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UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
MONDAY, APRIL 9, 1951
Marvin Arth the editorial page
Challenge By Mellett Speaker --
Don R. Mellett was the crusading editor of the Canton (Ohio) News. In a ruthless expose in his paper he showed the connection between city officials and the organized underworld and as a result the Ohio governor removed the Canton mayor from office.
Shortly after midnight July 16, 1926, the 35-year-old editor was shot and killed while putting his car into a garage at the rear of his home. A few months later the people of Canton voted into office the same mayor who had been removed, and other officials who had been forced to resign.
The first of the annual Mellett Memorial lecture series set up to perpetuate his memory was given in 1929 by the late Marlen Pew, editor of Editor and Publisher. Pew said:
"I dare say a very small percentage of Canton people personally indulge in liquor, dope, adultery, theft or graft, but as a group they stood for months silently by while Don battled for decency, many a trifle amused, some perhaps a little ashamed, a large number secretly calling Don a fool for risking himself—a cowardly crowd, brutally cold, amazingly disinterested in affairs that might any day bring tragedy, shame or loathsome disease to any Canton hearthstone.
Can you explain why civic groups turn so contemptuously away from those who, like Mellett, come to them with fresh visions of human happiness and desirable pursuits? Why is the inspired soul compelled to risk so much? Why is the crowd so content with things as they are?"
Everywhere, crusading newspapers have met with discouraging and heart-breaking results. One defeated editor remarked:
"Crusading is a rich man's game; you lose advertising, you lose circulation, you even lose prestige."
Corruption—all kinds of corruption—has been aided by the indifferent attitude of the people. Even the most powerful of newspapers are afraid to crusade. And because of this, newspapers have not been able to stop corruption.
It has finally taken men of the bravest calibre—Kefauver, Tobey and company—to curb corruption through their senate crime investigation committee.
These men have risked everything—politically and otherwise—to bring contemptible conditions to the front. They may be fools—but if they are—they are brave fools with the concern of everything decent and right as their goal.
Robert J. Blakely, chief editorial writer of the St. Louis Star-Times, delivered the 22nd Mellett Memorial lecture at K.U. Friday. His closing remarks were one of the biggest challenges that could be made to students on the threshold of journalistic endeavor. Blakely said:
"To students of journalism. If you mean to use the written word merely to advance yourselves personally . . . If you mean to use the press for ends other than public information and understanding. . . If you mean to protect the powerful and exploit the weak. . . If you ever forget the terrible things that a newspaper can do to the innocent and the helpless. . . Then it would be better that you had never been taught the 'tools of the trade.'
"But if you mean to march under the standards of morality and intelligence. . . If you mean to serve essential truth and simple justice. . . If you mean to provide honest perspective, judicious proportion, informed analysis and wise interpretation. . . Then a worthwhile life should be yours. You will have fun. You will be at ease when you look in the mirror. You will be proud of your allies. But of your enemies you will be prouder still."
Francis Kelley
- * *
There's a little story making the rounds that we thought might amuse you. It is supposedly about a Lawrence woman, whom we shall call Mrs. Jones.
It seems the neighbors were complaining of the racket Mrs. Jones' husband was making.
"All the time he goes around cackling like a chicken," they griped.
"I know," Mrs. Jones said. "We get tired of it too. Sometimes we think he's not in his right mind."
"But can't you do something for him? Can't you cure him?"
"Oh, yes. I suppose we could . . . but we do need the eggs."
Note to Joe McCarthy: Students at the University of Kansas carry red identification cards.
Dianetics is mental Hadacol.
Drew Pearson reports that 9 out of 10 visitors at Lake Success want to see Mrs. Roosevelt. Obviously the other one's a Republican.
The information proffered by some faculty members is about as satisfying as an unanswered telephone ring.
The cheap way out: Austria's leading scientist said that all life on earth could be destroyed for a cost of 40 billion dollars.
KU Student Leislator Has Good Record
(Editor's note: Miss Greenbank is a February graduate of the University and former
advisor to the University Daily Kansan.)
During last November's election, only one of the K.U. students running for state office was elected. Robert Green, a second year law student, is attending Washburn university this semester so that he could be available for sessions of the state legislature.
Bv DORIS GREENBANK
Since Green was a Jayhawker at the time of his election and since he plans to return to Mt. Oread next September, it seems the Kansan should be telling his colleagues how the young law student has behaved as 52nd district representative.
John McCormally, correspondent for the Hutchison News-Herald, related the episode like this:
"When all bills had been discussed, it was decided to vote on them all at once. But rules say each bill must be read clear through just before it is voted on. Eight members were called upon to read . . . each a different bill, and all at once."
"Everybody got into the spirit of the thing. As members got up to explain the bills, other members came forward to crack jokes, make silly amendments or needle their colleagues. Sometimes the house shouted 'Aye' denoting approval of a bill before its sponsor even got to the microphone to explain it. This was all good clean fun by a bunch of fellows who had been working hard and wanted to relax.
In short, Bob Green has been making himself conspicuous in the Kansas legislature. The young Democrat was not pleased with the way the house conducted itself, and wasn't afraid to air his gripes.
"I just don't like voting for anything that hasn't been given serious consideration," he explained.
"Many members growled that the young whipper-snapper was a kill joy who just made a darn fool of himself criticizing the house. The scene was new to Green, but not to old legislative observers. A special calendar of bills had been prepared for that night. The idea of the session was to get rid of a group of routine and local measures which had been piling up.
During the first evening session of the legislature, young Green voted against 25 bills at once.
"Then the roll was called, and everybody voted for the bills except Green. His protest pricked the conscience of the house enough that Majority Floor leader Charles Stough jumped up to explain that all the bills had received careful consideration in committees. The state constitution requires each bill to be read three times, and multiple reading is necessary to save time during the rushed last days of the session."
The result of Green's bold stand despite his affiliation with the minority party was amazing. His mailbox was flooded with letters from persons throughout the state who had heard or read about his escapade as a freshman legislator.
The young law student's biggest disappointment during his first session as a representative was the killing of his bill for eliminating state employment of both husband and wife. He considered it a nonpartisan idea which would pass around the chance for an income from the state payroll. After being assured that his bill was favorably accepted by committee, Green was disillusioned to learn they had voted it down.
One fan letter from western Kansas said, "Just want you to know that a lot of folks out our way admire the horse sense you've displayed. Some ruthless politicians may call you a young whippersnapper, but to us old timers you prove to be the making of a great statesman."
Bob Green isn't trying to be a great statesman. He merely wants to see things done properly.
Whether or not the freshman legislator achieves any of his goals, he is at least commanding the respect of constituents and spectators by his willingness to stand up and say what he thinks.
Campus Politics, '09-'51 The Lark's In The Heaven
The editorial commented disgusted on the "whisper and telephone" political methods used by the women, the unfairness to independent women, and the general pointlessness of W.S.G.A.
It was a man's world in 1909, and when the men organized a student council they left the women out of it. The women decided they too could play that game, and the Women's Student Governing association was organized.
The next day the Kansan interviewed several women to find their reactions to the editorial. The secretary of W.S.G.A, said, "I didn't know anything like that was going on."
Another girl said, "I don't see anything wrong with combines—the sororities pick out their best girls ...
"Politics is unladylike at Kansas, so the women call it 'combines.' No one who takes the trouble to analyze election results is fooled, however, for a violet by any other name still smells, if one gets close enough to it."
From 1919 until 1926 the women were divided politically into two groups which worked with the men's parties, Pachacamac and Black Mask. The men dictated party platforms and even picked women candidates for class officers, so in 1926 W.S.G.A. passed a resolution prohibiting the women from belonging to political parties.
On January 9,1935,the Daily Kansan ran an editorial entitled "Pink Tea Government." It began:
As a result, "combines" were formed among the organized houses. One group was led by Kappa Alpha Theta and Kappa Kappa Gamma, the other by Pi Beta Phi and Gamma Phi Beta. Both spent most of their political effort trying to get the support of Corbin hall.
A Pi Phi expostulated, "No! Pi Phi's never combine."
The most pertinent comment on the situation, however, came from the president of W.S.G.A.: "The Lark's in the Heaven; not in the dirt under your feet."
She would not consent to be quoted further.
University
Daily Hansan
News Room K.U.251
Adv. Room K.U.376
Student Newspaper of the UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
Member of the Kansas Press Assn. National Editorial Assn., Inland Daily Press Assn., and the Associated College Press. Represented by the National Advertising Service, 420 Madison Ave., New York City.
Editor-in-chief Marvin Arth
Managing Editor Business Manager Harold J. Benjamin James W. Murray
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