Farmers' supper speech notes

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Farmers' supper speech notes
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Note:

Herbert Mullins in his introduction is\J,ing

to refer to the work of the office in the Seed case.
You might want to refer to this.
Millard gave me the following information:
"One of the 10 largest seed companies in the U.S.
was found to be deliberately misrepresenting some of
it's seed corn as hybrid seed corn resistant to the
Southern leaf blight and it was not resistant.

It

was being sold at hybrid prices at least twice as
expensive as non-hybrid seed corn.

Investigators

of the Consumer Protection Division and the Department

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of Agriculture were able, with the efforts of the
editor of the Goldsboro News-Argus, Mr. Price and
interested farmers, in developing enough evidence,
after a hearing, to cause the Commissioner of
Agriculture to revoke the 1971 license of the seed
company to sell not only seed corn, but all-'-other
seed in N.C."

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1

It is a pleasure for me to join you for your
annual Farm Supper.

I wish that Katie and my

girls could be here to enjoy the festivities of
this traditional family gathering.

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2

I recently read with a great deal of interest
of the� establishment of the Albemarle
Regional Planning and Development Commission.
This Commission, made up of Camden, Chowan,
Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hyde, Pasquotank,
Perquimans·, Tyrrell and Washington Counties
has as its purpose the overall planning on the
environment, building needs, roads, hospitals,

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promoting industry and educational needs.

I �pplaud

the inception of this Commission and hope it will
prove to be a useful and worthwhile tool in the
future development of northeastern North Carolina.

5

It is a step in the right direction for this area
needs planning in order to cope with the problems
you have faced in the past.

The out-migration

these 10 counties has been heavy over the past
50 years.

In the most recent decades, 1950 to

1970, over 20,000 people migrated from the area.
In Camden and Currituck counties, it is estimated
that one-half of the labor force work in the
Tidewater area of Virginia and here in

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Pasquotank County many workers are also lost to
Virginia.

A recent survey shows that ample numbers

of these individuals would be willing to work in
their home counties.

7
How can we get our people to live and work in this
area?
In order to settle our rural areas, it is not enough
just to be able to provide our citizens with jobs.
We must also provide them with essential services,
good schools, good medical facilities, efficient
means of transportation, and the means for good
entertainment and recreation.

(

B

We must, in short, plan and prompt a resurgence
of the small town as the solution to our rural
problems.

We must do something to improve the

small town, to sufficiently equip it with
programs and services to make it attractive to
industry and people.

There is no reason why

the small town cannot be a strong economic force
in the future.

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Population Statistics

4 Towns

-

- N. C.

Total
64 1,960

100,000 and Over

4 Towns .. 50,000 to 100,000
8 Towns
22 Towns
31 Towns
47 Towns

/

102 Towns

-

269,888

25,000 to 50,000

274,282

10,000 to 25,000

348,926

5,000 to 10,000

208,724

2,500 to

5,000

168,44 2

1,000 to

2,500

169,930

Under 1,000
Towns
68 Unincorporated Towns 1,000 or more

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i�xx»ED�D:ntl:.E!EXlllIDri:tip.Jll:iti:ti:ru;

114,356
288,765

10
Government in a free society, however, cannot
alone solve society's problems.

The solutions

to our problems require the cooperation of our
people.

We in government must realize that

we cannot legislature our problems_ away.

We

must resist the idea that another state agency,
that bigger government or centralized control is
all we need.

What government can and must do,

is distribute opportu�ity and educate our people
to take advantage of it.

11

If we are to distribute opportunity e�ually, State
government must do a number of things:

First, it

must engage in comprehensive planning.

Every

Service that the State operates must be planned
and continually replanned.

The State in conjunction

with our Regional Planning Commission must draft
comprehensive land use plans that allot certain
areas of our State for residential, commercial,
industrial, and recretional uses.

12
Only such planning will put an end to haphazard
development and the piece-meal approach to our
problems.
The need to set aside land for future recreational
use is especially urgent.

We must anticipate our

recreational needs, acquire and set aside sufficient
space for them while it is still available.

If

we wait until the need becomes obvious, available
recretional sites will in all likelihood be too small

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and too inaccessible to large segments of our
popultion.

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Next, the State must allot its resources in order
to implement this comprehensive planning.

We must

put opportunity where there is none and discourage
the overdevelopment of any area.

We must tie the

States' enterprises into communities in ways that
aid rather than hinder controlled growth.

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15 .

Third, industries must be offered economic
incentives to locate in underdeveloped areas.
areas already offer many advantages.

Such

They are not

congested, large plant sites are available at
reasonable cost, and unspoiled environment offers
attractive residential areas for their employees.
But, the most attractive motive to any industry
is the profit motive.

If we can make it more

profitable for industries to locate where we want
them, we will get the industries we want.

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Unless we are successful in distributing opportunity
equally throughout our State, we cannot expect to
ever avoid the adverse consequences of over and
underdevelopment.

And, if we do not avoid these,

we will have failed to fulfiil the promise of
tomorrow.

17
Successful government in the last quarter of the
20th century will be government which solves the
problems of the present by anticipating those
of the future, which gives all of its citizens
equal protection under the laws, and which
equally distributes opportunity.

18
If we fail to do any of these, we will fail to
do all of them, and neither North Carolina nor.the
United States of America can afford that kind of
failure.

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(

ADDRESS BY:

MRS, ROBERT MORGAN

To:

SAMPSON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC WOMEN

DATE:

OCTOBER

14, 1971

POSITIVE GOVERNMENT - A DEMOCRATIC PARTY TRADITION

ADDRESS BY:

MRS, ROBERT MORGAN

POSITIVE GOVERNMENT - A DEMOCRATIC PARTY
TRADITION

HOME

THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME
As THE SONG GOES I "Mr D PLEASURES AND PALACES

THOUGH WE MAY ROAM,

BE IT EVER SO HUMBLE, THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME,"
PLEASE NOTE, l SAID PALACES - NOT MANSIONS -

(

IN CASE SOME OF YOU MIGHT INTERPRET THIS TO BE AN

ANNOUNCEMENT,

I OWE MUCH TO THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTY,

THEY

WERE THE BEARERS OF GIFTS - A GIFT OF THEIR HIGH IDEALS;

A GIFT OF THEIR PROGRESSIVE GOALS: A GIFT OF THEIR

SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT; AND A GIFT OF THEIR

CONCERN FOR HUMAN DIGNITY,

IF A CHILD HAS THIS

TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT AS HE IS GROWING, THEN NO MATTER

HOW MUCH SUCCESS rs ACHIEVED IN LATER LIFE, THE LARGER

PART OF ANY CREDIT MUST BE GIVEN TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO

FIRST KNEW HIM AND GAVE HIM THE GOALS BY WHICH TO LIVE,

MY TEACHERS CONTRIBUTED TOWARD THESE GIFTS FOR

I RECEIVED MY PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION HERE, AND I AM

HAPPY TO SEE SOME OF THEM HERE TODAY,

I AM BESTOWING CREDIT, I MIGHT ALSO HAVE TO

WHILE

BESTOW BLAME,

THEY WERE MY FIRST INSTRUCTORS IN PUBLIC

I GET THROUGH,
MIGHT LIKE TO DISCLAIM SUCH FAME, AND WISH I HAD

SPEAKING,

SOME OF THEM, BY THE TIME

ADHERED TO THE DEFINITION THAT A GOOD SPEAKER rs ONE
WHO RISES TO THE OCCASION AND PROMPTLY SITS DOWN,

Bur,

BEING MY TEACHERS, THEY ALSO KNOW THAT

STILL HAVE, ONE BIG WEAKNESS AND,

I

I LIKE TO TALK!

HAD, AND

I PARTICULARLY LIKE TO TALK TO PEOPLE FROM

MY HOME COUNTY, AND, EVEN MORE PARTICULARLY, TO THE
DEMOCRATIC WOMEN OF MY HOME COUNTY,

THE WORDS DEMOCRATIC WOMEN IMMEDIATELY CONVEY

TO ME A VIBRANT, INTERESTED AND POSITIVE GROUP,

You

HAVE JOINED TOGETHER TO MAKE YOUR VOICES HEARD, YOUR
INFLUENCE FELT, TO HELP YOUR COMMUNITY PROGRESS, AND

TO ASSURE YOURSELVES THAT EVERYTHING POSSIBLE WILL BE

DONE TO PROVIDE THE HIGHEST DEGREE OF LEADERSHIP IN
GOVERNMENT,

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I
YouR PRESENCE INDICATES THAT YOU ARE AWARE THAT

POSITIVE, EFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT DEMANDS THE INTEREST AND

PARTICIPATION OF EVERY CITIZEN, INCLUDING THE HOUSEWIFE,
THE MOTHER, THE BUSINESS AND THE CAREER WOMAN,
I COMMEND YOU FOR YOUR POSITIVE APPROACH,

IT WOULD

BE MUCH SIMPLER FOR YOU TO LOSE YOURSELVES IN THE DUTIES

OF YOUR OCCUPATION, YOUR HOMES - OF RAISING CHILDREN

AND KEEPING HOUSE - TO IGNORE THE PROBLEMS ABOUT YOU,

AND LET YOUR SOLE CONTRIBUTION BE A LOUD COMPLAINT IN

A LETTER TO ANN LANDERS:

Bur, THIS IS NOT THE APPROACH OF THE DEMOCRATIC

WOMEN - NOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY,

BEEN INVOLVED IN GOOD GOVERNMENT,

THEY HAVE ALWAYS

THEY HAVE ALWAYS

BEEN RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE,
IN

1935,

PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT MADE A STATEMENT

ABOUT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY'

APPLICABLE TODAY,

THI.S STATEMENT Is JUST AS

IN IT, PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT SAID THE

GOALS OF OUR PARTY ARE:

", , , TO INCREASE THE SECURITY AND THE HAPPINESS

OF A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN ALL OCCUPATIONS OF LIFE

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AND IN ALL PARTS OF THE COUNTRY; TO GIVE THEM MORE OF
THE GOOD THINGS OF LIFE; TO GIVE THEM A GREATER

DISTRIBUTION, NOT ONLY OF WEALTH IN THE NARROW TERMS

BUT OF WEALTH IN THE WIDER TERMS: TO GIVE THEM PLACES

TO GO IN THE SUMMERTIME - RECREATION; TO GIVE THEM ASSURANCE

THAT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO STARVE IN THEIR OLD AGE; TO

GIVE HONEST BUSINESS A CHANCE TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE A

REASONABLE PROFIT; AND TO GIVE EVERYONE A CHANCE TO EARN
A LIVING,"

To SEE A NEED AND TAKE A POSITIVE APPROACH - AND

I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF A POSITIVE APPROACH
TAKEN BY A DEMOCRAT

MY FAVORITE DEMOCRAT,

OF WHOM I AM VERY FOND - IN FACT

SEVERAL YEARS AGO, ROBERT HAD OCCASION TO VISIT

DOROTHEA DIX HOSPITAL TO INTERVIEW A DOCTOR ABOUT A

CLIENT OF HIS,

IT WAS AN UNUSUALLY HOT DAY, AND THE

INTERVIEW TOOK PLACE IN THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE WHICH WAS

ABOUT THE SIZE OF A LARGE CLOSET,

SMALL ELECTRIC FAN HUMMING,

IN THE CORNER WAS ONE

THIS OFFICE WAS ALSO THE

ROOM WHERE THE DOCTOR TALKED WITH HIS PATIENTS - GAVE
THERAPY,

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THE INTERVIEW TOOK QUITE AWHILE, AND BY THE TIME

THEY GO THROUGH, ROBERT WAS SOAKED WITH PERSPIRATION,
HE QUESTIONED THE DOCTOR AS TO AIR-CONDITIONERS, AND

THE DOCTOR SAID THAT FUNDS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR SUCH

LUXURIES,

AFTER THE INTERVIEW, ROBERT RODE THROUGH THE

GROUNDS AND NOTED JUST A SMALL NUMBER OF AIR-CONDITIONERS

THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE COMPLEX,

HE THEN RODE DOWNTOWN

IN RALEIGH AND NOTICED THAT PRACTICALLY EVERY WINDOW

IN THE STATE BUILDINGS HAD AIR-CONDITIONERS IN THEM,
BEFORE THE NEXT GENERAL ASSEMBLY CONVENED, HE

DID SOME CAREFUL RESEARCH, BROUGHT THE PROBLEM TO THE

ATTENTION OF THE MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, AND
MONEY WAS APPROPRIATED WITH WHICH TO BUY AIR­
CONDITIONERS,

CONDEMNATION COMES CHEAP, AND IT ALONE SOLVES NO

PROBLEMS,
OUR

IF FAULT IS FOUND, SOLUTIONS MUST BE OFFERED,

1971

AND ACTED:

(

DEMOCRATIC GENERAL ASSEMBLY SAW A NEED

THEY PASSED A BILL REORGANIZING THE

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NORTH CAROLINA COUNCIL ON MENTAL RETARDATION,

IT

WAS APPARENT TO MANY THAT THE SCOPE OF THE COUNCIL WAS

NOT BROAD ENOUGH TO COVER THE MANY DEVELOPMENTAL

D ISAB ILITIES THAT OCCUR - SUCH AS CEREBRAL PALSEY,

EP ILEPSY AND OTHER NEUROLOGICAL PROBLEMS,

THE NAME

OF THE COUNCIL WAS CHANGED BY ADD ING "AND DEVELOPMENT
D ISAB ILITIES,"

IN ADDIT ION, CHARGES FOR LONG-TERM PATIENTS OVER

THE AGE OF

21

STEP FORWARD,

HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED,

THIS IS A GREAT

THE ACT ION WAS TAKEN BECAUSE THERE WAS

A NEED TO ALLEVIATE THE FINANCIAL BURDENS OF PARENTS
WHO HAVE RETIRED AND HAVE SMALLER INCOMES, BUT ST ILL
MUST SUPPORT A CH ILD IN ONE OF OUR STATE MENTAL

RETARDAT ION INSTITUT IONS,

IN ANOTHER AREA OF HELP FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT

SO FORTUNATE, $400,QQQ WAS PROVIDED FOR COMMUNITY

DEMONSTRATION FUNDS,

HOMES IN COMMUNITIES,

THESE FUNDS W ILL BE USED FOR GROUP
HOUSING FACILITIES FOR THE

RETARDED AT THE LOCAL LEVEL HAVE LONG BEEN A CONCERN
AND GROUP HOMES SEEM TO BE PART OF THE ANSWER,

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I

FOR INSTANCE IN WAKE COUNTY AND THE RALEIGH AREA,

THERE ARE

200 CHILDREN KNOWN AS SEVERELY AND PROFOUNDLY

RETARDED CHILDREN,

O'BERRY WHICH IS THE INSTITUTION

THAT SERVES THIS AREA TAKES ONLY ONE SUCH CHILD A

YEAR,

AND WHEN THEY DO TAKE SUCH A CHILD, IT IS USUALLY

UNDERSTOOD THAT THE CHILD WILL REGRESS AS THEY DO NOT

HAVE THE STAFF TO GIVE THE CHILDREN THE INDIVIDUAL CARE

THEY NEED,

THESE FUNDS CAN BE ADDED TO, AT THE LOCAL LEVEL,

TO PROVIDE DAY CARE FOR THESE SEVERELY AND PROFOUNDLY

RETARDED CHILDREN - PARENTS CAN TAKE A DAY OFF

OCCASIONALLY TO BE AWAY FOR JUST A FEW MINUTES FROM

THEIR AWESOME RESPONSIBILITY - PERHAPS EVEN A VACATION

FOR A FEW DAYS,

MANY OF THESE CHILDREN ARE HANDICAPPED

TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT PARENTS CANNOT LEAVE THEM - AS

YOU DO - WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD BABYSITTER,
. AGAIN, YOU

DEMOCRATIC WOMEN SPOKE FOR CHILDREN

THROUGH YOUR DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVES IN THE

1971

GENERAL ASSEMBLY BY ENACTING A CONSIDERABLY BROADER CHILD

ABUSE LAW,

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(

THE

1971

CHILD ABUSE LAW REVISED THE PREVIOUS LAW

WHICH PROVIDED ONLY FOR VOLUNTARY REPORTING BY PHYSICIANS;

SOCIAL WORKERS, AND CERTAIN SCHOOL PERSONNEL OF CHILD

ABUSE CASES,

IT NOW PROVIDES FOR COMPULSORY REPORTING BY

ANY PERSON WHO KNOWS OR HAS REASON TO KNOW OF CHILD ABUSE
AND COVERS NOT ONLY THE PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE MENTIONED,

BUT WOULD ALSO COVER A NEIGHBOR'S OBSERVANCE OF SOME­
THING WHICH WOULD LEAD TO A REASONABLE SUSPICION OF

CHILD ABUSE,

THE CRIMINAL PROVISIONS WERE STRENGTHENED AND

OTHER MEASURES WERE ADDED WHICH, HOPEFULLY, PROVIDE

GREATER PROTECTION FOR THE CHILD, IT IS PREDICTED THAT
THE NUMBER OF CHILD ABUSE CASES DETECTED AND REPORTED

MAY RISE FROM ABOUT 3,QQQ A YEAR ACROSS THE STATE TO

5, 000

OR MORE, AND THIS IS A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE:

THESE ARE JUST A FEW THINGS THAT WERE ACCOMPLISHED

THROUGH CITIZEN DEMAND AND POLITICS AND THE NAME OF
POLITICS TODAY IS PARTICIPATION,

AND LET ME REMIND YOU

THAT POLITICIANS ARE NOTHING MORE THAN CITIZENS

EXERCISING THE RESPONSIBILITY OF CITIZENSHIP,
A POLITICIAN AND PROPERLY

so:

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You

ARE

IF WE ARE TO HAVE A DEMOCRACY, WE AS INDIVIDUALS

MUST PARTICIPATE IN THE RUNNING OF OUR COUNTIES, CITIES,

STATE AND NATION,

OUR AMERICAN SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT

HAS COME TO BE KNOWN AS REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY BECAUSE
IT IS A GOVERNMENT IN WHICH THE PEOPLE, THE CITIZENS,

REMAIN SUPREME,

Ir HAS BEEN SAID THAT WE SHOULD CEASE TO TAKE

OURSELVES SO SERIOUSLY AND BEGIN TO TAKE OUR POLITICAL
LADIES, I AGREE AS I AM

RESPONSIBILITY SERIOUSLY,

SURE YOU DO,

WHAT IS A NORTH CAROLINA DEMOCRAT TODAY? A

NORTH CAROLINA DEMOCRAT TODAY HAS BEEN DEFINED AS
FOLLOWS:

"HE IS THE SAME PERSON WHO PICKED THIS STATE UP

BY THE BOOTSTRAPS BACK IN

1900

AN ORBIT OF STEADY PROGRESS,

AND LAUNCHED IT INTO

"HE IS THE SAME PERSON WHO NURSED THIS STATE

THROUGH THE BITTER DEPRESSION OF THE THIRTIES, WHO RESTORED
HOPES, DREAMS, AND, EVENTUALLY, RECOVERY,

(

"HE IS THE SAME PERSON WHO HAS FOUGHT BRAVELY,

AND TO THE FINISH, HIS NATION'S WAR,

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"HE IS THE SAME PERSON:

- WHO HAS HAD THE WILL AND THE WAY TO SEE

THAT THE PUBLIC'S NEEDS ARE MET IN GOOD

TIMES AND BAD,

- WHO HAS SEEN THAT EDUCATION, A GOOD EDUCATION,
AND HEALTH SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE TO ALL,

- WHO HAS SEEN THAT THE UNFORTUNATE AMONG US,
SUCH AS THE MENTALLY ILL AND THE RETARDED,

ARE GIVEN A RAY OF HOPE IN THEIR DARK WORLD,
"HE IS THE SAME PERSON WHO HAS GIVEN NORTH CAROLINA

A SYSTEM OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND TRADE SCHOOLS - A

GRASSROOTS EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY OF TREMENDOUS

PROPORTIONS,

"ABOVE ALL, THIS IS THE PERSON WITH FAITH IN THE

FUTURE OF NORTH CAROLINA - A FAITH THAT IS UNFLINCHING

AND REMAINS CONSTANT NO MATTER WHAT CROSS CURRENTS BLOW,
"THE NORTH CAROLINA DEMOCRAT, TO USE AN ILLUSTRATION

YOU MAY HAVE HEARD, LOOKS AT A GLASS AND SAYS, 'IT IS

HALF FULL, '

HIS APPROACH IS POSITIVE,

WILLING TO SAY IT IS HALF EMPTY, '

(

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HE IS NOT

(
"HOPE, FAITH, LOVE, THESE ARE THE TRAITS OF THE

NORTH CAROLINA DEMOCRAT,

"YESTERDAY, TODAY, TOMORROW - THE NORTH CAROLINA

DEMOCRAT IS A PERSON WITH A HEART, A PERSON WHO CARES,

A PERSON WHO, WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, GETS GOING,"

I THINK THAT NO OTHER THING ACCOUNTS MORE FOR THE

REPEATED SUCCESS OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN THIS STATE

THAN THE FACT THAT WE HAVE CONSISTENTLY OFFERED

" "'

CANDIDATES WHO PUT THEMSELVES TO THE TASK OF SOLVING

PROBLEMS, AND REACHING GOALS,

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