Page 4
University Daily Kansan Thursday, April 4, 1963
Value of Political Clubs Is Uncertain
By Roy Miller
By Roy Miller (Second in a three part series)
Membership and activity in KU Young Republicans and Young Democrats may not be earthshakingly great this year, but so what?
What role, if any, do these political clubs play at KU?
Of what benefit are they to the Democratic and Republican parties?
STUDENTS WHO BELONG to the two organizations say there is value in belonging to a political club. Some students who don't belong to the clubs see their importance, but have no desire to join them.
Others see no purpose performed by KU Young Demo's and Young GOP's.
Some members' reasons for belonging to one of the organizations might parallel the reason expressed by Glenn Hamilton, Leavenworth junior, who said:
"TM JUST INTERESTED IN politics. I knew one of the officers in the club, so I decided to join Young Democrats instead of Young Republicans. But, I'm not really certain which party I will be affiliated with after college.
"I think by belonging to a political club I'll be able to broaden my knowledge of political affairs. I think my participation in a political club on the collegiate level may tend to influence which party I eventually join."
L. C. Woodruff, dean of students, was graduated from KU in 1924. In a recent interview, Dean Woodruff couldn't recall the existence of any sort of national political club activity here when he was a student.
FRED ELLSWORTH, executive secretary of the Alumni Association, who was a KU student a short time before Woodruff, said he also does not remember such clubs existing when he was a student here.
Ellsworth thought the only club along the lines of Young Democrats and Young Republicans established here early in the 20th century was the Good Government Club.
But, by showing photographs to a reporter of Alfred Landon, former Kansas governor, and Roy A. Roberts, chairman of the board of the Kansas City Star, as being members of the KU Good Government Club in 1908, Ellsworth learned from the Jayhawker of that year that the "Democratic Club" and "Republican Club" had been created before 1908.
"IF WE HAD EITHER of the clubs when I was a student, I wasn't aware of them," Dean Woodruff said.
He said people today are so preoccupied with their own problems they are "prone to overlook the political issues of our country.
"In my day it was worse," Dean Woodruff said. "We were very little aware of political affairs in those days."
SPEAKING ABOUT TODAY'S political clubs, Dean Woodruff said: "I see importance in anything which stimulates interest in the political affairs of the nation and world. I question sometimes whether the activity of the Young Republicans or Young Democrats does very much of this, but sometimes they do."
Max Logan, president of Young Democrats, says the purpose of his club is "to provide a place where Young Democrats can become informed on the subjects which are presently bothering Democrats on state, regional and national levels."
"The club should provide a place for a Democrat to speak with other Democrats," he said, "and for the member to find out he's not alone on this campus."
REUBEN McCORNACK, president of Young Republicans, said the purposes of a collegiate political club are three-fold. These purposes are:
- To provide education on political affairs and issues.
- To assist the party.
- To allow students to participate in politics.
McCornack also mentioned a possible fourth purpose, that of political clubs conducting campus opinion polls. The Ablene junior called this the club's service function.
"WHEN YOU AREN'T in an election year, McCornack said of the purposes he listed, "you're down to two of them — experience and education.
"There isn't a whole of constructive work done in these clubs in off-years unless you can provide a service, and we have that element in other clubs on campus."
Logan believes that the creation of a service project for his club is one of its primary needs. Logan speaks of establishing a continuing project, "not one like surveys that go on for a year and quit."
UNTIL THE YOUNG DEMOcrats became bogged down in organizational problems this year. Logan had planned to suggest the club furnish information to state Democratic legislators on the University of Wichita issue.
The Holiday junior hopes to initiate a "continuing project" next fall, but, at present, has no specific one in mind.
Young was also vice-president two years ago and was elected one of three directors of the club after its shaky existence last fall and early winter.
John Young, vice-president of the Young Democrats, speaks of the clubs' educational value and assistance to the party, and emphasizes the club's role for enabling students to participate in politics.
"IT USUALLY MARKS THE first time most students join a political club," Young said. "Although it is a small commitment, I think it's a significant one."
Commenting on the clubs' educational value, Young said a discussion of issues is "quite healthy for seeing several sides to a question. If any group can inform its members of the issue, I think it will be doing a darn good job."
EACH OF THE CAMPUS political club leaders spoke of the value of their organization in assisting the party at the state level. But just how much help is extended, how beneficial is this help?
McCORNACK SAID Collegiate Young Republicans don't serve as a "tremendous factor on the state party level in Kansas because of the state's one-party nature.
"In other areas of the country, the collegiate organization is very important and can make a difference in an election."
Because of their organization problems for the last two or three years, the Young Democrats' assistance to the Democratic party in Kansas has been negligible.
The alum, who was graduated in 1941, added that the Dole campaign was an "excellent example of good organization that took all segments into account."
McCORNACK SAID HE HAS talked to some of the Chicago Young Republicans who told him their work was so effective that they plan to repeat it for the 1964 election.
McCornack cited the work of some collegians in Chicago as an example of the Young Republicans' importance to the party elsewhere. He said collegiate club members policed certain voting wards in Chicago for anticipated voting corruption in the 1962 election.
A KU alumni, who was active in Young Republicans when a KU student and who has since been active in the Republican party, said the KU group's support of Dole was a factor in Dole's victory over Democrat Flovd Breeding.
Rueschhoff Guest At Women's College
Phil H. Rueschhoff, associate professor of education and head of art education at KU is guest professor at the Women's College of the University of North Carolina, April 3-5.
The Young Republicans participated in a caravan in support of Bob Dole's candidacy in the 1st Congressional District and some of the members of the club worked in Dole's behalf during the summer months.
As part of the Southern Association for Children Under Six conference at Greensboro, North Carolina, Rueschhoff is conducting three seminars on creativity and child development.
The KU Young GOP president believes the most significant assistance to the party by a member of his club would be influencing the voting of parents and friends.
This appears to be the philosophy of state political leaders, too.
Young, vice-president of the Young Demo's, said the club makes better Democrats out of students. But, he said, it is a subordinate purpose for the club to boost the state ticket.
Young, perhaps, summed up the philosophy of the leaders of both campus political blubs when he said it's actually up to each club how much they participate in campaigns and help the party in other ways.
"THIS IS A CASE WHERE club activity made a difference even in Kansas," McCornack said of the Young GOP's participation in the Dole campaign. "By creating that campaign caravan last fall, it made a great effect. Of course, you can't tell if it was the big factor, but it was a factor."
"CAMPUS CLUBS,THOUGH it may be more indirect than direct, do operate to influence the state leaders." Young said.
STEREO
TREY SOUND
CL 1946/CS 8746*
THE FABULOUS
FOLKSINGING
BROTHERS
FOUR
ON COLUMBIA
RECORDS
CL 1803/CS 8603*
CL 1697/CS 8497*
*Stereo