The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1960-08-12

fathers worked to build our re
sponsible and democratic govern
ment.
81 have the privilege here to-
day of representing the South, ano
to speak most briefly concerning
its contributions, hopes and de.
sires.
at has been said that when two
Southerners meet anywhere in the
world they establish a contact o1
brotherhood, based on a shared
past, however remote, born in the
suffering of war, nurtured in the
poverty of lean years, and cement
ed in the heat of criticism.
"The Southern point of view, in
my mind, means the continued
presence of a desirable and re-
sponsible independence and free
dom-the kind of independence and
freedom that make for growth in
either an individual, a community,
state or nation. The Southern
point of view means the preserva-
ton of the initiative and person
ality of the individual, of the local
governmental unit and of the state.
1t carries with it a reverence for
our forefathers and for the princi-
Piles which inspired them. 1t in
cludes, of course, deep and abid-
ing sense of patriotism for the
United States of America.
"In the South we have too often
given the nation and the world an
image which does not reflect truth
fully this point of view. We may
have been too careless or too proud
to seek the understanding of others,
and to tell the facts about our his
tory, our traditions and our prob
lens.
"One of the chief problems of
the South in recent years has to do
with school segregation. Although
the court has not ordered desegre-
CATION except where cases were
before it, and its order would not
apply unless a school board dis
criminated against an applicant
because of race, the court decision
has created great misunderstand-
ing and problems.
ain my own state we have not
experienced great difficulties but
our problem differs from other
states just as it varies within the
100 counties in North Carolina.
Population ratios, local customs
and, of course, local and state lea
dership intensity or moderate the
problem. About every state and
every nation is facing or will face
problems of race and other relat-
ionships and we all should show
tolerance, understanding and -
above all-patience.
"There was no Marshall Plan for
the defeated South, and recovery
was slow and painful. But for the
past half century the South has
worked hard to improve its econo-
my and it's standard of living. AS
late as 1888, the average income for
the South was only one-half of the
national average. Today it is three
fourths and by 1875 the South, for
the first time since the Civil War,
will equal the national average.
"However, the outlook for the
Southern states is good and a re-
cent official report from the U. s.
Department of Commerce says that
the value of manufactured pro-
ducts his more than doubled during
the past Is years. More than t1l7,-
600 new firms have been establish
ed in this period, providing jobs for
IA million people, rise OF lse
percent. Manufacturing employ
ment is up 20 percent as compared
with a minus 1 percent drop for
the country. Electric energy pro-
duced is up $50 percent versus 169
percent for the nation as whole
Retail sales show a 20 percent
lump versus 48 percent, and world
trade 1873 percent versus Ill per-
cent.
"But enough statistics, just lei
me say to our fellow American;
and fellow Democrats that the
South today is doing its share II
the economic growth of our ma
ltion. NY own state of North Caro-
lima, for example, has for the las
five years secured an average o.
over 5000 million a year in new
manufacturing plants. This. wa!
lachieved through the teamwork O
state and local leaders and organi
| cations, and without giving an!
tax concessions or gimmicks bu
because we offered good, health!
| i:~..oA. fov, ,cry.oruth and oYTSanSiOn