The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1962-05-11

pie of Prince Edward county may be
underway. A series of articles appear
ed recently in the Christian Science
Monitor, journal usually known for
its objective and meticulous reporting.
The reporter found tension here, and
fear, and proceeded to build case
from certain incidents, at least some
of which were rumors turned to facts
by oft repetition.
Liberal references to Harry C. Boyle,
an agent of the American Friends Ser
vice Committee, who was engaged in
making a survey of Prince Edward for
the Committee, were made.
Mr. Boyle is not exactly welcomed in
to the community. But he has had no trouble
except for broken window in his car,
smashed at night by rock" the report says
We find this statement, calculated to
indicate violence on the part of our
citizens, to be entirely false Mr.. Boyle
does have crack in the door window
of his car, but admits that it might
have been an accident Certainly it is
not the result of vandalism. He leaves
his car parked near his apartment,
rented by the American Friends Ser
vice Committee, in the Miller office and
apartment building, in downtown Farm
vile.
The feature news article adds fur
Their:
The Negro leaders, too. have sought to
avoid violence. It has not been too difficult
up to now. for Prince Edward Negroes are
tremendously patient
1T sometimes angers me little they
are so patient signs Rev. Francis L. Crit
lin. pastor of First Baptist Church and head .
OF the local branch of the National Associa-
uon Tor the Advancement Of Colored People
Yet he. too. has had a hand in keeping
things quite in Prince Edward County For it
was he who prevented sitn demonstration
by teenage Negroes some months ago and
who has kept outside organizations from
staging demonstrations.
The purpose Of the sit-inS was to publicize
the public school crisis. The young people
had the whole thing planned to the last de-
tail - how they would behave, what they
would say. what they would do
1t was obvious that he disliked having
to discourage them. Next time don't tell me
about it,. he told them.
May we point out that Prince Ed
ward people have no record Of civil
violence. During the seven years, since
1866, racial courtesy has been extended
everyone, resident and nonresident.
The State NAACP has held three or
four meetings here, including Christ
mas Party in 1859 and New Years
pilgimages in 1860 and 1861. Last year
the State NAACP organization was
granted use of and held a meeting MAY
20 on the Courthouse steps and court
yard, celebrating the anniversary of
the Supreme Court decision in 1854 Re
Gently the Rev. Martin Luther King and
his associates made a tour and held a
meeting here in the First Baptist
Church. On each occasion every cour-
tesy was eXteRded and no minor Incl
dent occurred. Let that be remembered
to the credit of both races.
At the many public meetings which
have been held over period Of years
since 1855, every person has been given
the right of free speech. This news
paper has endeavored to report all such
public meetings, effectively and fac
tually. All letters to the editor written
by local people, expressing their own
opinions have been published SO far as
we know our people. both white and
Negro, have been given every opportun-
ity to contribute to solution of the
present problem.
The problem is one of law. Prince Ed
ward has not been free of litigation in
the Federal District Courts since 1852,
and additional hearings are scheduled
for May Is. The end of the legal maze
is not yet in sight SO long as the
NAACP legal department keeps the
County before the Courts, there is
little or no place for the county to
move, except to tax itself for the sup