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On Political Candidates €ADKT * LOUC "
Page 2
Speaking at A&M
There are more than 400 candidates in this
state running for governmental offices in either
Austin or Washington, D.C.
In the past, it has been the university’s policy
that these people, being political candidates, could
not speak to an audience housed in an A&M campus
facility.
The reasoning behind this ruling was explained
by a spokesman for the administration to the Student
Senate on Oct. 31, 1968. The university, he said, is
bound by a state law which states that “no
appropriated funds shall be used for influencing the
outcome of any election, or the passage or defeat of
any legislative measure.”
Dean of Students James P. Hannigan clarified
the policy somewhat Thursday, noting that
candidates may speak on campus if they are running
unopposed, or if candidates running for the same
position appear on the same platform at the same
time.
Although upheld by this year’s senate, the
legitimacy of the administration’s stand has been the
object of student concern for some time.
Some have said that such a rule is rather silly
which forbids, as in this election year, a U.S. senator,
the governor, lieutenant governor, and even a local
state representative from speaking on campus.
Others have said that the candidates in the
recent city elections, some of them university
employees, should technically have been kept from
speaking to students in small groups or in classes.
Still others are quoting University of Texas
Board of Regents Chairman Frank C. Erwin, Jr., who
said this in allowing Abbie Hoffman to appear on the
UT campus earlier this month: “The University has
long permitted student organizations to use Gregory
Gymnasium for invited speakers, and the federal
courts have many times held that under such
circumstances, a public agency, such as the
University, cannot refuse the use of its facilities, no
matter how strongly the regents and officers of the
University disagree with the known views of the
speaker or with the remarks he is likely to make.”
And we fail to see how the dean’s recent
interpretation of the policy has changed things that
much.
The rule that opposing candidates must speak
on the same day to the same audience seems to be a
little difficult to put into practice. Witness the
difficulty Political Forum has had this year (and in
years past) in trying to arrange convenient times,
dates and places for programs featuring only one
speaker. And what if one candidate has to cancel at
the last minute? Do we then “disinvite” the other?
We see no reason why opposing candidates could not
speak on different dates.
We also fail to see a real distinction between
candidates that are running unopposed and those that
are in races that are contested.
A candidate who is running unopposed must
still get elected. He must still persuade voters to cast
ballots for him and not some write-in candidate.
Conceiveably then, “appropriated funds”—if this is
indeed a criterion—could still influence the outcome
of his election.
To date, students have heard one political
candidate speak on this campus this election year. H.
J. Blanchard, running unopposed for re-election to
the Texas Senate spoke on pollution April 22.
A large number of A&M students will be voting
this election year—many of them for the first time.
Because democracy is vitally dependent upon an
informed electorate, we believe A&M students should
be allowed to see and hear and judge for themselves
political candidates as they appear on campus.
We urge the university to allow political
candidates to speak on campus whenever it is possible
to get them here.
Otherwise students will have to wait until after
Saturday’s primary to invite the losing candidates,
and—for all practical purposes—until next November
to even approach the rest.
Editor:
I have suddenly become quite
concerned about a matter stem
ming from the recent arrest of
Earl Brown who attempted to
speak to a crowd of student on
campus.
I often like to expound my
views to other people, you know
let off a little steam when I get
‘up-tight’ about something. Well
my problem is this. I shy away
from addressing crowds since I
am not that anxious to enforce
my opinions on other people. But
suppose I am talking to a student,
by chance, about contemporary
problems and suppose another
student stops to listen to the
conversation. Then another stu
dent stops to listen and maybe
he has long hair. Well I think
you are beginning to understand
my problem. Even though the
likelyhood of this happening is
quite remote, I am a little con
cerned.
I would like the administration
to clarify just how many people
would be allowed to stop by and
listen. You see if I got arrested
for something like that it would
interfere with my studies and in
this academic atmosphere I don’t
(do) anything to interfere with
my education.
Doug Goodgame ’70
Among other things, the letter
asked for an organization for
black students and courses rele
vant to the black man. First of
all, if the courses offered by this
university aren’t “relevant to the
black man,” what are our black
students doing here ? I presumed
that the purpose of each course
was to make us better men (or
more qualified), not better white
men, black men, etc., etc.
Secondly, the demand for an
organization for black students
is clearly racist in the worst sense
of the word. Until a few years
ago most of our schools were
either white or black student or
ganizations, but we’ve come a
long way in those years. Such an
organization would be a giant
step back to segregation on our
campus.
Let those who demand black or
ganizations examine themselves.
How do they feel about white
organizations? For instance, the
Ku Klux Klan.
Gary Aven ’71
University has a standing policy
of not allowing political speakers
on campus. This is all fine and
dandy and rosy except that I still
cannot see why one candidate is
allowed to speak and not the
other.
I was also told that Ralph
Nader has been denied permission
to speak here a number of times.
Jerry Kirk
Editor’s Note: See Story, page 4
★ ★ ★
Editor:
The Reelection Committee has
rejected the complaint of “Moon-
Man” Mac, published in Wednes
day’s Batt. Under the existing
rules, he has no right to protest
or petition, since he was neither
a candidate or a member of this
Editor:
In answer to the recently pub
lished letter by Elroy Mills and
Paul Greer “in protest of this
university’s inaction on the griev
ances of black students,” I want
to say that I agree whole-heart
edly with the administration.
Editor:
While perusing Thursday’s
Batt, I discovered that A. J. Pope
Jr., a candidate for re-election to
the Texas Supreme Court, is
scheduled to speak on campus
Monday. This set me to wondering
why Ralph Yarborough was not
allowed to speak on this campus
recently. Checking the bluebook
I found that such speakers must
“be granted permission to appear
on campus by the Executive Com
mittee of the University.” Fellow
students also told me what I could
not find in the bluebook—that the
group.
This nit-picking point was
brought up by Clark Kent, Super
man-elect. Our present No. 1,
Dudly Dunlittle, wrote the rule
himself and said that it was his
intention to keep out such campus
agitators.
(Note: The names have been
changed to protect the guilty.)
Rudy de la Garza
Kanfin man's cologne,
with the Spirit of Sweden.
TOWNSHIRE / BRYAN. TEXAS. 77801
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THE BATTALION
College Station, Texas Friday, May 1,191)1
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