Page Two
Intergration & Conservatism
(The following views are the editorial policy of the Guilfordian as determined I
by the Editor. They do not claim to be representative of the views of all the B*
students, nor of all the members of the staff.
Despite the fact that Nortli Carolina is probably the most prog
ressive of Southern states in the field of race relations, the problem of
integration is still one of the most difficult and sensitive that we must
face. It is obvious that integration can never be a success unless it is
accepted by a majority of the general public. And to bring the general
public around to a state of mind in which they will tolerate integration
is perhaps the most difficult aspect of the whole problem.
The mass demonstration by Negro students against segregation
during the past week, which involved four Guilford students, in no
way promotes the tolerance and broad-mindedness that is so necessary
for integration to be a success. Deliberate and premeditated breaking
of the law embitters the segregationist and often alienates the mod
erate. The part which four Guilford students played in this unfortunate
affair was unconstructive and foolish.
The field of race relations presents an outstanding case in point for
the validity of the conservative approach. It is this approach alone
which can in the long run most surely solve the problems which we
face.
Generally speaking, the conservatives in America today can be
broken down into three groups. We have the conservative in tempera
ment: this is the person who, by virtue of his psychological makeup,
is unwilling or unable to break away from the comfortable contours of
the present, the status quo. Then there is the conservative in policy:
this is the individual who, for one reason or another, happens to be
holding the same position as the mass of conservatives, regardless of
his reasons. Conservative policy today would include such stands as
a more aggressive foreign policy, a halt to the centralization of power
in the national government, and a more capitalistic approach to the
national economy. But the true conservative is the conservative in
method. The conservative in method is characterized by a pragmatic
approach to problems, a realistic view of man and society, and a deep
appreciation for the values and traditions of civilization.
This is the approach of Edmund Burke, an eighteenth century Brit
ish political thinker who has been called the "father of modern con
servatism." In his most famous work, Reflections on the French Revo
lution, Burke emphasizes that men are immensely dependent upon
habit and traditions; that they have deep loyalties and prejudices; and
that any sharp break with past, breaking these traditions and loyalties,
can lead only to a chaotic breakdown in civilization. Burke disap
proved of the French Revolution on these grounds. While he could not
countenance the despotism of the Bourbon dynasty, he regarded the
revolution and its aftermath as a tragedy. His views were prophetic;
the successor to the Bourbon despotism was the dictatorship of Na
poleon and the ultimate downfall of France, from which she has not
to this day recovered.
We are today presented with a similar situation in the South, albeit
on a much smaller scale. The majority of the people of the South are
devotedly loyal to the tradition of white supremacy. No amount of de
mands, threats or appeals to alien standards will change this position.
Only persuasion, reason and a gradual and patient approach can effect
the desired result of equality for all.
The idea of civil disobedience is completely alien to the conserva
tive. The use of this drastic step introduces an element of irresponsi
bility and lawlessness that is fatal to the essential calmness, coopera
tion and patience that must prevail. Even mass demonstrations neces
sarily imply a show of strength, a threat and a challenge. It is not diffi
cult to envision the response of the unsure moderate, not to mention
the segregationist.
We appeal to all who are sincerely concerned with a practical, real
istic means of solving this critical problem to take heed to this sensible
approach.
—THEODORE R. BUDDINE
Credit Where Credit Is Due
As the school year draws to a close, the Guilfordian would like to
thank a few folks who are sometimes overlooked when credit is due.
We would like to thank Frank and Mary, our custodians, for their
infinite patience in cleaning up after us.
We would like to thank Mr. Coble and his maintenance crew for
the new walks and other improvements they have provided for us.
And most of all, we would like to thank the deans and residents
whose understanding, patience and helpfulness have made this past
nine months a little easier for all of us.
The Guilfordian
Second-class postage paid at Greensboro, N. C.
Published bi-weekly except during vacation and examination periods
by the students of Guilford College.
Editor-in-Chief . . Ted Buddine Photos Mike Holt
Associate Ed. ... Karen Baldwin Scott Parker
Managing Ed Harriet Iluber Cartoons John Lindsay
Sports Editor Hank Siegel Layout Don Smith
Business Mgr Martha Pierce Advisor Dr. Forrest Altman
STAFF BEPORTERS
Mike King ' Beth Dougherty
Sally Ann Wyatt Gary Lessner
THE GUILFORDIAN
Letters to
Dear Editor:
It is the general concensus of a num
ber of students that so-called liberal
Quaker ethics are being violated on this
campus, being especially apparent with
in the last week, at which time, Guilford
College students participating in dem
onstrations for racial equality were criti
cized for their actions—on the basis that
this threatened the reputation of the
school. The intrinsic values of all that
Quakerism represents are being subordi
nated in order to meet the demands of
the Dana challenge; however, it is the
understanding of the concerned that no
pledges have been lost.
The thesis that is segregation with no
conflict has previously existed in the
south; now it has been challenged by
the antithesis, movements for integration
with subsequent strife. If a concerted
effort is made, can there not arise the
synthesis, that of recognition of all hu
man beings as human beings, with their
rights regarded as those of every human
being?
Equality, Fraternity, Liberty
O O 0 •
To the Editor:
I am writing this letter in an attempt
to clear up some of the haziness and
lack of understanding attending the pres
ent demonstrations in Greensboro pro
moted by CORE, and also to express my
personal views on the situation.
There seems to be much tenseness and
consternation on campus owing to the
fact that the Guilford students who took
part in the demonstrations would be
regarded as representing the standpoint
of the whole college in the affair. The
solution to this is obvious. If there are
such strong-spirited feelings in opposi
tion to this movement, they should take
this opportunity to intelligently express
themselves instead of permitting emo
tions to take the place of reason.
That this school has taken no definite
stand on this matter is true. However, I
hold it as a person's individual rieht, if
not obligation, to passively resist, wheth
er or not in conjunction with the law of
the state against what he firmly believes
to be an injustice. Whether or not one is
Note:
Since this issue of the GUIL
FORDIAN went to press, cer
tain changes have been made
for which the Editor is not
responsible.
a member of the local community, I
hold of little importance; this is a nation
al, if not an international affair.
Conversely, however, I will admit that
each locality is in some way unique and
should not be handled in a set, stereo
typed manner. This factor has led me to
be very disenamoured with this local
CORE unit. I found after having become
involved, that although the students were
sincere and in what I feel to be their
right, the CORE representatives were in
no way concerned with them as individ
uals.
Concerning the issue itself, the argu
ments for segregation that I found most
often presented could be summed up as
the following: It is a man's right to
serve whom he pleases when he pleases;
it is presenting a bad picture interna
tionally by creating racial unrest; inte
gration is coming gradually anyway; and
the traditional, "Do you want your
daughter to marry a Negro?"
In way of reply to the first, let it be
said that this country is based on the
social principle that each man be recog
nized as an individual, equally indis
criminate of his race, creed or color.
When this is denied by a large portion
of the population to a minority by falling
back on the very thing they are denying,
individual recognition, it should be per
fectly within the right of the oppressed
to apply pressure passively to alleviate
this wrong. Something that is usually not
taken into consideration here is the psy
chological effects upon a youth who is
a member of a minority and is granted
"separate but equal rights."
The argument that it is presenting a
bad. picture internationally by creating
racial unrest, I also disagree with. In
stead of "creating," I would rather
phrase it as "uncovering" discontent and
it at least indicates to foreign nations
that we are not passively accepting n
state of affairs which they know exists
anyway.
Relating now to the feeling that inte
gration is coming gradually anyway, I
reply that it is too gradual, and that seg
regation has existed too lone in this
country as a source of ethnic discontent
and a lack of unity. I will not even de
vote a separate paragraph to the last.
There is no indication in any statistic I
have seen that racial eciuality tends to
ward miscegenation. Living equallv with
the Neiro doesn't mean that your daugh
ter must marry one, but it would prob
ably mean that if she did choose to do
so, which is her right, she would not be
subjected to as intense social reactions.
—DANIEL J. LENIIIAN
Dear Editor:
The 1962-63 season is almost over.
The Guilford College Choir has only
three engagements left. We, the mem-
bers of the choir, feel that it has been a
very successful year and only hope that
next year we can be as successful.
On June 2, the choir will present the
music for the baccalaureate service and
the reception at Dr. Milner's home given
in honor of the graduating class. The
choir will also sing at graduating exer
cises the following day, June 3. These
three engagements entail the learning of
much new music and also the revamping
of some of the old'pieces.
Speaking in behalf of the members of
the Guilford College Choir, I wish to
thank the members of the student body
for giving us their support this year. We
have only one favor to ask of the student
body. There are a great many of you
who can sing and have very good voices.
I feel that you could get a great deal of
enjoyment and satisfaction by joining
us. Please give this a few minutes'
thought. It would certainly be nice to
welcome a great many of you to the
choir next year.
—LLOYD EASTLACK
To the Editor:
We of North Carolina have had good
reason to take pride in the successful
Negro-white relationship in our state in
the past. Here the Negro has been better
educated and more prosperous than in
any other southern state. Integration
orders, while distasteful to some, have
met with little bitter resistance and no
violence.
During the past few weeks, however,
we have witnessed in this very city an
acceleration in the push for total integra
tion. Restaurants and theaters are being
picketed and the resulting atmosphere of
unrest can scarcely be called conducive
to good race relations. In their most earn
est effort to secure and protect the 'rights'
of their minority group, the demonstra
tors seem to forget that perhaps the own
ers of those business establishments
which they picket also have certain
rights: In their haste to abolish persecu
tion, they persecute. They say they have
been downtrodden, and now they tread
on others.
Perhaps all the strife and bitterness
Fiscal Irresponsibility
The position of the student leader is often a discouraging one. He
works hard and long for the students, only to have his proposals argued
to death or, what is worse, passed so quickly that it is evident that little
consideration was given to them.
The Student Affairs Board spent a full month preparing the budget
for next year. And in convocations, it was passed with hardly a murmur
of disapproval by students who had never seen it before, had no idea
of the legitimacy of the requests, and were apparently interested pri
marily in leaving as soon as possible In seventeen rushed minutes, the
student body spent nearly $25,(X)().(M) with all the aplomb and discon
cern of buying a hot dog at the Union.
There were many ways in which this budget could have been
brought to the attention of the students. A copy could have been dis
tributed a week before the vote was held. Or a copy could have been
released for publication to the Guilfordian. Or, if all else fails, there is
still the Students' Handbook.
It is time that this problem be dealt with sensibly. The fact that it
has been handled in this way in the past is no justification. Perhaps the
students themselves are at fault. The withering apathy that seems to
pervade the campus makes this problem extremely difficult to deal
with. If this is the case, then the farce of student responsibility should
be done away with, and the decision should be made by responsible
individuals.
Such a proposal as this has been known in the past to arouse even
the most apathetic of groups. May it do so here. For those who would
lose their responsibilities, there is no surer way than not to exercise
them.
CHECKS a BALANCES
~v ,T-, , '
MAY 27, 1963
Letters to the Editor is open to all
views and opinions. Letters must be
signed and must be in good taste.
Due to unusual circumstances, an un
signed letter appears in this issue,
but subsequently such letters cannot
.be printed.
accompanying such outbreaks would be
a price worth paying if there existed
promise of a constructive and sensible
end. But who is to benefit from the cur
rent situation? Surely not the restaurant
and theater owners who have the au
dacity to believe they could serve whom
they pleased. And the Negro? I say no!
Even the most expectant liberals among
us can scarcely deny that distinct and
bitter feelings of animosity have grown,
are growing, and will continue to grow
from just such "passive demonstrations"
as have taken place in Greensboro during
the past few weeks. (How flagrant dis
obedience of trespass laws ever came to
be regarded as "passive demonstrations"
is, no doubt, quite a story in itself.)
Now how does Guilford College fit
into this dismal little picture? Unfor
tunately, thanks to the presence of a
handful of students who took it upon
themselves to join the demonstrators,
Guilford College may be represented as
being on the side of the law-breakers. (It
is interesting to note that, almost with
out exception, these students were from
places outside North Carolina.) The mere
fact that such actions may not receive
disapproval from the parents of the in
volved students does not chanae the fact
that they may receive harsh disapproval
from the area in which they take place.
While these students are not and cannot
be expected to share the beliefs of the
owner of the Carolina Theater, they
should be expected to realize the serious
ness of the steps which thev take. While
they are students at this institution, they
cannot disassociate themselves from its
name.
Therefore, I urge that Guilford Col
lege do everything necessary to prevent
future participation in demonstrations
of this sort by any member or members
of its student body.
—STEVE AUSBAND
(Continued on page 3, column 5)