Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 30, 1947)
Page 2 DAILY EMERALD Thursday, January 30, 1947 Oregon H Emerald MARGUERITE WITTWER-WRIGHT Editor GEORGE PEGG Business Manager TED GOODWIN, BOB FRAZIER Associates to Editor HI IX STRATTON Managing Editor BILL YATES News Editor BERNIE HAMMERBECK Sports Editor DON FAIR, WALLY HUNTER Assistant Sports Editors WALT McKINNEY Assistant Managing Editors BOBOLEE BROPHY and JUNj: GOETZE Assistant News Editors JEANNE S1MMONDS Feature Editor DOUG EDEN Advertising Manager DON JONES Staff Photographer REPORTERS „ , Beth Basler, Le*nard Bergstrom, Bettye Jo Bledsoe. Hugh Davies, Diana Dye, Ruth Eades, Virginia Fletcher, Lejeune Griffith, John Jensen, Donna Kletzing, Dick Laird, June Mc Connell, Kathleen Mullarky, Barbara Murphy, Laura Olson, Joan O’Neill, Nancy Peterson, Marjorie Ratnbo, Katherine Richardson, Adelaide Schooler, Helen Sherman, Jackie Tetz, Gloria Tatarico, Sally Waller, Hans Wold, Phyllis Kohlmeter. _ MEMBER —ASSOCIATED COLLEGIATE PRESS ASSOCIATED PRESS WIRE SERVICE Signed editorial features and columns in the Emerald reflect the opinions of the writers. They do not necessarily represent the opinion of the editorial staff, the student body, or the University. . _ _ _ Entered as second class matter at the postoffice, Eugene, Oregon. Quest Editorial Preferential Relativity (Editor’s note: The following editorial was written last fall when the issue concerned was before the ASUO executive council. It is still timely. The Greeks (note Dave Lamport’s letter on this page) may have lost the freshman election because 24 ballots were disqualified for being marked incorrectly. The preferential system may have had something to do with that. . ..) The preferential voting system now in use on this campus is only a little more complicated than the theory of relativity. Like the Einstein theorem, it is championed by a few, actually understood by almost no one. In 1937, Independent politicos at the University, determined to achieve a balance of power in the ASUO executive council, “rode” through the preferential system, as against the straight party ballot wherein any number of qualified candidates may be nominated for any office. These pioneers actually thought they understood the nature of their doings; mayhap they did. Since 1937 no one else has. Under the puzzling electoral system known as “prefer ential,” nominations are made by two parties (there is no pro vision for more than two) for positions on the executive coun cil. Each party means a candidate for the "number one” and “number two” position. Mention of the specific office sought by the nominee is verboten under the ASUO constitution. This much is fairly simple. Of course, should a labor party, or a Social-Catholic party arise on the campus , . . but this way leads to madness. Now for the election itself. All the voter is required to do in choosing an able council, is to N his choice opposite the names listed on the ballot, numbering his perferences from one to four. ; Oh yes . . . we almost forgot. There are ONLY four names on the ballot. So you see, this is the most decent type of election . . . nobody loses. Everybody gets a prize. After the voter votes, ballots are counted. And here’s the real rub. Assuming your counters are normal, sane, and ma ture individuals . . . you must also assume they will be ab normal insane idiots when through tabulating the . . . er . . . ah . . . shall we say "confusing” votes. For the preferential system stipulates that the largest number of votes for first position automatically elects that candidate, whereupon, if in ratio to the second man, the ex cess number of votes, below the norm, that is, will become part of the second man's total. Which, when squared, is not exactly what the third candidate gets because he is sick of it all anyway and wishes he had never run. Finally the whole mess is multiplied by pi, a prayer wheel is turned, and the election judges play spin-the-bottle to find out exactly who in the hell won. One man did understand the preferential system. lie, like Cartoonist Gooch, threw himself off the top of a very tall building. It was the Bankers’ Trust, I think ... in Des Moines, Iowa. Surelv there must be a simpler wav. Whv not straws? ’—TED HALLOCK. In the first eleven months of 1946 there tv as 4,000,000,000 miles of automobile travel in Oregon. Men must he at liberty to say in print whatever they have a mind to say, provided it wrongs no one—Charles A. Dana. Hilbo. n. A long bar or bolt of iron with sliding shackles, used as a fetter—Webster. The first newspaper published in the Colonies appeared in 10lH). It was discontinued after the first issue. Pro'Platforms In a 32-inch editorial, January 13, the Oregon State Ba rometer reaffirms its political stand, and calls for platform parties and an end to cliques. The Barometer’s edit almost paraphrases Emerald editorials on the same subject. It is interesting to note that apparently the political situation at Corvallis is parallel to Oregon's, and that the OSC newspaper takes the same stand the Emerald has consistently upheld this year. The Barometer, like the Emerald, believes that students “should align themselves with one of a number of different campus parties; that they should choose a particular party on the basis of its platform, its record, and its leaders; and proceed to work and vote for that party in view of their faith in its objectives.” On this campus students are expected to belong to the ASA simply because they wear fraternity or sorority brass. No one in recent years has attempted to outline the objec tives or principles of the Greek bloc. And most non-Greeks are equally hazy about the platform of the ISA'... if there is any. The Barometer, as the Emerald, has not attacked the Greeks as such: “It may be that much of the criticism directed at Greeks should be directed instead at a certain invisible, yet powerful, internal clique. This clique, often operating most surreptitiously, is known to be responsible for many selfish and questionable activities . . . While this group is primarily Greek, there is no reason to believe that it is en tirely so, and for this reason the Independent organization might do well to look to its own house.” The Emerald agrees with the Barometer that “student government and student activities are here for a purpose. Here to work at and to learn by and to profit from. If they are not, if they no longer serve a purpose, if they fail to be of worth to the “many”, instead of selfish interest to a "few”; then let’s do away with them now.” Let B. G. Cox, present head of the Greek bloc, together with Politician Byron Mayo and President Tom Kay and Law Student Gene Brown, draw up a platform for the Affiliated Student association. Let Howard Lemons, Steve Worth, and other Independent leaders outline the definite goals of the Independent Students association. Then let the student body as a whole, regardless of pre vious affiliation and without coercion, judge the merits of each party. And perhaps student government on this campus will come to mean more than merely periodic election fiascos. Telling the Editor ABOUT POLITICS That article in Wednesday’s Em erald about “Elections in General’’ is strictly for the well-known waste basket. You’d think the person who wrote that stuff was the “God of Politics” the way he criticized the running of the frosh elections. Really it’s about time that you people who write these so-called ar ticles refrain from making such one sided statements. Why can’t you try to please everyone instead of trying to satisfy your own journalistic wit (of which there is very little, espe cially in this case.) “The ISA and ASA both behave like political infants. No wonder they need a hand to rock the cradle —a hand like that wielded in the past by TNE.” Simply because the Greeks changed to the title of ASA you’d think all hell was breaking loose. It’s so silly the way you people try to criticize the Greeks. You are the ones who seem like the infants more than anyone else. . . Please answer this question—What exactly was wrong with the Frosh election? Didn’t the Independents come out victorious? You’ve had your glory, why try to further it by criticizing its losses ? —Dave Lamport Editor’s note: The Emerald ed itorial is equally critical of ISA tactics. We are not beating the drum for any party; how elections are conducted and what the par ties stand for often is of more im portance than who wins. This is especially true when neither party can be identified as to platform or principles. That is what was “wrong” with the frosh election. We assert again that “the ISA and the ASA would do well to is sue definite statements to all stu dents outlining their principles and platforms.” OF ALL THINGS! LeJEUNE GRIFFITH Witches’ brew—Bennett Cerf re ports an amusing letter in the Jan uary 11 Saturday Review of Litera ture written to Robert Tallant. au thor of Voodoo in New Orleans. It seems that Tallant is being deluged with mail from people wanting some recipes for witches’ brews or some information on voodoo pow ers. Here is one letter: “Dear Sir: I happen to see adv. in Washington paper. I don't want to i hurt anyone but would like to gel my man so no other woman Can’t Take him from me, would like to have him So that he won't pay any attention to no other woman but me, that he will do anything That I want done, at the present Time other women has him under control if you can send anything to fix him (not hurt) him Let me know by return mail and what the charg es will be. I might tell you that he is a professional man (undertaker), he is single, about 52 years old and he flirts with all the women. Let me hear from you right away. I am a widow. So is he. Yours truley.” Tallant should have recommended that she read John Collier's short story, "The Chaser," which deals with magic potions quite effective ly. The Male Animal—From person By BOB WHITELY The genial law school judges’ committee have a public apology to make to Pi Phi Marilyn Sage, Al pha Phee Phyl Potter and Kappa Leslie Palfrey as they were all tiecrt for first place in their current con test. After a hurried consultation in the stacks, the lawyers decreed that all three are equally worthy of the coveted title. Congrats to the noo freshman class officers . . . 'twas quite an election. Some hot poop from the SAE house states that Cal “the rabbit” Koch is out of the hutch as he announced his en gagement to Doloris Sewell who hails from Palouse way at Washing ton State. The Phi Psis are going ' hog wild again with their boxes as' the latest prepaid freight delivei£, . was made at the OPie house. Two of the tong hung their cop’s badges last week, Les Hixson and Earl Bradfish weighted down the cash meres of Connie Fullmer and Nor ma Stearns. The brothers stuck them both on the same box packed like so much Spam . . . but where was poor Lucky Pierre? AOPie Bet ty Johnson is all eyes for Stan Wel born since she took his Delt pin. An other engagement for the AOPi^is Joy Miller and Don Coles. Even the somber law school let forth a con centrated cheer when in a last min ute communique Frank Ierulli, the smiling Irishman from the Sigma noo house pinned cute Darlene Marlton of Suzie hall. Some first year law students are prone to think the new practice trials to he held in the “State of Hollis” are go ing to be held in a “State of Confu sion.” Those will be worth hearing. “Aging Bob” Ballard, SAE peren nial, might have been here as long as the Pioneer Mother, but there is nothing wrong with his eye for beauty. He’s been squiring the smoothest gals on the campus. It might be a good idee to tune in on the wireless Fri. and Sat. nights to see how the Corn Valley boys come out in their series with Washing ton. Let Oregon State run ’em ragged and we’ll move in for the kill next week. Nicest smile on the campus . . . Theta’s Sis Scott’s. Probably the outstanding girls’ liv ing organization on the campus is Alpha Nu Nu Epsilon Xi, the new Theta annex. Six dream queenS"-*;** side there. Abe Hathaway of the Pheegee gang, hung his pin on Kap pa Alice May Robertson. The boys at the Spee house are screaming “Duggs Wuggsy” Eden since the advertising tycoon planted his pin on pink palacer Sally Waller. One of the finer men on the campus, Johnny Matthews put his Spee pin back where it belongs on Gloria Grenfell. Dots gude. Don’t forget your coffee and ... at the Side natcherly.—Pd. Adv. al ads: Rogue male, vivacious, au dacious, versatile, welcomes corre spondence, scintillating or profound, from talented, philosophical vixen. Bergman, the provocative — One sure way of getting a minor jolt is to compare a picture of Ingrid Berg man as she appeared in “The Bells of St. Mary’s" and the Charles S. Welbourne photo of her which recently judged “the most provoca tive motion picture still of 1946" by the International Society of Photo graphic Arts.