The Gilmer Mirror (Gilmer, Tex.), Vol. 121, No. 4, Ed. 1 Wednesday, January 14, 1998 Page: 4 of 21
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by jealous scientists and certain
paranoid astronauts, is actually
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A signed letter carries more
weight with readers. Names
will not be withheld and "opn
letters” to third parties are not
accepted. Anonymous letters,
no matter how worthy, will not
* be used.
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Senate. The liberal (for Texas) city of Austin quakes in fear.
Furthermore, it’s not at all difficult to imagine the Demo-
crats being unsuccessful in each and every race for every
statewide office their candidates are contesting.
We do not understand the political appeal of the Bush
family. We never have and we never will. But polls tell us
that Gov. George W. Bush (playfully dubbed “Shrub” by his
opponents), fresh from a $10 million payoff he received for :
his 1.8 percent stake in a losing baseball team called the
Texas Rangers, is far more popular than his father, George
H.W., the failed president, ever was among Texas voters.
He’s even received the endorsement of outgoing Lt Gov.
Bob Bullock, a Democrat who could also be described as a
Texas nationalist (“God bless Texas!” as he would say), for
another 4-year term in the governor’s mansion. •
• Bush pen couldn’t even win his home state primary
against Ronald Reagan in 1980 after having lived here off
and on for more than 30 years. Texans have always doubted
that he is “one of us.” But that’s apparently not the case
when it comes to his No. 1 son. .
Although not a native Texan, George W.’s Midland up-
bringing has bestowed upon him a folksy West Texas drawl
riot that dissimilar to that of another George named Strait,
although we’ve never heard the Governor croon a country
ballad and doubt if we’d want to hear him try.
The Democrats are set to nominate Land Comm.
Garry Mauro to run against Bush. In any other year against
any other opponent, he might have had a chance baaed upon
his Texas Aggie credentials alone. But this year, in keeping
“with school colors, he’s going to wind up bleeding maroon
until he’s been bled white by the Republican machine.
- . In the race to succeed Bullock as lieutenant governor, the •
Republican Agriculture Comm. Rick Perry faces a more
formidable opponent in Democratic Comptroller John Sharp.
Still, we give a definite edge to Perry just based on his
telegenic presence in campaign commercials. No one, par-
^**^*^^
ar
of I
what shaky majority in the House of Representatives. Even
that looks iffy at this point
! In order to fathom how truly frightened Democrats are,
opment was the key issue in ceived his bachelor of science
this past fall’s town council degree from Baylor University.
elections, and the results left • • Carol V. Massoletti and
environmental and corporate Pauline Meister were married
* * factions both qlaiming victory on Jan. 14 at the home of her son
k HAVE THE FORCES of in the Cox Community. 9 I
Chunkin Rocks A,
Page 4A — THE GILMER MIRROR, Gil—r, Texas Jaw—ryl4»
^ditoriaL | /
Texas Republicans -
They’re favored to win all ’98 statewide races
The Republican Party is “locked and loaded” in this state
as we enter the 1998 campaign season.
Indeed, by the end of this year, the Democrats may face
the disastrous prospect of losing their majority in the Texas
you need only look at the awesome numbers of state judges,
who much to their chagrin must face the voters every so •
often as if they, too, were ordinary mortals, switching parties
* come election time. Rarely are such moves based on prin-
ciple. And we cannot remember one ever switching from the
Republican to the Democratic Party. That’s why we have to
give credit to Gilmer’s own statewide office holder, Judge
Charles F. (Charlie) Baird, for “staying at home” in the
Democratic Party as he seeks another 6-year termon the "
Court of Criminal Appeals.
• It would make more sense politically for Judge Baird to
switch parties in 1998 Texas, which is now perhaps the most
conservative state in the United States. It has always been
full of social conservatives who, although nominally mem-
bers of the Democratic Party, were looking for a valid reason
to jump ship as early as the 1950s.
What’s different now is the sheer number of anti-tax,
highly politically active migrs who have flocked to this
state in recent decades from other overtaxed, overregulated
parts of the country. More are moving in all the time.
Their opposition extends to all taxes except apparently
when used to subsidize construction of sports stadia for
professional franchises they own, especially income taxes or
even the lame threats of same issued by Democrats such as
Rep. Paul Sadler and even some ersatz Republicans such as
our own Sen. Bill Ratliff.
By the way, Rep. Sadler could do his party a great favor if
he would just keep his mouth shut on this one issue. “Tax
reform” in the way he envisions it is never going to pass and
the “mouthpiece” from Henderson loses thousands of votes
every time he enunciates his learned and well-respected, but
hopelessly misguided “expert” opinion on the weighty matter
of “public school finance.” It’s as if he and the school superin-
tendents are repeating this mantra to themselves, while the
rest of the state tries to ignore them.
The leaders of the “public school industry” do not really
realize what kind of political tradeoffs would be demanded of
them if they could get their beloved income tax through. This
monopolistic industry would then face deregulation much
like the telephone companies did a few years ago. We doubt
very much if they wish to be thrown into the rough-and-
tumble world of privatization and competition.
If we had to name just one issue that has led to the deci-
mation and impending destruction of the Democratic Party
in this state, it wouldn’t be the volatile social issues such as
abortion and homosexuality and it wouldn’t be “law and
order” issues because Texas Democrats have proven from
time immemorial that they can build prisons and run a
police state with the best of them.
No, it has to be the Texas Democratic Party’s continual
threats on the issue of taxation. It has made enough Texans
nervous enough at election time that they hold onto their
wallets, hold their noses in some cases, hope Grandpa
doesn’t turn over in his grave in other cases, and vote for
Republican candidates they don’t even personally like and
ticularly no woman, likes to admit it, but there was a huge
“gender gap” in terms of female voters favoring Bill Clinton
in his previous campaigns and there’ll be one in favor of
| Perry in this race for some of the same reasons. Psycholo-
j ' gists have found that women, who make up the majority of
the voting electorate, are not even consciously aware of
exhibiting such superficial biases in many cases.
The rest of the statewide races look rocky for the Demo-
crats and their only real hope is to hang on to their some-
Views from Carolina ••••• By SALLY GREENE
. IU5 inn r> . that the theater of the war be- million, the question is harder city employees, the Gilmer City
CENTURY AGO, Carl tween the States will in time to grapple with Council said it found no evi-
Sandburg was r struggling be the chief productive area of ON THE ONE hand there’s dence of theft "in connection with
MiCWestern Wrier “T the Union,” McCormick wrote, an understanding that what • $255 shortage in city funds
ported himself as a door-to- While detailing the ways in keeps Chapel Hill at the head" revealed in an audit... Upshur
door salesman of stereoscopic which the after effects of that of those annual lists of desir- County Pct. 3 Constable Joe E.
photographs and viewers. This war had delayed and would able places to live is the natu- (Buddy) Ferguson and Pct. 5
r°rcontinue to complicate such a ral beauty of its low-density Justice of the Peace Cyril
him. from the life of the hobo development, she saw further business and residential dis- Bennett resigned. Commission-
(which he had, in fact a weak- that the South increasingly tricts. My family’s in-town acre ers court appointed Bobby
, or) he called selling “attracts Americans tired of of woods, for example, adjoins Barton to succeed Ferguson...
VeWS.. xu , __i ..__rigor and ready at last tonego- a 35-acre meadow that’s part Deaths included former Upshur .
i Recalling thedizzying views tiate the business of life on the of an extensive municipal County Treasurer John Clayton
Iusedto.slimpseithroughmy easiest instead of the hardest greenspace. Willeford, 77; Mrs. Minnie Poole,
grandfather’s stereo viewer, terms.” , On the other is the inevi- 84, of Gilmer; and Viola Jane
andadding tothatexotic - NOT AN EASY road, how- table push toward develop- Andrews, 78.ofRt. 1,OreCity;-
memory the realization that «nfsion» is what ment and corporate homogeni- • • The Soules Chapel United
hynowLamalmostasmucha shedetttedintinsrth-zatton that the economic suc- Methodist Church held its first
Tarheel M a Texan, 1m offer- ug-gettin0 ’ industrv- cess of the area steadily in- service in its new building on
Jan ....... Jerald waltonre-
North Carolina and East. preservationist South that,
Texas share their Southern- like General Jackson, would
ness, at least. Or do they? In “rise in arms . before allowing
her tour of the South in the the destruction of a single
1930s, Anne O’Hare building..,, ’ .
McCormick — the first female “Often foulseem to seeith
memberoftheM-York Times South vanishing and reassert-
' editorial staff, aMlyrical jout- ing itself in the same moment,
nalist admired by Sandburg— Either way you look, look
limited the region to Virginia, quickly, because both pictures
North and Southern Carolina, are composing into one. Very
eastern Tennessee, Georgia, soon ‘the South,’either as it
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisi- was or as it is, will be visible no
ana and Florida.
When someone remarked
that she’d “have to do a lot of
explaining” to folks in Ken-
tucky or Texas, she affected
amazement: “In no other sec-
tion except that considered the
poorest and most backward of
them all does half the country . . . ,
* insist on being included!” is Beautiful, Mary Lee figured
5 that the exodus to the cities
THIRTY YEARSAGO.
ing the particular Southern Upshur County was notified
accents so dear to us all? Will that for the pervious year it re-
there continue to be “as many corded 24 rural road traffic
Souths as there are Springs” deaths and 5 more inside the
in all their varied local color, city of Gilmer. Two separate ac-
. as McCormick was lucky cidents, however, accounted for
McCormick’s speculations enough to observe? Or is it 1ofthisto tal; ’ In8. Gladys
about the appeal of the under- pointless to talk about being a
AJIITNA K2 -TXIN ma Tarheel, or a Texan? --_from the Farmers Home Admin-
developed South reminded me Deena on what’s at stake istration here ... Chris Connor
ofsomethingsaidat least wLependsonhatsMtcone; ofDianaservedaspresidentof
years ago by another wise ,, en nugn mcvou s TTeh„M+TAHC...
woman, Mary Lee Baird. NationsBank maneuvered to Upshur County 4-H Council ...
EVEN PRIOR to E.F. acquire a major part of the Lamon Gavin of Gilmer was
Schumacher’s 1973 book Small • Texas banking industry, whole named homemakertofthe year.
------ employment communities be- • • Deaths included Edwin A
came outposts of North Caro- Bowen, 62; Carrie A Spencer,
McCORMICK missed the could not last forever. She pre- lina. But when Chapel Hill 84 Frank Strangways1,76; and
mark when she ignored Texas dieted a time when small towns football coach Mack Brown re- Miss Mamie McKnight, 74;
— East Texas at least — but would appeal to people who ceived an offer from Austin that Daniel Thompson was named
her predictions of the promise had tried the city and found it he couldn’t refuse, he became principalofOreCityHigh School
as well as the tumultuous crowded. Whether it’s a wish immediately and indubitably tn-Mike Whiteof East Moun-
changes ahead were right on for a place where they know a’ Texan. ; ■ tainandMikestoveroforeC ity
target. A startling perceptive you by name, or a need for the Speaking of banksters rec eddegrees from Texas
commentator on what she calming influence of a stAch The Independent Bankers •on-DAN
called almost 70 years ago the of land between you and’our AwHnHatinn nf Tevaw in support- FORTY YEARS AGO
“new South,” she testified to neighbor, there are things a ing. the state banking The Gilmer Country Club
the homogenization of town life city can t reliably give. commissioner’s attempt to block hired Mr. and Mrs. J.L. Terry of
You move from one chain- In Gilmer and Upshur NationsBank from introducing Corsicana to manage the club..
8 ore Main Street to another. County, the successes of the interstate branch banking in . Les Alley, superintendent of
.Shezalso predicted justhow museum and civic center Texas. NationsBank has asked the Sweet Potato Experiment
attractive the new wave of in- projects, not to mention the federal permission to branch into Station, resigned to take a job at
dustnahsm would find this news that this season’s Christ- Texas directly from its Char- Pecos... A son was born on the
region which a real estate pro- mas sales to out-of-towners lotte, N.C., headquarters. 14th to Mr. and Mrs. Jack Tay-
lor of Gilmer... Gene Gatlin of
Gilmer became city manager at
Edinburg . . . William Alex
’ Steelman, 90, died.
1 THERE HAS been another now demanding that the federal Gingrich at a special press con- EIETV VEANe AAN
vicious, unprovoked attack on government and the United ference. Hr I Y YEAn5 AGO
two respected and prestigious Nations construct a gigantic I CAN say with authority that John W. Kickerson, 91, died
organizations and I feel honor- safety net around the rim to keep we couchies lead hard, miser- at the home of his daughter,
bound to reply. I strongly sus- people from falling off able lives, yelled at constantly Mrs. Will McKnight at Kelsey,
pect these attacks are planned WE HAVE recently been ap- at every turn of the channel, six days after his wife’s death..
by terrorists dedicated to de- proved for a federal grant cursed for dribbling chips and * The county had its heaviest
stroyingtheveryidealson which sugested by the EPA when we beverages all over the floor, TV snowfall since 1939 with 4.8
these organizations are based. appealed to Vice-President Al get and forever accused and inches recorded ... Upshur
I’M SPEAKING, of course, Gore that this was the answer to screamed at. I understand a County schools got 20,000 lbs. of
of Couch Potatoes United For heat up the global warming and national brides and marriage raisinsand prunes for the lunch
Defense Ofindolence Rights and close the holes in our ozone. He magazine is offering a college- program ... Mrs. Susie Oliver
The Flat Earth Society. I realize was so enthusiastic he almost level credit course on Applied Russell, 83, died at Graceton ..
we “Couchies” and “Flatties” dropped the phone while calling Couch Potato Harrassment • The Gilmer Degree Team
have long been subject to dis- those Buddhist nuns for andther lOlfor brides and newly mar- helped the Masonic Lodge at
crimination, derision and openly campaign donation. ried women There are even aua- Jasper celebrate its 100th anni-
denied our rights to “Distin- HOUSE SPEAKER Newt gestns that cnucies e X versary ...W. Norris Taff was
guished shiftlessness, hard-won, Gingrich was also an enthusias- clared non-slobs. This would be on the dean’s list at Baylor... A
. honorable slobbry and dedica- : tic Flat Earth supporter. It was a severe blow and may cost us son was born on the 16th to Mr.
tion to doing absolutely noth- Gingrich who claims he is in our standing in the Society and Mrs. Edsel Green ... A
fact, a charter Republican Learning Objective Basic Sys- daughter was born on the 17th
Flattie. “I can prove the earth is tems (S.L.O.B.S.). to Mr. and Mrs. Don C. Lindsey,
flat. Just look at the national WARNING TO those young- SIXTY YEARS AGO
debt. If the country’s not flat, sters aspiring to become sue- Miss Ruth Marshall was
nothing is. I am authorized to cessful couchies and/or flatties: added to the ward school staff
say that there is no proof that Life for you will not be easy, and Miss Lucille Craddock was
Sen. J. Strom Thurmond was Then again, you can become transferred to high school... A
there when it happened,” said Republicans or even Democrats.' fow REAR VIRION, Page 5 A
sometimes even loathe.
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Overton, Mac. The Gilmer Mirror (Gilmer, Tex.), Vol. 121, No. 4, Ed. 1 Wednesday, January 14, 1998, newspaper, January 14, 1998; Gilmer, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1479168/m1/4/: accessed July 2, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Upshur County Library.