KU
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
kansan
Serving KU for 77 of its 101 Years
77th Year, No. 8
WEATHER WARMER
LAWRENCE, KANSAS
See Weather—page 8
Wednesday, September 28, 1966
New party forms for 'clean' politics
NEW PARTY PROPOSES AN AMENDMENT
-Staff photo by Bill Mauk
★ ★ ★ ★
Vox may dissolve
Kay Orth introduces an amendment to the election portion of the ASC Constitution, while Dick Darville (with pipe) ponders future plans.
Vox Populi's executive council announced tentative abolishment of its party last night following the formation of the Kansas University Progressive Alliance (KUPA).
In a formal statement, Vox's committee expressed its support of the new Alliance and its intentions to dissolve Vox Populi:
"We THE executive council of Vox Populi, heartily endorse the principles and intentions advanced by the newly-formed Progressive Alliance at tonight's Council meeting.
"Furthermore, we feel that the interests of the student may be best advanced by the elimination of petty party jealousies.
"Consequently, we the executive council, pending final approval of the General Assembly, do hereby serve notice of the tentative dissolution of Vox Populi, and heartily encourage its members to participate in the aims and programs of the new Alliance."
"We can only reiterate the wellrecognized fact that forms of corruption have long pervaded the atmosphere surrounding campus politics.
TOM RADER, Greensburg junior and 1966 Vox candidate for Student Body President, said the Vox executive committee could not officially dissolve the party but would recommend to the party members that they dissolve into the Alliance.
Rader said, "We feel that if the Alliance doesn't live up to its promises then we are prepared to pull out. We're tired of playing games and seeing petty party rivalries."
Rader explained Vox Populi was in the process of forming a new program with essentially the same bases as that of the Alliance.
He continued the party was considering the possibility of bringing back a primary election, "which hasn't been used in years," and the Vox General Assembly, by which party members would decide policy and candidates themselves.
Alliance holds plurality; minus one for ASC majority
By Robert Stevens
A new political party arose on the KU campus Tuesday night, in their own words, "to clean up student government."
The announcement of the new party, known as the Kansas University Progressive Alliance, came as a surprise to half the members of the All Student Council at its first meeting of the year.
INCLUDED AMONG these 20
After Al Martin, Student Body president, had finished swearing in nine new Council members, Council Chairman Jim Prager read a letter from 20 Council members changing their allegiance from their present affiliation to the new alliance.
When the Council began Tuesday, it lay split with 21 members in each University Party and Vox Populi. At the end of the meeting UP held thirteen seats and Vox held nine.
A brisk "no comment" was Chancellor W. Clarke Wescoe's reaction to a summons, served him yesterday by a federal marshall, concerning the now week-long Kansas loyalty oath controversy.
Wescoe refuses comment on federal court summons
The Cancellor is one of nine state officials involved in a civil suit filed in U.S. District Court Sept. 20 by George A. Ehrenreich, a KU Medical Center professor who has refused to sign the Kansas loyalty oath.
were six Council members who had just been sworn in one minute and thirty-two seconds before they changed their party allegiance.
TWELVE DAYS REMAIN in
Most of the other Council members and ASC officers sat for some time in silent surprise.
After reading the letter Prager endorsed it and the party also. "I am in full support of this group," he said.
Prager said, "Student government has to do something to exist. It can't keep on with the present status quo."
"When I answer the suit is up to my lawyer, the Attorney General," the Chancellor said.
which the Chancellor and the other eight defendants must file an answer to the suit.
Ehrenreich, a non-paid associate professor of clinical medicine, will appear Thursday evening on the KU campus to discuss the loyalty oath and the consequent court proceedings.
As a defendant, the Chancellor has not answered questions about his position in the legal action.
MEMBERS OF THE Alliance are all voluntary, all energetic and with a lot of initiative. They have the right to dissent and the group will not force anyone to vote, so they can devise different kinds of legislation and different kinds of ideas.
The Alliance began last spring when a small group of Council members began meeting to form a new group. Dick Darville, Shawnee Mission senior, said the group decided "student government is in sad shape."
TWO OF THE immediate goals of the new alliance are to revise the elections bill and to revise the ASC committee system.
Kay Orth, El Dorado senior,
introduced a proposal to amend the
ASC constitution, revising the elections portions.
Miss Orth said the Alliance was not doing away with parties, just hoping to weaken their powers.
BILL SAMPSON, Topcka junior, was named the president of the Progressive Alliance.
After the meeting he issued this statement:
"My introduction to student government at KU was a discussion with one of the Deans of the College. He told me that politics and student government were a waste of time and that I should spend my energies elsewhere.
"I made an initial attempt in politics, but was disillusioned with the outcome. Personal experience backed up the dean's initial warm-
(Continued on Page 3)
UP chief may quit
In behalf of University Party (UP), Don Chubb, Topeka junior and president of UP, commented last night on the formation of the Kansas University Progressive Alliance by 20 members of the All Student Council (ASC) from both existing parties.
"I fully agree with the aims and goals of the Alliance," Chubb said, "as do the members of University Party. But I can't agree with their method for implementing them.
"This is not a new vehicle for change; it's the way it's always done. They say they're not a party, but an alliance. But they can't avoid becoming another party, and we need political parties for the system to operate properly."
CHUBB SAID THAT a truly independent candidate could not represent the wishes of all the students in his district or in the University.
He added that UP intends to remain intact as a political party and to work for better student government along many of the same lines as were outlined by the Alliance.
"These are not all new ideas," he said, "and Al Martin and Prager have been working on almost exactly the same proposals for the last week and a half. Like I said, these are great ideas, but I think the best way to bring them about is from within the present system rather than through a major change."
CHUBB SAID HE hoped UP would hold together and continue as well as it has in the past.
"If we throw in the towel now," he said, "it means we're admitting our party and the party system has been all wrong. Sure, there has been a lot of dirty work done, but we've been pushing for change. It would mean that we have been feeding all our members a big line, and we haven't."
"But," he added, "if the majority of our caucus still wants to change at next week's meeting, I'll resign as president of University Party."
Duke Ellington is slated for spring 'Festival of Arts'
A "Festival of Arts" featuring jazz, folk songs, and classical guitar will be sponsored by Student Union Activities (SUA) March 19 through 25.
Scheduled performers will be Duke Ellington and his orchestra, the folksinger Odetta, guitarist Rey de la Torre, and the Bill Evans Jazz Trio.
Kicking off the week will be a concert Sunday, March 19, in
Hoch Auditorium by Rey de la Torre and the Bill Evans Jazz Trio. Festivities will close at the performance of Ellington and Odetta the following Saturday.
The entire week will be devoted to "representing the best of all the arts in a single sampling," according to Dick Warner, Lawrence senior, vice-president of SUA and director of the Festival.