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University Daily Kansan Wednesday, April 25. 1956.
Is Estes Best?
Kefauver Is Hoping
Leaders in the Democratic Party are beginning to accept Sen. Estes Kefauver (D-Tenn.) as a serious contender for the presidential nomination. When he threw his hat into the political ring in December, he was regarded as an outsider in the Democratic race, but since then he has swept to victory in the New Hampshire, Minnesota, and Wisconsin primaries and is regarded by many Democratic leaders as the party's leading candidate.
The success of Sen. Kefauver's handshaking campaigns in the primary elections has surprised leaders of both the Democratic and Republican parties, and Adlai Stevenson, his chief opponent, has been forced to adopt, to a certain extent, his handshaking campaign tactics. Sen. Kefauver welcomed Mr. Stevenson's decision to make the contest one of shaking hands, for he believes that "Mr. Stevenson in person will not overwhelm the voters, and that no one can shake as many hands as Estes Kefauver."
If the Tennessee senator is able to score victories in the Florida and California primaries, he could go to Chicago this summer with enough votes to upend Mr. Stevenson, the Democrats' unsuccessful presidential candidate in 1952.
A soft-speaking, dignified man, Sen. Kefauver considers himself the people's choice for the nomination, and refers to Mr. Stevenson and New York's Gov. Averell Harriman as the candidates of the machines. During his campaign, Sen. Kefauver has appealed to the rank and file Democrats for support, and from the results of the past primaries, has done so successfully.
Sen. Kefauver entered the 1956 presidential race despite the warnings of his closest friends. Sen. Paul Douglas (D-Ill.), his closest friend in the 1952 race, has announced that he will work wholeheartedly for Stevenson this year. Sen. Hubert Humphrey (D-Minn.), another close friend, has forsaken Sen. Kefauver in an attempt to seal up Minnesota's support for Mr. Stevenson.
Comparing Sen. Kefauver's success in this year's primaries with his success in the same primaries four years ago, his victories could mean little. Eighteen states held primary elections in 1952. In 15 of these states Sen. Kefauver won his party's endorsement, but went on to be defeated at the convention.
But along with his primary victories, Sen. Kefauver has gained support this year that was lacking in 1952.
He is getting pledges of support from labor leaders and from northern Negro voters. This support could be used by Sen. Kefauver to pry on the support of the big city party leaders. Even southern resistance, stiffened by his stand for school desegregation, is showing signs of breaking down.
In regard to the segregation issue, Sen. Kefauver said, "the Supreme Court decision is law, and it's high time that intelligent people of both races got together to carry it out." Speaking on an issue of current interest, the senator said he thought Israel should be armed and guaranteed against aggression.
In the same spirit, Sen. Kefauver reaffirmed his support for Atlantic Union.
"In our relations with Western Europe, the birthplace of freedom and liberty as we know it in the United States. I firmly believe in a policy of closer co-operation on economic, cultural and political levels as well as on the purely military level."
Sen. Kefauver first gained national attention when he conducted crime investigations in northern cities, In the Senate, he has spoken out in favor of anti-lynching legislation, against filibusters that block the enactment of laws for civil rights, and fought against the McCarran Immigration Act.
During the early weeks following his announcement to run in 1956, many party leaders were proposing a possible Stevenson-Kefauver ticket. But now it appears that Sen. Kefauver could be on his way to the Democratic nomination, and that such a ticket is improbable due to the recent mud slinging between the two candidates. However, such a combination could be the force needed to defeat President Eisenhower in November.
Daryl Hall
We can think of nothing this campus needs more to eliminate confusion than another Pearson Hall.
The UDK Condemned
We had a conversation with other day.
(Note: The following editorial was sent to The Daily Kansan from an anonymous reader. It appeared in the Thursday, April 19, issue of the Wichita Beacon.)
"I sure wish we could write about political issues and social problems the way you can," he said wistfully. "Who, can't you?"
"Oh, we wouldn't dare. The university wouldn't let us. If you get to writing about intellectual things, you'll make somebody mad. We don't dare do that sort of thing at a university."
Is it possible that higher education has sunk so low in the United States that students are not allowed to concern themselves with intellectual things for fear of making someone mad?
We don't believe that things are that bad. However, we look at university newspapers whenever we get an opportunity and we'll have to admit that the student journalists write as though they were afraid of offending some gesto.
Before us is the Tuesday edition of the University Daily Kansan, the KU paper. On page one are long-winded stories describing a coming concert and a shorter one describing plans for a parade. A small item mentions that Mrs. Joseph R. Pearson of Corsicana, Tex., has given $175,000 toward the construction of a dormitory. We don't know why—and undoubtedly never will know why—Mrs. Pearson made such a gift. We don't know who Mrs. Pearson is. It is a memorial to her late husband, but why didn't she give the money to the University of Texas or to the Corsicana High School?
There is a fairly well written account of Gov. Fred Hall's speech before the Lawrence Lions Club.
The editorial plays very safe. It urges students to vote in the campus election. It is a masterpiece of avoiding issues. This kind of writing should prepare a student for working on the kind of newspaper no self-respecting newsman likes to work on.
There is a feature story about the San Francisco earthquake. Since this happened 50 years ago, no one is likely to be offended by the writer's views.
Page three is given over to remarkably dull accounts of meetings that have happened or will happen. Pages four and five contain sport items. Pages six, seven, and eight tell of meetings that have occurred or will occur.
Now we know that universities are lively and colorful places. There is always intellectual excitement in the air. The scientists are always coming up with fascinating ideas and occasional important discoveries. The artists are always at each other's throats about avant garde, modern and conservative ideas. The political scientists argue about statism and the freedom of the individual. There are wonderful personalities everywhere. Any campus has at least a dozen faculty members who have thought long and well, have read much, have lived adventurously.
You can read these miserable campus papers from September thru May and never discover that they have any relationship to institutions of higher learning. You will never encounter an idea in their pages. You will rarely find any but the most pedestrian prose. You will almost never discover a good story.
There are students too who have had unusual experiences, have accomplished things beyond their years, have stories to tell.
We think dullness is a terrible trait in anybody. We think it is unforigurable in young people. What is the matter with these would-be writers anyhow? Don't they have any interest in anything? Don't they want to find out the wonderful things that are going on in our exciting world? Have they committed themselves to tediousness at the ripe age of 20!
Be it understood that we aren't especially criticizing the University of Kansas paper. It is no duller than the others. The University of Wichita is at least as bad. And some other schools have papers written in languages that bear only superficial resemblance to English.
Surely universities should begin to realize that these dull papers do not create a favorable impression with the public.
a college journalism student the
(Note: We are glad the editorial page of such a vigorous paper has chosen The Daily Kansan as one of those topics of wide interest which make his paper one of those papers on which it is a delight to work.
-And Defended
However, we might offer a few words in defense of The Daily Kansas. In the first place, the editorial mentioned urged students to get out and vote. There was no attempt made to discuss the issues, because the constitution under which the paper is governed prohibits The Daily Kansas from taking sides in politics.
We will agree that universities are lively and colorful places. Such interesting occasions, as the appearance of the state governor on the campus, concerts and plays by top-notch performers, and big events like the Kansas Relays pop up all the time. Also, there are meetings, and these must be reported, as a duty to the readers. As to the reference about political scientists and artists, etc., the only controversy of this type in recent history brought the faculty and The Daily Kansan into conflict, and these events were duly reported.
A lack of originality in the student is also bemoaned. Perhaps this is true, but stop to consider that workers on student newspapers are doing so largely in their spare time while being chiefly concerned with getting an education. As to a lack of controversial issues in campus newspapers, perhaps the writer hasn't checked into the recent efforts to limit press freedom at numerous universities around the country, notably at the University of Texas. This is the students' reward for thinking original, controversial thoughts.
As to learned faculty members, it appears this University has lost a few of the best, and those that are still around have been quoted so many times they no longer have many fresh ideas.
Perhaps The Daily Kansan isn't interesting to a staff member of a newspaper in another city. We doubt if that paper would hold a great deal of interest to many students on this campus.
We make no claims as to perfection. However, perhaps this critic would care to make a few constructive suggestions before beginning his lecture on avoiding issues.
Hardy Dam on the Muskegon River in Michigan's Newayge County is the largest earthwork dam of its kind in the world-1,000 feet wide. 120 feet high, forming a lake more than 16 miles long.
Dailu hansan
University of Kansas student newspaper
1904 blew because blown
trifweek 1908, due to
weather
Telephone VIKing 3-2700 Extension 251, news room Extension 376, business office
Member Inland Daily Press Association,
Associated Collegiate Press. Represented
Madison Avenue, Madison Avenue, Madison Ave., New York, N.Y.X. News service: United Press. Mail subscription rates: $3 a semester or $4.50 a year. Pub-
sition available noon during the University year except
Saturdays and Sundays, University holidays,
and examination periods. Entered as second-class matter Sept. 17, 1910, at
Madison Avenue, post office under act of March 3, 1879.
John McMillion ... Managing Editor
Barbara Bell, Bob Lyle, Kent Thomas,
David Webb, Assistant Managing Editors;
Jane Pecinovsky, City Editor;
Margaret Armstrong, Gerald Dawson,
Elson, Telegraph Editor; Robert Riley,
Larry Stroup, Assistant Telegraph Editors;
Telecia Fenberg, Society Editor;
Betty Jean Stanford, Assistant Society Editor;
Robert Bruce, Sports Editor;
Daryl Hall, Louis Stroup, Assistant Sports Editors; Larry Hell, Picture Editor
NEWS DEPARTMENT
BUSINESS DEPARTMENT
Richard Hunter ... Business Manager
James Wien, Advertising Manager;
David B. Cleveland, National Advertising Manager; Mary Lue Wickersham, Marketing Director;
ford Meyer, Circulation Manager; Walter Baskett Jr., Promotion Manager.
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
Dick Walt ___ Editorial Editor
Ann Kelly, Ray Wingerson, Associate
Editors.
Let's Speed Up The South Stalls
The South vs. the Supreme Court.
Nearly two years ago the Supreme Court said that in the field of public education the doctrine of "separate but equal" has no place. Therefore, the court required that a prompt and reasonable start towards full compliance of non-segregation be made by those guilty of such acts.
On that 17th day of May 1954, Sen. James O. Eastland of Mississippi blasted defiance at the court. He told southerners that they were obligated to defy the court's ruling.
Later, in January of this year, he stated "... Public opinion is the law, for no law is of any force which does not have the force of public opinion behind it."
Seven of the 17 states having segregated schools (Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas, Kentucky, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, plus Washington, D.C.) have desegregated nearly 256,-000 Negro students.
Defiance of the ruling is strong and universally spread through the South. However, the pattern and degree of defiance is not uniform.
Five states (Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida, Virginia, and North Carolina) are on the border line.
Southerners who believe in eventual integration say "leave us alone." Yes, the South is making some progress (evidence of this is shown by the action of the seven southern states). However, northerners and the Negro think the South is going too slow.
In his quest for a first-class citizenship, the Negro must today base his hope on the younger generation. To change the thinking of many embittered and intolerant adults would be impossible. The younger generation is the answer—and the Negro knows it.
So, the core of the defiance rests in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana, and South Carolina.
Segregation eventually will be wiped out. Nearly all southerners realize this, but some won't admit it. Legal tricks will be devised to evade the ruling. Threats will be made and violence will break out at various points in the struggle.
Integration in schools is what the Negro is interested in now. Slowly but surely the problem is being licked. The Supreme Court has speeded up integration. This is proved by the varying degrees of defiance from the southern states.
Ten years ago the core of defiance would have included all 17 of the southern states. Today only five remain in complete defiance. And the only thing these states have on their side is TIME—which eventually will run out.
—Louis Stroup Jr.
On The Other Foot
The Democrats are asking newspapers to show impartiality in their coverage of the coming election by providing a "battle page" during the last eight or nine weeks of the pre-election campaigns.
Battle pages would mean giving equal space to statements by the two major parties two or three times a week.
Battle Pages
It is rather useless to argue for this impartiality, in that papers which would use battle pages would give impartial treatment anyway. Those which will not, are for the most part either strongly Republican or Democratic newspapers and in keeping with their traditions will be biased anyway.
Another factor which would tend to discredit them is that on the day the page is due to come out one party may not have a great deal of important news to be released, but rather than let their side of the page sound weak they will write a filler article, thus cheating the public from reading legitimate news which would otherwise fill the space.
If the editors try to edit the copy they could easily be charged with being biased by the party whose copy is edited.
It sounds very much as if the Democrats, who aren't behind the wheel for the first time in several years, are afraid that they are going to come up on the short end of the publicity. Perhaps they will, but they really shouldn't feel bad, they had their turn in the driver's seat for several elections in succession. It is only natural that the party in power will receive the most publicity.
—Ann Kelly