Tuesday, March 15, I960
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' The Daily Nebraskan
Editorial Comment:
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From Aardvark to Zulu
Filibuster Is Worthwhile
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The following editorial was taken from
a recent edition of the Iowa State Daily.
It gives a very interpretive discussion of
the filibuster, a word which often causes
distaste when it comes up in discussion of
Congressional proceedings.
The word 'filibuster' usually causes
one to visualize a portly Southern senator
in pintail ed suit standing before the United
States Senate drawling out the vital in
gredients for the 'hushpuppies that man
great-great-grandpappy used to whomp
up.
"Although the dress has changed, our
Senators still manage to use the filibuster
to kill or force into compromise many im
portant pieces of legislation. And today
the filibuster is being used by the South
ern Democrats to forestall civil rights
legislation.
"The Senate is now in its second week
of round-the-clock debates on this critical
topic and a hard core of Southerners has
held the floor during most of the debate.
In view of the need for some civil rights
legislation, many people have taken issue
with the filibuster and Its use. Perhaps the
argument most frequently used is that the
filibuster gives the minority a means of
control over the majority in a democratic
system based on majority rule.
"FHibusteiing itself is monopolizing the
floor of the Senate, through talking, offer
ing Inconsequential but time-consuming
motions with the object of delaying or
blocking the will of the majority. Our Sen
ate is the only major legislative body in
the world which tolerates this practice.
"Eliminating the filibuster seriously en
dangers the right of free speech and may
even be harmful to our system of govern
ment For example, when the majority is
51 percent and the minority, 49 percent,
it may be majority rule, but is it democ
racy? "A filibuster can do two beneficial
things: (1) It enables a thorough discus
sion of the issue; and (2) Even a threat
of a filibuster often results in compromise
legislation in which the minority has at
least part of its views expressed.
"There are methods of ending a fili
buster. Although it hasn't happened since
1917, a positive vote of two-thirds of the
Senators present will cause debate to be
limited. There are also several neglected
Senate rules which would help keep dis
cussions to the basic issues. Most impor
tant is the rule which limits a Senator to
only one topic while speaking. However,
this rule is usually ignored during a fili
buster. "From this it may be concluded that the
Senate is not helpless. It has in its pos
session methods to limit debate. But most
of the Senators are apparently thinking of
the day when the shoe might be on the
other foot. For this reason they hesitate
before taking measures which will elimi
nate complete freedom of speech.
"Although the filibuster seems unreal
istic at Erst glance, we believe it does one
very important job enables complete
freedom of speech. This and the fact that
methods do exist to close debate, make it
a worthwhile institution."
Political Campaign Anybody's Guess
(ACP) The Rensselaer Polytechnic of
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute provides
this ssrvey of the political picture to date:
"A Jules Feiffer cartoon in a December
issue of Newsweek rings a ben for
this year. In essence, both political par
ties bold their conventions. Party '"A"
picks its candidate, but Party "B" is dead
locked. Parry "B", having no one quali
fied to run, decides not to run anyone.
With the public enthralled at such a cour
ageous decision, the candidate of Party
"A" resigns. Then both parties com
mence to show bow incompetent they are
for the rest of the electioneering season.
"Whether I960 could herald such a night
mare is doubtful, but the early days of
the election 'merry-go-round' End the GOP
solidly behind one candidate, and the Dem
ocrats holding Jacks, but co Aces.
The Democrats better pick someone
soon, as they face the highly able and
well-heeled Richard Xixon. Though 'dark
bsrses were the fashion years ago. the
present role of the U.S. in world affairs
rules out such a compromise candidate,
"However, in the Democrat camp, ev
eryone has his troubles. Stevenson is a two
time loser (asd too izSeHectiial); the North
dislikes Johnson; the South dislikes Hum
phrey; Symington, in the middle, is not
well-liked by anyone. Kennedy's main
drawback is inexperience.
"Back at the 'elephant water-hole. it
is surprising that with the fait accompli
that N'ixon is the 1960 standard-bearer, not
too much noise is beard about the Veep
spot To draft "Rocky would be sheer
hypocrisy after his feeble attempts at the
presidential nomination were cold-shouldered
by higher ups. Perhaps Henry Cabot
Lodge, who spends most of his time lis
tening to the Russians at the U.N"., mill be
chosen. Maybe Charles HaEeck. who has
done a stupendous job keeping the Demo
crats from bulldozing legislation through
Congress, win get the nod. About the only
other serious contender is Labor Secretary
Mitchell However, if the Republicans win
in 1950, and should Rocky decide to try
for the "big-time in "M. an inter-party
fight may essae, since his nomination
would imply a demotion for the then in
cumbent vice president.
"Nixon is a splendid figure o argue ad
mocinem. Some of his tactics n his rise
to fame could be worth pot-sb : .
So wiih the GOP in the White House
and the Democrats in Congress, and each
wanfcng to hold their ground and win the
opponent's, starts the still embryonic 1350
campaign.
Staff Comment
Balm and Sage
Americans and Cubans "remembered
the Maine when the French freighter La
Conhr. loaded with 76 tecs of Belgian
arms for Fidel Castro's police, exploded
ia Havana Harbor.
The foriAwt was prntlcaSy histsry re
peating itseif ia its similarity to Ihe blow-tag-vp
of the battleship "Maine" Just be
fore the Spanish-American
war broke int is 1838.
The locations were only
a a2e apart, the time of
the year only about three
weeks apart and the re
ceding charges from the
Cuban -governmest re
sembled those of the
TTnijut ffafMC. when aSS
men west iMra m the I ;l
'Mama.' I- mi
Prabaaea
This time, however, sot as many fives
were last Cms 5 to 75 aad Cmba was
fjaifatf he TUBited States for the explo
sion, rather tfcaa Ttce versa. A1m, tie re
ecst case tit ctese to heme, as a Xebras
Tkaa was arretted and heavQy interrogated
far seme 29 few regarding feis part, if
asy, la the tragedy.
gaddes cuicczsa of the whole affair.
i Hi t I
By Herb Probasco
though, was the fact that Cuba and Castro
were indirectly accusing the United States
of sabotage. These charges widened the
split between these two once-friesdjy coun
tries and made firmer the Soviet Union's
foothold in the tisy Caribbean nation so
close to our own land.
Secretary of State Christian A. Ilerter
has said that Castr and his aides "seem
to g out f their way to make UJS.-Cahaa
relations more difficult" as soon as they
take a tora tor the better. This may be
trae, bat mere important is the fact feat
this reentry probably "goofed wbea it
first collaborated with the Castra regime.
It might not have been for the best in
terests of the UJS. plantation owners in
Cuba to have been more friendly toward
Castro when he took over the land, but
judging from where we stand now, we
may have saved the fortunes of a few while
disregarding the outcome of out actions on
the fate of the free world.
As it is now, Russia has one foot solid
ly entrenched in Cuban soil through trade
agreements, and admit it or sot, Castro
will sooner be sympathetic toward Khrush
chev's gang than to the bungling United
States diplomatic policy.
Daily Nebraskan
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Daily Nebraskan Letterip
Aid Program
To the Editor:
At the present time it ap
pears clear that the most
important challenge to
America is the challenge
of the needs of the under
developed countries of the
world. If our country is to
go down in history as a
truly great nation, it will
be necessary that it meet
this challenge.
In the same manner that
individuals are considered
great by the concern that
they show for the needs of
other individuals, so nations
will be considered great by
the concern that they show
for the needs of other na
tions. I believe that we as
a nation should try to cap
ture some of the same spirit
that has captured such in
dividuals as Albert Schweit
zer and Mahatma Gandhi.
Ia order to meet the chal
lenge I believe that a new
nonpartisan national pro
gram for world economic
development is needed. The
program that I am recom
mending is a new volun
tary payroll deduction and
contribution plan similar in
type to a program provided
for California State Civil
Senior employees in Sac
rament to contribute to
the United Crusade.
Under this recommended
program each individual
would contribute annually
or have a certain sum de
ducted from his salary dur
ing the year for a national
program for world econom
ic development.
By converting our present
small compulsory program
into a voluntary program,
each individual would be
able to give as much as he
can and thinks he ought to
give to the economic aid
program.
Sack a program would
probably receive the strong
support of cburcbes and
philanthropic organizations
throughout the nation, and
would offer a challenge for
greatness to each individ
aal and to the nation as a
wade.
It is possible that if this
program were successful in
this country it would be
adapted by other developed
countries, and that a world
wide effort would be start
ed. For these reasons I be
lieve the program deserves
the serious study and sup
port of our nation and na
tional government.
What do you think? Does
it sound reasonable?
Jack Kennedy
Graduate Student,
Economics, University
of California
Job Shedding
To the Editor:
Recently a reader of the
Daily Nebraskan sent to
me a column written by
John Heeckt which implied
hat I agreed with his the
sis, and the following:
That the average Ameri
can, and even the scientists
or other specialists, is un
able t o be sufficiently In
formed to make useful de
cisions about the politices
and the problems of our
federal government
That, therefore where
such august decisions are
necessary, it could and
should be left to some sort
of politician who is advised
by experts and who is in
finitely more capable that
any average person or any
particular person to arrive
at an appropriate decision.
I am flattered that the
inference that Mr. Heeckt
that a man with at least
part of a university educa
tion has read some work
of mine. Many andergrads
are not even well enongh to
read as readers to try that
superb experience.
I am not in the least sur
prised on the outhand that
Mr. Haeckt has grossly mis
interpreted my literary en
deavors and thereby griev
ously wronged their inter
est. To be sure. I am the man
who said, "God must have
hated the common people,
because he made them so
exceedingly common," but
that paraphrase like many
skirmish in a life-long cam
paign t o convince people
i they're specialists, too)
that they, by God, better
begin to improve them
selves. I also have said, "Mom
N.H. Students To Express
Educational Policy Vieics
Durham, N.H. (I.P.)
Ia conjunction with the fac
ulty and the administration
of t!ie University of New
Hampshire, the Student Sen
ate Educational Research
Committee is undertaking a
project that win allow a
nvr.ber of students to voice
tbe.r pinions as to the gen
eral educational pohcies
here.
This is being accomp
lished by the distribution of
questionnaires containing 11
short answer questions of
tbe type found in an objec
tive examination.
Tfie queslioiinaire covers
a great amount of material
tow hing on all parts of uni
versity functions and Lfe
from the activities of the
administration and faculty
to actual classroom proced
ure and extra-curricular ac
tivities. Basic problems of the stu
dents are also dealt with.
Questions relating to guid
ance service, housing facili
ties, prescribed curricula,
are found in the body of the
questions presented
The mechanics of the
study are as follows: A ten
per cent random sampling
of students win be issued
the questionnaires by stu
dent senators; a three day
period will be allowed for
answering the questions; the
questionnaires will then be
collected and turned over
to the Educational Research
Committee.
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS
mmr m
is a jerk" but that does
not mean as so many jerks
hastened to assume
without any further inquiry
into my writing, that I hate
all women. On the contrary,
the very passage from
which that manifest truth
was taken out of contact,
reveals that I like women
so much that the sight of
one who is a Mom outrages
me more than it does the
ordinary, Mom-accustomed
male slob.
As long as the U n i t e d
States of America has any
real existence it will be
necessary for as many peo
ple as possible to know as
much as possible about ev
erything which concerns
their country, the world,
science and pretty soon
outer space.
Why? Because the Ameri
can people vote for and
elect their Senators, Repre
sentatives and the Presi
dent (who make important
appointees) and these per
sons govern the nation.
Because of that circum
stance of liberty, everybody
in this country is responsi
ble for its fate ia every
particular including those
who dont vote and are re
sponsible for some of oar
defaults and evea includ
isg people like Mr. Haeckt
who seems anxious to jetti
son their right as free men
and be pushed around by
some nebulous sneriors who
do not exist and never will.
I have also tried
constantly to advocate the
easy possibility of gaining
by reading and thought
which would occupy less
time than most people give
to TV, a general knowledge
of the world, its peoples, ,
papers, political systems,
sciences and so on.
This feat can be achieved
by anybody who is able to
read. I number among my
own personal acquaintances
men who work in banks, run
gas stations, own grocery
stores, teach in grade
schools, practice medicine
and do scientific research
along with many other
sorts, both average and
by the criterion of wages
and formal education very
1 liKflO THS fWtfrlL TEAM VCP rfc THE 0&T
sub-average who are suffi
ciently informed to satisfy
my requirements.
Indeed, nearly all of the
people I know even fairly
well are far more know,
ledgable than President El
senhower has so often and
so shockingly shown him
self to be.
His election doubtless is
owing to the problems of
voters as Mr. Haeckt said
that not only Mom but Pop
"knows best" and wishes
ardently to find a way to
shed the hard job of being
an American in any real
sense.
Philip Wyl'e
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bothmwhit. 5-17 255
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