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University Daily Kansan Thursday, April 22.1954
11
Campus Election Called A Farce
Ridiculous and farcial—and besides, cheap.
Descriptive terms never more appropriately applied than to Tuesday's general elections. The skuldugery, ineptitude and confusion that apparently resulted from the election is a blight upon all who participated in any phase of it.
Campus political parties are important groups. They serve a function to enable the student, for whom the University is primarily operating, to have something to say or some manner in which to influence the operation of the state university.
Influence the operation of the class But this right was violated to a terrible degree Tuesday. Possibly only a fraction of under-handed methods employed will ever come to light. No one party or group can be blamed for the disgrace. All must take the blame.
Perhaps if responsible students are not capable or qualified to conduct an election of this importance in a suitable way, they are not qualified to represent student opinion. Perhaps the ASC should be abolished along with class officers and the administration assume the burden of the duties formerly conducted by these groups.
If such a plan should be suggested by school authorities, a wild scream of anguish undoubtedly would arise from the student body. And yet, this same student body was incapable of handling the problem itself.
The entire situation could be humorous—if it weren't so tragic. But the human mind and constitution isn't made to radically change methods overnight. Instead we can expect that those students who handled themselves unjustly in this election matter will continue to do in the future—and many of these students will be holding positions of responsibility throughout the country in less than seven weeks—after graduation.
Woe to the country if this one day is a prelude of what is to come!
—Clarke Keys
...LETTERS...
(Editor's Note: Tihs letter is run without corrections at the writer's request.)
To the editor:
Although I don't know much about recent political developments I want to tell you how much I appreciate reading the words of well informed people on these things like Howard L. Lydick (1st year law) because anything a real conscientious person who does plenty of praying to God has to say about McCarthy, dirty communists or clean government or the world in general has my full support.
A specially well informed friend of mine could back up Mr. Lydicks arguments a hummer per cent and perhaps it is fitting to add some of them to Lydick's artical so we can have a real hummer per cent destruction of all those unamericans which are knifeing the fine Christian Statesman from Wisconsin in the back while he is making investigations for our own good. This trend of mine (who prefers to remain ammonian) tole me that Mr. Lydicks might have mentioned a few specific instances in which McCarthy has been ruthlessly attacked by people like Edward R. Murrow who definitely falls the communist line hook line an macker when he was going to innocent young American students to Rusia of all places when it was already a communist nation. What more proof could you demand? It is also a true fact that McCarthy has had to take abuse even from the president of the United States who said in America a man shouldnt judge himself in his own trial or words to the affect. What I ask is when we going to put a stop to nervvy statements like that?
What this country needs is more reel patriotic servants like McCarthy, Cohn, Schine, Kernel McCormick and others who wont have nothing to do with the enemy from within and wholl have no qwams about cleaning up those dirty so and sos in the US Army, Navy, Air Force, Senate, Atomic commishion, the universities, US over-sized libraries and all these kind of subversive organizations. As Mr. Lyckd said McCarthy is "an example of what all members of the U S Senate should be" and Ill ad to that outside the senate this country needs more hunnert per cent red-blooded Christian americans like Howard L. Lyckd—if he will parden my english.
Peter G. Earle Graduate student
To the editor:
In order to prevent the impression being given that the letter to the editor of a certain first year law student reflects the thoughts of any other KU law student, we, the under signed, without equivocation refute the "thoughts" contained in the letter to the editor of the 20th of April, 1954:
W. J. Kennedy
D. C. Tinker
Don A. Seymour
Eugene F. Gastl
Robert E. Thiele
William G. Palmer
Ronald Q. Thomas
William L. Roberts
Richard J. Reintz Jr.
Bob Schaefer
John Blake
David M. Welsh
Don J. Everett
James P. Johnston
All 1st year law
All 1st year law
We still can't figure out how teachers get off taking off for several days to Mexico to collect rats, while the poor student cuts a class and bro-o-theer!!
Kansan headline—"Fin Wins Boston Marathon." We knew the American dollar was all-powerful, but just look at what a five-spot will do.
Daily Transan
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editorial editor  Don Tice
Assistants  Letty Lemon,
EDITORIAL STAFF
NEWS STAFF
Kerr Is A Popular Senator
Executive editor... Tom Stewart
Managing editors... Tom Shannon
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Ann Innisworth
Susanne Berry
Bernard McCall
Edmond Bartlett
Wendy Wenzel
Gerald Bretton
With the recent announcement by Sen. Robert S. Kerr of Oklahoma that he will seek reelection to the Senate in November, attention again centers on one of the most colorful and influential members of the Democratic party.
The last time Sen. Kerr was in the spotlight was early in 1952 when there was strong talk that he would be the vice presidential candidate on the Democratic ticket should Harry Truman seek another term as president. At that time he had become one of Mr. Truman's closest friends, largely because he was one of the few who stood up to be counted on the administration's side when the former president relieved Gen. Douglas MacArthur from his command in Korea. After Mr. Truman announced he would not be a candidate for reelection. Sen. Kerr was considered for a time as one of the leading contenders for the Democratic nomination for the presidency.
In the primary campaign this year, Sen. Kerr will be opposed by former Gov. Roy J. Turner. The campaign should be an intense one, since both men have practically unlimited funds to spend in their quest for the Senate seat.
Robert Samuel Kerr was born in a log cabin in Indian territory in 1896, long before Oklahoma became a state. Furthermore, his parents were poor but honest, he worked his way through college (Oklahoma Baptist university and the University of Oklahoma), and he taught school, three qualifications which endear politicians in the hearts of Americans.
Sen. Kerr is an ardent, practicing teetotaler, one of the few left in Washington, and has been all his life. Alcoholic drinks are never served at his home in Washington or at one of his tables, and he received a lot of attention and public acclaim two years ago when he blasted the practice of the Washington cocktail party in no uncertain terms. He is also a devout, Bible-pounding Baptist, and teaches a Sunday school class each week.
The senator from Oklahoma is the perfect realization of the American dream that any American boy can grow up to be a millionaire. He is at present a multi-millionaire and reputedly the richest man in Congress, surpassing even the late Robert A. Taft. He owns oil and gas lands valued at a total of approximately $100 million.
He is not only the richest man in Congress, he is probably the biggest. He is slightly over 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 210 pounds, thanks to strenuous dieting. He is a political spell-binder and an orator of the old school. It has been said of him more than once that he is the reincarnation of William Jennings Bryan.
Mr. Kerr is president of the Kerr-McGee Oil Industries company, which in 1949 reported a gross income of $14,930,150. The company has several contracts to sell natural gas in interstate commerce. He is also a drilling contractor, as well as a lawyer. He received his law degree from the University of Oklahoma.
Although Oklahoma is proud of Sen. Kerr as a pious, deeply religious gentleman, his integrity
The other major incident took place in February 1949, just one month after Mr. Kerr was sworn in as a member of the U.S. Senate. He wasted no time in putting his brother Aubrey in the job of handling RFC law business in Oklahoma. When the RFC scandals were later investigated, the public heard much about a mink coat, and several interesting pieces of patronage were turned up, but little was ever said or heard about the RFC plum handed the Kerr family.
In World War I Sen. Kerr served as a second lieutenant in the First Field Artillery, with nine months of overseas duty. He organized an Oklahoma National Guard at Ada, Okla., which later became a part of the 45th division. In 1925 he served as state commander of the American Legion for Oklahoma.
in political affairs has been questioned twice. Not only did he introduce the Kerr bill, which would have had the effect of increasing the price of natural gas carried in interstate pipelines, he became the No.1 lobbyist for the bill which would have made several hundred thousand dollars for his company by buttonholing senators, urging, cajoling, and demanding that they vote for the bill.
His political career began when he served as Democratic national committeeman for Oklahoma from 1940 to 1948. From 1943 to 1947 he was governor of the state of Oklahoma, and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1948.
Sen. Kerr's voting record in Congress shows clearly he was one of the strongest supporters of the Truman Fair Deal. He voted in favor of high parity for basic agricultural crops, increasing the borrowing authority of the government, and increased economic aid to Europe. He recently voted for extension of the excess profits tax, though he was opposed to raising the amount of exemption for corporations from $25 thousand to $100 thousand. He has generally voted in favor of most government proposals for housing, flood control, and reclamation projects. He is reportedly in favor of Universal Military Training, and opposed to government restrictions on livestock slaughtering and to the St. Lawrence Seaway. One big reason why he wasn't a stronger candidate for the Democracy nomination in 1952 was because of his positive stand on civil rights legislation, which never would have been acceptable to the South.
Robert S. Kerr is one of the most influential and powerful politicians on the scene today. Whether in agreement or disagreement with him on political issues, one can't help liking and admiring his vibrant personality, piety, geniality, and impressive power with words. —Court Ernst
It could easily be said of Mr. Kerr that he is a Democrat's Democrat. In the 81st Congress he voted with his party majority 89 per cent of the time on matters involving party stands and discipline, and was with his party 94 per cent of the time in the 82nd Congress. On bi-partisan matters he voted with the majority 87 per cent of the time in the 81st Congress and 93 per cent of the time in the 82nd Congress.
Short Ones
We should all want to cry if suddenly traded into an almost sure $6.000 cut of the World Series. Guess we can't all be so unlucky as poor Enos Slaughter.
Some wag, when the ballot box that was supposed to be placed in the foyer of the Journalism building did not show up Tuesday, said it probably was already too full at 8 a.m. to be of much service the rest of the day.
With elections over for another year we can relax and watch the three parties work from now 'till next April to win the election.
Lawrence announces it is one of 18 cities seeking the proposed Air Force academy, but even with its devoid - of - skycraper landscape plants still run into each other.
We understand some of the fraternity hot-shots on the Hill aren't going to be around this weekend. That's the date of the annual marble and jacks tournament at Sunflower.
Gloriosky! Smutiness in parades . . . and we thought all that was confined to the little pre- (and post-) parties at formal time.