Oregon daily emerald., July 10, 1973, Page 5, Image 5

-Commentary
Watergate and Wayne Morse
To sit on Independence Day and reflect
on the concept of independent government
and politics takes on special significance
in light of Watergate and the whole
complex of revelations of recent months. I
still recall clearly the vitriolic attack
made by the Eugene Register Guard last
January (as Richard Nixon was
inaugurated for a second term) on Senator
George McGovern who stated that this was
the most corrupt administration in the
history of the country. With the evidence
already in can anyone doubt the truth of
McGovern’s charge? This Administration
falsified public opinion polls (e.g. White
House engineered telegrams of support of
bombing Hanoi last December), falsified
fund-raising efforts (e.g. Maryland dinner
for Spiro Agnew), violated a host of state
and federal corrupt practices and elec
tions laws (e.g., illegal contributions to
campaigns, leading to the recent suicide of
a Maryland Congressman), committed
scores of conflict-of-interest violations
(e.g., “Bebe” Rebozo, Nixon’s close friend
contributing to Sen. Guemey’s campaign
after he was appointed to the Watergate
Comm.) The fact is that the challenge is to
limit the list of particulars,not to ferret out
information from the voluminous data
uncovered in recent months.
The evidence that becomes clear is that
electoral politics in the U.S. have been
severely challenged, subverted and
threatened by the big-business, special
interest and corrupt practices of this
administration. Recent Gallup polls
published this week reveal an ex
traordinarily high level of public lack of
confidence in the integrity and in
dependence of electoral politics; Nixon
and CREEP have tainted the entire
system of government.
By now most Americans view politics
and the government with suspicion and
most politicians with skepticism and
distrust. Furthermore, the total structure
of government is undermined as the
evidence shows that the FBI and CIA were
dominated by the executive and
manipulated by the White House for
political purposes; and a host of other
federal agencies were similarly con
trolled. The Congress was likewise
manipulated; the White House keep
dossiers on “trouble-makers” (read op
ponents and critics) and attempted to
determine Congressional vote outcomes
and actual legislative races in ways that
are in violation of election laws. There is
even evidence that the White House
illegally tried to alter decisions made by
the Supreme Court (via Attorney General
and Nixon campaign leader John Mit
chell). To read the Declaration of In
dependence, to think about the concept of
separation of powers and the meaning of
the original system of government in light
of Watergate and the disclosures of recent
months is mindblowing indeed!
In Oregon we have had some out
standing contrary illustrations of in
tegrity, autonomy and independence in
government. Candidates for election have
run apart from special interests, persons
in office have spoken out as independent
politicians. No one has better illustrated
this than Wayne Morse, who for 24 years
represented us in the United States Senate.
His prophetic words on our policy in Indo
china are among the most important in the
Senate in the past decade; his impact on
government while in the Senate surely will
place him in history as one of the true
statesmen of that body. In a recent article
(“Supremacy & Secrecy: The Deeper
Meaning of Watergate,” The Nation, June
18, 1973) Morse continues to speak out
about the threats to honesty and decency
in government and the challenges to our
system. He continues to be listened to
nationally as an extraordinarily sensitive
political analyst and commentator.
Although Nixon and the Republican
National Committee clearly wanted to
keep Morse from returning to the Senate,
he waged a strong campaign last fall. He
ran his campaign without support from the
lumber company giants, corporate in
terests, but with the financial and personal
contributions of ordinary citizens and
citizens organizations and groups. He was
substantially outspent by his opponent. It
is fitting that while Nixon’s fund-raising
efforts have accumulated large surpluses
from last year’s campaign, the Morse
effort left a campaign deficit of $22,000. If
we are to avoid the Watergate syndrome of
buying candidates and politics with big
money and special interests, campaigns
such as that of Wayne Morse must be run
by citizen efforts and contributions.
Besides respecting the 24 years of service
Wayne Morse gave us in the U.S. Senate
and appreciating his continuing public
role, hopefully readers will want to con
tribute now to the “Morse for Senate
Deficit Committee” (Philip George,
Treasurer, 595 Crest Drive, Eugene,
Oregon 97405).
Steven Deutsch
Associate Professor of Sociology
Rights, daycare, women's studies desired
By Nancy Williams
It’s summer and right now the living
ain’t easy everywhere. This is not a time to
sit back and let the University
bureaucracy get away from us. The
University administration has control over
us. Money and action is the power
language that is understood in this
capitalist society. In dealing with this
University as a part of this capitalist and
sexist society, I would not want us to
ignore two important issues which are still
before us.
Not long ago politics usually covered
race and class bias. Many of us, not just
women, found that this analysis did not
extend far enough. There are definite sex
roles and anti-female biases in our society.
These biases keep us from developing our
fullest' potential as individuals. This is
particularly true in the case of women
where men have the power and women get
to take care of the children and the home.
We, in the University, can help alleviate
some of this sexism by realizing that this
and all universities are sexist, racist and
class biased. We can, however, change
that tradition.
By implementing a University sup
ported day care system the children,
students, staff and faculty could benefit.
Everyone could benefit from a good day
care center. A day care center which is a
growth center rather than a babysitting
service for young children is a necessary
part of our University. Day care is more
than young women being excluded from
participating in the University, it is the
future of our youngest generation. We all
have a stake in day care and the education
of the young. To ignore this responsibility
is to ignore the future. Day care is
everyone’s concern and should be financed
by all of us through the University.
Another area which needs our support
now is women’s studies and a women’s
studies director. We all need to concern
ourselves with this area for several
reasons. Many of us feel boxed, caged, and
labeled by this University, the work world
and society in general. We are reaching to
find ourselves and our humanity. We want
to grow, but find ourselves hindered by our
formal education. Our minds are bound;
we fail to seek alternatives. We are tired of
accepting the same old crap the same old
way. Some of us have even tried teaching
it and living it. It won’t work any more. We
need a perspective. The feminist or female
version of humanist is a necessary and
viable approach to this needed change.
Also, women as a minority need to know
about themselves. In the early 60s it was
easy to see why ethnic minorities were
tired of the too few, biased words written
by white men to reinforce the stereotypes
and roles of the past. Why was it only this
year at this University that an ethnic
studies director was appointed? Why was
the program so long in getting started?
Now, however, women are hearing the
same lies about how impossible (and
unneccessary) a women’s studies
program is.
If not now, when? We must stop op
pressing people, women and children first
not last. We have sat back too long and let
the administration run and ruin our
education. We can change that.
Support university funded day care and
women’s studies. They are both important
to all of us as individuals, a human race,
and as women.
Nancy Williams is a member of the
University feminists and the ad hoc
Women’s Studies Committee.