Oreagn Daily t iEMERALD The Oregon Daily Emerald is published Feb 4 thru 8, 11 thru 15, 18 thru 22, 25 thru 29, March 10, Apr 2 thru 4, 7 thru 11, 14 thru 18, 21 thru 25, 28 thru May 2, May 6 thru 10, 12 thru 16, 19 thru 22, and May 26 by the Associated Students of the L Diversity of Oregon. Entered as second class matter at the post office, Eugene, Oregon. Subscription rates: $5 per school year, $2 per term. Opinions expressed on the editorial page are those of the writer and do not pretend to represent the opinions of the ASUO or of the University. Initialed editorials are written by the associate editors. Unsigned editorials are written by the editor._ Out with theiSmoke-filled Room Politically-minded Oregon students are now weighing the advantages and disadvantages of an ASUO-sponsored direct primary election for the two political parties—AOS and LSA. A senate committee has been suggested—but not yet appointed —to study the matter. (The proposed primary calls for ASU O-staffed election booths where students could pick up ballots for their respective parties and vote for the persons they wanted to see on their party’s slate. The two slates decided upon in this matter would then be presented to the students in the general election.) The argument for a direct primary is obvious: to give indi viduals a direct voice in the makeup of the party slate. Virginia Wright and her USA friends who proposed the primary for all Oregon parties (USA already holds an open primary meeting where the students attending can vote on the party slate) are not alone in their conviction that it is the only democratic way to build the slate. Sen. Paul Douglas (D.-Ul.) and Rep. Charles Bennett (D. Fla.) are now agitating for action on their'bill for primaries— aided by federal funds—in all 4S states. Only 16 now have presidential primaries. We see little hope for immediate success on the national scene. As usual, this latest push for a nation-wide primary comes too close to election time. But it does seem possible that Oregon students will con sider the suggestion intelligently, and take appropriate action. Opposition seems to stem wholly from Greek bloc members. Presently they operate on the basis of “house votes. Bach sorority and fraternity belonging to AGS has representatives which take the majority reaction of the house hack to an AGS meeting. The candidates receiving the support of the most houses are placed on the slate. The Greeks like their system. One of their members, Dave Rodway, said in a recent senate meeting that he thought the direct primary would "discriminate against the minority.” How? He feels that the “small” houses, which under the present setup, have as much say as the “big” ones in selecting the party slate, would lose their equal status. That’s quite true but, utilizing the principles of majority rule and individual equality, how does he justify the fact that 60 individuals be longing to a “big” house have only as much voice as 17 belong ing to a “small” house? What if the majority vote within a house between candidates A and B happened to be 15 for A, with B drawing 14 votes? If all the individual votes for B within the party were added, they might total more than the individual votes for A, even though the latter drew a majority in more houses. Under the present setup in AGS, A would go on the slate . .. leaving B, who more students actually wanted, out in the cold. I his is discrimination against the MAJORITY. Of course, maybe the few individuals directing the AGS party fear they would lose control of the slate selection ... and well they might. Student leaders are always bemoaning the “lack of interest in student government.” Might we be so bold as to suggest that more individual students might become more interested if they, as individuals had a greater voice in the selection of student leaders? The principle behind direct primary elections is sound. Even though we can’t see the end of the smoke-filled room selected party slate ahead on the national scene, we do hope Oregon students will get a chance to try a direct primary here this spring. This Is No Time for Cocktails Ever since the Class of ’52 presented Les Brown at its Sophomore Whiskerino, the campus has been clamoring for a “name band.” blow we’ve got one. The Class of 52 has signed Dick Jurgens for the Senior Ball this Saturday and it’s up to us to give them a little support. On some campuses all-school dances are a big event as they once were at Oregon. It has become the fashion to go to a pre dance cocktail party and never quite make it to the dance. Un important, you say? We don’t think so. We think if the student body gets out and supports the Senior Ball it can lead to only one thing: Bigger and better dances at Oregon. We’ve heard that Dick Jurgens played for the most successful dance ever held at Oregon, and we’re look ing for a repeat performance.—R. N. -So THIS lx Oregon Two Spring Terms at Oregon? It Could Happen Only at 'Cal' -By Jim Haycox - - ■ -- It was suggested that a column be devoted to the subject of what it's like at Oregon to have two spring terms. It's a dangerous subject. To even mention the possibility of warm weather w ould, you k n o w, bring December back with her skirts flying. It is like the story w li i c h appeared i n the Emerald not so long ago mention- JIM 1IAYCOX ing a big storm to come the next day... it didn’t. It is like a column once wiitten about nasty weather in California. The day it was to have appeared our own gutters were overflowing. To mention the weather is like prodding a stubborn boy. He will do just about anything . . . you tell him not to do. Perhaps it would be best to say nothing . .. so far I certainly haven't. Per haps it would be best to talk about the weather somewhere else . .. like California. Of course we can never hope to have those wonderful tropic winters and balmy summers that they experience. It would, In fact, be too much to hope that any other state could be so blessed. There is something different about California . . . something you can almost smell when the wind lu right. Seditious persons have, from timo to time, tried to spread nasty rumors about the state be low us. Don't believe anything you hear. Now this, I know, is little enough to say. Perhaps I could attempt a line or so about the weather in Iran or India or Egypt. I fear I would not get off without retaliation. My friend, “Bathwater” John son reports the weather In Iran Is fine , , . but I don’t believe him anymore. He's Immature, or have you heard? He shouldn't even bo writing a column for be has ap parently made a grievous error. He used his own opinion. T'would be safe enough to say that "Bathwater's" sins arc not as scarlet as they seem. Kor my own part, and I freely own I am very stupid when it comes to foreign affairs, I think his critics are just as sinning. There's an old saying to the effect that you’re right only so long as you keep your perspec tive keen and your nose clean and don’t go off the deep end. That is, deep ending I mean, which is what “Bathwater's” critics have done. I have not so much objected to their criticism as the way they have gone about same. They may continue to be impolite and fran tic, and they will continue to be given their due in "letters to the editor.” But some of them. I fear, need the growing up Just ubout as bad as "Bathwater" docs. A Dili/ nt 1hv /»« Buttons Off, Toothbrush Soggy, And Funk Is Reminded of Home By Bob Funk There are some persons who have never quite adjusted to be ing away from home. We are one of them. It is not that we get homesick. Far from it. Home, to us, has be come a vague con glcmera tion of a place you spend the summer, where you eat Christmas din n e r, and a place where interest ing things happen when your BOB fUNK grades arrive. However, some of the duties once performed by our mother have fallen into the sad category of undone. For instance, the but ton situation. On our desk we have four buttons at the present time. Two of them are the vital, top buttons off of pairs of pants. One is off of a white shirt. One is still to be identified. There is another button sort of half-way under the rug which belongs to a blue shirt which we wear any way. There is another button un der our pillow which came off our pajamas. Then there is the case of the toothbrush. When we were in high school our mother or father or small sister or whoever was telling us what to do at the time Would buy toothbrushes for us as the occasion warranted. There are no such persons with us in Eugene, however, and our present toothbrush has somehow wilted, all the bristles having struck out in their own favorite direction. There is the horrible question of when to take a bath. Some one always used to tell us “this is the night you take a bath.” We never understood the pattern. As a result there are whole series of days when we do not take a bath, only to be followed by seV oral days when we take two baths per day. Some day we are going to work up a chart. This is probably ridiculous, but it might be a great help if all living organizations had a Small Helps Servfce that would sew on buttons, examine toothbrush es, and tell people when to take baths and get haircuts. As it is, we will never be really well or ganized until mother, father, sis ter, and the dog get their clutch es on us again this summer. Letters to the Editor n.«ttrr* for thin column mint l»c 400 word* or lea* in Inigth ntul tiff nr (I hy thn author or itutlior*. kr(|iir«tn that tiamr* l»n withheld will he ffiven careful mmidrrft t:on. I.rttrr* nitty hr mailrd to the Finer aid editor or left in the Kinrrnld f|iiotn»rt Adjacent to the Journatiam building ) A Raised Eyebrow Kmcraid Editor: W<* raise tin eyebrow . . . KVVAX is not being broudi ant in the SU music listening room as announced in tile Kmcralil Home time ago. After harlMiring the secret hope in our In-art Dial we might one day hear the "voice of Die Ducks” we were delighted to read in th.- Kmeruld that KWAX wan to Im- |il|>ed into the St'. Now we shrug our shoulders. What huppened? Where lies the fault? Will we ever hear KWAX? Please. Let's tiave action. Jim Dudley