Election muddle
Now that the Student Council has decided to hold another elec
tion and a protest has been handed to Dean Thompson by certain
Barbs asking that the call for another election be nullified, and that
the November 12 election, including ag barb ballots be counted, the
political pot still simmers. Peace has not yet come between the
political antagonists and the coming weeks hold an interesting story.
Although the Barb members of the Student Council were agreed
at the final, closed Council meeting Friday that the open election
scheduled for November 26 was the best solution, many Barbs are
of the opinion that a Greek dominated Student Council pulled a
fast one.
The DAILY still feels that he November 12 election should
have been held valid, including ag ballots; but also that the action
of the Student Council in calling a new election with provisions
for open campaigning by the elections committee Is wise and would
settie all problems at any other time than at the present, with
Barb sentiment running the way It is.
Combined action on the part of fraternity factions In a new
election will undoubtedly give them much more of a chance to carry
the election; and along with the sorority vote, which will undoubtedly
go for fraternity candidates, the Greeks do have an excellent chance
to win.
On the other hand. Barbs, stirred to a more unified action than
ever before by Judiciary decisions and strong leaders, may be able
to poll enough votes to make a new election a landslide in their favor.
And all the while, those Barbs and Greeks who are genuinely
interested in the welfare of university are hoping that this whole
squabble is nothing but a political fight; hopirg that the argument
does not become more involved or more fundamental in its aspects.
Now that the Barbs are unified, now that the Greek factions
are operating as one, there remains but one step... and that is to
convince all parties concerned that both major groups stil have but
one major interest. ..and that is In providing this school with a
unified, tingle-purposed student body.
Greeks must all realize, and we believe most of them do not,
that Barbs deserve to share in Student Government and Student Ac
Dear Editor;
At a certain Mid-Western uni
versity it was decided that the
campus should be beautified, come
next May, by a sprig of ivy. This
is to be a memorable occasion, so
the search for competent and ex
perienced gardeners was begun
early early in November. Six
tana of the soil gardening experts
all volunteered their talents to
the service of dear old alma mater,
but only two were needed. It was
decided to choose between these
would-be put'ic servants by refer
endum. Each pair of candidates was
backed by a group of friends and
well-wishers, each and every one
of whom was certain that his
party's candidate was best quali
fied to plant the ivy, although
most of them would not reccgnize
that candidate if they chanced to
meet him minus his letter sweater.
The election was hotly contested.
AH three factions appeared to
have been guilty of technical vio
lations cf the election rules, so
eager were they to have an expert
hand tuck in the aforementioned
ivy plant. At least, all three were
accused of violations. But someone
remembered his high school his
tory and the election of Hayes in
1876 by the simple expedient of
throwing out the democratic votes,
to he contrived to have part of
the votes of one of the opposing
factions nullified cot all of the
votes, but just enough to defeat
the candidates of that faction.
With visions of the ivy dying
for lack of the skill and care that
their candidates would have given
It, the wronged faction was in
tensely indignant. Floods of ora
tory and invective were poured out
upon the offenders.
The editor of the student news
paper received letters of protest,
one of which inferentially de
nounced the whole fraternity sys
tem, and another of which was a
deplorable personal attack on the
president of one of the factions.
A great deal of ill-feeling resulted
all around. The faction whose
votes had been thrown out, realiz
ing that it would reap the benefits
of both the previous violation and
the subsequent publicity, began to
agitate for a new election. The
fight was not over in time to per
mit the planting of the ivy in the
spring, but it made no difference.
Most of the students were seeing
red so exclusively by that tune
that a green plant would have
been totally out of focus.
Moral: College activities are an
important phase of university life.
They teach cooperation, the abil
ity to get along with people, and
other social virtues. Fancy a school
without politics! Let's all get into
activities!
Don Atkineen.
'
Dear Editor:
Congratulations! Tour editorial
today (Thursday) was the first
time that an editor came out in
favor of the truth. Usually it is
only good old Xa Xa and her wel
fare that occupy the noble
DAILY'S pages. Again, congratu
lations! Let us have more truth
and less hooey about dear old Xa
Xa in our official newspaper.
By the way, why is a column
like Scrap Irony included in a col
lege newspaper? For the benefit
of any grade school children who
might read it?
Your comments of the letters
in the paper today (Thursday)
were very cute, but the barbs
might not like being called sheep
any more than you enjoyed being
called a skunk.
With apologies,
Ward Brunson, barb.
Dear Editor:
If you can can the barbs sheep
and dogs, what is so indiscrimi
nate about merely asking if you
are a skunk?
I am deeply humiliated because
I used a double negative in my
letter, but it is not my fault that
the editorial policy of the DAILY
has a distinct odor. Thursday was
the first time this year that the
DAILY did not have a distinct
Grecian odor.
I remain respectfully yours.
Ward Bruneon.
Lincoln, Neb.
November 14, 1M0
Dear Editor: .
In the 'Dear Editor" column of
the DAILY, November 14, mo,
different students gave forth their
opinions of the just past Uni elec
tion. Comes now a student who is
trying to look into the future and
sees the results of the mentioned
election. ,
During the past few years, the
"Barb" students on the campus
have been struggling to become a
voice in campus politics. Now,
during the present school year.
they have reached that goal and
will become the controlling voice
if the present trend continues. The
Progressive and Liberal political
parties, foreseeing this movement.
nave resorted to small technical!
ties in an attempt to halt or at
least retard this movement By
using inese technicalities, the men
tioned politics! parties have de-
reaiea their own purpose try hav
ing aroused the indigation of
otherwise uninterested "Barb" stu
dents. In general, they, the politi
cal parties, have unified and
strengthened the "Barbs" by giv
ing them a common front which
will greatly hasten the movement
mentioned above. The "Barbs.
on the other hand, have proved
that they are not Blmon pure by
breaking rules laid down by gov
erning authorities. This indicates
that, when the Barbs come into
power, they will probably make
use of the practices that the Pro
gressives and Liberals have been
accused of in order to win elec
tions. Again generalizing, this election
has decreased the good will be
tween affiliated and unaffiliated
students, has made enemies, and
I to destroy a unified school spirit.
DAILY NEBRASKAN
tivities if they show the necessary interest; and that if Barbs show'
the strength to win Student Offices and to gain positions in Student
Activities, they should be accepted heartily and extended co-operation
and good wilL
Barbs must realize, and we believe most of them do not, that
Greeks are not distinguishing themselves from Barbs in a purely
social way. The distinction has been and is purely a political dis
tinction and has nothing to do with personal social relations or
status. Fraternities and sororities mingle with each other socially
because they have much in common. Their attitude is not anti-barb,
but pro-fraternity... except in campus politics; and even then it is
an artificial distinction used for the purpose of furthering the cause
of individual fraternities, and not purposefully to tread on any Barb
rights or privileges.
The whole argument between Barbs and Greeks Is artificial.
No Greek thinks he is actually a better person than a Barb, nor
does any Greek think he has any rights that a Barb does not have.
If there are any Greeks who do not conform to these statements,
they should change their tune.
Barbs should realize they haven't taken part in Student Govern
ing in the past for two reasons. One, they haven't organized enough
in the past to win jobs, mainly because they hadn't the equipment
that fraternities have; two, they haven't realized the common interest
that fraternity faction members had, and which the Barbs do have
of seeing their party win. . v
Our hope, and it is a fervent one, is that when the smoke of
political battle drifts away, everyone will realize how unimportant
this whole thing is In the realm of things. We are still all students
at the university; we still have one thing in common, the welfare
of this institution; we still are here to study first, and to argue
next; we must work to make the student body strong and unified,
so as to work toward one Ideal that transcends all other selfish
political Ideals... and that Ideal Is to make the University of Ne
braska a school we can all be proud of, one where truth and honesty
are still virtues that guide the destinies of Individuals and groups;
one where political strife between factions is a result of an enthusi
astic desire to further, In the long run, the interests of everyone,
the best interests of this university.
Let us hone. then, that each uni
versity student will prevent the
"off-color" actions of glory-seeking
students from clouding his
cwn friendships and opinions in an
attempt to forestall the effects of
such an election.
Yours truly,
J. Burton Rlshel.
To the Editor:
It would be appreciated if the
following announcement were
brought to the attention of all un
affiliated students.
Barbs Attention:
No one as yet knows what cam
paign measures are legal and
what are not The Student Coun
cil has thus far refused to give
any interpretations until after
elections are completed; therefore
to insure no repetition of the arbi
trary decisions handed down and
later reversed by the Judiciary
committee, all barbs are urged to
refrain from any of the following
actions:
L Please do not underline any
list of candidates you may find in
the DAILY NEBRASKAN. on
sample ballots, or in any other
list of candidates.
2. Please do not pass any list
of candidates to a friend, ac
quaintance, or anyone else. This
has always been done in the past
without its legality being ques
tioned but may be subject to
retroactive decisions of the Coun
cil. X. Do not mention the word
vote, or any candidate's name in
the Student Union building or In
ag ban on election day because
this may be Interpreted as -soliciting
votes at the polls."
Please understand that the
above have never been declared il
legal but every precaution must
be takes in the coming election (if
permitted by the University Sen
ate) to prevent a recurrence of
the incidents connected with the
last election.
4. Do not under any circum
stances permit your identification
card to be collected by any per
son or organization, and do bot
use an coercive measure to induce
anyone to vote. This is definitely
unethical, and has been contrary
to all barb practices in the past
BLAINE SLOAN,
Barb Union President
The
Daily Nebraskan
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Council-
( Continued from Page 1.)
provisions for display about the
campus preceeding elections of
placards showing pictures, names,
party affiliations of and offices
sought by all candidates.
Strive for cleaner politics.
Consensus of the council was
their action should make for
cleaner politics than ever before
on the campus and that it should
relieve the faction friction which
Tuesday's election caused.
When the council convened at 5
p. m. Friday in room 316, the au
dience overflowed into the halL
Cries of "ballroom" were soon
heeded and the meeting moved to
the dance floor.
Hearing the recommendation of
the judiciary committee that ex
clusion of ag votes be rescinded
and that due to numerous alleged
infractions of election rules a new
election be held. Before council
president John Mason finished ask
ing for new business, barb tsember
Ray Murray had requested the
floor amid the applause of the
barb dominated audience.
Murray moved that 'since the
0
AT J-'
The eolor "in first place," for
sin art ' 4 acctorizin ! " Two
Bturinbg pumps in the "Petite
Ieb" manner 1 TLe."hich
heeler" with a "CUili TOE"
..the casual, with a "SQUARE
TOE" and "KEG" HEEL!
giiLi & C'
Sunday, November 17, 1940
Judiciary committee had re.
quested that the action of throw,
ing out the ag votes be rescinded,
and since the barbs had placed no
formal protest against other fac--tions
the council should approve
the election of Tuesday counting
an Dauois. , tie conienaea mat the
rescinding action of the commit
tee cleared the barbs of all charges
but Mason replied that the action
was not to free the Barbs front
charges but rather to correct a
mistake of the committee in dis
qualifying votes at ag campus
when candidates involved should
have been eliminated.
As Murray finished his plea for
approval of barb party pluralities,
progressive law school representa
tive Bob Flory moved for adjourn
ment Although Murray's motion
was before the house, the move
for adjournment was seconded
and passed since adjournment mo
tions take priority over all others.
Barb members of the audience
began to cheer, for this action was
somehow construed by them to
mean an approval of the barb con
tested pluralities. Both Mason and ,
E. W. Lantz, faculty adviser to
the council, shouted to the crowd
that such was not the case. The
crowd next supposed that the
council planned no further action
and meant to leave the election
J as first approved. Boos and
threats to members of the council
filled the air. Sloan admonished
the crowd to be calm. After sev
eral minutes of heated discussion
between spectators and council
members, the outsiders dispersed.
Mason called for a new meet
ing in room 316 where the council
went on without a crowd.
Klub-
(Continued from Page 1.)
ber rather than for the group as
a whole.
Phi Psi skit
"Operatic Interlude" by Jim
Selzer was Phi Kappa Pai s ver
sion of Olson and Johnson. It
was the best of several acts re
sembling "Hellxapoppln." A dead
pan male stripteaser brought the
best laugh for this skit
Bob Aldrich wrote and played
the leading role in Alpha Sigma
Phi's front curtain act, "Cucoo
Clinic" In this number Aldrich, as
Dr. Groucho Marx, wisecracked
his way thru the skit while a pa
tient died because his identifica
tion card was not in order.
Several acts had excellent ma
terial in them but failed to get
applause because of lack of punch
in the endings of the skits. Altho
winning acts were good, the ap
plause meter decision seems to de
pend on which group can make It
self heard the best for each or
ganization had its organized cheer
ing group to applaud, whistle and
shout at the meter.
"Petite Deb"
495
