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( . r, ! . , If the only purpose of pro?cuting Richard Nixon
IM were to punish him for his acts ana to deter tuture
i i j presidents from following his example, prosecu-
V " t'ibn might 'be' unnecessary. '' , '
)unishment
No incarceration is needed to sress that a
di president should not obstruct justice. Nor is a term
QQ in a federal penitentiary likely to further Nixon's
" rehabi I itat ion
Other concerns, however, do justify the
investigation and criminal prosecution of Nixon by
Special Prosecutor Leon Jaworski.
One concern is the ambiguous historical record
Nixon is leaving behind. Will his guilt or
innocence of participation In the Watergate'
cover-up remain a debated issue forever?
In his resignation speech, Nixon did not admit
any guilt in .the Watergate affair. Instead, he
emphasized the "erosion of the "political base"
that frustrated his efforts at personal "vindica
tion." If Nixon wants personal vindication, he can have
it in a full-scale criminal investigation. The verdict
of a jury or a defendant's guilty plea to a formal
change would be more convincing historical,
evidence than the mass of material collected by
the House Judiciary Committee.
r Another important concern is to complete the
Watergate investigations, begun by the Ervin
committee and continued by Jaworski and the
House Judiciary Committee. Too many unanswer
ed questions still remainseveral of which
depend "upon assessing the former presedent's
role in the affair. x
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Jaworski could be forced to decide soon whether
to prosecute Nixon.' The cover-up trial ss to wcg:n
Sept. 9.
When the Watergate grand jury handed up its
indictment of Ehrlichman and the five other Nixon
aides, Jaworski reportedly dissuaded them from
indicting Nixon. The special prosecutor thought
indictment of an incumbent president might be
unconstitutional. If that grand jury now votes to
indict Nixon, only Jaworski's signature can make
the indictment valid.
The former President risks indictment on
several federal charges, including obstruction of
justice, subornation of perjury, misprision of a
felony and income-tax fraud.
According to some legal experts, if Nixon is not;
indicted and appears as a w.itness at the trial, he
could confess on the witness stand to criminal
activity. Depending on the conditions under which
such a confession is given, Jaworski then might be
barred from indicting Nixon.
Many Nixon suoordinates already have pleaded
quilty end gone to jail. Others await trial or
sentencing for acts they allegedly committed on
behalf of their chief. If Nixon is not prosecuted,
the -trial of the six cover-up defendants will be
grossly unfair. The actions of the six, according to
White House tapes, were approved or condoned
by Nixon himself.
Why should those who acted on Nixon's
instructions, expressed or implied, be convicted
and jailed while their leader collects a $60,000
yearly pension?
Jane Owens
Operation nee
'' Following a series of emergency operations
"to bind up the Nation's wounds," the
patient was reported resting comfortably last
week.
f The Nation, 198-y ears-old, was found
dazed and bleeding from internal Injuries In a.
" gutter outside the Watergate, apparently a
hit-run victim.
Most witnesses said she had been struck
down by a powerful, recklessly driven White
House limousine. A few blamed a screeching
press car. All agreed, however, that she had
been heading downhill at the time, although
none could say for sure where she had been
going.
The patient was sped to The National
Wound Binding Center. There, physicians
Immediately lanced a huge boil of corruption
centered in the Oval Orifice. They said the
boil had created an infection of disillusion
ment that had been spreading through the
body and might have proved fatal..
A recent medical bulletin reported that the
boil was now "draining nicely" and the
infection "appeared curbed."
"That was the dramatic turning point,"
said the Center's Chief Wound Binder
Upper, Dr. Homer T. Pettfbone, D.V.M. He
warned, however, that the Nation was "far
from out of danger." "
oeut
Wl ofw 1p
o hind up nation's wounds
He said a preliminary examination showed
the patient was suffering from a long list of
other illsthe most worrisome being an
inflationary edema which easily could lead to
fits of depression:
He said the only sure Cure was a strict diet,
but it was doubtful the Nation could stick to
it. Despite the seriousness of the case, only a
few tranquilizers had been prescribed so far.
orthurhoppe
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He said this condition was being worsened
by the patient's grave lack of energy,
testified to by gas pains, blackouts and other
symptoms.TheNation also had a chronic lung
condition and had difficulty breathing.
Although the Nation had agreed to taper off
smoking, she kept back-sliding, and efforts to
persuade her to quit cold turkey had been
futile, said.
An amnesty salve now was being tested on
the irritation caused by the patients lon't
siege of Vietnamitis. But, he said, it was too
early to tell whether the salvg, would cure or
inflame the condition.,
The NatiSh also ""was suffering from"'
psychosomatic ulcers which erupted every
time she saw white and black children on the
same bus.
"Basically, all we've done so far," he said,
"is to lance the boil, remove the bugs and
' bind up the most obvious wounds." He
identified the physician in charge of the case
as Dr. Marcus Ford.
Asked if Ford was experienced in the field,
he replied, "Well, no, but he's got what it
takes in cases like this a great bedside
manner."
Unfortunately, he said, the patient was
accident prone. "We are called upon to bind
up her wounds here at the center," he said,
"everytime she gets a new President."
The Center's procedures were just the
opposite of those In ordinary surgical
practice, he said.
"Even though the operation is never a
complete success," he explained; "the
patient always survives."
(Copyright Chronicle Publishing Co. 1974)
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"Welcome aboard, Rocky. Reeky? "
page 4
dally nebraskan
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uear editor,
Regarding the placement of Tau Kappa Epsilon
(TKE) members in a dorm, I suggest that Nelson Potter
review the minutes of the regents' meetings last
spring. The board passed several parts of a proposal
organized by the Differentiated Housing Task Force,
ASUN and RHA (Residence Halls Association).
One of the parts discussed and passed by the regents
dealt with allowing specific interest groups, such as
stereo freaks, art lovers and engineering students to
live in certain areas of the dorms. I do not know how
well organized the Housing Office is in setting up
these areas, but allowing a special interst group TKE
definitely Is one to live in a dorm is a good step
forward in compliance with last spring's decisions.
i am an Independent and do not regard the TKE's, or
any Greeks, as a cancerous growth that will destroy the
minds of others by living in close "proximity.. .to their
(Centennial students') work areas." I also suggest Mr.
Potter let the issue pass to avoid any more antagonisms
with his neighbors.
Mike Whye
Wednesday, august 28, 1974
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