PAGE 2 — THE DECREE — NOVEMBER 29,1993
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Tte Decree 1
Top Ten Things
Dr. Finney and Dr. Smith
did during their missing years
10) Appeared on the “Chevy Chase Show” to promote
their books.
9) Acted as political advisors to the Dominican Re
public.
8) Gave selected readings from class lectures to force
Manuel Noriega from his sanctuary during Operation
Just Cause.
7) Aided in the covert training of Nicaraguan Contras.
6) Acted as stunt doubles for Daimy DeVito and Arnold
Schwarzeneggar in ‘Twins.”
5) Conducted research to find out exactly how many
licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop.
4) Worked as undercover FBI agents investigating ttie
Jimmy Hoffa dis^pearance.
3) Attempted to set up NCWC Extension school in
Havana, Cuba, each contributing “in excess of $100,000”
each.
2) Co-authored Smith and Finney: The Missing Years,
an upcoming autobiogr^hy.
1) Answer to be revealed in upcoming episode of “The
X-Files” to be aired during Sweeps Week. (Remember
“Don’t watch it alone.”)
— Compiled by Ken Leonard and Patrick Brannan
Xou p
Butler was loyal but empty
Self-knowledge important
By DR. STEVE FEREBEE
I read a novel recently which I
cannot quit re-thinking. I am both
attracted and repelled by the main
character and his stwy, but I am
haunted by Kazuo Ishiguro’s ma
jestic writing in his 1989 Remains
of the Day (a movie based on the
bode is currently running in the
aters).
In 1956 Stevens, butlCT of a
British estate (now owned by an
American), is tentatively driving
toward Miss Kenton, who 20
years earlier also worked at
Darlington Hall but left to marry.
During the three-day drive,
Stevens remembers dramatic
meetings which the late Lord
Dr. Steve
Muses
Darlington arranged between Na
zis and British statesmen—meet
ings in which Stevens was always
present but was such a loyal non
entity that it was of no conse
quence that he oveilieard state se
crets. So loyal, in fact, that he
scurries to pour wine while his
father (an ex-butler) is dying m
some backwata part of die house.
One night during his trip,
Stevens finds himself listening to
an argumentative rural man who
states, ‘That’s what we fought
Rollins was tripped up by own ego
By KEN LEONARD
In New Jersey, there is an al-
legati(m of political corruption.
This fflie is very intriguing.
Ed RoUins, a long-time Re
publican political advisor who has
worked for Ronald Reagan,
George Bush, RossaPerot, and
NJ’s own govOTior-elect Christie
Whitman, has come out and said
that he helped pay off certain
black ministers to not encourage
their congregations to vote.
For years, the Democratic
Party has accused the Republi
cans of buying off the black vote.
It’s never been proven, but it‘is a
regular post-campaign event.
Opinion
Now, it was a Republican who
said it.
Briefly. Rollins has renounced
the statement, but not until aftCT
the damage was already dcMie. The
New Jersey Democratic Party is
filing suit, and so is a confedera
tion of black churches. What is
most interesting is the response
from the churches. They are not
suing the Republican Party for
the charges. As of this writing,
they have said that their target is
the man who slandered tiiem —
Ed Rollins. No preachers have
come forward to verify being ap
proached, and the money Rollins
claims to have spent cannot be
found.
The Deiftocrats want to declare
a fiaudulent electicm, and have
Whitman’s election nullified. This
step would be ^propriate, of
course, if vote-tampering could
be proven. In this case, it has not
been. There are no reported vic
tims.
Let us assume that the preach
ers are telling the truth. Rollins
lied about his involvement in
vote-tampering. Why? Why on
earth would a msm as intelligent
as koUins issue such a foolish
challenge?
If I gave RoUins more credit
than I do, I might think that it
was an ingenious plan to force
the Democrats to put up with a
thorough and full investigation of
the charge, only to find nothing.
Their credibility next time they
made the charge would be some-
whae between nil and none.~
As it is, it seems more likely
that this whole thing is another of
Rollins’ plots to get on the fix)nt
page of America’s newsp^rs.
Remember that he worked for
Ross PCTot only to quit the cam
paign when it would make a big
(CotitiiliDed on Page 3)
Hifler for, after all... We won the
right to be fi^e citizens... so that
you can express your opinion
freely... that’s what dignity is re
ally about”
That leads Stevens to his most
pitiful memory. One of Lord
Darlington’s guests quizzed the
butier on some complex issues
(Continued on Page 3)
Finney gets credit
.fifr too many years
DearEdlfgf:
I don’t loiow whether to laugh
or cry (probably the latter), but I
have ascertained fitom the cap
tion on tiie back page of your last
issue that I have bwn enveloped
in some sort of time warp. Al
though I joined NCWC in 1973,1
have been credited with 25 years
of service. Am I five years older
than I thought I was? Have I re
ally been here five years longer
than I remember? Can I quit my
practicing for absent-minded pro
fessor of the year? Did I win?
Does NCWC owe me in excess
of $100,000 in pay I never col
lected for those five years? Am I
eligible for another sabbatical?
Kenneth V. Finney
Professor of History and Co
hort of 73-74
(Editor’s note: The Decree in
correctly identified Dr. Finney
and Dr. Leverett Smith as receiv
ing 25-year service awards rather
than the correct 20-year service
awards. The Decree regrets the
error.)