The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • 4

THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION For 101 Yean the South' Standard Neicspaper Retf Murphy Mister Jim Can Guide Reforms EEC MURPHY, Editor JACK TARVER President Georgia has cleansed and reformed the State Highway Department so many times that it is 99.44 per cent pure. And Mr. Jim SATURDAY, SEPT. 27, 1969 PAGE 4-A The Tough Questions Also, said Mr. Nixon, a time limit represents "a defeatist attitude" about obtaining peace sooner.

We seek in the terrible complexity of the Vietnam struggle to de-Americanize the conflict through troop withdrawals, albeit at an agonizingly slow pace. Such strategy also should exploit any opportunity to lessen the level of conflict, while the attempt to pry open the doors to a political settlement proceeds against an enemy who shows little inclination to budge. The issue of desegregation of the schools also has sharpened since Mr. Nixon's last press appearance, principally because the Administration sought court delay in its own desegregation schedule for 33 districts, in Mississippi. The goal of the Administration, Mr.

Nixon told his news conference, is to seek desegregation while seeking to avoid "cutting off funds with the disastrous effect on the black and white students." The government seeks a "middle course" between "two extreme groups, those who want instant desegregation and those who want segregation forever." It is proper, we think, to remind the President that some regard any slowdown, for whatever reason, as a turning away from desegregation. Efforts at delay multiply, a circumstance unfair to those localities trying their best to eliminate segregation in the schools. I President Richard M. Nixon, holding hi3 first news conference in three months, found the same questions there Friday as the last time and the answers even more difficult. Confronted by a move in the Senate to force withdrawal of all American troops from Vietnam by December of next year, Mr.

Nixon said he is trying to settle the war before the end of 1970 and that proposals for a deadline for troop pullout would undercut his Citing "some progress," the President declared, "If we can stay on this course and hhve some support in the nation we have al lot of support but if we can have even more in the nation for this steady course, then the enemy will have some incentive to negotiate, recognizing that it is not going to win its objective by waiting us out, then the enemy will negotiate and we will end this war before the end of 1970." I The horns of Mr. Nixon's dilemma the one racking Lyndon B. Johnson is that aconsiderable part of the nation is not for the war in Vietnam. That is why a senator of his own party (Charles Goodell of New York State) is emboldened to try to put a deadline on America's military participation in the conflict through a congressional denial of funds. "Any incentive for the enemy to negotiate is destroyed if he is told in advance" that the United States will leave by a certain date, replied the President.

uwis still runs it. There he was the other day, arguing again about who is in charge. The attorney general, Arthur Bolton, said in an official opinion he couldn't be sure. He said the Legislature ought to clarify who runs it. The Legislature, in its turn, will adopt another law.

It will be widely heralded as the bill which gives complete control of the Highway Department to the Highway Board. And in the year 1970 Mr. Jim will dispense something like $15 million worth of county contracts. Things were ever Mr. Jim told somebody this week, "You are off running rabbits and letting the bears go." Not to accuse him of anything, but he has been known to throw people off the trail before.

For example, take the second race Marvin Griffin ran. He vowed if elected to put Gillis in "Seat one, car one" on the first train to Soperton. Griffin always prided himself on running like a July hound, but the truth is he got away off to the side in that campaign because Mr. Jim just kept giving out a few county contracts here and there. Perhaps you noticed in the most recent chase that Mr.

Jim felt Bolton had "ducked" in referring the controversy to the Legislature. If he had failed to, Bolton would not be as smart as most people think he is; All of this points inevitably to the prospect that Gillis and the Legislature will be involved in another decision in January. The sessions which contain highway reform arguments always are better than the sessions which do not. There is something ennobling, even grand, about that particular argument. For instance, there is the classic legislative story of a young lawmaker caught in one of the battles over highways.

He had been voicing his opposition to what the governor had in mind. Nobody doubted where he stood. Then a summons arrived from the governor's office. The legislator dropped in to see the governor. He came back upstairs and immediately went to the well of the House to reverse his position completely, having been shown the light by the governor.

"Mr. Speaker," he began, "and Gentlemen of the House. I am proud and humiliated to be here. There are dozens of such instances. Legislators have been known to exit from Mr.

Jim's office goggle-eyed at his political wizardry. The last recorded instance in which the Legislature straightened up and purified the lines of authority in the Highway Department was in the 1969 regular session. At that time, Die legislators adopted a gas tax increase and planned to spend $100 million on road bonds. Board members insisted they have a say in how the $100 million would be spent. The Legislature got assurances from Mr.

Jim that board members would be consulted. Then the governor, in his infinite wisdom, vetoed the tax increase. So the House and Senate must embark on still other reform of highway spending powers. Mr. Jim is not a man to be deceived by boasts on highway spending.

Last winter the Legislature came to town and a reporter asked him about a gas tax hike. Ever so softly he answered, "We've got more than enough votes." Then somebody asked him if there would be any politicking at the session. In the same soft voice, he replied, "No, no, there never is." If you listen to him, you'il find that he never believes in politicking. But if you should ever need to know how in blazes the Highway Department can be reformed by the Legislature, ask Mr. Jim.

He has done more with the reforms than anybody else. Y'Wanta Start a New File Mr. Jim? Pulse of the Public Don't Rap Cops for Few Bad Ones The Medical Priorities Because of the exceptionally high interest in recent charges of police brutality and hippie harassment, The Constitution has omitted Jack Anderson's column today to permit a wider expres' sion of opinion from readers. ATLANTA As an outcome of the Piedmont Park hippie riot, I suspect there will be a rash of anti-police letters flooding the newspapers. "Police brutality" was a favorite charge of demonstrators, hippies and criminals across the country in 1968.

However, according to the Dallas (Tex.) Morning News "the FBI's Uniform Crime Report indicates that last year almost 16 of every 100 police officers nationally were assaulted in line of duty, an increase of 17 per cent over 1967. In addition, 64 officers lost their lives as a result of criminal action in 1968, substantially above the annual average of 51 from 1960 to 1967." While many point in accusation that the words "law and order" is a "code phrase," it appears, mast definitely, that "police brutality" is more a "battle cry" than a genuine wail of anguish. If we are to weaken the policing of our city to placate the muggers, the rapists, the murderers, the rioters, just what sort of a chaotic city would Atlanta be to live in? If there are some police who overstep by unrestraint, rid the police department of these men. But, because of a few the entire police force should not be condemned, nor weakened to appease the unlawful whose constant, and sly, battle cry of police brutality is becoming tedious, ridiculous and meaningless with every arrest! C. M.

O'DONNELL. made the State Board of Health was, for economy reasons, cutting funds out of its proposed 1971 budget for two additional regional mental hospitals, at Columbus and at Rome. A start already has been made on decentralizing the huge Central State Hospital at Milledgeville, and the new hospitals, now sidetracked, would have extended the concept. Gov. Lester Maddox, appalled, said regional hospitals were the "best means of deal-ing with our mental illness problem" and declared he would attempt to restore the construction funds when the health budget gets to his office.

The U.S., despite Sen. Ribicoff 's criticisms, has through Hill-Burton Act done much to change the face of medical care in this country. But the coincidental remarks of the Senator and the action by the State Board of Health do serve to illustrate the difficulties involved in bringing taxpayer funds to bear efficiently in our multi-agency society. Two stories breaking on the same day recently illustrate the difficulties of getting tfie means and the ends together in providing needed hospital care. Sen.

Abraham Ribicoff charged in Washington that the federal government is squandering millions of dollars on some hospital construction. He cited the building of a hospital with federal assistance in Florida which three years after opening still has only 50 per cent occupancy. Nevertheless, Ribicoff reported, another federal agency loaned $70,000 for another new hospital in the same city, which, Ribicoff said, "was absolutely not necessary." The senator also eluded the Defense Department for constructing both Navy and Army hospitals recently in the San Francisco area when a comptroller general's report had stated combining the two would save $8 million a year. The same day this doleful recital was much a police riot as a "hippie" riot; that the police over-reacted in a most provocative manner; and that the police were, in fact, equally guilty of instigating this most unfortunate episode. It was particularly revolting to see, on national television news, an Atlanta policeman hit a young man in the face with his club after the youngster was already in custody and under physical control.

I don't care personally for the appearance and mode of life of the hippies, but that is their privilege in this free country and is no reason to persecute them. We do not need, nor should we condone, police state tactics. NAME WITHHELD. James Reston Differences in Ike, Nixon Reflected -i The election of Sen. Hugh Scott of Pennsylvania to replace Everett McKinley as Republican leader in the Senate is a Editor Emeritus reminder that the Republican days of Richard Nixon in Washington are quite different from the Republican days of President Eisenhower.

Biting the Hand ATLANTA-The suit filed in Federal Court asking that Police Chief Herbert Jenkins be removed from office is like biting the hand that feeds you. Chief Jenkins has been far more liberal than many Atlanta residents would like for him to be. While I am not a fan of Chief Jenkins, I feel that his statement was fair and correct. This seems to be just another attempt for a complete breakdown in law and order by some blacks and civil rights leaders. I am with you, Chief Jenkins, and I support the Atlanta Police Department, along with many other black and white citizens.

WILLIAM L. TYSON. senhower in the political and appointive process. He leaves much less to accident and instinct. He was undoubtedly much more engaged behind the scenes in the choice of Scott as Republican leader of the Senate after Dirksen than Eisenhower was in the choice of Dirksen after Knowland.

Scott is clearly a more progressive leader than the last two GOP Senate leaders the deeply conservative William Knowland of California or the capricious Dirksen of Illinois. And Scott's narrow victory over the conservative candidate, Howard Baker of Tennessee who. is not really all that conservative was probably due to Joe Lawrence founded the newspaper, The Wiregrass Farmer, back in March of 1899, back when Turner County was still mostly wilderness and there weren't many people (or newspapers) anywhere in South Georgia (the town of Ashburn was founded, in fact, cfer the newspaper). weekly paper has flourished ever since. Fought its battles.

Won some awards. Informed the people in its area and worked at helping a community grow. Miss Nora, now Nora Lawrence Smith, was a little girl in 1899 and delighted in helping her father. That was a full 70 years ago. She retired as editor this month (having succeeded her father in 1939).

As she wrote in her column, explaining that she'd decided to retire: "I love the work. When I was 13 years old I crawled up on a stool and learned to set type by hand and have been working ever since leaving only to go to school and college. I came to Ashburn when I was four years old, nothing was here, only a wilderness. So I have watched the town grow and love it Well, Miss Nora has watched, not just Ashburn, but the entire state of Georgia grow. And, as one of the best known and most respected weekly editors in the state, she's had something to do with that growth.

G. C. Patten, a good newspaperman in his own right, has bought The Wiregrass Farmer, and will be the new publisher. He notes that Miss Nora will continue to serve as editor emeritus. She's only 83.

We feel sure we'll hear from her from time to time. the support of the young progressive Republicans who have fitter Voices come into the Senate in the last Calvin Cox The Middle Lost GAINESVILLE Your coverage of the September 21 music festivalriot made a deep impression on me. Only a few years ago I spent Sunday afternoon in the green swings of Piedmont Park rocking my baby and admiring the maple trees at the edge of the lake. The police may or may not have been brutal and the hippies may or may not have been there because they love music, but in any case the park has become useless to quiet private people like me. Some seek "law and order" while others seek "freedom" and in the meantime I feel very much like I'm going to be the loser.

PATRICIA A. FRENCH. Who's There? Police Need Help ATLANTA You know police are subject to police brutality, too that is when they are not backed up by their superiors in cases where force has to be used to protect their lives and the general public. It is really a wonder that dedicated men remain on the force considering the abuse they take from law breakers and ordinary citizens who have not really thought the situation through. This is not to defend the unjustified use of force but let's examine each case on its merits and not through deliberately provoked mob hysteria.

BOYD PHILLIPS. Hippies Atlantans, Too ATLANTA As I noted in my telephone conversation with you this morning I deeply resent your use of the phrase "Atlantans have tolerated the hippie community thus far, choking back deep disgust" as included in your editorial entitled "Sunday in the Park" on Sept. 23, 1969. If you wish to attribute this incredibly stupid statement to the editors of The Atlanta Constitu-tution please do so but do not attribute it to me! I happen to be an Atlantan and I am happy we have a "hippie" community. I feel affection, concern and a sense of identity with these people.

I can put you in touch with many, many other Atlantans (property owning, children raising and law and order with justice-seeking Atlantans) who do not share your editorial opinion in case you have lost touch with this segment of our community. Finally, let me remind you, and I hope ring-ingly, the hippies are Atlantans too. MRS. GLENN E. DUNCAN.

Terribly Afraid ATLANTA-The Atlanta Police have too much to do to be harassing and antagonizing young people in Piedmont Park. If we really look into this I believe we would find that so-called "raids" of this kind are' initiated by those "higher up" who have gotten messages from the "Establishment" to "clean out that bunch at 10th Street and Piedmont Park." Poking into a beehive to see what you can stir up makes just as much sense as what those policemen were doing to that crowd of people. It would seem that young George Nikas was only trying to protect his friends, for that, the police got him first. Let the police go with warrants-one at a time to suspected pushers of narcotics but not to a public gathering. Let's check out the opera crowd at the Civic Center next year and see what we can turn up.

Why not open up a line of communication between City Hall and these young people and work out something in a decent and humane way. We must be terribly afraid to act as we have. They deserve a better reaction from us. CAROLYN BECKNELL MANN. The door opens the merest crack, and from within, whispered, comes a firm injunction: "Stop and give the password." Those outside shuffle about, hold hurried consultations.

One steps out of the group and leans toward the slitted door: "Goldwater, Scott, Murphy and Blackburn." The door swings open, and the group enters. The. Rpnnhliran nnrtv is VinlriW noofinn I uiivtiivi medium 111 vrciflKia. 11C1 C. lll.L Wliril I.I IK I If.1 I II If "I I.S I.I 1 1111 IM II their intraparty jealousies and practiced abil two national elections.

The Eisenhower administration was much more casual and much more in the normal Republican tradition than the Nixon administration. Eisenhower tended to make his appointments from the big established law firms John Foster Dulles and Allen Dulles and the big established corporations Charlie Wilson at Defense, George Humphrey at the Treasury but he was not always ideological in his use of the presidential appointive power. His appointments to the Supreme Court, for example, may very well prove to have been more progressive than President Nixon's. He made Earl Warren chief justice of the United States in 1953; he appointed John M. Harlen to the court in 1955; William J.

Bren-nan Jr. in 1956; Charles E. Whit-taker in 1957, and Potter Stew-act of Ohio in 1959. On the whole, these judicial appointments by President Eisenhower were more progressive than his executive Cabinet appointments and probably more progressive than Nixon's first two court appointments. Ike took each appointment as it came.

Sometimes he followed the suggestions of the Republican National Committee, sometimes he listened to the conservative philosophers of the Republican Party, but mainly he followed his own natural bent, which was sometimes attentive and i inattentive, sometimes conservative and sometimes progressive. President Nixon is not so casual. He is much more involved and informed than President Ei- Gary's Firemen When the firemen in Gary, went on strike recently, seven men put duty first and stayed on the job. Six of them have now told the Board of Public Works and Safety that they have been harassed and told them may be kicked out of the union with a consequent loss of benefits. Given the bitterness of the Gary strike, including the blockade of equipment trying to save a burning lumber yard, it is hardly surprising that the men who opposed this flagrant dereliction of duty should now be the target of threats.

If nothing else, they are doubtless a nag at the conscience of the men who deserted their posts. But what interests us most is the response of the president of the firemen's union, James Anast. The union, he said, was not responsible. "If there is any harassment it was brought on by themselves and their actions." How familiar. Here we have an echo of the oldest dodge known to man.

The tyrant, aiming his guns at a neighbor, says he "won't be responsible" for what happens if the neighbor doesn't surrender. Gary's government and its people ought to be thankful that seven firemen remained loyal while the rest turned against their city. Not only should the city protect them from harassment, it should make certain that what they have "brought 'on themselves" is the gratitude of their community. -Chicago Daily News. ley was not at the meeting, and fearing trickery of the direst sort, cased the hotel room for any hidden listening devices.

The two public relations men were interrogated closely. Reliable sources declare Wasden later reported that he feared the two visitors were spies for Jimmy Carter or Carl Sanders, two notorious Democrats. The sources said the out-of-town public relations- men were "just a little confused. After all, they've never been to Savannah, and they just don't understand just how politics are down there." ity to go off in 499 directions had opened the way to genuine political competition in Georgia, the Republicans go underground. Is Jimmy Bentley a double agent? These are some of the considerations triggered into public debate by the meeting in Atlanta of State Republican Chairman Wiley Wasden and two top GOP-affiliated public relations men newly arrived in the city from some distant place.

case you came in late, here is a brief distillation of renorts of that mpetinfr Rpnt- Political Sickness ATLANTA Typically and as could be expected, Ivan Allen is punishing a detective and a patrolman for performing their duty in Piedmont Park last Sunday. This action is symptomatic of the political sickness destroying law and order not only in this country but in the "civilized" world. Leadership is at the lowest level since the dark ages. The hippies, who pay no taxes, claim ownership of Piedmont Park which is tax-supported, and apparently our leaderless city sanctions the claim. This kind of incredible sickness will prevail until the trampled, apathetic, tax-paying, law-abiding, middle-class citizens work up enough spirit and courage to do something about it.

As condtions stand, how much longer will we be able to find anybody worth his salt willing to be a policeman? RUDY SIMPSON. ley, who forsook the Democrat party last Additional investigation reveals there was 1 mvwmgaiiuu reveais mere was a t. i. fall to embrace Republicanism, had arranged absolutely no chance the two men were iha crnthprinff Rpntlpw whn is namntovMar the gathering. Bentley who is comptroller spies for Sanders ppnpral in the somewhat Democratic statA.

or Carter, both regarded as strong twssibilities for tVio house, is regarded as a sureshot seeker after the Republican nomination for governor next year. The PR agents had come to Atlanta to. see about handling Bentley's campaign, and the meeting with Wasden was arranged, said Bentley, in order for them to discuss privately with the GOP chairman the Bentley chances for victory next year. Espionage teams report, however, that Wasden was taken aback by the fact Bent- vw wtltwi gubernatorial nomination next year. A triple agent who has worked with both Sanders and Carter and with Republicans has revealed through a coded dispatch that all of Carter's operators were in South Georgia where there had been a report of a secret GOP meeting in a barn in Miller County and that Sanders' agents had ducked temporarily into Tennessee while trying to elude an American Independent Party tail.

Police Provocation ATLANTA I was amazed and shocked at the tactics of our Atlanta police in the Piedmont Park "riot" Sunday, as reported by the press and television. It would appear that this was as.