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University Daily Kansan Tuesday, Oct. 26, -954
Kansan is Proud of Its Record Tries to Please the Students
There are many students on the Hill who criticize the University Daily Kansan. This is good—that is, if criticism is given constructively. We know we make mistakes—but we're not begging off—to err is human.
We first would like to talk about the editorial page and answer a few questions which have been put to us.
The question was raised as to why we have been giving so much play to the key senatorial races recently. Strange as it may seem, there are still some students who live in a shell, completely oblivious to the fact that a congressional election is coming up Nov. 2. It is an important election, one which probably will make or break the Eisenhower administration.
The Editorial class has used numerous references for the senatorial reports. The races we have been writing about are races which are the most important in the nation because they are the closest races. These states are the ones in which either party is holding a slim majority. These are the races which the nation is expectantly watching as election day draws near. These are the races that we should know about if we are interested in the nation at all, and we are.
We are sorry—not because we have given play to them—but sorry because we have misjudged what the average student is interested in when an off-year election is coming up. But take it easy—the election will soon be over.
We have been asked the question. "Why don't you write more campus editorials—and fiery ones?" In the main, and we do not say all, the students who ask these questions want great debates to stare them in the face when they open the paper to page two. Naturally lashing debates are interesting, and everyone likes to read them, but who shall we blast—and why?
We have printed campus editorials this year, and many. We have received much praise, much constructive criticism, and much uncalled for tearing down just for the sake of tearing down about our campus articles. We are a learning staff, a staff of students, and not a group of Westbrook Peglers and Hal Boyles. We are constantly striving to do better, and we, like members of other schools on the Hill need constructive criticism and welcome it most heartily.
Let's talk about the paper as a whole. Many have asked us why certain stories were cut, or left out. On the Daily Kansan as on any newspaper, there is always the element of space to contend with. It is unfortunate that stories are left out. We make every possible effort to give them their due space and we will continue to do so, but let's face facts. There is just not enough room in an eight-page school paper to put in the volumes of copy that pour over the editor's desk daily. Anyone who has ever been remotely connected with newspaper work knows that. But we miss few stories, even down to the one-paragraph ones.
The Kansan has had many good years—years when it has been placed in the ranks of the best university newspapers in the country. We're proud of that record—we're proud of our paper, and we will continue to try to make the students proud of it and feel that it is their paper. To err is human —aren't we all? —Karen Hilmer
Kentucky Senate Race Features Two of State's Most Popular Men
(Editor's Note: This is another in a series of articles on this fall's key elections.)
Most Kentuckians agree that whatever the outcome of the senatorial race in their state might be they will have few complaints.
Two of the most popular men in Kentucky are running for the senatorship—Alben W. Barkley, Democrat, who resigned his senatorial seat in 1949 (after 22 years in Congress) to become vice president, and Sen. John Sherman Cooper, the incumbent and a strong Republican vote-getter.
Observers note that there is little difference between Mr. Barkley and Sen. Cooper when it comes to issues facing the nation today. Kentuckians themselves are not embarrassed to say that they won't be voting for political issues when the election rolls around. The personalities of the two brilliant sons of Kentucky will be the main issue.
Both candidates have strikes against them. Barkley will be 77 in November. Sen. Cooper is 52. Though Mr. Barkley gives out with, "I may look 76, but I certainly don't feel it," many consider his age a factor against him.
Sen. Cooper's biggest burden lies in the fact that he belongs to the wrong party. Traditionally, Kentucky has been a Democratic state—which is evidenced by the 22 years Mr. Barkley spent in the Senate. Also Sen. Cooper will have to battle charges that he did very little for the economic distress in east Kentucky mine fields.
Gov. Lawrence Wetherby estimates that Mr. Barkley will win the election by a 100,000 majority. Others (both Democrats and Republicans) guess about 50,000.
Probably the primary reason Mr. Barkley is expected to win is because of his genuinely Kentucky personality. A Kentucky political reporter writes that Mr. Barkley's record in the Senate could hardly be the reason. During his 22 years he sponsored no bills and didn't have his name on one. His political views on foreign policy, on TVA, on REA, on price supports, on soil reclamation and soil conservation, and on nearly every issue that Kentucky voters support are favorable and very similar to those of Sen. Cooper.
Mr. Barkley was known as one of the most reliable spokes in the Democratic wheel while he was in Congress. He was known by many as the perfect Democratic party member, always following in the footsteps of Democratic leaders.
So it is not so much his political views that are supposed to give him the election. Rather, his dynamic personality, his folksy way with words, his powerful, down-to-earth speeches, and his entire Kentucky attitude make him the statesman he is. He has captured the hearty atmosphere of the Kentucky people and has the rare quality of slinging that atmosphere back at them—and they love it.
In short, the people of Kentucky love him, they revere him, and they vote for him.
Supporters of John Sherman Cooper point with pride and optimism to their candidate, too. Sen. Cooper is also of Kentucky soil, wrapped up in the tradition of a South and a state. His career as a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives, a county judge of Pulaski county, and an Army officer in World War II shows that he, too, has absorbed the warmth of his people. In 1946 he was elected to the U.S. Senate by a 40,000 majority—a state record for a Republican. He was elected largely by Democrats.
In 1952, while even states in the Deep South were going Republican, Adlai Stevenson carried Kentucky by 700 votes. Sen. Cooper ran far behind Dwight D. Eisenhower in his own, heavily Republican Eighth District. Yet, he picked up enough votes from Stevenson supporters to win the election by 29,000 voters.
Authorities seem to think that Sen. Cooper is much more outspoken than Mr. Barkley. Sen. Cooper is known never to wait for anyone to tell him how to vote. He doesn't follow party lines. In 1953, Americans for Democratic Action voted him the most liberal Republican in the Senate.
Newsweek reports that Sen. Cooper, unlike Mr. Barkley, is a shy man, and not much of a speaker. Sen. Cooper is an earnest man, the magazine says. The attitude toward him is one of deep respect.
When Sen. Flanders (R-Vt) first introduced his anti-McCarthy resolution to the Senate, Sen. Cooper was the first to support him. When the Senate approved the reduction of the Army from 19 to 17 divisions, Sen. Cooper was the only Republican voting against the cut. He spoke publicly against President Eisenhower's sending the Dixon-Yates power directive to the Atomic Energy commission. At any rate, he has proved himself a strong individual whom the people of Kentucky respect.
Much of Sen. Cooper's popularity comes from the fact that apparently he has a mind of his own and is in full charge of his conscience.
Gene Shank
And What's Wrong With a Panty Raid?
The recent panty raids at Tulane and LSU finally revived our hopes that American college students are still American college students.
But when the "friendly" panty party turns into a riot, then it's been carried just a little bit too far—even for college students.
Not that we're supporting a panty raid. We just think there should be some outlet for a big burst of school spirit. Maybe by the time Homecoming rolls around we'll have a chance.
However, the Tulane raid was different in one respect. The girls threw the trophies from their windows and the boys were saved the trouble of going into the houses.
We can't remember a panty raid at KU since the spring of 1952 —we were only freshmen then. Maybe we've forgotten how.
The one thing that is holding back a raid here is the weather. Down in the deep south—New Orleans and Baton Rouge—the weather has been extremely warm lately—just like spring. And, of course, panty raids are supposed to be held in the springtime—you know, when a young man's fancy turns to something other than basketball.
Tulane students said the raid was staged because they needed an outlet for their school spirit—something they couldn't give to their losing football team. If that's the case, maybe we at dear old KU should be doing the same thing.
But on the other hand, a panty raid isn't such a bad idea either . . .
—Ken Bronson
Reprints—
(Editor's Note: This editorial is reprinted from the Oct. 15 edition of the journal.
It was a little disconcerting to learn about the coaching system installed at the University of Kansas by Chuck Mather, who used to turn out unbeaten football teams at Massillon High school with monotonous regularity.
Toledo Blade Looks At Kansas Football
Coach Mather and his staff, it seems, spend every Sunday and Monday night watching movies of the previous weekend's Kansas games. They chart every move made by every Jayhawk on every play on special "Grid-O-Matic" cards. Then, on Tuesday morning, this information is fed into a machine which returns a grade for each player.
The only encouraging thing about the story is that, so far, Kansas hasn't won a single game. It has lost, in succession, to Texas Christian, UCLA, Colorado, and Iowa State.
It's not that we want to revel in the bad luck of a former Ohioan. But something had to be done to save the human race from International Business Machines.
and Sundays. University holidays and examination periods. Entered as sec- course class matter, Sept. 17, 1910, at Lawerence, Kan., post office under act of
EDITORIAL STAFF
Editorial Editor    Court Ernst
Editorial Assistants.   { Gwen Shank
Editorial Assistants.   { Karen Hilmer}
BUSINESS STAFF
Business Manager    Dave Riley
Advertising Mgr.    Audrey Holmes
Advertising Mgr.    Marilyn Numbers
Circulation Mgr.    Dave Conte
Classified Mgr.    Ken Winston