The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, May 01, 1970, Image 1

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Vol. 65 No. 110
College Station, Texas
Friday, May 1, 1970
Telephone 845-2226
Senators Uphold
Election Results
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Student senators Thursday up
held the results of last week’s
general elections by disallowing
a protest that voting was not
done in secret.
The protest, ruled valid Tues
day and then reversed Wednes
day by the Election Commission,
was presented to the senate by
three sociology graduate stu
dents, Evelyn Dunsavage, Mike
Miller and M. B. Flippen.
Though prohibited by a tech
nicality from appearing to the
senate that night, the three were
allowed to appear to obtain an
"unofficial indication of the sen
ate’s feeling on the issue.
After almost two hours of de
bate, senators agreed without a
dissenting vote that the Election
Commission’s second decision was
the wiser.
Mrs. Dunsavage charged that
those who handled the election
received “nebulous instructions”
resulting in many inconsistances
in the voting process.
Officials were at some polls
confiscating lists of candidates,
she said, while others made a
practice of looking over voters’
shoulders as they marked their
ballots.
once about unfair election pro
cedures.
“Any governing body that is
not willing to live within their
own regulations is not very rep
resentative of its people,” she
said.
A number of senators and some
members of the Election Com
mission said they agreed that
Mrs. Dunnsavage presented valid
points, but they wondered wheth
er the remedy would be to have
another election.
President-elect Kent Caperton
said the way the elections were
handled probably hurt his Fifth
Wheel Committee members more
than anyone else. But he urged
that the election be allowed to
stand.
He said he doubted whether
anyone voted differently in the
election because the ballot was
not secret.
“Let’s change these election
procedures so these mistakes
don’t happen again, but let’s not
punish student government,” he
said.
She urged the senate to take
a stand and do something for
David Moore, a candidate for
the vice presidency who lost by
little more than 100 votes, also
urged that the senate validate
the elections.
“I want to see student govern-
Graduation to Be
On TV in MSC
Closed-circuit television will be
employed to accommodate the
expected overflow crowd attend
ing A&M’s commencement exer
cises May 23.
Dr. C. W. Landiss, chairman
of the Convocation Committee,
said the spring graduation cere
monies will be transmitted into
the Memorial Student Center
Ballroom by the Educational
Television Department for large-
screen display.
Guest tickets will not be re
quired for admission to the ball
room, Landiss said.
Earlier this month the com
mittee approved a plan to limit
admission to G. Rollie White
Coliseum, graduation site, to the
graduate’s immediate families
and require tickets for entry.-
Each graduate is allocated four
tickets and can request more.
A record 1,535 students have
applied for graduation.
ment mean something, he said.
In other business, the senate
recommended that $29,000 be
taken from the student service
fee reserve fund and distributed
to student programs in the Me
morial Student Center, Town
Hall and the senate.
The proposal was introduced
by Treasurer Rick Reese, who
said that Dean of Students James
P. Hannigan had asked the sen
ate for a recommendation on how
the student service fees should
be allocated.
Reese said that another secre-
tai-y was needed in the MSC Stu
dent Program office and that
Town Hall should be able to af
ford a higher quality of enter
tainment.
At first some senators wanted
to take the money from the Hos
pital account because, as Reese
said, the university hospital was
mismanaging the funds it had.
But Tom Cherry, vice presi
dent for business affairs, per
suaded senators that it would be
unwise to withdraw funds from
an institution that he admitted
needed a lot more money for
staffing salaries and repair costs.
Cherry said the senate proposal
will be considered at the June
meeting of the A&M Board of
Directors.
Senators also agreed to place
before the student body a ques
tion concerning the need for the
annual Bonfire.
Dr. Don Clark of the Depart
ment of Wildlife Sciences, who
was requested by President Gerry
Geistweidt to appear at the sen
ate session, asked the senate to
consider some other form of ac
tivity other than the bonfire that
would show school spirit just as
well.
He said he was concerned with
the negative effects in the en
couraging of an attitude in the
studeiit mind that the destroy
ing of forest timber is the proper
disposal of natural resources.
The senate voted to place the
question on opinion poll to be
given to the students next week
during pre-registration.
In other action, the Senate vot
ed to keep the purchase of the
Aggieland, the university year
book, a mandatory requirement
of all students who pay activity
fees.
Lane Stephenson of University
Information and adviser to the
Aggieland told senators that the
annual would be more expensive
if purchase was put on a volun
tary basis. He added that in
some schools such a move has
virtually “killed” the yearbook.
The senate also passed unani
mously its joint statement of stu
dent rights and responsibilities
as presented in its final reform
by Jim Stephenson (sr-LA).
Congressman
To Speak on
Environment
PACKED MEETING—Dr. Donald Clark, wildlife science professor, speaks to senators
and an overflow audience about abolishing- the Bonfire during Thursday night’s Student
Senate meeting. (Photos by David Middlebrooke)
U. S. Assaults Essential
U. S. Representative O r v a 1
Hansen (R-Idaho) will speak on
“The Ravaged Environment” at
12 noon Monday in the Assembly
Room of the Memorial Student
Center.
The Political Forum speaker is
the co-author of the Environ
mental Quality Education Act
and has been sitting on the Con
gressional hearing on environ
ment.
A veteran of World War II
and a current major in the Air
Force Reserve, Hansen has been
practicing law since 1954 and
was a member of the Idaho Com
mission on Constitutional Revi
sion. —
Before becoming a representa
tive, he served four terms in the
Idaho House of Representatives
and traveled and lectured in Eur
ope, Africa and the Middle East.
T emporary, N ixon Says
University National Bank
“On the side of Texas A&M.”
—Adv.
By John M. Hightower
AP Special Correspondent
WASHINGTON — In a stun
ning turn of policy. President
Nixon has launched a surprise
offensive by U.S. and South Viet
namese troops against North
Vietnamese and Viet Cong sanc
tuaries in Cambodia.
He declared the assaults were
essential to save American lives,
continue his Vietnam troop with
drawal program, and help end
the war.
Nixon announced his contro
versial decision to the nation
Thursday in a dramatic televised
speech in which he acknowledged
it might make him a one-term
president but argued the stakes
were too high for political con
siderations.
“Whether I may be a one-
term president,” he declared, “is
insignificant compared to wheth
er by our failure to act in this
crisis the United States proves
itself to be unworthy to lead the
forces of freedom in this critical
period.”
His decision was immediately
assailed by a number of leading
senators, although some others
praised it. In the immediate aft
ermath of the speech there was
no doubt Nixon faces a bitter
and prolonged battle in the Sen
ate.
A White House official said
the thrust into Cambodia should
last six weeks to two months.
Thousands of U.S. and South
Vietnamese troops are engaged
against an estimated enemy force
of 40,000.
Nixon charged the Commu
nists in the last two weeks have
been overrunning Cambodia and
turning it into a vast spring
board for attacks into South
Vietnam. He promised that “once
enemy forces are driven out of
these sanctuaries and their mili
tary supplies destroyed, we vHll
withdraw.”
In words which seemed to re
cognize the risks of Russian and
Red Chinese counter-actions, Nix
on said:
“These actions the strikes
into Cambodia are in no way
directed at the security inter
ests of any nation. Any govern
ment that chooses to use these
actions as a pretext for harming
(See U.S. Assaults, page 4)
Yarborough Will Take On Conservatives Again Saturday
Conservative Democrats try again Saturday to
defeat Sen. Ralph Yarborough, who has held his seat
for 13 years.
This time Lloyd Bentsen, Houston millionaire
and former Congressman, is challenging Yarborough.
Both candidates are counting on the support of
Mexican-Americans in the Rio Grande Valley.
Chicanos have always supported Yarborough,
but Bentsen, born in the valley, represented the area
for three terms until his retirement from politics in
195 5.
“The Rio Grande Valley has never had a U.S.
Senator born and raised here,” Bentsen told a valley
rally early in the campaign. “But you are going to
have one. I have never lost a race and I am not going
to lose this one.”
“What has Lloyd Lloyd Bentsen ever done for
the valley?” Yarborough has asked during the
campaign. “The valley is not for sale. You can’t buy
people.”
“I never heard of him doing anything for
migrant labor,” the senator said. “All I ever heard
about is his father working these wetbacks. All I ever
heard was them exploiting wetbacks.”
Bentsen has made extensive use of radio,
television and billboards, while Yarborough has
conducted a low-key campaign.
Expense reports filed in Austin Monday
indicate that Bentsen has spent more than four times
as much as Yarborough. Yarborough reported
expenses of $212,734 and Bentsen said he spent
$972,680, with $365,451 going for advertising and
political rally expenses.
Yarborough believes that his 13 years of
seniority in the Senate is the most important issue in
the race.
During his years in the Senate, Yarborough has
helped pass many bills on labor, education, conserva
tion and veteran benefits. He has also sponsored a
campaign to lower the voting age to 18 and to
provide more money for national program aimed at
better treatment for heart, stroke, cancer and kidney
illnesses.
Yarborough
Yarborough has made an issue of Bentsen’s
heavy expenditures in the campaign, claiming that he
is trying to “buy” the election.
“The major issue in the Senate race is the
incumbent Senator, his record, his way of doing
things and his record of not doing things,” Bentsen
has stated. He has had 13 years to make a con
tribution and his contribution is not big enough. I
don’t think six more years in the Senate is going to
produce much more.”
Bentsen has strongly criticized Yarborough for
his Vietnam peace stand.
“I think Texans want a senator who is going to
work for peace and not a peacenik,” he said. “I don’t
think Yarborough had any business endorsing
McCarthy for President and he didn’t have any
business endorsing the Moratorium. We can’t do
anything about the McCarthy-McGovern policy, but
we can do something about the Yarborough policy.”
Yarborough answered. “I support anyone who
wants to pray and fast (for an end to the war), but if
they throw fire bombs and break the law they should
be sent to jail.”
“I think that it is imeprative that we not extend
the war into any nation adjoining South Vietnam,”
Yarborough said. “I am hopeful that our government
has realized the error of our involvement in South
Vietnam and I support any policy which will result in
a prompt settlement of that conflict.”
Bentsen said that he supported the President’s
program to end the war.
“He should be given time to carry forward his
policies to end the war,” Bentsen said. “He should
not be undermined by partisan sniping by critics who
will apparently never be satisfied until we have run
out, or been driven out, of Vietnam. I stand for peace
in Southeast Asia.”
(See Yarborough, Page 4)
BENTSEN
^ush, Morris Differ Over World Role of United States
BUSH
The role of the United States as a world power
is the prime ideological division between the two
candidates in the Republican primary Saturday.
Dr. Robert Morris, president of the University
of Plano, has stated that it is the responsibility of the
United States to “save sovereign nations from
totalitarian rule, extending liberty and freedom with
out weakening this country.”
Rep. George Bush, Houston Congressman since
1966, feels that the U.S. should not act as
“policeman for the world.” He added that the nation
must “live up to our existing commitments for our
own security and the security of the free world, but
that our main responsibility is to be so secure
internally that by our example, there can be no
question that democracy is freedom and justice, and
it works.”
Morris has appealed to members of the
American Party to support him against Bush. He said
that if two percent of the 600,000 who voted for
George Wallace in 1968 will vote for him he can
defeat Bush.
“The American Party offers a tremendous
potential for the Republican Party this year,” he said.
“These people are former Goldwater Republicans and
if we can get just two percent of them, it’s going to
be tremendous.”
Bush says that he doubts American Party voters
will affect his race.
“I think traditionally that Republicans will vote
in the Republican primary and that they will support
me,” he said. He said former Wallace supporters “will
go back to where they came from and vote in the
Democratic primary. I don’t view this will real
concern.”
“We need a complete reform of our welfare
system,” Bush has said. “More and better work
incentives, new training methods, day-care centers
and computerized job-matching should be developed.
Those who can’t work must be helped, of course, but
we must also try harder to match job skills with job
opportunities.”
Morris has criticized what he said were Bush’s
“liberal” votes for the Nixon administration’s welfare
reform proposals, including an annual income to
poverty families, and open housing.
Bush readily admits that he supports President
Nixon’s programs. He says that he has a “real name
identification” with Nixon even in Houston.
One of Morris’ national priorities is “moral
pollution”. He believes that the nation is “inundated
by cascades of drugs, pornography and crime.”
Bush has also come out heavily against
pornography. He supported the anti-smut bill passed
Tuesday by the House. The bill cracks down on
obscene mail sent to adults who don’t want it and to
youngsters.
Confident of an easy victory over Morris, Bush
has slanted his campaign against the Democratic
candidates, Lloyd Bentsen and Ralph Yarborough.
“The hotly contested primary will be to my
benefit,” he said. “There is going to be a division as a
result of all this, and it will be to my benefit.”
He said that he expected President Nixon to
campaign for him in November.
MORRIS
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