UNiVtKSITf OF
LIBRARY
MAR 4 1983
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Attorney Answers Staff
In Telephone Interview
EDITOR'S NOTE! The Question wen
eallesl to Mr. Simmons Sunday moraine.
He chose to take down the Questions
an answer them In later telephone
conversation Sunday afternoon. When Mr.
Simmons called back with the answers,
members of the Nebraskan editorial staff
trie to record the answers as accurately
as nossihle under the conditions of a
rapid-fire telephone conversation. Heroo
nisinc the possibility that Inaccuracies
do occur under snch circumstances, the
NebraMkan will run In Its next edition
any replies that Mr. Simmons feels were
chatured In meanina; by our paraphras
ing. In an hour-long telephone
interview with the editorial
staff of the Daily Nebraskan
yesterday afternoon Ray Sim
mons answered the following
questions concerning his
statement that the Daily Ne
braskan for five semesters
has presented an extremely
liberal viewpoint.
The questions asked Sim
mons 8re boldfaced. His
answer to each question, re
ported as accurately as pos
sible under conditions of a
rapid-fire telephone conversa
tion, follows directly.
1.) You mentioned that the
students at the University of
Nebraska are "being openly
and deliberately indoctrinated
with controversial and ex
treme political philosophies
rejected by the overwhelm
ing majority of Nebraskans
of both political parties. What
do you feel is the political
philosophy accepted by t h c
overwhelming majority of Ne
braskans? Nebraska is basically con
servative. The newspaper
(Daily Nebraskan) of a tax
supported school has no right
to present one view as op
posed to the other without
giving the other.
Examples of the extreme
philosophy are the treatment
given to unilateral disarma
ment, ridicule of the H o u s e
Un-American Activities Com
mittee, recognition in the
United Nations of the People's
Republic of Germany and the
Democratic Republic of
China, and the lack of com
plete details in reporting the
St. Onge affair. This is di
rected toward editorial car
toons and articles, not news
stories.
&.) If the University stn-
Mo Tax
Says NU
State tax funds are not
used to support the Daily
Nebraskan as Ray Simmons,
ex-state senator, asserts in
an attack on the newspaper
and its policies, according to
a University official.
Simmons said Sunday that
the Nebraskan is a tax sup
ported newspaper which is
the voice of the University
and therefore belongs to the
tax -paying citizens of the
state.
He asserted three ways in
which the Nebraskan is, in
directly, tax supported: 1)
University students are re
quired to pay a fee of $1 a
semester for the Nebraskan
as part of their tuition; 2)
Facilities of the University
that is, a room in the Stud
ent Union are utilized by the
Nebraskan, and 3) the salaries
of faculty members who act
as advisers to the publication
are paid by the University,
and hence the state.
Refuting Simmons' asser
tions, the University official
said:
"Professor Neale C o p p 1 e
"current advisor to the news
paper) renders service as an
adviser without extra pay,
over and above his regular
assigned duties as a full time
member of the faculty.
"The $1 a semester fee
paid by the students to de
fray the costs of the news
paper is in no sense a part
of the tuition paid by the
student," the pfficial con
tinued. "It is exactly like the spe
cial fee paid for student
health services, for facilities
and services of the Nebraska
Union, and for retirement of
bonds which financed the
costs of the Student Health
Center and the addition to
the Nebraska Union. '
"These fee payments are
separately earmarked for the
specific uses mentioned and
are handled in their entirety
outside the budget of the
University,
Construction of the Student
Union was financed by non
tax funds, noted the official.
The charges made by Sim
mons were commented on by
dents are being constantly in
doctrinated with liberalism,
why did they give Seaton one
third more votes than Morri
son in the mock election?
Why did they, defeat Ken
nedy? In 1960 the University and
the paper opposed Republican
gubernatorial candidate John
Cooper and he was beaten in
a Nebraska University poll.
In 1962 there was no opposi
tion to Fred Seaton and stu
dents did support him. He
won the mock election. This
is an indication of the student
newspaper's influence on stu
dents. Nebraska University is a
tax supported school. The stu
dent newspaper, supported by
taxes, has no business taking
part in political issues.
The Daily Nebraskan is
supported by taxes for sever
al reasons. Among those are
the facts that the students
must pay $1 a semester for
the paper, the paper utilizes
University facilities and fac
ulty members are its advis
ors. It is immaterial whether
the tax funds go directly into
the paper or the money
comes from the students.
3.) Why did the liberals on
the campus defeat snch a lib
eral issue as affiliation with
the National Student Associa
tion by a 19-10 vote?
I was surprised that the
NSA received as much sup
port as it did in the first
place. i
4.) do you realize that a
majority of the articles, car
toons and editorials which
you chose to criticize were of
nationally-syndicated origin?
Don't you feel that yon are
also indicting metropolitan
newspapers across the coun
try? No, not at all. A private pap
er has the right to print
what it wants, but the Daily
Nebraskan is a tax supported
paper.
Do you feel it is proper for
a tax supported paper to take
Supp
on
O
other University officials,
Governor Frank Morrison,
and a number of other per
sons outside the University.
Simmons charged that his
complaints to the University
administration have been "to
tally ignored".
Regent Richard E. Adkins
of Osmond said in response,
'I have always been avail
able to Ray Simmons and
have always' furnished any
information requested."
The Regent also said
"that I've encouraged him to
come to the Board of Regents
prior to making a public
statement."
Dr. Adam C. Breckenridge,
University vice chancellor,
commented: "A University
newspaper should be free to
deal objectively with any sub
ject, as long as it is done
responsibly.
Chancellor Clifford Hardin
is out-of-town until tomorrow.
Governor Frank Morrison
said:
"Never since I have been
Governor has anyone come to
my office with a complaint
that the faculty or anyone
else was dictating the editor
ial policies of the Dauy Ne
braskan. If there is any evi
dence to this effect, I hope
that the evidence will be giv
en to me."
"I believe in the American
Constitution and as the Chief
Executive of the State of Ne
braska I have taken an oath
of office to defend the Con
stitution of the State of Ne
braska and the Constitution
of the United States.
"I have a firm convjetion
that everybody, be he a con
servative, liberal, or a middle-of-the-roader,
has a right to
free and uncensored expres
sion of this point of view. The
jonly restriction should be
against the printing of mat
ter which is morally degrad
ing or untrue."
U.S. Senator Roman Hrus
Coatinued on Page 2
fficial
a political stand?
5. ) What do you feel is the
role of the college newspap
er? What do you feel is the
role of the editor?
A college newspaper should
present campus news. On is
sues outside the campus both
sides should be presented ac
curately and fairly.
Classic examples of the
Daily Nebraskan's exceptions
to this principle are the St.
Onge coverage, where the
story was not told in whole,
and the Barry Goldwater
coverage.
In the Goldwater story
there was little reference to
his basic points. I am not
surprised that he was given
a poor reception on campus.
6. ) You asked in your con
cluding paragraph, "H o w
much longer will this situa
tion continue to degenerate at
the University of Nebraska?
Exactly how do you define
this degenerate situation?
The degenerate situation is
Continued on Page 3
Vol. 76, No. 76
'Students Will No Longer Be Used
As Political Whipping Boys' Dr. Hall
EDITOR'S NOTE: The followtni Is a statement reteasei by two University
refessers la the School of Journalism Saturday afternoon after Simmons' state
ment was tssaed.
Statement by Dr. William E. Hall, director, School
of Journalism. ;
"Were it not for 'the fact that I refuse to lallow
students at this University to be used any longer as
political whipping boys, I would dignify Mr; Simmons'
irresponsible charges with an answer.
"I will say this. Had any student in the School of
Journalism prepared such a report based on half-truths,
distortions, one-sided evidence, and statements taken out
of context, he would have received an "F" or failing
grade for his efforts and would probably have been
requested to withdraw from the program.
"To Mr. Simmons, the purpose of a University should
be to indoctrinate rather than to educate, to control
thought rather than to stimulate it
"The cry he raises is not new. He would simply like
to silence all who disagree with him.
"As Governor Gaylord A. Nelson of Wisconsin
observed not too long ago before an assembly of students,
"In our country the attack on freedom of speech and
freedom of inquiry is frequently masked as a crusade
against communist subversion.' "
"The young people associated with the Daily Nebras
kan, the whole student body at this University, are as fine,
as level-headed a group of young people as-will be found
anywhere in the world. They are the sons and daughters
of Nebraska, the beneficiaries of a hard-headed common
sense heritage.
"They are in no more danger of being misled by
left-wing sympathizers than they are of being intimidated
by the Mr. Simmonses of the country.
"It is interesting to note that of the five editors
Dr. Nutzman
Says Friction
Is Resolved
"All friction was resolved,"
said Dr. William Nutzman,
speaker for State Medical
Association's House of Dele
gates, concerning Sen. Terry
Carpenter's charge that the
friction at the College of
Medicine will cause the de
feat of the special mill levy
bill.
Nutzman made, the state
ment following a meeting of
the State Medical Associa
tion at the Cornhusker Hotel
yesterday.
The House of Delegates dis
cussed development plans
for the University College of
Medicine, he said.
No action was taken on the
matter of development of the
College, but it was referred
to the standing committee of
medical education of the Ne
braska State Medical Asso
ciation for further study
which is necessary before
any definite plans are made,
he said. The report will be
made at the meeting in May.
The Association endorses
increased support for all
plans concerning develop
ment plans for the University
College of Medicine, but no
specific action for any defi
nite plans has been taken,
emphasized Dr. Nutzman.
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Photo by Jaa Sack
SEVIGNE GETS DUNKED Busker track coach Frank
Sevigne gets a dunking in motel pool in Kansas City after
the track team won the Big Eight Indoor Track and Field
Championship Saturday night (For further pictures and
details see page 4.)
a 32-page report asserting
indicted, but not by name, in Mr. Simmons' charges,
three are now serving Uncle Sam two in the Armed
Forces and one in the Peace Corps. The fourth will enter
military service upon graduation in June, and the present
editor seeks a career in public relations. Her brother,
also a recent past Nebraskan editor, has served the
Republican Party of Nebraska in many capacities since
his graduation.
"Most readers making the effort to study the Daily
Nebraskan during the past five-semester period, would
reach, I believe, a far different conclusion from Mr.
Simmons'. However, their chore would be somewhat
more difficult; he sought only those items that tended
to confirm his pre-determined indictment.
"I submit also that readers would reach an addi
tional conclusion. Their study would show that the
student journalists, in virtually every case, made a
determined effort to be fair."
Statement by Prof. R. Neale Copple, School of
Journalism and Daily Nebraskan adviser.
"As adviser to the Daily' Nebraskan and the Corn
husker, I concur with Dr. Hall's statement. I know many
of the youngsters who work on the Nebraskan very well,
and am proud of them. It is unfair for anyone to attack
them or their newspaper by presenting only a partial
picture. I understand that similar evidence in their pre
sentation of the conservative view-point has been made
available to the press. That is good. The people of
Nebraska like to judge issues on the basis of a complete
picture.
"In running their newspaper, these youngsters have
been doing an excellent job of learning to present both
sides of an issue. Editorially, as is the right of any
editor, they have given their opinions. I certainly hope
and that is putting it rather mildlythat Mr. Simmons
Continued on Page 2
araes undue
Liberal
By WENDY ROGERS
Nebraskan Copy Editor
A report charging that Uni
v versity students are being
maocirinaiea wun coniro'
versial and extreme political
philosophies in the campus
newspaper was released
Saturday by Ray Simmons,
Fremont attorney and former
state senator.
Simmons issued a 32-page
booklet chiefly containing
excerpts from the Daily Ne
braskan including editorials,
news stories and cartoons,
during the Founder's Day
meeting of the Republican
Party.
Simmons took the floor at
the state central committee
session's conclusion and an
nounced he had information
which he thought the Republi
can Party should be interested
in.
The Fremont attorney then
passed out his booklet as com
mittee members left the
meeting.
The collection of excerpts,
says Simmons in his report,
Monday, March 4, 1963
Bishop Casey
Will Lecture
On Vatican II
Bishop James Casey, Ro
man Catholic bishop of Lin
coln, will be on campus Thurs
day to speak on Vatican II.
For the past several months,
Vatican II, or the Ecumenical
Council, has been widely dis
cussed and evaluated by news
media.
..Bishop Casey, who attend
ed the two-month first session
of the council, will analyze
various aspects of the council
and its accomplishments.
Three months after his elec
tion to the papacy, John
XXIII announced the purpose
of the council, and the Rus
sians, whose communist ide
ology controls about one-half
of the world's population, im
mediately branded it as a "re
ligious ' Atlantic pact," ac
cording to a national maga
zine. The council has vast powers
to bring about revisions of
both church laws and admin
istration, and the Pope ex
pects much to result from it
the article said. One of his
principal desires is a "bring
ing up to date" of the church,
letting it come to terms with
its own times.
This very problem is one of
the main criticisms leveled
against Roman Catholics by
their fellow Christians, it continued.
Views
' "shows a nattern which i
clear and never changing.
Students are being openly and
deliberately indoctrinated
with political philosophies re
jected by the overwhelming
majority of Nebraskans of
both political parties.
"And, all of this is being
done with the taxes paid by
Nebraska citizens."
According to Simmons'
booklet, 4 'whenever com
plaints have been made about
the University, the adminis
tration has either totally ig
nored them or issued a blan
ket denial that anything is
possibly wrong.
"University spokesmen an
swer with terms like 'aca
demic, freedom' and 'censor
ship' whenever anyone pro
tests questionable activities at
the University.
"However, it is clear that
the term 'academic freedom
in the eyes of the University
means freedom to give our
young people only the 'liber
al' viewpoint and to discredit
the 'conservative' viewpoint."
The report asserts that Ne
braskan political cartoons or
articles "favoring such con
troversial proposals as feder
al aid to education and fed
eral medicare with absolute
ly nothing of the opposite
viewpoint" are repeatedly
given to v University stud
ents.
"Is it 'censorship'," contin
ues the report, "for citizens
to protest when their tax funds
are used to tear down stu
dents' respect for their state.
or are used to support one
political party over the other,
or one political philosophy,
including such obvious tech
niques as printing 'liberal'
slanted professional political
cartoons and 'liberal profes
sional columns?"
In the conclusion to his re
port, Simmons says, "These
influences upon our young
people at our state University
are a serious matter.
"When a student sees polit
ical cartoons, and everyone
notices a cartoon, or reads a
political column in the offic
ial University newspaper or
hears faculty members con
tinually express a particular
political viewpoint, he natur
ally believes that this should
be his viewpoint as well.
"He may be concerned
about the risks to his own
university career, and ac
cordingly to his life career,
if he expresses a contrary
viewpoint
"How much longer will this
situation continue to degener
ate at the University of Ne
braska? How much longer
will Nebraskans tolerate it?"
The excerpts used by Sim
mons to back his stated con
clusions "appeared in the Ne
braskan from the fall semes
ter 1960 through the fall
semester 1962, together with
public comments of faculty
members and students."
Simmons notes in his re
port that the Nebraskan "car
ries almost entirely news of
the campus."
"Accordingly the items
which are set forth occupy an
especially high percentage
of the off-campus items."
The booklet is divided into
categories, each containing
comments and specific exam-'
pies.
Charges
Listed
The following are examples
of Simmon's charges and sel
ections he cited to support
those charges. The charges
are in boldfaced type. The
selections follow in each case.
"Anti-Communists are ridi
culed in political cartoons:
"Early in 1961 began a
massive national campaign to
discredit the growing grass
roots anti-communist move
ment in the United States ...
"The Daily Nebraskan sup
ported this anti-anti-Commu-nist
campaign with enthusi
asm from the start, with paid
professional cartoons and
columns and student editor
ials. The campaign continues
to date.
"From late 1960 to date the
Nebraskan has carried politi
cal cartoons by a profession
al political cartoonist These
have followed the 'liberal' po
litical line. Also these have
Continued on Pee S