackIes

bill introduced by Sens ]. Glenn Beall (R-Md.) and
~ Harry F. Byrd (D-Va.) that would permit nearby
Maryland and Virginia employees to participate in political
activity is good one.
The extent to which the existing ban (Iatch Act) on
political activity of Federal workers in this para
lyzed community participation by many persons is not
generally known. But is substantial. This shacke
the fundamental right of individual to participate the
affairs of his government is repugnant.
Many government workers afraid to sign petitions
afraid to attend political meetings where they evaate
candidates for public office tmd about expressing opin
ions anything relating to politics. Perhaps newspaper
men who have been the for number of years
in better position to detect this community weakness than
Others Many the time that reporters and photographers
working political stories have met with outright refusal
of citizens to for pictures with political candidates.
be interviewed by reporters to have anything to do with
the bascs OF our form Of government-potics.
Not only has this corroding influence been felt grev-
osy as far fear to participate in politics is concerned
it also has been most convenient for many to grow
and more apathec toward their local government
to simply pay taxes and let others guide public affairs This
is not only shortsighted it is in sense parasitic
The Beall-Byrd bill Is. 2931) would authorize the
u s. Civil Service Commission to promugate regulations
permitting residents of Montgomery County las well as
Prince Georges and Arlington Counties and Alexandria, to
take IAN active part in political management or in political
campaigns solely involving county municipal or other local
offices in the county, municipality or locality" in which
they reside.
Should not researcher in the Library of Congress
be eligible to participate in county government election
IN the interests OF trying to improve the education of his
child? Should u S. worker who bear an increasing
~ heavy tax load to help support schools public health
welfare police protection and all the rest not have oppor-
unty to work for the candidate he thinks will further his
interests? We think the answer to both of those questions
resounding yes" The bill is presently before the
Senate Committee Rules and Administration It de-
support.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-02-04

question Immediately arises: What are you
going to wear? and what cOlOrs?
Then comes a rapid round of calls In
which all make certain that none will dress
any differently or depart in any way from
the group edict.
This is the constantly recurring theme
running through their behavior. You hear
and see it time and again: DON'T DO ANY
THING DIFFERENT.
Any infraction of this rigid rule no mat
ter how minor, is punished by expulsion from
the herd and by social ostracism.
Oh, of course there are exceptions There
are gallant few whose thinking is chal.
lenged by books other than Sue Barton, Stu
dent Nurse" whose newspaper reading ex-
tends beyond the funnies and "teen-talk;" who
enter science fairs; who listen occasionally to
symphony and freely admit they like it, and
who do not fear solitude
These are the Squares" the "queers."
they are outside the pale. Somehow they
have managed to escape the rigid conformity
that has cast pail over their fellows
Nearly century ago, Ralph Waldo Emer-
son said:
1T is easy i'm the world to live after the
worlds opinions :. :; but the Great Man is he
who In the widst Of the crowd keeps with per.
feet sweetness the independence of solitude"
l wonder how many "Great Men" will
emerge from these faceless ranks of our con-
forming and "well-adjusted" youth. How
many lighters against injustice? How many
artists, musicians, writer's?
There is break in the clouds, however.
There appears to be the beginning of recog.
milton by school officials of the need for a
change in emphasis. Competition is return
ing, albeit slowly, to the classroom, and in
dividualism is not so heinous crime.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-02-04
Opinions
How About Scu++|ing
Teen-Age Conformity?

Those in charge of our educational sys.
tenn have for the past generation emphasized
the desirability of teaching the young how to
adjust to society.
We've got to have well-adjusted children
who know how to submerge their differences
in living with the group, they say.
In some instances, this drive has tran.
scended in importance the more formal goals
of learning to write, or read This lack of
knowledge in the basic tools of communication
has brought anguished cries from some of
our college professors, who complain that
many freshmen can't put together an elemen-
tary English sentence. But these students
are happy-they're adjusted, and that's just
great!
That brings me to my bit of news for our
educators: You can stop now. You've hit
the jackpot. We now have what are probably
the most well-adjusted kids in the history of
mankind. They have merged with the group
so well and so efficiently that they are well.
nigh undistinguishable.
They dress, talk, think and act alike.
They hurl their bodies around in the same
disjointed manner to the same bowling
rhythms; they jabber the same jargon, and
they display the same vacant stare to the
mention of any subject other than sports,
clothes, food and cars-in that order
Everything must be done together
whether it's to go to the store, to the library,
to school or to indulge in that most unusual
of occupations today, walking.
BY the way, the walk of teen-age girl
is something to behold Actually, it's more of
a hobble. The body is held stiff from the
waist up and the forward movement is con.
fined to the area from the knees down.
Have you ever heard member of the
younger generation on the phone? AS soon
as the talk turns to going somewhere, the
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-02-04
Wick Byron

get the COP nomination. He has very little
serious opposition. And the agreement among
the real party leaders to back him for the
nomination, practically assures him of this.
That's all.
At the moment it appears that Renubli.
can sentiment in the Nation is running high.
Ii 1t keeps up, Republican candidate for
Congress from this district could rean some
harvest from a definite trend. However II
takes much more than a party trend to win
a seat in Congress from the 9th district II
takes bold candidate with definite ideas and
a strong, well-organized corps of working
political enthusiasts to put him across.
1t is possible that Charles Matthias can
become more enthusiastic about his own car.
didacy but he'll have to be sure of where he
stands with the real leaders of his party II he
really expects to win
One thing should be obvious TO Matthias.
He Is up against one of the most enthusiastic
men In Congress. Foley Is a first-rate cam.
paigner He likes politics, people and prob
lens. And he likes his seat In Congress- IL
isn't going to be easy to beat him out of IL.
Politics is played under various rules.
Matthias has to hope the game he is playing is
governed by fair set of rules Otherwise.
he won't have chance
He had better hope that Mrs. Mesta and
some Republican leaders in the 9Th district
have made a mistake concerning the bright
ness of Foley's star.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-02-04
An Opinion
Has COP Given Up
On Beating Foley?
An Opinion

Pearl Mesta has a special sense that
seems to tell her which political personalities
might be destined for higher things.
Once this sense manifests itself, Mrs.
Mesta helps the star to shine. And there have
been indications that she believes John r.
Foley's star is rather bright.
Republican leaders in the 9th district, it
seems, agree with the national hostess with
the mostes" Otherwise, why did they tap
relatively unknown candidate instead of
strong one to oppose the Democratic Congress
man in the 1860 election?
1t might be interesting to speculate
little on this subject.
1t is no secret that the various COP coun-
ty chairmen in the 9Th district decided, after
several district meetings, to give their unoffi-
cial blessing to Charles M. Matthias in his
quest for the Republican nomination to Con.
gress.
Although it is recognized that Mr.. Matthias
from Frederick is a nice young man, there
are those observers who believe he lacks the
political verve and punch to be in the same
political ring with Foley.
1t Is no secret that some COP leaders be-
lieve Matthias is what might be known as a
stop-gap nominee. They believe there are at
least two Republicans in the 9th district who
want the Congressional seat in 1862 and have
made necessary plans toward this end. This
includes giving Matthias lip service but no real
fighting help.
There isn't much doubt that Matthias will
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-02-04
Let's Not InfIic+
Our Ills on Venus!
County Law

To every defendant charged with crime
there comes time at the end of the trial that
determines whether he shall be permitted to
walk freely upon the fertile EARTH or, instead,
be restricted to the lock step of unfree men.
The moment of this decision follows close
upon the words Of the sentencing Judge who
says, "Mr. Defendant, stand up. Have you
any reason to assign why this Court should
not now proceed to sentence you?"
Numberless lawyers have sat in the coun-
sci chair reserved by tradition for defense at
torneys and have listened to the reverberat.
ing clang of those rhythmic words. All of
them have wished for the power of mighty
Joshua to freeze the flight of time and there
by prevent the utterance of the sentence This
wish has thus far not been granted
And then the words of the sentence comes
from the Bench. They seem to pause in the
air and remain suspended freighted with the
threat of disaster once contained within the
Meme, Meme, Tekel, Upharsin" which was
written by the ghostly finger upon the walls
of Babylon.
One by one these words fall upon the head
and shoulders of the prisoner of the BAR AS
the meaning of each word penetrates, he turns
his eyes to his lawyer and then perhaps he
looks through the court room window and
sees children returning home from school,
children who are free as only children can be.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-02-04
veferons' Bonus

ME take our hats off to Blair Lee III this week for
wv coming right out and saying that paying veterans
bonus would be dumb" thing to do And we would like
10 come right out without any shlshalyng around and
say that we couldn't agree with him more
Various politicians, under the gse of helping the vet
Grams out actually to help pick up few votes for them
selves at the expense of the axang public have espoused
the cause OF a veterans bonus for years
Several years ago. when the perennial veterans bonus
Dill was being pushed by the usual chest thumpers it was
estimated the cost would be about 500 million It would
undoubtedly cost much more today
II we didn't have such fortnight gentlemen as Mr.
Lee IN the legislative chambers in Annapolis bonus might
have been foisted off the States taxpayers years ago
When the vote-gettng enthusiasts tried nitiay they
pushed for outright payment of soldiers bonus When
they found they couldn't get away with that they switched
their tactics and sought enactment of bill calling for
popular vote on the question This neat little dodge en-
aiding legislators to fail to vote the merits of question
and by abdcatng their responsibilities as elected awmak
ers pass the buck That's way of having your political
cake and eating it. too Del Lee who doesn't play that
silly game, is to be commended for his fortnight stand
And the annual assault the public treasury in the form
OF Dill to give handou to veterans should again be given
short shrf in the General Assembly as it has been in the
past
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-02-04
Stop Sign Fine

Would you forward this sug-
gestion to the police? Instead
of the letters STOP on signs,
why not put numerals 11.45.
That would be quite an ef.
fective deterrent. Not many
people realize the charge for
going through a stop sign is
eleven dollars and forty-five
cents. Qualifying comments
won't help, you know.
"This is my first offense, Of
ficer." So what?
Il came through slowly. No
body else was around"
But aha. T.:ere was! You
know who! Hiding behind the
bushesl
Oh we'll, Wouldn't a five
dollar fine make you feel mis-
cradle enough? But eleven
forty-five? There must be a
reason.
j. r.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-02-04
Get Your Campus Life Somewhere Else. Kids!
Letters to the Editor

hood and upon the whole
body of citizens of Montgomery
County by spelling the appear
ance of the Silver Spring Ii
brary and impairing its use for
library purposes.
For the Montgomery County
Council to rezone this land from
residential to high density apart
ments would violate an express
pledge in the 1858 Democratic
Party platform, under which all
present Members of the Council
were elected.
The 1858 Democratic platform
contains the following plank:
I'm order to prevent undue
harassment of neighborhoods,
we believe that coming applica-
tons which have been twice
denied should be required to
wait three years before a fur
Their application may be filed"
The Montgomery County
Council has twice rejected the
rezoning of this land for use as
a police station in the past two
years. This new proposal should
be summarily rejected by the
Council and the owners directed
not to make any new applica-
ton for at least three years.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-02-04
j. E. F.

credit for this wise decision goes
to Bill Clay, a Montgomery
County boy, who is the Legion's
legislative representative.
One of the cute aspects of the
bonus bill is that no benefits
would be paid to veterans now
residents in the State who were
not living here when they went
into the service. They would, of
course, have to help pay the
freight, but would get none of
the hand-out.
And most of us who did 60
into the service from Maryland
like to think of ourselves as
citizens first. If taxes are to
be raised, let them be raised
for schools or roads or other
services that we need-not for a
bidding hand-out that would be
here today and gone tomorrow.
The American Legion has
gone a long way toward re.
establishing itself in the eyes of
some of its sharpest critics.
The General Assembly is vir-
tually compelled to enact a bill
this year to regulate the oper-
alton of small boats.
Such a bill was introduced
last year, but was withdrawn
for revision in the face of com.
plants from boat-owners. But
we still have the deadline of
April l looming over us. If a
State law is not enacted by that
time. the Federal Law will auto.
matically become operative in
Maryland.
Interested persons should
keep a sharp eye on the news.
papers and should consult what.
ever boating organizations they
may belong to. Let us have your
opinions on the 1860 version of
the small boat bill.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-02-04
Unworthy Project

Let us hope that the Mont
gomery County Council does not
yield to political pressure and
vote to rezone the land next to
the Silver Spring library from
residential to high density apart
ments. This development is
vigorously opposed by t n e
Evanswood Citizens Association
and the Woodside Citizens AS.
ISOLATION. In the near future,
other citizens associations will
doubtless take a stand against
it.
Not only would such a huge
apartment clash with the long
established residential use of
the neighborhood, it would Gre
ate a traffic hazard near the
library, imperiling the safety of
children from the entire Silver
Spflng-Wneaton area who use
the library.
This is the same tract of land
which has figured in many vio-
lent Silver Spring coming fights.
Its owners, who seemingly be-
lieve they have the right to be
enriched at their neighbours ex-
pense, concocted the recent abor.
tive scheme to have the land
sold to Montgomery County as
the site for police station. So
unworthy a nd inappropriate
was that use, in two tries before
the Montgomery Council, not a
single member of the Council
voted in favor of it.
Now, seeking once again to
make a killing" on the land,
the owners seek to foist huge
apartment upon the neighbour
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-02-04

mentally retarded and physical
ly handicapped children.
This achieved goal was not
due entirely to the tenacity of
our membership but in a large
measure to the terrific support
that you and your organization
volunteered to publicize our eff
forts.
Our entire club, to the man,
wants to take this humble way
of thanking you. Your unselfish
support of our fruit cake pro-
gram will in the near future
make some little girl or boy
very happy.
Robert e. KilliOn, Secretary
Civitan Club of Rockville
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-02-04
Bomb Scores

! handicappng modern man. but the worst are those
which, though rooted in individual spread their evil
effect on ALL
Most topical in Montgomery County the psychopath-
&c craze manifested in hoax bomb scares telephoned to
schools
Several schools recently have been faced with evacu-
aung their students after bomb" No bombs were
found.
But presumably the caller was nearby savoring his
demented kicks as conscientious fremen and policemen
thoroughly searched each school and while students
marked time in the cold
This individual must be considered criminal for
making false reports And while special horror reserved
for men who kill rape torture sadisticay, the mad
bomber" OF Montgomery County deserves only commu-
nifty contempt.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-02-04
Inside Annapolis
By Blair Lee III

I have had many telephone
calls about the tax proposals of
the County Councils Financial
Advisory Committee-some for
and some against.
1t is an interesting and
thoughtful report, and l think
that Clarke Fauver and his col
leagues deserve a great deal of
credit. (This beautiful senti-
ment should not, however, be
construed as a promise to sup
port any or all of their pro.
posals.
The Committee is rightfully
alarmed by the mounting vol.
ume of the county budget and
its impact on the rate of the
property tax, which is still the
county's chief source of revenue.
Looking to the future, they
foresee a need for new tax
sources to keep the property tax
rate from spiraling upward out
of sight.
Virtually all of the recommen-
dations made by the Fauver
Committee would require en-.
aiding legislation at Annapolis.
There are, for instance, the
proposals that the counties re-
ceive some share of the States
revenue from the sales tax, or
an enlarged share of the income
tax, or both.
Any such changes would be
Statewide in effect and would
have serious repercussions on
the States own revenue, much
of which is already being passed
back to the counties land mu.
nicipalities) in the form of State
aid or shared taxes.
Nevertheless, there is a posi-
bility that something might
come from these proposals.
checked last week with Senator
James I'd. Harford), chairman
of the Legislative Councils
Committee on Taxation and
Fiscal Matters, and he agreed
to introduce a resolution in this
session which would give his
committee the job of reviewing
State-county financial relations
next summer. The James com.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-02-04

mittee would, in effect, be pick
ing up where the Sherbow Com
mission left off in 1947.
Greater controversy will sur
round the Fauver Committees
proposal for a one-shot tax on
new construction in Montgom-
cry County at suggested rate
Of two per cent on residential
buildings and one per cent on
commercial and industrial.
Such tax could be limited to
Montgomery County, in order
not to extend the argument to
the rest of the State, but it
would still have to be preceded
by a local bill enacted at An
napolis. Such a bill would, of
course, not be eligible until the
long session next year.
Thus there will be plenty of
time for public hearings and
general hair-pulllng on this sub.
ject.
One of the dumbest stunts
that the Legislative Council
pulled last summer was to en-
dorse a veterans bonus bill, call
ing for bond issue of S90,000,-
600, which would be amortized
by increasing the rates on both
the sales tax and the personal
income tax from three per cent
to four per cent.
If the proposal passes the
Legislature. it would have to
go to public referendum in the
November voting. Perhaps the
sponsors of the measure as
sumed that the public would
turn it down, and that would
be the end of that.
1 advise them not to rely on
such assumptions. Some of the
bright boys in the Kentucky
Legislature tried the same trick
last year. The only hitch was
that the voters approved the
referendum, and now Kentucky
is about to get a bonus and a
sales tax.
Last week the Maryland De-
partment of the American lie.
gion came out against the pro-
posed bonus bill. Much of the
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-02-04
Thanks TO Sentinel

This past holiday season
proved to be a profitable and
joyous one for our Civitan Club.
1t was profitable because we
saw our charity fund balance
swell to a new high due to a
successful fruit cake selling pro-
gram. 1t was joyous because
we achieved a goal: that of
being able to afford help to