Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Feb. 15, 1962, edition 1 / Page 2
Part of Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
i - r r- r ' " - .11 IMuzzii "I Hear They Let Powers Out" ssue ea Heel JUL I I Iw 7s sixty-ninth year of editorial freedom, unhampered by restrictions from either the administration or tfo stud erf t body. The Daily Tar Heel is the official -student -publication of the Publications Board of the University of North Carolina. s 4 t - m 1 All editorials appearing in The Daily Tar Heel are the personal expressions of the editor, unless otherwise credited; they are not necessarily representative of feeling on the staff. February 15, 19G2 Tel. 942-2356 VoL LXIX, No. 92 hy The Silence? W Tuesday night's meeting of the Student Party appears to have been one of the most spirited and profit able gatherings in recent months. An undertone of student resent ment surrounding some aspects of the student judiciary finally came out into the open where they can be thrashed out completely with a min imum of tip-toeing, veiled state ment and innuendo. At the same time, several of the participants in the discussion, notably Honor Council spokesmen Jey Deifell and George Campbell, felt it necessary to withhold part of their presentations due to "the presence of a Daily Tar Heel report er." While we are aware that the two men are accustomed to functioning, for the most part, behind closed doors, we are still a bit alarmed that they feel there are things that can be said in an open party meet ing that cannot be reported to the campus at large. With the possible exception of the names of specific persons involved in hearings, there is no part of Council procedure, or any other matter involving stu dent government, that should not be made wholly known to every stu dent who cares to be informed. Part of the distrust of the ju diciary that already exists comes from a lackof information and -rumors that are neither confirmed nor denied by Council members. For some time, the student body president, members of the Honor Council and others have been parti cipating in an extensive program of speaking engagements, discussions and presentations designed to clarify judicial procedure. Why the hesi tation to make a full presentation when statements might be quoted? We have no idea what state ments Campbell and Deifell plan ned to make, nor why they were withheld. We are certain, however, that no constructive effect can re sult from clandestine presentations made with full regard to the pres ence of reporters. Far too many student government representatives and the members of the admin istration as well choose to make all remarks "off the record" and keep communication at a minimum on controversial matters. As a case in point, we now have Stye fimix, 9Iar JHeel EDITORIAL STAFF Wayne King Editor Harve Harris Managing Editor Lloyd Little Executive News Editor Jim Clotfelter, Bill Wuamett News Editors Jim Wallace Photography Editor Chuck Mooney. Feature Editor Ed Dupree . Sports Editor Curry Kirkpatrick Asst. Sports Editor Garry Blanchard Contributing Editor BUSINESS STAFF Tim BuRNETT....Business Manager Mike Mathers Advertising Manager Jim KvANS-Subscription Manager Jim Eskredge Circulation Manager 'S Tem Daily Tab Ebl ta published daily except .Monday, .examination perUxl and vacations. It la entered as second class matter In the post office la Chapel Hill. N. C, pursuant with the act of March 8, 1870. Subscription rates: $4.50 per semester, W per year. Thz Dab-y Tab Bjesx Is a subscriber to the United Press International and utilizes the services e the News Bu reau ox the University of North Caro lina. Published by the Publications Board of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. N. C IS ,a report on our desk which pro vides statistics concerning the num ber of cases coming before the var ious councils and courts during a certain period, and their disposi tion. There is nothing in the report of any major interest. All in all, it is little more than an innocuous stat istical report of judicial activity. Yet, a member of the administration told us recently that "he would rather we wouldn't print it." The fact is, we could see no reason to print it, nor did we intend to do so. We still don't at least not until we can find something in it that's particularly enlightening. The point is, the administration member did not want it printed. Why not? Why, too, are the Coun cils hesitant to have open trials or make statements for publica tion. We are not suggesting that any one has anything to hide.We don't think they have. But we are alarm ed about the hesitancy to bring ticklish judicial problems out in the open sufficiently to solve them. Everything that surrounds judi cial problems seems to be discussed in whispered tones, while everyone is looking the other way. The honor system is supposed to. be a student system. Its problems are student problems; this is ideal ly true, at least. The way things seem to be going, the system is the private property of the relatively few who are directly connected with it at least where its defiencies are concerned. Many people are beginning to tire of endless platitudes, tepid hom ilies and overworked moralizing. It's time the judicial system was care fully discussed. And we don't mean just the bright side. Most people are well aware of that. We'd like to know what's wrong with it. From there, some solution can be found to remedy its faults. Why Bother? "Nobody is going to muzzle me," Senator Strom Thurmond told the press Friday, declaring he'd spill any information about military cen sorship unduly sealed up by the Stennis committee. Now, the Senator seems on past evidence to have an ample imagina tion. But whatever sinister hand he feels may be clapped over his not overly laconic mouth, there is no sign, present or future, that Sen ator Thurmond is in danger of be ing "muzzled." To muzzle the Senator, though it might give everyone's ears a rest, would be an unconstitutional act. Article I, Section 6, of the U. S. Constitution says, in part, of sen ators and congressmen: " . . .For any speech or debate in either house they shall not be questioned in any other place." This is what is known as congressional immunity. Sena tor Thurmond enjoys it. The question, perhaps, is not whether someone will muzzle Sen ator Thurmond but whether anyone would bother. Greensboro Daily News , EkHraFfivl Kt-Kr "1 f6 S I P? f 1 1 Ik tJ: 9L5"r " ' I jt til :v . irfl Sti i -1 If' - ; - t .l,jV;y. . P "vi i II lit- . - v " , jK.j . t,r ,j J Is Ultimate Coniro 3 tr.- toci EtzLlo Kill Or Be Killed To The Editor: Norwood Pratt's well-written and factually correct article which I read with approval, has given me the excuse to point out some things that need saying. Right now and for the next fifty history, Western Civilization has had its proverbial hack to the wall. All that saved it was its strong will to fight and survive a ye - shall -not -pass - while - I - live -and - I -intend - to .? kill - you - before - you -can - kill t me attitude. First: the or one hundred years, the free world , Greeks vs. the Persians. The bat- is going to have to be quick on its feet just to survive. For the past few (15) years the United States has been acting like a punch-drunk boxer warding off blows ,and back ing up in a circle begging for time and waiting for. the bell. No one can win a fight that way. At least three times in recorded ties of JVlarithon and Thermopole. Second: Charles Martel's French vs. the Moslems ; third : a handful of English long-bowmen killing a suc cessor to -Gengis " Kahn somewhere n France to halt-' the 'Hbrds of the Tarters. " We are faced with such a situation now. Let us fight to save our life, Student Legislature Action This Week Bills to clarify the order of presi dential succession and to provide for the effective review of presidential appointments were both favorably passed out of the Ways and Means committee this week. Both will come to the floor of Student Legis lature tonight. Scott Summers's appointments re view bill specifically calls on the Ways and Means committee to ex ercise the general review authority given to Legislature. In the past legislators have rubber-stamped presidential appoint ments, rarely, if ever, questioning the President's decision. This bill Fire Hazards Are Many It can not be denied that the Uni versity recognizes the constant fire damage done by careless students. The University has increased its efforts to protect its property but at the same time has grown unexcuse ably lax and irresponsible itself in its duty to protect the students them selves. The majority of the. dorms pro vide no fire escape, and thus ' I'y totally upon the fire extingt-.TS for any such emergency. In far too many of the dorms these fire ex tinguishers are all but inoperable. The vast majority have not been inspected since early I960. This time lapse on the chemical-type extin guishers renders its contents prac tically inert and useless. While on the pressure-type the air pressure has dropped to a dangerous low. The seams on many Ire weak and corroded. On others the rubber hose has become brittle with age and would only crumble if its use were required. I can only hope that these conditions will be quickly corrected before a grave and avoidable trag edy occurs. I feel that the irrespon sibility of the students and the Uni versity with their lives and the lives of others cannot be excused or tol erated. AL BUTLER provides a sensible means to exer cise the check on executive power. TESTING The .nuclear .testing .resolution, which the Student Party endorsed 22-11 Tuesday, will probably come to the floor tonight. Opponents of the resolution will bring but the tra ditional arguments that for Legisla ture to take such a stand would be unconstitutional and invalid. Other opponents will be more honest and openly oppose the bill itself, rather than using " 'unconstitutional" as a smokescreen argument. This resolution, however, is not a clear-cut proposition. There is con siderable question whether students wish, their legislature to pass such a resolution. However, the issue in question is one which demands quick attention, if it is to be considered at all. Leg islature is not only the "most rep resentative .; body on campus," as resolution supporters claim, but the ONLY representative body on cam pus. These considerations are augment ed by the obvious difficulty of hold ing an accurate campus-wide poll one month -before spring elections and by the. traditional Anglo-American dependence on representation by relatively "small, democratically elected bodies. The resolution should be passed. SCHOLARSHIP A bill calling for a $600 Cuban refugee scholarship was held in the Finance Committee this week. In its present form it does not deserve passage by .; Legislature. "Many (refugees) are from pre viously well-to-do families," the bill says in defense of giving a refugee scholarshipas if this has anything to do with the problem. "Most (refugees) are in dire finan cial conditions due to the loss of their properties m Cuba," the bill continues, overlooking the tremen dous amount ! of U. S. relief given the refugees ;since the Castro take over. The question as to whether a refugee scholarship is needed at all should be considered by the Legis lature. JIM CLOTFELTER our property, our wives, sweethearts, parents, and children. The Communists of Russian exter minated several million Coulacks, Russian peasants owning 10 or 15 acres of land each. If the Commu nists win here, there will be no sav ing us, no honorable defeat, only death in concentration camps by execution and starvation. I would rather die fighting. It is better for a man to die knowing that he has , personally killed several of the enemy, especially if he knows 'he' is taking many Russians with him. If our army surrenders, I will continue to fight and take an ob scene joy in each Communist, Chin ese, Russian, or home-grown Ameri can I kill. Any man or woman with an iota of patriotism or guts, or in tegrity will do the same. If we manage to avert or survive a nuclear holocaust; the plagues .of biological warfare; subversion, which is our greatest danger; for another hundred years or so then Norwood Pratt's predicted stail mate will probably come about. If we do not, either the Commu nists will win and we will become extinct or we will win and their form of government becomes ex tinct. The big difference is they will kill us to the last man, woman, and child; and freedom life as we know it will be stifled, perhaps forever, if not for several hundred years, while we will only destroy their government if we win. David Lobdell To the Editor: Your vicious attack on Senator rom Thurmond of South Carolina is most trivial, and the personal nature of your assault hits a new ow Xor the DTII. f The matter of censorship of mili i'.tary speeches is NOT the REAL is sue here, but in fact the issue is preservation of Congressional con trol over the military.- 'Mr. liobert E. Hansen, Cornrnand-er-in-chief of the Veterans of For eign Wars, filed a statement with the Special Preparedness Subcom mittee, which " contended, among other things, that 4ultimate control" of the military rested in Congress, which was also a view of the late Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Charles Evans Hughes. To quote Mr. Hansen further, "Defense organiza tion must facilitate at the national level the jointure of civilian judg ment and direction with broad, pro fessional military advice." How can we have "broad, professional mili tary advice" if military leaders have their every word censored? The Executive privilege which Pres. Kennedy used here sets a dan gerous precedent in the control of Congress over the military, espec ially in view of the fact the recent changes in the Defense Department of an organizational nature is a trend toward the expansion of power resting in the Sec. of Defense. The Legislative branch cannot sup ervise the Defense Department ade quately with the usurping of its power by the Executive branch of government. The power to "raise and support armies ... to provide and maintain a navy . . . and to make rules for the government of the land and naval forces" is specifically rested in Congress, and the will of Congress is being thwarted in this case. The Congress is having a great deal of trouble analyzing the sprawling Department of Defense a present, and obtaining frank opin ions and information. Sec. Mca mara's viewpoint of "loyalty down " ii just another roadblock to Con gress, for Congress is interested in The SOURCE of policy or grounds for importing a DEFEATIST attitude into censored military speeches. This disguising of the REAL issue involved, and instead the smearing of a great American from a neigh boring state, is typical of the stands taken by the DTII. It is my sincere hope that in the future, the DTII can stay away from peripheral matters and the exhibi tion of personal wrath, and give due 'attention to the real issues at hand, in this case, the growing in balance of power between the branches of government. ROBERT G. CLAWSOX, JR. Editor's Note: President Kennedy made it clear that his use of the Executive privilege was in no way to be interpreted as a precedent. Further, the responsibility for speech censorshop is ultimately that of Sec retary McNamara. Little could have been gained and much could have been lost by Tnurmond's inference that individual censors, acting un der orders, should be held respon sible. The Executive privilege, used in discriminately, could be extremely dangerous. However, as a block to what could become witch-hunting as it was in this case it was wisely used. fv Reader Hits Student Apathy Toivard Politics, Religion Dear Editor; i - -. T am ramer concerned -about the general apathy on this campus. I have never seen things so dull any where. Supposedly a campus which does not preoccupy itself with topics such as politics or religion usually builds up to an avid interest in some other subject, such as sex. To be sure,, there is a tiny under current of political feeling, but there is no tie-in with the major part of the student body. There can be no controversy on this campus because most students will not associate themselves with any particular view or opinion. I said the other alterna tive would be something like sex or liquor. It seems, however, that there is only a mild interest in either of these. Everyone is afraid of being "caught." To use a banal expression, what this campus needs are a few vocifer ous individuals with half-decent ideas to stand up in public and speak their minds. This could be done by use of soap boxes almost anywhere, or better yet in a public auditorium. For in stance, a place such as Gerrard Hall or some rather large classroom auditorium could be opened in the evening for any student cr group of students who wanted merely to stand up and expand their beliefs or challenge each other to debates. Stu dents would be responsible for their own publicity and other such mat ters. Let's have some enterprise on this campus. ROBERT BALLARD About Letters The Dally Tar Ileel Invites readers to use it for expres sicas of opinion on currest topics regardless of viewpoint. Letters must be signed, con- tain a verifiable address, and J be free of libelous material. y Brevity and legibility la- crease the chance of publica- ; Hon. Lengthy letters may be M eUed or omitted. Absolutely V none will be returned. 0 . ! j ........ f . I II I I I I I ll n MIW i mil, ii I HP l i - ' ' ' - - -" i , , "it if.' X ' ' - .V , ' ,T' - - - , . y . - ' ; ' A U (TO -.":.-::' f.,y i V-f,-; A . -V. . '' -v . v... t StV ' xr " ' ! f ' i flm mm ww r t . - ff .4 - -' 3 ft ' S , , ; - , , ' : - ' ; -- 4 - - i ' ' - . t 1 7f is our considered opinion that you are innocent . . . however the administration thinks you are guilty, and since this is a student system, you must be guilty ..." Carleon by Mothers
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Feb. 15, 1962, edition 1
2
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75