Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / April 19, 1930, edition 1 / Page 4
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Pc28 Four THE DAILY TAR UCHh Lzizzdzrr April I9 19.53 imvemty political leaders stand high in state and nation ; - --0 James K. Polk, John J. Parker, Charles B. Aycock, Edward K, Graham, O. Max Gardner, Josephus Daniels, John Motley Morehead, G. B. Stockton, All Served As Campus "Bosses." 0- By H. M. Wilson (Released by Univ. News Bureau) V To be called a good politician is nothing1 to fight shy of on the University of North Carolina campus these days, if you should judge by the interest taken in the recent elections held by the 2700 boys who compose the stu dent body. On the contrary, it would ap pear that being rated as a poli tical boss has come to be one of the most cherished of cam pus honors. As one evidence' of this fact, it may be stated that the bosses who were successful in this - year's campaign con fessed that they would raise no objection's to a proposal to ex pose their likenesses to the pub lic through the newspapers. . If you question their motives or tactics, the boys who run the political machines on the Caro lina campus point with pride to the distinguished men of the state and nation who got their first training in politics here. They will tell you, for in stance, about James K. Polk, President of the United States, who was twice elected president of the Dialectic literary society and who got his first taste of politics as a student here. They. will refer you to the youthful heydey of John J. Parker, who at one time or other held nearly every office on the campus while a student. They will refer you to such educational giants as the late Charles B. Aycock, the late Edward K. Graham ; to such governors as the former Angus McLean and the present Max Gardner; to such newspaper publishers as Josephus Daniels, E. B. Jeffress, and George Ste phens; to such Supreme Court judges as the present five Stacy, Connor, Brogden, Clark son and Adams; to such diplo mats as John Motley Morehead and G. B. Stockton, recently ap pointed as ministers, respective ly, to Sweden and Austria. These and hundreds of others who will go down in the pages of history as political immor tals, ydu will he informed by the present-day politicians, got their first start on the highway of achievement here on the Chapel Hill campus. For several years now the students have used the Aus tralian form of secret ballot in their voting, and they say, this has, made for cleaner elections. Their professors regard these i political scraps as. excellent! training for future citizenship. Regular System of Training As far back as graduates can remember student politics on the Carolina campus had been un der machine control. As fast as student political dictators were graduated new ones have taken their places. Students choosing to enter campus poli tics find it wise to start serving the campus parties early, in their freshman year. The most in dustrious and sagacious of the sophomores are appointed as lieutenants and Vward heelers. During the year they, serve as organizers', publicity agents, in telligence men, and orators. . By - J 1 - a grauuai process tu euizuuauua the "chosen few" emerge at ia end of their junior years into the charmed circle of-campus political captains and generals. The whole system is modeled after the national , political scheme. The chief difference lies in the looseness of party lines. A traternity or a group of non-fraternity men are just as likely to be in two or three - line-ups in as many years. The whole system depends upon col- lective bargaining for its per petuation. A group will band together and bargain with the leaders of the opposing line-ups, and usually align themselves with the party which appears to be the strongest and which promises the most. Independents Have Little Chance The extraordinary outcome of all the bargaining, campaigning, and electioneering is the uni form selection, with few ex ceptions, of the fittest officers that the student body provides. The leaders have learned from the long history of Carolina politics that the best qualified; and those who have -served the University the most make the best candidates. Candidates running indepen dently, due to the size of the student body, have little chance of being elected, and therefore the most able and ambitious men fight for a chance to run on machine . tickets. The last decade in Carolina politics has seen seven strong men rise to the leadership of campus affairs. Back in 1921 22 Joe Erwin of Morganton, a member of the A. T. O. frater nity, joined his forces with Obie Harmon, student manager of Swain hall, University dining hall; and elected a majority of the student officers through the membership of the Di and Phi societies, the source of, political power, at that time. Erwin is at present a candidate for the state legislature from the Mor ganton district. . Some Hot Campaigns The next year, 1922-23, with the single exception of the cur rent year, witnessed the hottest political campaign of the last decade. The Kappa Sigs and Swain Hall "got-together" and chose Sam Cathey, a blind stu dent, to lead them. Cathey is now prosecuting attorney for the city of Asheville. That year Taylor Bledsoe, who also came from Asheville, served in the party as a freshman. Harmon was the Raskob of the party. Cathey succeeded in electing only half of his ticket. The fight was so closely contested and so bitter that it was neces sary to recount the ballots twice. Cathey downed all opposition the next year and together with Bledsoe and Floyd Griffin suc ceeded in putting in all their candidates with the exception of a few men running for minor offices. In 1924-25 Floyd Griffin in herited the mantle cast off by Cathey. Bledsoe acted as a cap tain. Due largely to his in fluence. Bill Cocke of Asheville was elected president of the student body. The candidates for the major positions that year were largely unopposed. j The next year Bledsoe suc ceeded Griffin in the manage ment of his party, while Mac Coyington, a sophomore, togeth er with "Shorty" Madry, a law student at the time, upset Bled soe's plans by electing all but three of the offices. Charlie Price acted as lieutenant under Bledsoe. Taylor Bledsoe's Machine In 1926-27 Bledsoe inaugurat ed a three-year regime with, Covington and Price as captains which literally swept its opposi tion away each year, and cul minated 'in the uncontested elec tion of 21 out of 31 officers be fore a ballot was ever dropped. Of the remaining 10 offices Bled soe and his two captains put over nine. Carapus Political Leaders s h Numerous political leaders have gotten their start in campus politics at the University of North Carolina.. The two boys who acted as bosses for the successful machine in the; recent campus elections are pictured above. They are Charles Price, of Salis bury, (at left), and Mac Covington, of Linden. Both are de scended from politically-minded ancestors. Then came this year and the elections on April 4. The cam paigning was begun in the early fall with Mac Covington and Charlie Price as joint leaders. However, they soon struck op position in a group, who organ ized what they termed an "in surgent" party and wagedone of the hottest campaigns ever waged at the University on two issues ; i. e that the non-f ra- ternity element were insuffi ciently represented, and that the campus would be benefitted by two parties. Both parties went to the polls April 4 confident of scoring, an unprecedented victory, but it was not the insurgent party which rode on the crest of vic tory that day. Mac Covington and Charlie Price, political man agers par-excellence, swept the day by electing 30 out of 31 pos sible officers by surprisingly large majorities running from in 129. Liggett & Mtkm Tobacco Co. J: ? , i f I Xl 1 more than 500 in the case of the major officers to 150 in the case of the minor candidates. The two leaders Mac Cov ington of Linden and", Charles Price of Salisbury both are descended from politically-mind ed ancestors. Covington's grand father was a sheriff of Marl boro County in South Carolina for many years. Covington's three uncles have been in poli tics for years. W. C: McAlister; a graduate of the University; is chairman 1 of the state election board of the state of Okiahomay a member of the state: senate, and has twice refused" to ran for the governorship of the state because of health. Another un cle, A. G. McAfister, is chief justice of the supreme court of the state of Arizona. Price and Coyjngtqn Covington has served as. pres ident of the University dormi tory council for two years, i':::' q Gig a at the -plate it's rS WAT. rette it's Actions speak louder than words; what you want to know, about a how it tastes, And words can't tell you much about Chesterfield's taste7 Tobacco quality, mild fra grance, character -these are only words, until you've tried Chesterfield; after that, thr.ee words say it all: "TASTE above everithina" FINE TURKISH .nd DOMESTIC tobSccOS ot only BLENKD brf president- at: the? siunmerr school j student body last" year; and: de bated iir his- undergraduate years.l Her iar a member of ' the Sigma Zeta-fraternity;- Charles Price is the-namesake of his grandfather; whor success ively served" the state of North Carolina as president' of the State Bar-Association; as a cap tain in the Confederate army, and as speaker of the state House of" Representatives;. His father, Augustus Hobson Price, attended' the University, and later became an- assistant United States attorney; an elector at large to Republicans conventions,, and a referee irr bankruptcy Price, himself; has served as chairman of the executive com mittee of the: senior class of 1928; and: has been elected presi dent of the: third, year law, class of the University law school for next yean. He; was actively con nected withi the Di Senate dur ing his undergraduate years. He is a. member of tie Sigma Nil fraternity.. GoTdsboro Victorious Oir Bbtlr SMes Of State Debate Query (Continued1 from first page) Rankin, director of the Univer sity extension division, served as secretary. The judges, all prominent University faculty members, were R D. W. .Connor- FL McCTorrnick, N. W. Walker, D D. Carroll and H. At the conclusion of the speeches Horace H. Williams, University professor, made the presentation of the Aycock cup to GoIdsboroV winning team. The academic contest cups were presented to the winning schools by Dean Hibbard, while-R. B. House awarded the cups and medals to the winners in the in terscholastic track meet held cigarette is ' 1 i siP here yesterday afternoon. The tennis award was not made last night as the tournament has not yet been completed- Wickersham Sees Gain in Enforce ment,, reads a; head-fine. Bnt it 61n say who for. Leesburg- Commercial. DR. It. R. CLARK Dentist Over Bank of Chapel HiD Phone 6251 EYES CORRECTLY FITTED W. B. SORRELL TYPING For typing your papers Tele phone 210 Pittsboro Street. 1 GWffiWF PORTABLE rYPKWRTTERS Students' Supply Store Everything in Stationery" K5ILp..arcf yet CROSS-ELENDED . . MUOC
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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April 19, 1930, edition 1
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