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University Daily Kansan Wednesday, Jan. 10, 1962
The Student Poll Plan
The long uninterrupted inactivity of KU's national political clubs in campus affairs and student issues was broken last night. At that time, Jerry Dickson, president of the KU Young Republicans, presented a plan to the All Student Council (a news story appears elsewhere in today's Kansan) that his group has prepared for a group to poll student opinion on campus, national and international issues.
THE BASIC IDEA behind the plan—that the campus needs an organization that can determine the trend of student opinion on important issues is a good one. The Young Republicans group can meet a long neglected need.
The Young Republicans have decided to seek the advice of faculty members to insure objective questions on the issues their polls deal with. Dickson said in his statement that on issues on which the Young Republicans or the national party have taken a stand, their viewpoint (identified as such) would be included in the poll report on a separate page.
The program is not a completely altruistic one. No one should expect it to be. The Young Republicans will supply the manpower for the poll and finance it. They naturally expect to reap some benefit from it. The inclusion of their viewpoint on the various issues on which polls are taken represents that benefit.
However, the strict separation of the poll results and the Young Republicans' own opinions deserves praise. It is an example some of their elders might benefit from.
AND, IF THE poll group adheres to the standard it has set for itself, the poll results will be of value to many groups. It can, as Dickson pointed out, aid the All Student Council in determining student interests and needs. This function would also be of benefit to the university administration. The poll committee can also, by long term and consistent work, compile valuable information on trends in student thought at KU.
The poll committee may possibly be derided by some of the elements on campus which do not agree with the Young Republicans' political viewpoint and would like to think the organization is merely a propaganda organ. Such elements should stop to consider the basic approach of the program. It provides for objective questions, which are presented in the published report on the poll. Slanted material could be easily detected. A review of poll questions by faculty members is added assurance that the polls will be objective.
SHOULD ANY group object merely because the Young Republicans present their own viewpoint (strictly separated) along with the poll results, we can only repeat that the Young Republicans are expending the money and effort needed to make the polls and such action on their part cannot be condemned. Constructive counteraction rather than partisan criticism is obviously the only effective course for any group feeling that they need to present a different viewpoint on some issue than that held by the Young Republicans.
Considered as a whole, the plans for the poll committee represent a sound and constructive action by the Young Republicans. It is, we hope, a sign of increasing interest among the political groups on campus in working to present their viewpoints more effectively and provide informative and constructive programs for the student population.
—William H. Mullins
Conservative Criticized Editor:
Marick Payton's letter of January 8 is the best paraphrase of Senator Barry Goldwater since the last time Payton wrote. The temporary chairman of the Young Americans for Freedom campus group (known as "Youth Against Freedom" in many circles) has made an attempt to present Goldwater's ideas for "maximizing freedom."
Now, Mr. Goldwater's philosophy has appealed to many, including the Ku Klux Klan, the White Citizens' Council, and the John Birchers. However, many political scientists and philosophers do not think it good mid-twentieth century American political theory.
This "conservative with a conscience" is talking about a certain kind of freedom which results in freedom for the few. He is working to eliminate and to reduce welfare programs and social services and to increase constitutional restriction on the government's power to tax. To him, present governmental programs are attempts to bring about an "egalitarian" society; he wants no governmental interference which seeks to allow for equality of opportunity.
ALTHOUGH HE claims to be working for "freedom," his approach ironically does violence to some of the assumptions implicit in democracy. Democracy implies the dignity of all men. Goldwater's philosophy would seem to lead to real freedom for the few in his economically and socially "structured" view of society—the freedom to inherit, to make, or to be given as much money as one likes and not to have it heavily taxed (graduated-style) by the federal government.
government.
In effect, those blessed with money in our society would be at the top in education, in government, and consequently in other areas of life. As he parries the question, "Why tax success?" he apparently rejects what economists consider the three types of unearned income: monopolistic profits, inheritances and gifts, and land rent or profits.
AS TO EQUALITY of individuals, no thoughtful person has
ever suggested that all men are equal in every respect. No doubt Goldwater would want for everyone equal protection of the law, access to the ballot, and equal opportunity to pursue a chosen vocation or career. However, his approach to the affairs of government suggests that he would do little to eliminate any barriers which allow for equal opportunity of personal development. Many would violently disagree that removing and minimizing welfare programs, outlawing the graduated income tax, and the removal of subsidies for farmers without any allied program would "free" the people.
HE SAYS HE is not interested in promoting welfare, but in gaining liberty. Real freedom for Gold-water's few would not be promoting the general welfare of the
What Goldwater means by "liberty" would mean "slavery" for many. We can look at the last thirty years and say that Presidents Wilson, Roosevelt, Truman, and to some extent Eisenhower have used their office in support of programs to eliminate some of the restraints on freedom of the individual. Their philosophy of government has furthered the opportunity for fuller development of individual capacities.
nation and the people! If he were allowed to implement his philosophy, a man might be jobless, hungry, and without education, but he would be formally free. This is rugged individualism, so rugged that it would be virtually impossible for many to have real freedom of opportunity and individual development.
The Arizona senator does not reckon with the closed political, economic, and social system of the mid-twentieth century. Home-steading and exploration of new land areas in the United States are a thing of the past. We are moving from an agrarian to a largely urban and industrialized society. There is more and better communication between people. Because of "collective" living, the needs of the people have changed and new problems have arisen. Many of them have required more unified and concerted action on the part of all government in the interests of the whole nation.
Barry Goldwater's and Marick Payton's idea of freedom would do quite well under the Articles of the Confederation! But many Americans (who also have consciences) cannot tolerate this view in the mid-twentieth century.
Kenneth N. Closki
Lawrence graduate student
Kenneth N. Ciboski
Daily Hansan
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NEWS DEPARTMENT
Tom Turner Managing Editor Linda Swander, Fred Zimmerman, Assistant Mangaging Editors; Kelly Smith, City Editor; Bill Sheldon, Sports Editor; Barbara Howell, Society Editor.
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
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LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS by Dick Bibler
'OH HES OUR MOST POPULAR HISTORY TEACHER ALL RIGHT, BUT I HEAR MY STUDENTS DONT LEARN MUCH FROM HIM.'
Bv Bill Charles
"Paris Blues;" with Paul Newman, Sidney Petito, Joanne Woodward and Diahann Carroll. Directed by Martin Ritt. At the Varsity.
Why in the name of D. W. Griffith does Hollywood insist on rewriting almost every book or play it films? "Paris Blues" has been cut, revised, and added to so much that the original version is almost unrecognizable. The result of this is a bore.
"PARIS BLUES" makes one wish Paul Newman would give up jazz and go back to shooting pool. There is not much to his part of Ram Bowen, the 'bone blower. There isn't much to "Paris Blues," either. Two touring lassies from the good old USA attack Paris for two weeks. Each meets and falls in love with a jazzman, and tries to
lure her boy back to the states.
One succeeds, the other doesn't.
This simple tale weaves its way through a very blue mood. When it's over, everyone is probably depressed, including the audience.
THE FILM IS based on a story which explores a Negro's decision to leave prejudiced America and enjoy equality in Paris. The movie all but ignores this idea by adding a white musician to the plot and emphasizing his devotion to that modern incongruity, written jazz.
Newman and Miss Woodward are good, which is to be expected, but not exceptional. The two important (albeit small) roles are expertly and sensitively filled by Poitier and Miss Carroll. Jazz buffs might enjoy the film for the music, which is by Duke Ellington. It is antique, but good. The picture is neither antique, nor good.
This book is a good introductory study of Brazil. The author is a prominent Latin American specialist who handles his materials well. The material is up-to-date. Everything about the country is covered—from its political and economic problems to its geography, races, religion, health, schools and wild life. It is a good survey for the reader who knows little about Brazil.
BRAZIL- THE INFINITE COUNTRY, by William Lytle Schurz. E. P. Dutton and Co., 1961. $6.00.
Books in Review
For the specialist on Latin America, however, the book is frustrating. It contains a great deal of information written in a readable style and is full of provocative ideas. The author, however, rarely develops his material to any great depth. One feels that the author was impelled to touch on every conceivable subject. Just when the reader gets interested in one subject the author jumps to something else.
By Robert D. Tomasek Assistant Professor of Political Science
** **
By Calder M. Pickett Professor of Journalism
TORTILLA FLAT, by John Steinbeck. Signet, 35 cents.
Oh how one can become disenchanted when college days are long past! In 1942, we had been reading "Tortilla Flat," and then along came that lovable movie about the lovable paisanos of Monterey. We called our room in the fraternity house "Tortilla Flat." We had a sign above the door advertising the fact. We even smuggled in red wine (quite cheap) to keep up the pretense of living like Danny, Pilon and Pablo.
"Tortilla Flat" doesn't look so good any more. Maybe these are lovable folk, as so many of Steinbeck's people are, but they also are tedious. They'll cut squid in the local cannery, but only long enough to buy another gallon of wine. They do glamorous and romantic things like getting sodden drunk and smashing store windows, stealing the neighbors' chickens, loudly singing and, in a grand climax, burning down the house where Danny, their hero, had lived and died.
Maybe it's the literal translation from the Spanish, the lack of contractions, the thee's and thou's, that is so frustrating. But Danny and Pablo and Pilon and Portagee Joe and Pirate and his lovable dogs no longer offer the old thrill.