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College Station, Texas
Thursday, November 15, 1973
THE BATTALION
Familiar Faces Should Flighlight Next Gubernatorial Race
By RICK BROWN
Grover is in there again. Briscoe is on
the campaign trail. Hobby smiles and nods.
Price Daniels, although he won't tell any
one what exactly he is running for, is tos
sing his hat in the ring, too.
What? We just had an election.
Not that election, the next one. Yes,
frantic voters, a day to catch your breath
and the next race is on.
Even Sissy is thinking of getting into
the act. After last year’s election she said
she was “disenchanted” with state politics
preferring the lime light the national variety
confers. She now seems to have become dis
enchanted with being disenchanted, especially
since McGovern did not ask her to be his
running mate. In any event she will probably
announce her candidacy at an Austin Farent-
hold appreciation dinner scheduled Dec. 1.
Her appearances indicate she will try for
either the governorship again or one of the
two seats available on the Railroad Commis
sion. A lady railroad commissioner? Yes,
you chauvinist pigs and since when did the
Texas Railroad Commission have anything to
do with railroads anyway ?
Hank Grover gave a few seasoned politic
ians a fright last year in his strong Re
publican challenge against the 100 year dem-
• •
ocrat rule of Texas. He did it without the
aid of the party leaders who divorced them
selves from Grover and his campaign because
of his refusal to be a “yes man” to John
Tower and other party officials. Grover has
been campaigning ever since last year’s de
feat. Once again the party leaders, particu
larly Tower, have made no attempt to hide
their dissatisfaction with Grover as a candi
date. Tower is pushing George Bush to enter
the race and divide Grover’s supporters.
Asked what he will do if Bush enters the
race, Grover replied, “Beat the hell out of
him.”
Most Texans who vote for Republican
candidates for governor do so out of con
victions or party allegiance. One person I
know has a different reason. He said, “We
should all vote for Republicans for governor
since they obviously haven’t worked out as
Presidents.”
Hobby wants to be governor. Being of
sound mind, however, he realizes now is not
the time. He will run for re-election as Lt.
governor and win.
Daniels is in somewhat of quandary. He
is an ambitious man, but all the top jobs
seem to be filled with qualified and com
petent men already. He, like Sissy, will
probably end up running for the Railroad
Commission.
State Comptroller Calvert will lose next
year. His flippant remarks concerning “nig
ger women” have insured his own defeat.
His successor appears to be Bob Bullock, a
shrewd politician with a good campaign or
ganization.
And coming back to haunt us from the
Sharpstown days is Ben Barnes, who also ap
pears interested in the Railroad Commission.
Barnes is still the hero of the people in some
parts of the state. He is also thought of as
a dirty politician (whether justly or unjustly)
in other areas. In view of his showing in the
last election I would say more people hold
the latter view than the former.
★ ★ ★
The “Daily Texan,” UT student news
paper, has called for the impeachment of the
President. Its editorials have repeatedly
listed crimes, near crimes and malicious
rumor upon which they base the appeal. Any
one who watches the news is aware that the
“Texan” is not alone in its efforts. Tradition
ally conservative publications, groups and
organizations have joined in the massive
sway of public opinion towards a procedure
built into our constitution as a last resort
against a President incompetent or deemed
incompetent by the people. We are allsickol
corruption, ineptitude and deceit, of watch
ing daily as new scandals and bungles by our
“leaders” are revealed.
All of this is not designed to introduce a
stirring commentary on the evils of Water
gate or the President’s inability to properly
manage the office entrusted him by the peo
ple, or even to present an argument for or
against impeachment. It is instead, dear
reader, a sly insidious method of working
into this column a letter I received from
nine-year-old Gina Robyn Griffin of Here
ford. Ms. Griffin wrote to inform me that
she had “a column that will really nock ’em
out,” the text of which follows:
Watergate is just plain mean. When ever
you change to your best channel to watch
your best tv shows instead of that you get
Watergate. Watergate Watergate Watergate
and still more Watergate. There ought to be
a law against it.
I sympathize with Ms. Griffin’s plight,
and only wish the occasional inconvenience
suffered by TV viewers was the worst result
of the unending Nixon Administration scan
dals.
'OH, BROTHER—DON'T MAKE ME GO THROUGH THAT AGAIN!'
Butt Commentary
Of Bottles and Nipples.
About 300 years ago, in the town of New Haven, Conn., a set of
laws dealing with irreverant behavior on Sunday was printed, bound in
blue-covered books and included in the criminal statutes of the city.
Included in the statutes was a rule stating that no one except a
clergyman was allowed to cross a river on Sunday; a rule that everyone
must walk very slowly, no running was allowed; a rule against walking
in a garden from sunrise until sunset on Sunday; a rule against cooking
of any kind; a rule prohitibing a man from shaving, or anyone from
washing; and in order to be still more pleasing in the sight of the Lord,
all playing of musical instruments was unlawful, with exception of the
drum, the trumpet and the Jew’s harp.
The rules, and their inscrutable exceptions, go on and on.
Anyone reading these statutes today would be inclined to
chuckle. And they are humorous, looking on them from our place in
the 20th century world of enlightenment.
Laugh at these rules if you want, but as you do, think about
Article 286a as written into the statutes pf the penal code of the State
^ of Texas.
The article deals with the sale of goods on both the two
consecutive days of Saturday and Sunday. The purpose as stated in
section 4 of the article, is “ . . . being to promote the health, recreation
and welfare of the people of the state ...”
On both the two consecutive days of Saturday and Sunday, you
may purchase: tobacco, but no toys; a hammer, but not nails; beer or
wine, but not a baby bottle (although you may buy the nipple);
shotgun shells, but not baby diapers; souvenirs, but not a connection to
repair a broken water pipe; and a coffin but not a light bulb. These are
just a few of the disparities found in Article 286a.
The entire article abounds with vagaries. Far too many of the
specified items are gray and completely outside the bounds of certain,
or even reasonable, interpretation.
For instance, cosmetics may be sold, but not mirrors (what about
a compact case?). Silverware cannot be sold; does this include stainless
steel eating utensils? Lamps cannot be sold; can you buy an auto head
lamp, or not? Toys may not be sold; is a bicycle a toy, or not?
Soft goods may not be sold; does this include support hose, jock
straps and disposable diapers? Footware may not be sold; does this rule
out arch supports, corn patches and orthopedic shoes? Who can say?
The statutes do not provide guidelines for interpretation. The
state does provide for judicial interpretation of the law, but this
requires a criminal suit in a court of law.
The hyopthetical instances of necessity are even more numerous.
Anyone who is at all familiar with this article has probably heard most
of them and could find more with little effort. The point is this: the
majority of people in this state believe this particular law to be
ridiculous, antiquated and useless. It is the general concensus that this
law should be done away with.
Indeed, the great amount of time, trouble, cost and confusion it
has wasted and caused is evidence enough of its value as law. Its worth,
in comparison to the turmoil, is next to nothing.
Why then, don’t we do away with a law which no one wants?
Probably because we are lazy, are not aware of the problem, or
otherwise just don’t give a damn.
The next legislative session is not until 1975. However, the Texas
constitution is soon to be re-written and Article 286a could easily be
written out of the constitution.
It takes very little time and effort to make a phone call or post a
letter to your state representative or senator. But if you do think it a
waste, think about the last time you needed an item on Sunday and
could not buy it. How much time and peace of mind did you lose then?
There has been enough talk. Your legislators will have a part in
the constitutional re-write. Call them, let them know how you feel.
—By Ronnie Reed
Editor, Odessa College Roundup
Cbe Battalion
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editor or o, the writer of the article and are not giiSr* MonS!^
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77843.
EDITOR MIKE RICE
Members of the Student Publications Board are: Jim » tj-j„ td„,i q
L/indsey, chairman; Dr. Tom Adair, Dr. R. A. Albanese, Dr. Assistant to the Editor Rod ispeer
H. E. Hierth, W. C. Harrison, Randy Ross, T. Chet r-dwards. Managing Editor Greg MOSCS
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Listen Up—
4 Illegal Hooch OK’
CADET SLOUCH
by Jim Eark
Editor:
As the hooch situation stands,
resident advisors will be able to
put pressure on students not ex
ercising a degree of restraint in
public. The Student Senate shows
its unfamiliarity with the func
tion of maintaining a kind of or
der. It’s understandable since its
job entails catering to whims of
the moment.
To give an idea of what free
campus drinking would do to the
people assigned to uphold our
standards, consider the porno
graphy scene. Even while it was
nominally illegal, many estab
lishments provided that type of
entertainment in locales where
the public was tolerant. However,
if the situation should have got
ten out of hand, the places would
have been shut down and the
owners well knew it. Hence, there
was a deep motivation to run a
respectable, if illegal, operation.
Nowadays it is generally on the
books that pornography is a right,
to be limited only in the extent
of loudness. How do you describe
what is too dirty and what is not?
Do you do down and list all pos
sible dirty acts and combinations
thereof and then hire half the
city to watch the porno houses
for specific infractions? No.
Therefore the authorities must
enter into subjective arguments
involving philosophical vagaries
in order to act.
This mechanism applies also to
liquor and the various modes of
behavior it can inspire. Do you
list these modes in the hope that
you’ve thought of all the possi
bilities? I, for one, don’t pretend
to have acquired that much
“smarts” and I don’t expect that
many others have either.
I say any person with the least
bit of subtlety to them, can un
derstand this situation and the
best means of coping with it.
Keep liquor on campus nominally
illegal, but tell “big brother” to
look the other way.
Taylor Sealy ’75
FOR
BEST
RESULTS
TRY
BATTALION CLASSIFIED
EA/2JLZ
/jo\1 73
new car financing
for graduating seniors
And defer
the first payment
for six months.
Pick out the car you want, drive it this semester, then begin
your payments after you go to work. The Bank of A&M
can put you in a new set of wheels today. Terms include
100 per cent financing (including insurance); deferment
of the first payment up to six months; loan repayment
extended up to 42 months (including the deferred
payment period); and credit life insurance.
Bring your job commitment letter or your application
for active duty month. We can work out a repayment
program that fits your circumstances. See Stanley
Sommers, Lt. Col. (USAF-Ret.) Glynn Jones. Steve
Johnson or Don Mahnke. Any one of them will help
you get the car you need to go a long way.
The BANK of A&M
No bank is closer to Texas A&M or its students.
member/fdic