The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1960-12-09

tack by the NAACP in an effort to force
integrated public schools on this coun-
ty. Their efforts have been resisted by
every lawful means. Remarkably, eX-
cept in (; very few individual cases,
business and community relations have
remained normal between the races and
the individuals of the races. Through
many years of living together cordial
relationship has developed, which will
not be interrupted Regardless of the
pressures exerted from outside and
some, Intellectual, from the inside, these
normal relationships have continued.
Through leadership, misguided lead
ership, the Negro people of Prince
Edward County were caught in legal
web in 1851 through the use of their
own children at their own public school
Only a few realized the treacherous
road upon which they had embarked
as they turned themselves, their
children and their county over to the
legal designs of the NAACP. when in
1851 they signed a petition for de
segregation Of the county's public
schools. Some. if not many. believed
they signed petition for better school
physical facilities.
The county. the State and the South
fought the plot, the result of which
would disrupt educational. social and
business progress in the South. The in
famous decision of the [. S. Supreme
court on May II, 1854, was merely the
beginning of the tortuous legal maze,
a conclusion Of which has not yet been
reached.
The Prince Edward case it still under
consideration by Federal Judge Oren
Lewis. 1t remains to be argued. Let it
be said that the position of Prince Ed
ward has been crystal clear from the
beginning, namely, that this county
would appropriate no funds for racial
ly integrated school system. There the
case now rests.
The NAACP has asked a federal
. judge to enter two in.junctions, one to
prevent county officials from refusing
to maintain and operate an efficient
system Of public schools, and second to
prevent county officials from selling
vacant school buildings to any private
corporation or individual.
On Tuesday, a group of Is Prince
Edward Negro citizens presented
petition of PIP names requesting APP
preparations for public schools so that
hn Ia Lo
out delay. This is the first petition to
be presented to the Board Of Super
visors by Negro citizens and is per-
fectly American procedure AS such we
are sure the Board will give it con-
sideratlon. However, in view of the
case by the NAACP now before the
court, we can see the petition only as
legal maneuver in this court case
These Negro citizens know or should
know that scholarship grants are avail
able to them from the State and the
County to finance education for their
children, and that offers have been
made to assist them in providing edu-
cational opportunities. These scholar
ships are offered. to all people, without
relation to race, creed or color.
Rev. F. l.. Griffin, president of the
Prince Edward County Christian AL
lance, and coordinator of the NAACP
in presenting the petition made this
statement:
We hope that drastic actions on our part
such as total boycott Will not be necessary
you refuse petition we are Pre-
pared to use nor-vlolent means to achieve
our purpose.
He must know that this question
is before the Federal Court His threat
of an organized total boycott is not
only immoral but illegal, and we would
add un-American. Boycott, is two
way sword which cuts both ways and
everybody loses. It is certainly unbe-
coming any citizen Of Prince Edward
County, or Of the surrounding coun-