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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 10, 1964)
THE BATTALION Page 2 College Station, Texas Friday, January 10, 1964 BATTALION EDITORIALS Congressmen Hide Beh inds Trifles Napoleon is credited with having said, “Men are lead by trifles.” As forces begin to line up for the battle of the presiden tial election year, one might become inclined to agree with the great general. It appears that the game is going to be played on a field marked with trifles rather than the real issues confronting the U. S. In our day and time we have come to refer to some of the trifles as technicalities. Or as many people say, mountains are made from molehills. The most recent example at hand would center around President Lyndon Johnson’s State of the Union address to Congress Wednesday. With the exception of a few who dis agree with everything, including the shining of the sun, congressmen generally agreed with proposals made by Pres ident Johnson for the year ahead. However, both Republi can and Democrats were quick to disagree with the way in which the President worded some of his proposals. It seems that Congress spends a great deal of its time trying to say how the nation should do something that every one is suppose to want done. But, the high paid representa tives of the people spend days, weeks and even months arguing over the wording within a piece of legislation. Only yesterday the chairman of the House Rules Committee said that he and the chairman of the House Judicial Com mittee could not agree on the meaning of words in the civil rights legislation. We have no intentions of underrating the complexity which pieces of federal legislation entails; but, we certainly do question the earnestness of the men who are to act on that legislation to reach a compromise. It seems that in many cases a gentleman of the Congress who is opposed to a piece of legislation would rather pick a technicality to beat on than to openly state that he is opposed to the legislation. This nation was founded and built by men who were ready to state their opinions on issues and who did not hide behind technicalities. It makes one wonder what type men we are sending to Washington when they hide behind a fine point rather than state that they flatly oppose or support a measure. Il *s Only A Rumor Rumors are somethings that float freely around the A&M campus. One rumor among the many that have found their way to The Battalion office is concerned with the A&M- TU basketball game this Saturday. The rumor is that TU students are making an effort to buy up all the tickets for the game. They are in hopes, so the rumor goes, that there will not be any tickets left for Aggies when they get to Austin Saturday. There is no way for The Battalion to confirm this rumor, but we do feel that we have an answer if such a situation does greet Aggies in Sipville. The secret to the answer is for everyone going to the game to carry a handy transistor radio with him. Should Aggies get on the sip campus and find that there are no tickets available for the game, we would suggest that they wait patiently until the game is about to start. We would hope that when the game starts all Aggies who cannot get into Gregory Gym will be just outside with radios in hand. From that same position those Aggies listen to the game and still support their team with yells just as they ordinarily would. In no uncertain terms they would let the sips and the national TV audience know that Aggie Spirit never quits. As we said, we don’t know that the rumor is true, we have just offered a solution if it is. Ferreri’s Triangle Restaurant Friday^ Featuring Our FISH SPECIAL All the fish you can eat for $1.00 at 12:00 noon and from 5:00 p. m. to 8:00 p. m. Book Your Banquets and Special Parties Early. Accomodations From 10 to 200 Persons THE BATTALION Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the student xvriters only. The Battalion is a non tax-supported, non-profit, self-supporting educational enterprise edited and operated by students as a university and community news paper and is under the supervision of the director of Stu dent Publications at Texas A&M University. Members of the Student Publications Board are James L. Lindsey, chairman ; Delbert McGuire, College of Arts and Sciences ; J. A. Orr, College of Engineering; J. M. Holcomb, College of Agriculture; and Dr. E. D. McMurry, College of Veterinary Medicine. The Battalion, a student newspaper at Texas A&M is published in College Sta tion, Texas daily except Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, and holiday periods. Septem ber through May, and once a week during summer school. The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for republication of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in the paper and local news of spontaneous origin published herein. Rights of republication of all other matter here in are also reserved. Second-Class postage paid at College Station, Texas. MEMBER: The Associated Press Texas Press Assn. Represented nationally by National advertising Service, Inc., New York City, Chicago. Los An geles and San Francisco. Mail subscriptions are $3.50 per semester; $6 per school year, $6.50 per full year. All subscriptions subject to 2% sales tax. Advertising rate furnished on request. Address: The Battalion, Room 4, YMCA Building; College Station, Texas. News contributions may be made by telephoning VI 6-6618 or VI 6-4910 or at the editorial office. Room 4, YMCA Building. For advertising or delivery call VI 6-6415. DAN LOUIS JR EDITOR Ronni^ Fann Managing Editor Glenn Dromgoole News Editor Jim Butler Sports Editor John Wright Asst. News Editor Marvin Schultz Asst. Sports Editor Mike Reynolds, Robert Sims Staff Writers Juan Tijerina, Herky Killingsworth Photographers CADET SLOUCH by Jim Earle ‘HE’S FORGOTTEN HIS HEART’ Johnson’s Long Work Days Create National Concern “I think he’s beginning to realize that there’s no time left this semester!” Sound Off Editors Note: Because the past contributors to Sound-Off have shown a tendency to make their contributions too lengthy The Battalion has found it ne cessary to limit all letters addressed to Sound-Off to 200 words. Any letter exceeding this length will be edited to meet this requirements. Editor, The Battalion: The recent “Wright or Wrong” columns by Mr. John Wright are examples of the most one-sided and misrepresented slanting of the “news” that has yet appear ed in The Battalion. Mr. Wright’s blind faith in the Democratic Party and President Johnson, as evidenced by his column of Jan uary 9, speaks poorly of him; but his vicous attack on Barry Goldwater which is void of any truth or accuracy is a slander not only on Mr. Wright himself, but also on The Battalion. It is a sad state of affairs when a newspaper which supposedly rep resents the entire A&M student body prints only one side to a vital national issue which con cerns all of us. I hope there will be some action taken about Mr. Wright’s very Wrong column in the near future! Sim Lake, ’66 ★ ★ ★ Editor, The Battalion: While sitting at my desk work ing very hurriedly, one of our secretaries “disturbed” me with my daily Batt. As usual, I paused to glance at the headlines and noticed the usual Christmas driving warnings. Upon turn ing to the second page, I was confronted with a very warm, truthful account of Silver Taps by Dan Louis, Editor, Battalion, my first thought was — “an other interpretation of Silver Taps;” but such was not the case. This is undoubtably the best “written” description of Silver Taps I have ever read. It expresses exactly one’s feel ings concerning the solemn, bea utiful, and memorable ceremony. I, like many others I’m sure, was very touched by your article. The only wish in my mind is that everyone, including non-Ag- gies, could read this. Not just for the explanation of Aggie Sil ver Taps, but rather to impress everyone with the needlessness of careless driving habits which is the main cause of Silver Taps at A&M. Sam F. Rhodes, ’62 By TEX EASLEY WASHINGTON WP) — Presi dent Johnson’s 12 to 14-hour work days are causing many peo ple to worry. He and Mrs. Johnson are get ting mail from all over the coun try urging that he take it easy. That, however, would require a radical change in Johnson’s make up — which isn’t likely to hap pen. Those who know him best say he thrives on drive. He was that way as a member of the House, as a senator and then as vice president. His 1955 heart attack only slowed his pace for about a year. Robert Waldron, who was an aide of Rep. Homer Thornberry, D., Austin for years has a healthy respect for Johnson’s vigor. “I went with him on that trip to Holland, Belgium and Luxem bourg early in November,” Wald ron observed. “He had all of us around him dragging, we were so worn out. Yet he was meeting with officials here and there, attending all kinds of functions and kept look ing fresh and fit. I don’t know how he does it.” Waldron said the same thing happened when he accompanied Peace Corps Quiz Set For Saturday The next Peace Corps Place ment Test will be at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at the post office in Bryan, and all major population centers in Texas. Application forms may be obtained from the post office, county agent’s office, the Placement Office or Daniel Russell, A&M liaison officer in Room 316-17 of the Agriculture Building. Johnson on a 1961 world tour. On that two-week trip, which took place six years after his heart attack, Johnson was able to snatch only a few hours sleep a night and one night didn’t get any. One expanation of how he does it, according to a close friend, is that he is thoroughly relaxed with friends or even strangers at semi-social or outright social ga therings. He seems to enjoy it, where some men would not. As a congressman, the Presi dent also maintained a fast pace because of requirements of the job as well as through inclina tion. That this speed is required of anyone serving in Congress is attested to by Rep. Jim Wright, D., of Fort Worth, in a recent letter to constituaents. “From the time a congressman tumbles wearily out of bed to grope sleepily for the morning paper and his first cup of cof fee,” wrote Wright, “every min ute of his day is spoken for sev eral times over. “In fiscal 1963 (ending last June 30), a total of 18,450,000 pieces of mail were delivered to Congress. Into my own office each day come about 160 letters. “So, the congressman must spend his first few hours of the day getting his mail organized and dictating as many replies as he can. Some will require tele phone calls to Administrative agencies. “Soon it will be 10 o’clock — the hour when one of his com mittees goes into session. This is important, because most of the actual legislative business of Congress is handled in Commit tee. With a few parting instruc tions to a secretary who feverish ly tries to jot them down in shorthand on her dictation pad. the congressman bolts out tit door in an effort to hear his committee’s first witness ... “But as he is passing through the outer office, he runs head-on into a family of constituents en- tering from the hallway. He wants to visit with them, of course, for they have to come to the Capitol to see him and they deserve attention. “Realizing he is missing the first order of Committee business and yet trying not to appear hai- ried or hurried, he greets the constituents warmly and invites them to have a cup of coffee from the 30-cup urn he keeps bubbling in his office. “Before long it is 11:45 a.ra, and the buzzers imperiously sum mons members to the House floor. On the way he may grab a hamburger at the House resta urant . . . Once on the (House) floor, he takes advantage of a lull in proceedings to dash into the cloakroom to try to return several long-distance calls his of fice received while he was in Committee . . . “When the House adjourns, perhaps around 5 o’clock, the con gressman dashes back to the House Office Building. There he takes up where he left off — dic tating, checking, signing the mail and returning last-minute tele phone calls. Bulletin Board FRIDAY Pan American Club will meet in Rooms 3-A and 3-B of the Memorial Student Center at 7:31) p.m. MONDAY Electrical Engineers Wives’ Club will meet in the YMCA Building at 8 p.m. CIVILIAN YEARBOOK PORTRAIT SCHEDULE Civilian Students will have their portrait made for the “Ag- gieland ’64” according to the following schedule. Portraits will be made at the Aggieland Studio, between 8 AM and 5 PM on the days scheduled. TIES AND COATS SHOULD BE WORN. NOTE: JANUARY GRAD UATES should have their por trait made before leaving school, disregarding any conflict in schedule dates. CIVILIAN SENIORS AND GRADUATE STUDENTS January 9-10 A-D (surname) 13-14 E-J 15-16 K-P 20-21 Q-T 22-23 U-Z CIVILIAN SOPHOMORES AND JUNIORS February 4-5 A-E 6-7 F-K 11-12 L-R 13-14 S-Z “Sports Car Center” Dealers for Renault-Peugeot & British Motor Cars Sales—Parts—Service “We Service All Foreign Cars” 1422 Texas Ave. TA 2-4517 1963-1964 TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY DIRECTORY of Offices — Staff — Students Price $1.00 Now On SALE At The Student Publications Office YMCA Bldg. PEANUTS By Charles M. Schulz I GUESS SOMEBOO/S GETTING HUNGRY ~J&0- ]RAV By S] “It’s nev et hope.” This opti , be the lared by j- sams. 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