2 - The Perkins Journal, Thursday, January 4, 1973
by Glynn McCauley
The resumption of the heavy bombing ot northerly targets
in Vietnam and the breakdown of negotiations so hopefully con-
ducted by Henry Kissinger, plus Mr. Kissinger'sstriking change
of tone in describing ttanoi's attitude, is a disappointment.
Critics are claiming intentional election-time deception by
the President and Mr. Kissinger but the truth ls the President
and Kissinger at one time were very close to an agreement with
North Vietnam.
Unfortunately, they must plead guilty to some degree, in al-
lowing President Thieu of South Vietnam to sabotage an agree-
ment tentatively worked out by Hanoi. Thieu accomplished this
by objecting to any ceasefire agreement which failed to specify
that Saigon's was the rightful authority in areas in South Viet-
nam controlled by the enemy.
Though one can sumpathize with Thleu's position, hisdesire
to have Salgon's authority reestablished in enemy-held areas of
his country, the military and political facts of today do not fit
this hope. And one can hardly expect the enemy to grant in a
ceasefire agreement what has not been won on the field.
Perhaps the renewed heavy bombing and continuing squeeze
caused by the U. S. naval blockade will bring Hanoi to these
terms In the end, but this is questionable. Meanwhile Washington
must share the blame for the breakdown in negotiations.
For more than twenty years reformers have been trying to
abolish the electoral college or modernize the system in a way to
ay services
were
arraJ
Grave side rites were held Funeral services for Ray and the couple lived in the Per-
for Mrs. Robert (Eliza) Odell Harral, 69 year old Perkins kins vicinity until her death on
in the Perkins Cemetery last Councilman and Payne County December 8, 1968. On Decem-
Saturday morning at 10o'clock. Peace Officer, were held at her 21, 1970, he marriedDelma
Mrs. Odell died in the Cushint 2:00 p.m. Friday, December Williams at Wagoner.
hospital Thursday, Decembe~ 29, 1972, in the Strode Chapel Harral was town marshall in
28, 1972. She had been a rest- at Stillwater with Reverend Perkins for 13 years and had
dent of a Cushing nursing home Harvey Hickman of the Perkinsserved as deputy and jailer for
for six years. First Baptist Church officiating, the Payne County SheriffPs Of-
Mrs. Odell was born near Ray Harral Jr. delivered the flce since 1969. He was a mem-
Bowen, Illinois, the oldest oi eulogy. Mrs. Donna Brooks her of the Perkins Town G0un"
ten brothers and sisters. She presented a medley of appro- cll and had served as mayor.
married Robert Odell and they priate piano selections. Attend- He was also a member of the
came to Oklahoma to make ing the services as a group Fraternal Order of Police.
their home in ]905. They lived were members of various localHarral was preceded in death
at Meridian for two years be- and state law enforcement agen- by one grandson, Danny West,
fore moving five miles south- cies. Casket bearers were who was killed in Vietnam, two
west of Perkins in the Indepen- Frank Phillips, Red McKinght,brothers and one sister.
dence School District in 1907.Jack Stark, Jerry Hughes, John
They lived and farmed and tookTaylor and Bob Glandon. He is survived by his widow,
part in all the neighborhoodlife Interment, under the direct- and two sons, Doyle Harral of
in this area until failing health ion of Strode Funeral Home, Perkins and Ray Harral Jr. of
forced them to move into Per- was in the Perkins Cemetery. Edmond, and two daughters,
kins where she lived alone after Law officers provided an honor Mrs. Ulys (Glenda Lee) West,
her husband's death, guard for the graveside rites. Cushing, and Mrs. Don (Rita
The last of her family, her Harral, who died inthe Cush- Mae) Buckner, Bartlesville.
husband, two daughters, Stella ing Municipal Hospital on Also a foster son, Scotty Mc-
and Marie, a son-in-law and a December 26th, was the son ofCall, Wichita, Kansas, and one
baby granddaughter preceded Leonard and Mariah Harral andstep-son, David Williams, Still-
her in death. She is survived by was born in Jonesbero, Arkan-water; 10 grandchildren, three
two granddaughters and their sas on March 6, 1903. OnMarchgreat-grandchildren, and one
families. 26, 1924, he was married to brother, Vester Harral of Per-
Mrs. (:}dell, a pioneer of early Minnie Floy Jackson at C, uthrie kins.
days, saw hard times, sorrow
and joy in her long life of 92
years.
Sgt. Kinzie to
stationed
overseas
Sgt. Terry Kinzie has been
home over the holidays visiting
with his parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Raymond Klnzie of Route 4,
Stillwater. Sgt. Kinzie has been
stationed in Platsburgh, New
York, with the Air Force for the
past three years.
January 10, Sgt. Kinzie will
leave for Korate, Thailand for
one year. While in New York,
he worked on the B-52, KC135
and FB111 and in Thailand he
will work on F4 Phantom Jets.
Published every Thursday by the
Perkins Publishing Company
Perkins, Oklahoma 74059
Box L 377-3599 -- 547-2411 133
S. Main
Harland B. Wells---Co-Publisher
Glynn W. McCauley---Co-Publisher
Sandy McCauley - Managing Editor
Glynn McCauley - Advertising Manager
Bill Cross - Photography and Graphic-art
Harry Delfts - Mechanical Superintendent
Glenda Wilson - Typist
Ruth Brown - Circulation Manager
Entered as 2nd Class mail at the Post
Office at Perkins, Oklahoma 74059
Call in your Subscription today 547-2411 or 377-3599
make it more democratic. As it now works, and has just elected
P~esident Nlxon, each state has as many electors as the com-
I i ~-ttle r~oseh~ ~i w?::raLr have a loving smile ~
birded number of Congressmen and Senators It sends to Congress.
Because Senators are not representative of the population
but apportioned two to each state, this means electors, who actual-
ly elect the President might or might not vote as did a majority
ov voters. An even greater source of potential trouble is the
fact that the electors of each state don't split their vote accord-
ing to the popular vote. They all vote for the winner, even if the
winning Democratic or Republican candidate carried the state by
only two votes.
Thus, if one candidate wins narrowly ln a majority of states,
but loses heavily in others, he can win the Presidency with less
votes than his opponent; this has already happened several times
in American history, and is obviously undesirable.
Probably the reform proposal with the greatest merit, as a
coU~titutional amendment, which is required, is one providing for
the division of the electoral vote on the basis of the popular vote
in ;~ach state. This would not upset the senatorial factor in de-
terming the number of electoral votes of each state, a keen issue
among the smaller states, but would provide for translating the
popular vote into a fair, representative division of electoral
votes, the essence of democracy.
An expert on food prices recently warned that chains' pro-
fits were Oown to a point where they could no longer absorb in-
creased costs, as has sometimes been possible in the past.
The primary cause of many hikes in food prices~ he said:
was not inefficiency in management but inefficiency in work
methods demanded by unions. He cited examples of trucking,
loading, butchering, stocking and other processes where unions
force slowdowns, which understandably increase stores' costs.
One shouldnPt leap to the conclusion, however, that unions
are always the cause of high food prices. Excessive middle-man
profits, management failures and other .'-~.asons are often to
blame. But union practices, sometimes tied in with racketeering,
are a contributing cause and it is in the interest of union mem-
bers to keep fo6d costs down.
Truck drivers in some areas have managed to obtain com-
missions on deliveries of such things as bread (sometimes the
commissions run thousands of dollars more than salaries);, un-
ions have fOrbidden store personnel to unload foodstuffs; they
have set a maximum number of trucks to be unloaded in a set
period of time; they have refused to stagger working hours to
enable stores to cope with rush hours. Etc.
It is not asking too much to appeal to all Americans, in-
cluding union leaders, to do everything possible to hold down the
costs of food--for higher costs hurt the poor most, and first.
From the garden of a friend, From a friend I know is true,
Than to have the choicest flowers Than tears shed around my casket
When my stay on earth must end. When I bid this world adieu.
I would rather have the kindest words, Bring me all the flowers today
Whether pink or white or red,
And a smile that I can see,
Than flattery when my heart is stillI'd rather have one blossom now
And life has ceased to be. Than a truckload when Pm dead.
Author Unknown
