Page 2 University Daily Kansan Monday. Nov. 30, 1953
Texas A&M Mob Reprisal Hits at Primary Freedoms
Are University students in the nation falling into the mode of hysterics, mob action, and fear of criticism like recent actions at Texas A&M college would have us think? It isn't a very pretty picture down there.
In fact the case of John Clark, a junior at A&M from Odessa, Texas, fairly reeks of everything that is unpleasant and distasteful. That is to say that Clark WAS a junior at the school. That was before he tried to use the age-old idea of freedom of expression in his college newspaper and was in turn "invited" to leave school by a few fellow students.
But for the background first. Texas A&M, located at College Station, is an all-male school with the ROTC groups playing a great share in college life. Not all students are enrolled in one of the programs (Clark was not), but most of them are and the corps does a lot of leading on the campus. On Nov. 12 the school paper "The Battalion," came out with a flag-waving article that the "Old Army has gone to Hell!" On Nov. 18 the paper received a quite uncomplimentary letter from Clark in which he took not only a swing at the military idea, but at several of the other evils he thought existed at the college.
Included was a reference to the KU-Oklahoma football game, which he saw, in which he pointed out the banner waved by KU students "I'd sooner be damned, than be a damned Sooner," and the sportsmanlike attitude in which the Oklahoma students received the stunt. He inferred that the Aggies could not have done as well.
Mr. Clark also told of his desire to attend Oklahoma, but stated a lack of sufficient finances to do so.
Well it didn't take long for the students at A&M to react. The Battalion's headline of Nov. 20 read, "Students escort Clark from school," and it seems that they did just that. Apparently about 40 students, both military and non-military, went to Clark's room and suggested he leave. Suggested, in fact, to the point of helping him pack and making sure he knew the proper way off the campus
College authorities on the whole expressed their sympathies on the matter, but took no action.
It now appears that college officials have left the door open for Clark to return if he so desires, but
there is no guarantee that students won't be a little stronger in their urging the next time. Clark said he might go back if he is assured that he will be admitted to Oklahoma next semester.
There's no denying that there are plenty of differences among students and others on the KU campus, too. But at least it hasn't reached the point where one is limited to what he might say even if said in good taste. Apparently this wasn't the first time such a thing has taken place at A&M, however. A student, Ed Threadgill, reports in a letter backing up the ouster that "less than a year ago a certain senior . . . wrote his opinion to this paper and because of it, was reduced in rank and removed from the Cadet Corps by the administration."
"Your attempt to uphold the 'Spirit of Aggie-land' was directed at the wrong source. You see, I am responsible. I made the mistake of teaching my son to be an individualist—that his rightful heritage was Freedom of Speech—Freedom of the Press—also the right to an education such as we could provide. But you have corrected all these out dated, old fashioned ideals, I am not so stupid any more. I learned the hard way.
Mrs. Bob Clark, the ousted student's mother, takes full blame for the incident in a letter to the paper. She says in part:
"You Senior Corps men will soon be representatives of our government. How can you defend, uphold and fight for something you cannot believe in as proven by your recent actions?
"With best wishes for your continued success in keeping the College Administration under Control."
May we all hope that no mother ever has the opportunity to write such a letter to the Daily Kansan. For when she does, it will be a sad day, indeed. A day when a collegiate education is no longer important because the education and information are not being used, but rather that mob rule and a fear of criticism have taken over.
If Mr. Clark wants to journey a little bit farther north, I think he might find KU a place somewhat different than A&M.
The day certainly will never come when violent reprisal is the right answer to accusation.
—Clarke Keys
Letters
To the Student Body:
After hours and hours of preparation, argument, and deliberation on the part of the justices of the student court and the counsellors of the parties in the case of R. D. Kline vs. the Daily Kansan Board, a fact was uncovered that caused the court to hold that the whole process was a nullity. It seems that the All Student Council had appointed four new faculty justices (who sit with
the student court when an ASC constitutional question is involved) before the suit was filed.
As far as the court was informed at last week's session, none of these four had ever been notified that these hearings were taking place on ASC constitutional issues.
The court of course had no other alternative than to rule that their previous decisions and considerations on this case were void, and that the case must be pleaded from the beginning again.
The ultimate decision in this
case will affect the entire student body, since its basic issue involves the power of the court to dip into everyone's pocket in the name of civil damages merely because both parties involved are students or student groups. Counsel for the Kansan Board have attempted to limit the court's jurisdiction to matters concerning student conduct in relations to the University only.
I venture to say that the student court has never considered a question so broadly affecting student interest as this. The conscientious approach by all members of the court indicates that they recognize their exceptional responsibility.
This entire expenditure of legal effort by court and counsel in the cause of proving a student court to be efficient, unbiased, and capable has been rendered a farce by inexcusable negligence at some point in the course of our student government.
Whether this blunder was made by the court or the All Student Council, the ASC administration is obligated to provide an explanation and a remedy.
Wilson E. Speer,
3rd year law,
Counsel for defendant
Member of the Kansas Press Assn., National Editorial Assn., Inland Daily Press Association, National Advertising Represented by the National Advertising Service, 420 Madison Avenue, N.Y. City. Mail Subscription rates: $3 a semester or $5 for the year (or if Lawrence). Published in Lawrence, Kan., every afternoon during the University of Kansas spring and summer examination periods. Entered second class matter Sept. 17, 1910, at Lawrence, Kan., Post Office
under act of March 3, 1879.
Flashbacks in History From the Daily Kansan
Thanksgiving vacation and football season were in the past and students were looking ahead to basketball games and the winter social season at the University in 1943 and in 1928. Influenza assumed epidemic proportions at KU in both years, and nationally a Big Three conference was news in 1943, while a message to Congress from President Calvin Coolidge was in the 1928 headlines.
10 YEARS AGO
The Jayhawkers lost the final game of the 1943 season to the Ft. Riley Centaurs, 22-7, on Thanksgiving day. Bob George completed 20 of 40 passes for KU, but Ft. Riley, bolstered by many collegiate stars who were in service, had too much power.
Jazz and jive were going strong at the University. In a Rock Chalk Talk column by Elizabeth Baker, the favorite tunes of the day were listed as being "It Must be Jelly, 'Cause Jam Don't Shake That Way," "You're Some Ugly Child," "Shimmy Like My Sister Kate," and "Ain't She Sweet?"
Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Franklin Roosevelt had just completed a lengthy conference at Cairo, and were on their way to Teheran, Iran, to meet with Premier Joseph Stalin and China's Chiang Kai-Shek.
Coach F. C. "Phog" Allen's basketball team opened the season with a convincing 40-27 victory over a team from Herington Army Air base. On the KU starting five were Don Barrington, Bill Lindquist, Dean Corder, Harold McSpadden, and Kirk Scott. Eight of 18 on the squad were civilians; the others were Navy V-12 students.
William L. White, former KU student and son of William Allen White, noted Kansas editor, visited the campus with his wife and daughter. One of his books "Journey for Margaret," had just been published. Mr. White expressed a great interest in the military units stationed at the University.
An influenza epidemic was evident in Lawrence and all Wednesday night liberty for Navy trainees was cancelled on that account. Over the weekend the Navy men were allowed to visit Lawrence, but Army trainees were restricted to the campus.
President Calvin Coolidge sent his last annual message to Congress, asking for a farm relief bill, ratification of the Kellogg anti-war pact, passage of a Boulder dam bill, and enactment of legislation for the development of the Muscle Shoals area in the Tennessee valley.
"Ladies in Retirement," an English mystery, was being presented by the Dramatic Workshop as their first theater production of the year. Bobbie Sue McCluggage played a leading role.
25 YEARS AGO
At the end of the Big Six grid season the University of Nebraska had established itself as the conference champion. KU was fifth, followed only by Kansas State. KU's record in conference play was a single victory against three losses, while tillist Nebraska had five wins and no losses.
Two KU students were arrested during Thanksgiving vacation in 1928 and were taken to Lawrence police court. One was charged with stealing a Stutz sedan and was released on $500 bond. The other was arrested on the charge of selling intoxicating liquor and was also released on bond.
A new dance floor in the Student Union was to be tried out at a dance called the "sophomore hop and completion-day varsity." The dance, the last major event of the 1928 leap year at KU, was expected to attract all followers of King Jazz."
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS by Dick Bibler
"Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about passing. Miss Freeman— as long as I'm grading on the curve."