Oregon Daily
EMERALD
The Oregon Daily Emerald is published fire day* a week dur
ing the school year, except during examinations and vacation
period*, by the Student Publication* Board ol the. University
of Oregon. Entered as second class matter at the post office.
Eugene, Oregon. Subscription rates: $S per school year, $2
per term.
Opinion! expressed on Ike editorial page are thoae of The
Emerald and do not pretend to represent the opinion of the
ASUO or the University. Unsigned editorials are written by
the editor; initialed editorials by members of the editorial board.
BILL MAINWARING. Editor LORETTA Htl EK, Bnainesa Manager
MARCIA MAUNEY, Editorial Page Editor CHUCK MITCHELMORE, Managing Editor KEN NIEHANS. Adr. Mgr.
SALLY JO GREIG, SAM VAHEY, Associate Editora CORNELIA FOGLE, News Editor
JACK WILSON. Snorts Editor DOROTHY BARKER. Asa’t Adr. Mgr. CHARMION FORD, Office Manager
We Have Opportunity and Obligation
Americans tomorrow will observe a trou
bled world and thank God for the blessings
with which He has endowed our society.
Thanksgiving Day, the oldest of strictly
American holidays, was set aside by the
Pilgrims as a day to offer prayerful thanks.
We can be thankful in 1956 that we have
retained our basic freedoms during a period
in which millions have fallen victims of tyr
anny. And despite the troubles of the world
we are not at war. Our material wealth,
moreover, has never been equalled by any
people in all the world’s history.
But perhaps our prayers tomorrow should
thank God for more than His blessings of
peace, liberty and material wealth. Perhaps
we should thank Him for the opportunity,
by our actions and example, of keeping
alive in the hearts of men everywhere a
yearning for a better life enriched by free
dom.
Recent events in Hungary should remind
Americans of the importance once-free men
place upon liberty. Thousands there have
laid down their lives for a cause which can
not now be successful, but which we believe
must ultimately prevail.
As we thank our Creator for our homes
and families, our free and prosperous so
ciety. and the peace we now enjoy, it might
be well to question why we have been so
abundantly blessed.
Surely God. who looks upon all his chil
dren with equal love, must combine with
such blessings a great responsibility. Per
haps our most earnest prayers should ask
for the ability to clearly see that wh*ich we
owe our fellow men, and what we must do
to fulfill this obligation.
TV and Roses and Turkey
So just what is there left to say about
Oregon and Oregon State and football ?
Not very much, actually. Sure, there are a
couple of new angles this year, such as tur
key and odor of rose and national TV, but
to us it’s still just Civil War.
We’ve heard Rah-Rah — Spirit Needed
and Rah-Rah — You Can’t Make Me Yell
and Rah-Rah Ballerinas — Hmph! and
Rah-Rah Ballerinas — You’re Just Jealous.
And we’ve heard String Him Up! and Run
Him for President!
And then there have been words about
Green Hornets and Black Bandits and All
America Tackles and Complete Lack of
Tackles. In short, we’ve heard just about
everything.
Back in the good old days, before they
took this odor of rose stuff so seriously in
the state of Oregon, we could count on all
this pre - game word - after - word business
subsiding and we’d play, football as a fitting
climax to it all.
But now we have roses and TV and tur
key and Civil War in one big mess. All of
which means that this word - after - word
business may never subside — unless, of
course, we pummel the Aggies as in the
last two years — but with TV and roses
and turkey added this time. (C.H.M.)
The Collegiate Meaning of Thanksgiving
Webster needs revision again. According
to his New Collegiate Dictionary, Thanks
giving Day is “A day (usually the fourth
Thursday of November) set apart each
year for thanksgiving and praise to God.”
He is completely correct in stating that
the holiday is held the fourth Thursday
of November, and partially correct about
the thanksgiving and praise to God. The
latter half or Webster’s definition pertains
in part, we hope; but doesn’t capture the
whole collegiate meaning of Thanksgiving.
For a collegian the thanks and praise are
offered not only to higher powers,but also
to substantial worldy powers of lesser
degree.
First, thanks are given to the adminis
tration for a vaction in which to catch up on
back reading, and praise to professors who
say “Happy Thanksgiving, No assignment.”
Next, thanks to busses, trains, and air
lines which carry tired students home, and
praise to families who allow 11:00 a.m.
rising.
Then thanks to mother’s cooking which
is far-removed from dormitory food, and
praise to scientific research for putting more
white meat on the turkey.
Finally, double thanks and praise to the
Pilgrims for founding such a necessary,
restful, and tastv holiday as Thanksgiving!
(S.J.G.)
— Letters to the Editor —
Emerald Editor:
Writing letters to editors is
usually a futile and thankless
task, but I believe that an un
wise action which involves the
‘‘give-away” of a Senate seat
to a candidate which ran third
in a presumed free and demo
cratic election provides an issue
that must be thoroughly exam
ined.
Certainly my remarks are not
intended to offend Mr. McLeod,
whose only sin is to be caught
in the uncomfortable middle
ground. However, the absurd
contention that write-in votes
are illegal in such an election
can be questioned on several
grounds.
First, w^ite-in voting is not
specifically forbidden in the
ASUO Constitution. Second,
filing is merely presented as
a procedural device whereby
names can be placed on the bal
lot, and in no way does the
wording of Section I of Article
IV imply that filing must be
mandatory. Third, if democratic
custom is to be utilized as a
guide the write-in votes should
be counted.
If we are serious about stu
dent government and elections
to choose representatives, then
spontaneous election day cam
paigns should be welcomed as a
part of the democratic process
when only one candidate has
filed.
However, if a sometimes-be
nevolent and a sometimes-not
so-benevolent control and selec
tion process is to be employed
then this should be made ex
plicit so that all loyal students
can join in the ratification and
gestures of approval that must
be given the "chosen” candidate.
George Boyet
Graduate in
Political Science
P. S. Remember, it's the votes
that were not counted and there
were no issues.
Quo Vadisr
*T TAKE IT YOU'LL PE LEAVING for VACATION PlttCTlYAFTER CU&?'
From the Squirrel Cage
UO-OSC Groups Consider
Problems of Civil War
By DARREL BRITTS AN
ASL’O Prntldcnt
With the hope of Improving
school spirit and making the
Thanksgiving Day gam*- moie
successful, the student body
presidents, campus newspaper
editors, lettermen's club presi
dents, and Deans of Men of the
University and
Oregon State
College have
met twice this
year. The main
topic of interest
and concern has
been tomorrow's
Civil War foot
ball game.
The situation
in Corvallis on
Thanksgiving Day is a peculiar
oqe, however. Neither school
will celebrate its Homecoming.
Both schools will be theoretical
ly vacant of students because of
the holiday. A third factor is
that the game will be nationally
televised.
These problem* have be«-n
taken Into consideration by the
representatives of both the rival
school*.
Without going into the de
tail*, I'm *ure you can se* the
advaytagc* of such meeting*,
the improvement of a show that
will be seen by millions of pro
pie on their telviston sets.
Two thing* will be worth your
particular attention. Senior* of
both team* will be introduced
after the game, their last, and
a proposed Joint UO-OSC WU8
drive for Hungarian relief will
be held. Announcements will be
made during the game, explain
ing the purpose of the fund
laising campaign and asking
people to make donations as
they leave the stadium.
Thoae of us at Parker Sta
dium and all of you at home
will have a particularly happy
Thanksgiving, when we observe
the Oregon Ducks giving up the
traditional turkey dinner for
' Beaver Meat."
First Thanksgiving Proclamation
Editor’ll Note: The first
Thanksgiving Day Proclama
tion wan issued Oct. 8, 1789,
by President George Wash
ington, and la here reprinted.
Whereas it is the duty of all
Nations to acknowledge the
providence of Almighty God, to
obey Hia will, to be grateful for
His benefits, and humbly to im
plore His protection and favor,
and Whereas both House of
Congress have by their joint
Committee requested me “to
recommend to the People of the
United States a day of public
thanks-giving and prayer to be
observed by acknowledging with
grateful hearts the many signal
favors of Almighty God, es
pecially by affording them an
opportunity peaceably to estab
lish a form of government for
their safety and happiness.”
Now therefore I do recom
mend and assign Thursday the
28th day of November next to
be observed by the People of
these States to the service of
that great and glorious Being,
who is the beneficient Author of
all the good that was, that is, or
that will be. That we may then
all unite in rendering unto Him
our sincere and humble thanks,
for Hie kind care and protec
tion of the People of thin coun
try previous to their becoming
a Nation, for the signal and
manifold mercies, and the fa
vorable Interpositions of Hia
providence, which we experi
enced In th» course and conclu
sion of the late war, for the
great degree of tranquility,
union, and plenty, which we
have since enjoyed, for the
peaceable and rational manner
in which we have been enabled
to establish constitutions of
government for our safety and
happiness, and particularly the
national One now lately insti
tuted, for the civil and religious
liberty with which we are
liberty with which we are
blessed, and the means we have
of acquiring and diffusing use
ful knowledge and in general
for all the great and various
favors which He hath been
pleased to confer upon us.
And also that we may then
unite in most humbly offering
our prayers and supplications
(Continued on page 3)