Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (July 9, 1963)
Ififli igBirt"fijfe"'r' '--'-' -j --s Summer Nebraskan Tuesday, July 9, 1963 LeciiisSatoirs iteipresent Mo Partoes 4 l t I iat ior'the majon people of the state, and the majority of legislators past and present, the differences between Democrats and Re publicans on most state ques tions are difficult to ascer tain. Indeed, the basis for party distinctions may be dif ficult for most of them much of the time." THE PERSONAL ABILI TIES of members determine the kind of leadership and tlus leadership may change irom session to session on separate questions, Brecken ridge continued. Instead being bound to one certain party the legislators are shaped by seniority, geo graphical distribution and po sitions on various committees, Breckenridge also contends that many Democrats have been elected from areas which would have denied them that privilege had the party label been attached. A majority of the senators surveyed agreed with Dr. Breckenridge on the apparent success of non-partisanship However, several who ob served the earliest days of Nebraska's one-house legisla tore, pointed out that son partisanship did not become a legislative fact of life over night "In the beginning," one sen ator wrote, "the non-partisan ship feature was a weakness. There was no responsibility of any member of the Legis lature except to his own vot ers in his district However, the commonly accepted sys tem of responsibility and leadership has been devel oped. As a result, party lines have no effect on legislation and the governor is able to work in cooperation with the Legislature." Many of the senators praised the independence given them under the non partisanship system. One of them commented: More Incentive "I think this is part of the one house. It allows each sen ator to be just what the peo ple have elected him to be. A representative of all the people regardless of party.! This gives the senator, more incentive since it eliminates going to the party bosses with anything that he thinks will be good for all the people and told to lay off if it may make a few votes for the other party." SOME EVIDENCE of par tisanship was found by an other, but he added from the senators' viewpoint: "I personally like the feel ing of direct responsibility to the people." Experience is Washington, DC, was cited by a senator who said: "After considerable experi ence in Washington, D.C, and the resulting political pressures, better legislation is enacted by the unicameral system with each senator al lowed to use his own good judgment. ! While this was the majority view, as outspoken minority did not view the workings of AT STEVEN'S 10 DISCOUNT To All Studenfj end Faculty ON ANY MERCHANDISE IN THE STORE WatchM Welch Sand tmtmi Tieyert fmtmhi TV ' Taps Kcw4crs YOUR CREDIT IS GOOD NO MONEY DOWN TAKE ANY PURCHASE WITH YOU Open Mondays end Thursdays Until 9:00 mm viyjSvi iik mmmmMmmmmimmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmma'mmmamxBmmmmMmmmmmmmmmmmmm Ill vn-Hrv y JT f 1 vr-r u JK , . v -tin, i f J. t -stws- r N v jf j - ''T x" r2r"T'" N '7 Ifj i - P- v-- IT, i Mir .v J " t ' I iXL. --w-rt p "' "'"""iuuj ihj w-'ii , I r ' 4 ' . f j ,v 5 . If --.vr ; v , rr j r I . - A . t- -;is. - 1. 1 . t ; j - r- non-partisanship with so much optimism. System Is Joke "The non-partisanship is a joke." said one. "Every sen ator is either a Democrat or Republican before he is elected to the non-partisan legislature, and he remains the same after he is elected." "Xon-partisaship did not eliminate anything," a sena tor said. "Check the record for the past 39 years, and you will discover that the Repub licans always voted as a body, and also the Demo crats." Several of the senators cited two examples over the past few years in which they felt partisanship had played a part in legislative dealings. One pointed out several times was the period during the re count after the election of Governor Ralph G. Brooks in of the unicameral svs 1958. The second incident ci- Wm fmmi n,jartinthm'n ted involved the appearance ( of Governor Frank Morrison in 1961 before the Legislature to complain that partisanship may have helped to kill a bill on Nebraska Hall of Fame nominations. Interestingly, several of the legislators who felt that nun- partisanship bad not worked in the unicameral system did not feel thai the system had led to buck-passing. THIS CHARGE of buck passing has been heard periodically since 1937. These critics said that the lack of party responsibility has made moving? rent a truck from IHIEirSYZ! Hertz rents dean mod ern Chevrolet GMCand other sturdy trucks by the hour, day, week or longer. Trucks with hy draulic liftgates . . . pads and dollies available. for further details en ho Hertz truck t cvt fil four rmetit, cU..s 43M037 1017 'Q Street LEGISLATIVE CHAMBER Many of the it possible for Nebraska leg islators to ignore vital legis lation. The survey, however, incubated that most of the senators themselves felt this charge was borne out by the facts. One senator said, "You can't keep partisanship out of a government man. I say the unicameral boys still follow their politics." No Back Passing However, this same senator I added, There s nothing to the buck-passing idea." Another senator who said he was "personally opposed to the non-partisan feature of the Legislature," added, "I do not believe, however, that non partisanship has led to buck passing." Conversely, another senator who praised almost every as- 3 n n fw4hiini1flTnra! cvc tbe reat w-eakness m ibe Ja passing is a favorite sport in the Unicameral Legislature. Legislature la reply to the buck-passing charge, one senator pointed Alii that hf fonnrf it -harl (. the buck mjih feiUf hav. log a public bearing." Another senator attacked , 4JJC IKVJiUU&C BlblCJll Oil UK very same charge. He said; "A student of legislative : history knows that the bicam-Jjjjj era! system enables buck- houftrw. tnsu Mi ihZ other kills it: and vk wrw conferente committee can do. and does very often. Efforts to Control This same senator c 0 -alijfa 1901 West ACTION OTACHASU SUSPEND ESS - F ASK! CM COLOSS ALL Q0 Ct 7 Tt J ft. 0,0 "? YZ 4- "A 393 senators who are seen on the plained about efforts of the political parties to control the Legislature. He said: "Many who are eligible to vole do not vote, as sad com mentary upon our citizens; only a few citizens actually participate in politics; and only a handful control a par ty, and it is only the handful who control the party who also want to control the Leg islature. The citizenry is not anxious to control the Legis lature or to have anyone else control it. except their elected representatives. THE MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES have voiced criti- ci.s ms oi ukt uwi-yu ajo- tern. During the 1960 state conventions, Democratic and Republican parties both spoke out against non-partH attltude tevaTi sanmp and urged a return to jjj -m anv ha party politics in state govern- e blaed part cf ?Miy ment- , on the lack of party politics manes iiein, wcumc state secretary of the Demo- cratic party, concurred. sa- I" "c " . " .. PP" P"lu"K ward state government as a . . tr , bo!e. party effectiveness is J...uul kar Ik MiM.n'i r-f icon oraJ . . . " crstem. Thus, Hein said, the : ' . : ' . bills is often inconvenient and impossible, Speaking from a personal standuoint and not ior the Democratic party, Hein con "it is impossible to pinppiol responsibility on any ,ne " '?TM,W . Charles Thone. former state chairman of the Republican panv, Saia UJC uui'& m different words when he de- m-'scribed the non-partisan Leg- CONGRESS INN CANTON EES E RESTAURANT W SPECIALIZE in CH.IMS AtJD AMERICAN "O" St. 477-367 Lincoln's Newest Dept. Store 14tb & 0 STREETS SIZE -5? 1 393 1 L 1 legislature's floor have endorsed the retain to a partisan islature as "43 leaders going in different directions." He said that senate -s can also escape respyibility easier in a non-partisan sys tem. Instead of taking a def inite stand for or against an issue, Thone added, the legis lator often passes the buck to the next man. No one is will ing to take full responsibility, Thone contended. Responsibility Escape He said that members of the Legislature are not will ing to return to a partisan system because they can es cape much responsibility. "A guy with a full house. Thone saw, ooesn t ask tor a new LjeaL" Thone also was concerned over what he considers an m slate government. U"hile a majority of the : senators surveyed favored non-partisanship, a number of 'them agreed in part with the greed i aiiLuu Mi&di w uic aunt inr , One senator I stand taken by the slate po- -.n0 h2d gerved under bolh isvstems said he preferred ,r r' In other words, candidates for an office on a platform would have the backing of their party. At present, you represent do party. On mat ters ob legislation u regard u partief m 0M mlsiAe u,e Legislature may talk autfaori - jtatively for a party, and Mr iwuuii kb 1 bo vu ux iui ii system. A NEED FOR TW O PAR- TIES was cited by several senators. Hr 0112M to be an arealto noj-political Legisla of opposition to all legisla- lion." one said. "I b e 1 i e v e there ought to be a place to put responsibility. Call em i j Federals and Whigs, there ! should be some way to divide I the responsibility. Of course it should be partisan. "More responsibility toward vital i5tes would develop tan SPECJAt STUDEMT AMD FACULTY OISCOUMTS SETTER QUALITY DIAMONDS WATCHES ' MA ACCOUMTS WUCOMS fXFEIT WATCH JCWELIY REfAltS KAUFMAN JEWELEHS Mil "or sr. CHRISTIANO'S PIZZA PIES WE CATER TO PARTIES AWCHOVIES MUSKZOOM SAUSAGE mmom ham rum i okioks HAMBUgGEg CHEESE t SAUSAGE SPAGHETTI tr MEATBALLS $1 .00 Kmw 4-12 (Vary Dr t( H. 27Hb St. FREE DELiYERY UNDER HEW der partisan election of mem bers," another senator said. "Political parties would then be able to work for pro grams of benefit to the state in matters pertaining to taxes, education, roads, resource de velopment, etc . . ." Vague Platforms However, another veteran senator was dubious of the in fluence of party platforms. "The political parties refuse to be specific on a platform," he said. "The political par ties' promises are vague; but (make) promises to all groups. "For example, they are for good schools, for labor, for fair taxes, for business, etc., but they don't nail their opin ions ... to a specific pro gram." And another senator did not feel that non-partisanship would necessarily work well in all states. He wrote: "The Unicameral would aot work in a state iibere political bossm or strong political . I V,.'-. "ithe leadership point when he is obvious that the whole thing -A acts as would be greased all the ay down the ball to the gov- ernorsrffice There w.ii Id oov c rnu-D v, cure the machine bad the Unicam eral and the governor." CONCERN WAS EX PRESSED by several sen ators about what they felt was the weakness of the two- party system in Nebraska. "It ; is doubtful. one said, "if the j two parties have fared as well on iijc tijiue level. 1 ne uid 'problem of Nebraska is an j out moded tax structure. Both political parties seem to sby away from it. and leave it turc tech is unable to cope tt- A one-toouse legisla- ekxled on a partisan mim we auie 10 gei something done Two points closely allied to non-partisanship brought a flood of comments from the senators cooperating in the survey. These two points OrtH MOM. THUEJ. NfTES 4774402 f SilM MANAGEMENT legislature. survey. These two points leadership and liaison with the governor. Leadership Complaint One senator, who backed almost every other aspect of the unicameral system, voiced the complaint about leadership: "In this one respect I agree with the opponents of the sys tem. In my opinion, this has resulted in a loss of leader ship that the partisan feature would probably provide. Ef fective leadership has not. in fact, developed in the Uni cameral. It is not only diffi cult, but in my opinion, im possible to have effective liaison between a partisan governor and a non-partisan Legislature. It is my experi ence that a non-partisan Leg islature makes it a particular point not to be led by a par tisan governor." Another senator emphasized the leadership point, although ne called non-partisanship strongest advantage of the tmcameral." He made personally sees the problems tthe par- t leaden This makes tt a u;Ltlle MficiAt for some mem- bers to go further in political life (U.S. Senator, or Repre sentative, or governor.)" These two points are taken up in succeeding sections of this report First LEADER SHIP. Three NU Offices Planning to Move The University Extension Division began moving yes terday to its new quarters on the fifth Coor of Nebraska IlalL This is the first of a series of departmental moves to tbs remodeled east side of Ne braska IlalL according to Lou is J. Legg, University Man ager of Inventory. Plans are for the Journ alism School to start moving on July 15 to the third floor of Nebraska HaH. As soon as the Journalism move is com pleted. Audio Visual and Pho tographic Productions will be gin to move to the tourta floor. "Moving is not the whole tory.M said Legg, Mm any people are involved fust cet- ting organized; much back ground planning is nece- sary." A COMPLETE MEAL in SANDWICH OPEN 11:30 KM. TO 11 TM. RUNZA DRIVE-IN 7 Blocb Swih ef C&scfa's Mill fASHIOMS MAIM ru9t
