Evening star., 1962-05-06
EDIToR
Texon Fights Back After Bombing

went broke. but the Negroes
stayed"
No Boom
Two years after he arrived
in Midlothian, a furniture fac
tory opened. Since then two
small clothing firms and q ce-
ment plant have come in, but
the kind Of rapid growth Mr..
Jones expected has not mate
rialized.
"T was convinced this Dallas
Fort Worth area would boom, "
he said, "and it has, but ]
picked out the only town on
the perimeter that hasn't
grown. I'm real smart"
With farm price support pro-
grams, there has been q recent
revival in land speculation, he
said. Dallas people are buying
big acreage-windshield farm
ers, 1 call them"
Politically, the town is Old
South, untouched by the two
party system. These people,
said Mr.. Jones a. deep dyed
Democrat himself, voted for
Pappy O'Daniel every time he
ran, and Ike never did man.
age to carry the town"
But in Midlothian, as in many
other communities, the winds
of change arrived with the re-
turning World War II veterans
and blew up a storm between
the newcomers" who wanted
! to Improve" things and those
who were satisfied with things
as they were.
Becomes a Spokesman
Mr.. Jones became the spokes-
man for the newcomers soon
after taking over the paper.
He discovered to his horror
that only 13 people had voted
| in the most recent school board
election. To stir UP some inter-
est, he began to report what
went on at school board meet
ings-and the board promptly
shifted them to coincide with
those Of the town council, SO
he couldn't cover both.
when I came here" he said,
they told me what a wonderful
school system we had. I went
out to look and I learned we
were at least IS years behind
the times"
The first change he helped
effect was the consolidation Of
the city school district with
those Of the surrounding rural
areas step that aggravated
the large landholders by trip
ling their school taxes almost
overnight.
After consolidation, it took
three tries to get through o
bond issue to build a gymna-
siufn. After another fight, two
lof the three old city schools
we're replaced With . modern
building. ~ y
In 1857. Mr.. Jones and his
allies sought to DO something
for the Negro children. as well
sThe Negro school vfas q two
room wooden building !. he said,
with one bare light bulb in
each room and outside toilets
The Supreme Court had al
ready put US on I1oticebut
even so. we got the bond issue
for o new Negro school passed
by just one vote.
Split Apparent
BY this time, the split was
apparent in the churches. the
|PTA and every other phase Of
Midlothian life.
The aneWcCnets stilI were
not satisfied. Students who
went ON to college, complained
Of the inadequate preparation
they had received. but the
school curriculum was IN the
hands Of the T2-year-old super
intendent. who had been In the
post for 80 years.
Mr.. Jones and his friends de-
cided to try to take control Of
the school board. IN 1859, they
elected one man. last year two
more. Their chance to win q
majority Of the seven-Knan
board came last April Z. The
turnout was the heaviest in
Midlothian history but so
of $50 eligible. But both Jones'
backed candidates lost.
In an editorial In the issue
Of The Mirror reporting these
results. Mr.. Jones said he found
several factors in the election
very disturbing" eNA
Some people, he said, spread
1.-THE word that the Midlothian
Public Housing Authority.
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