What else ya got? Somewhere in between now and the next election, many young people will find themselves facing voter registration for the first time in their lives. The whole affair will go all right until the clerk ve;y pointedly asks each young person whether he wants to be put down as a Democrat or a Republican, to which each young person will very pointedly ask, "what else ya got?" The Democratic party, once beloved and admired by young and hopeful people, is at a critical stage in its development. Although there seem to be many paths which the party can take, three Democratic leaders seem most prominent as presidential candidates and as the men who will have the most influence on the party. One is Hubert H. Humphrey: "When the decision was made, I went along. I didn't say much but I went along. . . . We can't be there forever, but think what has been accomplished. There is a new self-confidence in Southeast-Asia—five years ago all those countries were terrified of a Communist take-over. . . . No ally has ever so faithfully fulfilled a commitment—we've walked the extra mile. . . ." "I'm convinced that he (Nixon) wants to get out just as soon as he can, and a lot sooner than a lot of people think. I keep telling my liberal friends who attack him for not getting faster, 'You're gonna lose—he's gonna get out.' But they won't listen." By contrast, the other two Democratic leaders are Sen. George McGovern and Sen. Edmund Muskie, both dedicated to the fact that Nixon is not going fast enough in withdrawing from Vietnam and that he is not going far enough in domestic programs. Both are also convinced though possibly not as fervently as Sen. Eugene McCarthy, that the Democratic Party must change and must change NOW. While Humphrey (and let's face this, you who still insist that this is the same Humphrey you knew in the 1950's) is sounding more and more like a Party man, Muskie and McGovern have been sounding like Man men. McGovern: "The present Administration, like its predecessor, continues to govern the nation as though our chief dangers were from abroad rather than at home . . . I suggest the following: An end to our involvement in the Vietnam war, beginning with an immediate ceasetire, including the bombardment that is now destroying the Vietnamese countryside . . . 'Vietnamization'—the Administration's current policy—is simply a new slogan for an old discredited policy. . . . "We should establish a National Economic Conversion Commission to assist the transition of our economy from war activities to peaceful pursuits. . . . "Finally, I urge needed reforms of our increasingly archaic political institutions, notably our political parties and the Congress. As these institutions must help to translate popular will into public action, the elimination of their defects and shortcomings is essential to a vital and healthy democracy." Muskie: "Rhetoric has taken us in one direction, while inaction has taken us in another." He has called the Administration "slogan rich and action poor" in fighting pollution and was one of the critics of Nixon's meager anti-pollution program announced in the State of the Union message. In fact, Muskie is such an adamant ecologist that HEW Secretary Robert Finch has ordered his name and photo removed from all HEW phamphlets and films, so that Nixon might appear to have been the man behind all that Muskie has promoted. The problem, then, for that young person who steps up to that election clerk to register is one of determining just whether the Democratic Party will ever find itself coming around to some of the views of McGovern and Muskie (and also Kennedy and McCarthy) or whether Party men such as Humphrey will continue to lead this endless, macabre menagerie which has emerged in the past ten years. With any amount of faith at all, most of us will be able to forgive McGovern for clasping Humphrey's hand in Chicago that August while our comrads were being beaten in the streets. And with any amount of faith at all, most of us can forgive Muskie for being a latecomer in the crusade to reform the party. And if in joining the Democratic Party we find that the Party men ultimately outpower the Man men, we can emulate the children of the Greek God Kronos. Kronos, as legend has it, ate his children until one day they hacked their way out of his stomach and killed him. —Mike Shearer 31070248 Sorel's News Service 1970, King Features Syndicate, Inc. World rights resers Power to the Puppet MINNEAPOLIS—Speaking to a Democratic party study group, Hubert Humphrey said he disagreed with those who suggested doing away with party conventions in favor of a national presidential primary. While acknowledging the presence of a "circus atmosphere" in previous conventions, Mr. Humphrey emphasized that it is essential to erase "the impression that they are rigged." 'Gee whiz! What's wrong with me guarding the goldfish?' Alphabet soup and maybe an avocado By MIKE SHEARER Editorial Page Editor "You try changing which end of a motorcycle is front and which is back at sixty miles an hour, and you got to type with your toes for a year."—Bob Dylan Change for the sake of change, despite what you hear, is better than some things. It's better than stagnant sterility and it's better than death, but I guess I'll admit that it does rank far behind change for the sake of continued life and change for the sake of a better life. Opening a new semester, the Kansan, like everyone else, will be making some changes. We have some new staff members and some old staff members in new jobs. We've got some new ideas and some new hopes and some of them will show up in the UDK. But at 60 miles an hour, we're not changing which end is front and which is back because we all use our typewriters too much to be typing with our toes. In the process of making changes and in the process of bringing you a newspaper every day, we'll be counting on readers to point out our errors and to make contributions to our Comment page. Forgive us for any sins we might commit at 60 miles an hour. Try not to depend on us for the ultimate answers (we actually have few fears that you will), but rather let yourself read the information we provide and digest it as you would any material from another mortal. From our editorial page, expect opinions from individuals of varying philosophies. There is no 'Kansan opinion.' We all react and think as individuals, and so no opinion expressed on this page will necessarily be the opinion of anyone on the staff (including even the writers themselves, maybe, all of whom will be signed). The following is a quote from Buddha which, if there were any real mystical substance which might be called justice, would appear everywhere. You don't necessarily have to believe it though: "Believe nothing because a so-called wise man said it. "Believe nothing because a belief is generally held. "Believe nothing because it is written in ancient books. "Believe nothing because it is said to be of divine origin. "Believe nothing because someone else believes it. "Believe only what you yourself judge to be true." At 60 miles an hour, have a good semester. THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN An All-American college newspaper Kansan Telephone Numbers Newsroom—UN 4-3646 Business Office—UN 4-4358 Published at the University of Kansas daily during the academic year except for occasions when registration rates; 56 a semester, $a year. Second class postage paid at Lawry. Goods services and employment advertised offered to all students without prior written notice. Please contact the university necessarily those of the University of Kansas or the State Board of Regents. NEWS STAFF NEWS STAFF News Adviser ... James W. Murray Managing Editor Ken Peterson Campus Editor Todd Iilf News Editor Joe Ehlert Editorial Editors Mike Shearer, Joe Naas, Monroe Dodd Sports Editors Bruce Carnahan, Steve Shriver Motion Editors Charlie Cape, George Wilkens Wire Editor Ken Cummins Women's Page Editors Linda Loyd, Carolyn Bowers Arts and Reviews Editor Genelle Richards Assistant Campus Editors Vicki Philipson, Carl Walker Assistant News Editors Donna Shrader, Cass Sexson, Bob Stewart BUSINESS STAFF Business Adviser ... Mel Adams Business Manager Jerry Bottenfield Assistant Business Manager Mike Banks Advertising Managers Larry Cates, Joanne Bos National Advertising Manager Oversee Minneapolis Classified Manager Shelley Bray Member Associated Collegiate Press