. A Sad Solution
You may not like Senator Wayne L. Morse. You may class
him an unqualified opportunist, a headline seeker or a man
who doesn’t know his own mind. You may think he’s giv
ing the state a very black eye, caterwauling in the senate
day after day.
1 here are times when we wonder about the man. too.
though perhaps it's still a bit carh to pass judgment. Hut on
ouo point there should be no confusion.
It’s up to the voters—all of them—to make the final de
cision on Morse, not the Republican-dominated Oregon
State legislature. That’s why we find the bill introduced in
tire legislature Friday, one which might defeat the senator's
bid for re-election in 1956 by denying many of his support
e s the chance to vote for him. so damnably objectionable.
'1 he g -t of the proposal is this: that a political party or
g .-up of electors cannot nominate a man for political office
tvk . in tire preceding election, gained that office as the ean
dn! rte of another partv.
I- means that the senator would have to fight it out in the
rtw Republican primary, probably the one place where the
C-OF feel- :t has the best chance to heat him. (Morse has al
rc.a iy declared that he’ll run for re-election as an independent
in ’56).
Technically, the bill may be perfect. But in spirit, it is an
obvious negation of the fact that the people alone elect
their United States senators. And it's even more disgusting
when one remembers that it was the State of Oregon that
championed the idea of direct election of senators.
1 hat was in 1934. Previous to that time, senators were
selected indirectly by state legislatures. The Oregon plan,
which was widely copied, changed things—by making can
didates for the legislature say beforehand whether or not they
would support the senatorial candidates picked by popular
vr*tj in a preference primary.
To some degree, then, you can say we started things, an
id-. .. which was culminated in 1913 when the 17th amendment
became official. It made popular election mandatory.
As we said, the Morse proposal apparently doesn’t inter
fere technically. It doesn’t block Morse’s candidacy—he can
icbill run as a Republican (though he certainly isn’t one).
But we wonder how the senator would fare in such a pri
mary, with most or all of the state's big GOP guns trained
o r him and with no help available from independents or
Democrats where, for all know, his main strength may now
he.
It seems to us theretore, that the eight state senators and
24 representatives sponsoring this measure have resurrected
atchaic and near-undemocratic methods to put an end to this
‘‘experience Morse." It makes one wonder if their fear or
hate of him hasn’t lead them into shallow and dangerous
waters.
If the senator, despite his demise from the Republican
teaks, still has the votes, then they’re interfering with the
ftK'cess ot democracy whereby a man can choose (or change)
political affiliations and keep his political principles. Again
say, the legislature has no business denying us, the voters,
tie chance to make the decision.
We realize there are precious few rules of the game in
politics, the opponent being fair game any time, anywhere.
But in this case, we think the proponents of this Republi
can roadblock, if they’d think about it, would realize they
were doing as much harm to their cause as to the senator’s.
. Ior if the bill passes, it is, to us, an admission that the
state GOP is afraid it can’t lick Morse, an independent (or
periiaps by then a Democrat), in a fair fight. It makes Ore
gon’s Republican party look very sad indeed.
The Oregon^Daily Emerald published Monday through Friday during the college year
•2-r^ept Jan. 5; Mar. 9, 10 ami 11; Mar. 13 through 30; June 1, 2 and 3 by the Student Publi
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Opinions expressed on the editorial page are those of the writer and do not pi^tend to
yvinesent the opinions of the ASUO or of the University. Editorials are written by the
edPor and the members ot the editorial staff.
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H i.EX Jones, Larry Hobart, At. Karr, Associate Editors
Bn:. Gurney, Managing Editor
jiocrE VVap.dell, News Editor Sam VaiiEy, Sports Editor
A: t- Managing Editors: Paul Keefe,
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Afcd News Editors: Laura Sturges, T.er
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Wire Editors: Lorna Davis, Andy Salmins,
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| Lobbyist to Talk
On Legislature
i
Raymond Colter, lobbyist for the
League of Oregon Cities, will
speak on “The State Legislature,
Its Piobleins and Procedures" in
the Osburn hotel Wednesday at
7:30 p.ni.
Followed by a question and an
swer period, Colter’s talk is spon
sored by the University of Oregon
Young Republicans.
Its purpose, according to Bruce
Holt, club president, is to provide
a constructive program for study
of the state legislature.
All students and townspeople
are invited to the meeting, Holt
1 said.
Pictures to Be Taken
The ASUO cabinet and traffic
court will have Orvgana group
pictures taken at 12:30 p.m. today
in the Student Union.
Members of the ASUO cabinet
who should be present are Pat Dig
nan. Helen Jackson* Frye, Sarah
Turnbull. Elaine Hartung, John
Talbot, Jim Livesay, Jim Haycox,
Larry Hobart and Merle Davis.
Fred Turner, Carl Weber, Sally
Haseltine, Don Rotenberg and Mal
colm Montague.
First Place Won
By Forensic Squad
The University forensic squad
won the Northwest Regional
championship in men’s tyro debate
and took first place in discussion
and a second place in women’s in
terpretative reading at the annual
tyro tournament held at the Col
lege of Puget Sound in Tacoma
last week-end.
Don Mickelwait, sophomore in
pre-law, and Phil Cass, freshman
in pre-law, defeated a Seattle Pa
cific team in the semi-finals and
went on to take Willamette uni
versity in the finals to win the
first place trophy. The team won
five out of six, defeating two
teams from OSC, in the prelim
inary debates.
Paul Waid, freshman in political
science, took first place in men's
discussion. Ward was 20 points
ahead of his nearest competitor in
winning the trophy awarded on
the basis of numerical rankings
compiled in three rounds of dis
cussion. Ward also made the fi
nals in extemporaneous speaking
“I knew I wouldn't like this dull, stupid course th* minute I got my
‘mid-term* paper back.”
but failed to place.
Second place in women's interp
retative leading went to Loretta
Mason, freshman in speech.
The second University tyro
men's team, Ward and Bruce Holt,
freshman in pre-law, broke even
in the preliminary rounds of de
bate, winning three and losing
three. The women's team of Miss
Mason and Elsie Schiller, junior in
journalism, made a good showing
against strong competition in sen
ior division wlicii includes speak
ms havng more than two years of
collegiate debating experience. The
women faced men's teams in all
six rounds of preliminary debates,
including a Willamette team v.ho
went to West Point last season and
t he team from St, Martins college
in Olympia which won the region
al Pi Kappa Delta championship
at Pullman earlier in the year.
Holt rated high in extemporan
eous speaking and Miss Schiller
missed the finals in senior division
oratory by one decision.
Herman Cohen, director of for
ensics, and Robert Kully, debate
coach, who accompanied the team,
said the squad had made an excel
lent showing against the best com
petition in the Pacific Northwest.
Sweepstakes
Pacific university won the
sweepstakes trophy offered in the
tyro division and Willamette was
a close second. Senior division
competition did not go towards
winning the trophy.
Fifteen schools from four states
Washington, Oregon, Idaho and
Montana attended the tourna
ment. There were 30 debate teams
entered in the tyro division and
12 in the upper division competi
tion.
The Northwest champions have
won Ti out of 20 debates in the
three tournaments attended this
year. The entire squad has a rec
ord of GO percent wins, having won
26 out of 43 debates in compe
tition.
The squad will continue practice
debates and preparatory work to
enter one of the largest collegiate
tournaments in the nation to be
held at Linfield college, March 5,
6 and 7. Teams will be competing
for titles for the far west at Lin
field with entries expected from
eight states.
Campus capers
call for Coke
Parties click when the
mood is right. With
enough Coke on hand
you can set the scene
for a gay session .. .
anytime.
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