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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 29, 1970)
Voter apathy may determine winner of Texas elections By PAM TROBOY Battalion Staff Writer Voter apathy, a chronic problem for Democratic candidates in Tex as during recent years, may be the prime factor in Tuesday’s gen eral election, according to top party officials. Even the wet-dry issue (listed as constitutional amendment num ber two), traditionally a bitterly contested point, has drawn little interest. “Apathy this year is so bad that the Baptist minister hasn’t even preached one sermon against li quor by the drink,” bemoaned State Democratic Executive Com mitteeman Jerry Kraft. The liquor issue is generally considered to be helpful to Demo cratic candidates, however since dry, rural areas normally heavily Democratic, will have a large turnout. Only two state-wide races have drawn measurable interest this year—Preston Smith and Paul Eggers in the governor’s race and Lloyd Bentsen and George Bush in the United States Senate con test. Other state offices being con tested this year include lieutenant governor, attorney general, comp troller, treasurer, land commis sioner and agriculture commis sioner. Seven constitutional amendments are also on the bal lot. Bentson has said his chances of winning are on “thin ice” when the total voter turnout is at 1.6 million votes, and improve as turnout increases. He has pre dicted a turnout of more than two million and has concentrated on getting out the vote during the last two weeks of the campaign. The Ripon Society, liberal arm of the Republican Party, has said, however, that “it is likely that the turnout in November will be the smallest in a decade—a de velopment traditionally thought helpful to the Republican cause.” Both Bush and Bentsen have tried to capitalize on their dif ferences but there really aren’t many aside from party labels. Bush is 46, Bentsen is 49; both are wealthy; both were shot down as pilots in World War II, Bush in the Pacific and Bentsen in Europe. Politically, both are against welfare abuse, gun registration, inflation, excessive government control, pollution, crime and the war in Vietnam. Both have served in the House of Representatives, Bentsen from 1948 to 1955 and Bush from 1966 until this year when he gave up his seat to run for the Senate. The campaign itself has been more of an issue than any other topic, although both candidates have spoken out on the economy, welfare reform and protection of the oil and gas industry. Calling recent visits to Texas by the president, the vice presi dent, the secretary of the treasury and the secretary of commerce a political power play, Bentsen has claimed that Bush is a “coattail candidate.” “National Republican officials have been wearing out their planes coming to Texas,” he said. “These people are more interested in, seeing another number, another Republican, rather than a man who represents the State of Tex as, elected. When Mr. Bush calls on those kinds of forces to help him, you can imagine how much independence he’ll have up there in Washington. “I've been seeing some of those bill boards of my opponent’s where he’s looking up in the air,” Bent sen said. “I finally figured out what he’s doing. He’s looking for Air Force One.” “The non-partisan Congression al Quarterly reports that I have supported President Nixon 64 per cent of the time,” Bush said. “I am independent enough to sup port him when I think he’s right— even on the tough ones—and bat tle him when I think he is wrong. I can guarantee you that I can always get the Texas message through to the President.” Despite numerous appearances by Republican leaders endorsing Bush, he is playing down the party label on his billboards. Bentsen has emphasized that he is a Democrat. Bentsen 4lso has hopped from small airport to small airport in order to capture the rural vote, hoping to establish a “plain folks” image. He has relied on a Ijesure- ly traditional appeal to Democrat ic strength in Texas while Bush has waged a dynamic Kennedy- style campaign. Bentsen has also accused Bush of trying to buy the election—a charge leveled at him during his close primary contest with Ralph Yarborough. Bush reported that he has spent $969,008 in his campaign while Bentsen said he spent only $419,- 332. A report in a Washington news paper Tuesday that Bush is being considered for the vice pres idency in 1972 and that this may cloud the campaign issue in the last few days of the race. “We are trying to elect a sena tor to represent Texas for the next six years, not a new speech- maker for the Republican party,” Bentsen said. Bush denied the report, term ing it “wild speculation with g* credibility at all.” The main issue of the campaign so far has been whether Republi can policies can halt inflation. Bentsen has called for the pres ident to use stand-by credit con trols and to talk with business and labor leaders about holding down price increases and wage demands. “This is no time to give the Republicans a vote of confidence on policies which have put nearly two million Americans out of work without stopping inflation.” he said. “Texans want a chance in the policies that have brought us soaring prices, rising unem ployment, a crippled housing in dustry and a tumbling stock mar ket.” Bush has claimed that the econ omy is “better today than it was several months ago” and still im proving. He said Nixon “inherited a whale of a problem” from the Democratic administration be cause of its big federal spending deficits and the only real “cure” for inflation “is for Congress not to spend more than the taxes will bring in, or if it does, to have the guts to raise them. “The economy is clearly reviv ing—yet at the same time infla tion is coming under control,” he said. “We are moving forward with real strength in our fight against inflation. All economists agree on this.” Both Bush and Bentsen have courted the powerful oil and gas industry, each endorsing legisla tion which will take the authority to fix prices away from the Fed eral Power Commission (FPC). Punitive government regula tions particularly the FPC’s gas price-fixing policies, have cur tailed exploration at the expense of the consumer who is now the victim of an energy crisis, Bent sen has said. Bush agreed saying that federal controls have forced producers to sell intra-state, resulting in a “critical gas shortage” in other parts of the country. Bentsen has criticized Bush for voting for the welfare-reform act that has gained the tag of a guaranteed annual income bill. The bill will double welfare costs and increase the number of welfare recipients from 10 mil lion to 24 million, he said. Bush has repeatedly said that he is opposed to a guaranteed an nual income but favors welfare reform that will require welfare recipients to register for job training and for work availability. “If we do nothing, the cost of welfare will be $12 billion a year by 1974,” Bush said. The outcome of the guberna torial race may well have a bear ing on the senate race. Voter apathy about the Eggers-Smith race is a bad sign for the Demo cratic party and may pull Bush and Eggers into office by a slim margin. The incumbent, Smith has served six years as state repre sentative, six years as state sen ator and six years as lieutenant governor. He defeated Eggers two years ago in the first major Republican campaign for gov ernor. Eggers’ experience in govern ment has been on the national level. He has served as general counsel for the treasury, as liai son officer on minority affairs and on the Presidential Task Force on Dangerous Drugs. Smith did little campaigning until the last two weeks, depend ing on his record to re-elect him. He has attacked Eggers’ lack of understanding of state govern ment and defended the record of his administration as “sound one- party leadership here in Texas.” “I looked at his record to try to attack it,” Eggers countered, “but there’s not much you can say for or against Preston. He’s just been there.” He challenged Smiths’ claims of accomplishment on the econom ic front, citing statistics he said proved “we’re losing ground in terms of personal income when compared to other states. I don’t believe we need this kind of help (See Voter apathy, page 4) Cbe Battalion S Vol. 66 No. 35 College Station, Texas Tuesday, November 3, 1970 Friday — Clear. Winds from the west at 10-15 mph. Low 44 degrees. High 71 degrees. Saturday — Clear. Northerly winds at 10-15 mph. Low 47 de grees. High 68 degrees. Kyle Field — Partly cloudy, easterly winds 10-15 mph. 67 de grees. 845-2226 Kirby Brown, left, and Fernando Giannetti discuss International Association Con stitution proposals at Wednesday night’s meeting. (Photo by Hayden Whitsett) Tuesday at MSC Ski trippers will meet In International Association proposal Assembly to consist of one per country A meeting of A&M students, faculty-staff and active former students interested in the 1970- 71 “Ski the Alps” trip will be held Tuesday at the Memorial Student Center. “Ski the Alps” chairman Jim Summers of Shreveport said the 8 to 9:30 first meeting about the Jan. 3-13 trip will be in Rooms 2A and B. The trip is sponsored by the Ski the Alps committee, a part of the MSC Travel Committee. The 10-day excursion by DC-8 jet to Geneva, Switzerland, and Argentiere - Chamonix Valley, France, will include plane seat, bus transfer from Geneva to the French resort, nine nights lodg ing, 12 hours of group skiing lessons, equipment and chairlift for $284 per person. Those not interested in skiing may take advantage of a motor ing special at reduced rates depending upon accommodations and students with parents in France, Italy or Switzerland may take advantage of the travel ar rangements, Summers said. Ski party members will stay at the Grand Roc at the base of the famous “Grand Montets” ski runs. The area is famous for Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest moun tain. Numerous trails to fit the qual ifications of novice, intermediate apd expert skiers will be found, along with 120 instructors, two skating rinks, discotheques, ca sino, curling and so forth, Sum mers added. A giant slalom race will be conducted for the group, with a presentation party including prizes and trophies for the win- The Contemporary Arts Com mittee Film Series will present Ingmar Bergman’s “Through a Glass Sarkly” Friday night in the Ballroom of the Memorial Student Center. Bergman’s film, the winner of both the Academy Award for the Best Foreign Film and the Swed ish Academy Award in 1961, is an epoch of family strife depicted within a 24-hour period. ners. Two multilingual guides will meet the group in Geneva and assist until departure. Summers said the plane will leave Houston International Air port on Jan. 3 and return to the same field Jan. 13. The excursion will take advantage of A&M’s long between-semesters break. Only A&M students, faculty- staff and active former students and immediate families can quali fy for Ski the Alps 71 application, Summers said. For the first time this year, the committee will hold a discus sion after the film for anyone wishing to participate. “We hope to generate some type of audience response,” film series co-chairman Lynn Jagers said. Refreshments will be served. Admission will .be by season ticket only. Tickets can be ob tained at the door or at the Stu dent Program Office. BY LEE DUNKELBERG Battalion Staff Writer Discussion was frenzied and confused as foreign students met to discuss a proposed constitution for a foreign student organiza tion. The proposed draft was pre sented by the group’s coordina tor, Fernando Giannetti, and Kir by Brown, Student Senate ad visor. Kirby explained that the committee had been formed by the Student Senate, with the help of the Great Issues Committee, in order to help generate an un derstanding between foreign and American students. Kirby proposed that the name of the group be the International Association. He explained that it was “an international group ing of people in one association.” The purpose of the group will be to generate understanding and to provide a voice for foreign stu dents about campus life. There was a long discussion on membership requirements of the group. It was finally decided to open membership to all stu dents. Foreign students will au tomatically be members, and American students will have to register. American students will have to register rather than automatical ly be considered members, due to the number of them and to en able the group to have an idea of active American support, Gi annetti explained. The organization of the asso ciation was presented by both Giannetti and Brown. They ex plained that there would be a WASHINGTON <A>) _ Official U.S. sources say they have re ceived hints from third parties that North Vietnam is seriously interested in private negotiations on President Nixon’s peace pro posal for Indochina including a standstill cease-fire. The third parties were not iden tified but the American officials said it is their belief that Hanoi has found the cease-fire sugges tion intriguing. Noting that the dry season is now beginning in large areas of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, the American sources said there are three options from which Hanoi may choose: General Assembly elected by the members of the association and an executive committee which would be elected by the assembly. Each country is to elect its own representative to the Gen eral Assembly. This representa tive will be the only delegate of that country that will be allowed —A major military effort in volving high-risk operations. All supplies for such an operation would have to be sent over the Ho Chi Minh trail through south ern Laos since the Communist supply route by sea through Cam bodia has been closed. —The opposite extreme—^nego tiating an Indochina peace settle ment at the Paris talks. —Low-cost, protracted guerril- Junior class to hold dance Saturday night An all-university dance spon sored by the junior class rounds out Texas A&M campus activities Saturday after the A&M-Arkan- sas football game. First of the all-university dance series, the juniors’ informal War- lock Ball will be from 8:30 p. m. to 12:30 a. m. in the Memorial Student Center Ballroom, an nounced Class President Jerry McGowen of Mansfield. Music will be furnished by The Chayns, a well-known group from San Antonio, he said. “Since this is a Halloween dance, dress will be either costume or casual,” the junior class pres ident said. “Civilian students will appreciate the opportunity to shed their coats and ties for the dance and I’m sure corps members will welcome wearing either a simple costume or Class B uniform with ascot.” Admission will be $2.50 per couple or $1.50 single. Advance tickets may be purchased for $2 per couple at the MSC Student Program Office. to vote in the assembly, although other delegates of that country may participate in debates and discussion. “These are not the clubs’ rep resentatives,” Giannetti stressed in regard to the different coun tries’ clubs. “They are the coun- (See Assembly, page 3) la warfare of the kind advocated by Communist China’s leader Mao Tse-Tung. The american officials said that between the choice of protracted war or negotiations, there is a significant possibility that nego tiations would be the Communist choice. North Vietnam, the Viet Cong and Communist China all reject ed Nixon’s five-point peace initi ative, made on Oct. 7, as a “peace fraud,” but there have been indi cations that the Communist side is interested in talking about the Nixon plan, the sources said. Senate to hear reports tonight Tonight’s Student Senate meet ing will be devoted almost solely to committee reports, Student Body President Kent Caperton said Wednesday night: The Senate meeting begins at 7:30 and will be held in the con ference room on the second floor of the library. Committees have been meeting regularly, Caperton said, “but there don’t seem to be any issues that anybody’s bringing up.” Caperton also said a committee to study possible revisions in the Senate constitution will be form ed, with himself as chairman. “I think this revision study is very important,” Caperton ex plained. “At the meeting, I will be asking senators for their ideas and feelings.” University National Bank “On the side of Texas A&M.” —Adv. Crocker will host TWU ‘sister’ dorm Brother and sister usually need no introduction, but this weekend will be an exception when Crocker Hall residents meet the women from their sister dorm, Stark Hall, at Texas Woman’s University. After five weeks’ work hall councils from both dorms got the sister dorm program cleared with their respective university’s adminis tration, Crocker president James Jones said. “This will not only bring the two universities closer together, but it will boost our boys’ morale and make dorm life here at A&M more bearable,” Jones said. Crocker Hall residents participating in the program have chosen dates from a personahty-picture file for this weekend. Housing will be provided for the women on the top two floors of Crocker, which will be cleared of all men for the weekend. The girls will be escorted to Town Hall and midnight yell practice Friday, and to the game followed by a steak fry Saturday. Crocker is sponsoring a dance at the Knights of Columbus Hall Saturday night from 8 until 1. The Ghost Coach will play. Admission will be $3.00 per couple for non-Crocker residents. Sunday afternoon Crocker will hold a picnic for the Tessies. Activities such as “a semi-powder puff football game” will round out the weekend, Jones said. Series to show Bergman film at 4 C’; discussion will follow North Vietnamese rumored interested in ‘serious’ talks