PAGE SIX
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
.
MONDAY, JANUARY 15, 1951
Thought For The Day —
"Non-violence is infinitely superior to violence, forgiveness is more manly than punishment . . . "
Black Eyes And Bartlesville
Editor's Note: The following letter was sent by Mr. Bob Snair, '50, now working on the Bartlesville Record, as a comment on a reprint editorial which appeared in the Dec. 11 issue of the Daily Kansan. The editorial, entitled "Miss Brown of Bartlesville," first appeared in the St. Louis Star-Times. The editor's answer to this letter will appear in Tuesday's Daily Kansan.
I'm writing this letter at the request of a Bartlesville mother whose daughter is now attending K.U.—and like myself, this mother is tired of seeing her home town receive an editorial black eye.
I'm referring to U.D.K. reprint on Dec. 11 of a St. Louis Star-Times editorial, entitled "Miss Brown of Bartlesville." It concerns the controversial law suit in which Ruth Brown, discharged city librarian, sued the city for her old job back after she was fired. What the editorial doesn't tell is that Miss Brown was fired for insubordination, and had it not been for her subordination, the chances are she would still be city librarian.
Prompted by citizen's complaints, Mayor E. S. Dunaway appointed a committee to investigate so-called subversive literature appearing on the shelves of our city library. Three periodicals, Nation, New Republic and Soviet Russia Today, were removed from the library over protests of Miss Brown.
I tried to interview Miss Brown at the same time a feature writer from the Tulsa World had an appointment with her. He was admitted. I wasn't because Bartlesville papers hadn't printed the material exactly as Miss Brown and friends had supplied it. I was given a later interview while her lawyer was present.
She and a group of her friends asked for a hearing which was granted to them by the commissioners. Tempers were short that night because of the unfavorable publicity heaped upon Bartlesville through many of the state's leading dailies. Their information had been supplied by Miss Erown or her friends.
Fortified by her friends, who heckled the commissioners during the meeting, Miss Brown appeared at the meeting displaying but little courtesy for her bosses and no tact. If the matter weren't dropped without further city probings, she threatened her bosses, there were several more newspapers interested in the inside story of Ruth Brown, who lost her job after 20 years of faithful service.
The commissioners did what you or I would have done. They fired her on the spot! She didn't reason or explain. She chose to threaten her bosses.
Miss Brown was interested and active in improving relations between the Whites and Negroes in Bartlesville. As a private citizen, that was her privilege but as city librarian through the city library against the wishes of the commissioners and regular patrons of the library, well—that's mootable.
Round number one fought in the district court upheld the action of the city. Next the case will be aired in the state supreme court, probably in January.
Miss Brown, through solicitations from friends, is ably defended by the state supreme court's former chief justice, Thurman Hurst, and Darlene Essary, brilliant O.U. law graduate now on the Phillips Petroleum Company's legal staff. Alton Rowland, regular city attorney, represented Bartlesville.
Enclosed is a clipping from the Bartlesville Record in which I tried, without showing bias, to give the true story. That I succeeded or failed, I don't know but perhaps it will help get a clearer picture of the controversial suit, Ruth Brown vs. The City of Bartlesville.
Robert D. Snair,
A K.U. "J" Grad of '50
Gardner Wasn't Asked For Autograph
Bill Mayer, Lawrence Journal-World sports scribe, criticizes the reception that Jack Gardner, Kansas State basketball coach received when he was introduced at the game Monday, Jan. 8.
In his column Wednesday, Mr. Mayer disapproved of the booing that was heard when the public address announcer introduced Mr. Cardner.
Actually we heard only a few slight boos and even a cheer here and there, but by no means was the reception equal to the one that Dr. Forrest C. "Phog" Allen received Dec. 19 when he was introduced at the half of the Kansas State-Wisconsin game.
Dec. 19—two days after K.U. had been soundly trounced by Kentucky, 68 to 39. When the K-Staters got through booing after Allen was introduced, they went into a chant, "Yea, Kentucky." Then the publicized autograph burning incident took place.
We admit the K.U. reception of Gardner could have been better but question whether the Kansas State reception of Allen could have been worse.
Forrest Miller.
The Navy and Air Corps cadet programs for pilot and navigator training require 60 credit hours of college work, which may be on any subject whatsoever, and Ustis Derriwinkle has put in an immediate application. He says it's the first time anyone has shown the proper degree of respect for his majors in Doric Columns and Lesser Scandinavian Poets.
Loud cries have been challenging our unoriginal alma mater, which makes us wonder if anyone at Cornell has proposed a change since their school song sounds so much like K.U.'s.
Many Issues Involved In Bartlesville Library Case?
Editor's Note: The following article first appeared in the Bartsville Record and was enclosed in the letter.
Round number one of the Ruth Brown-Darlene Essary suit against Bartlesville has been won by the city commissioners. District Judge Jess Miracle of Okemah said in fact a municipality does have the right to hire and fire librarians and the library board as well as determine what periodicals shall appear on the shelves.
By BOB SNAIR
Litigation is far from finished. An appeal has already been filed by the losers to air the case in the state supreme court—a case in which the true cause of action is obscured by charges of communism, witch-hunting, insubordination and racial segregation.
Plaintiffs in the suit and those who supported the action in the name of the co-plaintiffs admit there is no unanimity of thought or ideals within their group.
Some are interested only as friends of Ruth Brown, the discharged librarian who had served the city for over 20 years. They believe sincerely she was wronged when her long tenure as city librarian was forgotten by city commissioners who fired her for insubordination.
Others believe the commissioners infringed on a civil liberty. Libraries should be run by an autonomous board, they say, not by politicians. Our libraries should be like our education system in this respect, they reason.
Another clique believes city commissioners let themselves be swept emotionally into a witch-hunting spree. Miss Brown may have been fired for insubordination but remind the city dads, that many may brand her a communist because of unfavorable publicity. The notoriety to which they refer, arose after a citizen's committee appointed to supersede the old library board, tossed out three periodicals classified as un-American.
Racial segregation also enters the picture. Some of those supporting Miss Brown and Darlene Essary deny this vehemently. A few will frankly admit some in their midst may be indirectly trying to further change the policy. Most Brown has been accused of it and so have others, the honest ones agree.
City commissioners were frankly puzzled by the suit. Some believed the plaintiffs were actually motivated by so-called communistic influence.
What if Ruth Brown and Darlene Essary were to win?-it would be a simple matter for the city to find another method in which both Miss Brown and the library board could be discharged, they assert.
Judge Miracle also supported their belief, they continue.
And does the end in this case justify the means, commissioners argue. If these plaintiffs felt the strong sense of civic pride, they claim, they would not have split the community by bringing such a large amount of unfavorable publicity upon Bartlesville, city dads state.
As part of their class work in Editing II, today's paper is being managed by James Van Valkenberg, and John A. Bannigan, journalism seniors.
Editing Students Manage Kansan
Gonna Flunk, Girls?
Then Grab A Job
Philadelphia - (U.P.)-The Pennsylvania state employment service got a hurried call today for the services of 20 chorus girls.
"We've supplied actors with gray hair, santa clauses, and other unusual requests," a spokesman said, "but this is the first time we've had a call for chorus girls."
Many national and state publications have tried to get at the roots of the case. None have succeeded, each of the sides will agree.
The girls, who'd start at $50 weekly, are needed for theaters, television, night clubs and cafes, he said.
No matter what the outcome, it will set an Oklahoma precedent which is bound to hold weight as ideals clash in Oklahoma's fight for civil liberties.
Or perhaps the best plan might be for the new library board to offer Miss Brown her old job back. Unless she has changed her mind since last she talked with this reporter, she would turn thumbs down on the offer. Then who would sue whom for what?
University
Daily Hansan
News Room Adv. Room K.U. 251 K.U. 376 Student Newspaper of the UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
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John A. Bannigan
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bee, Charles Price, Bud Rodgers, Dean
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Emily C. Stewart Gerald Mosley
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plaid, Lloyd Holbeck, Steve Ferp
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