The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, November 06, 1978, Image 2
Viewpoint The Battalion Monday Texas A&M University November 6, 1978 Prized incentive No two persons so richly deserve the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize as President Sadat of Egypt and Prime Minister Begin of Israel. Together, with great courage and against odds that only a short time ago would have seemed overwhelming, they have made peace a strong probability in the Middle East. If they succeed in patching over the few remaining difficulties, the entire world will have every reason to be grateful for their achievement. Parentheti cally, too, we would add that the prize could scarcely come at a more oppor tune time, for it should give both leaders an extra incentive for overcoming the latest problem that stands between their countries and a peace treaty. St. Louis Post-Dispatch Don’t be deceived by mid-term scores By DAVID S. BRODER WASHINGTON — A word of caution to the reader: There may be less going on here than meets the eye. When I say here, I refer to the mid term election coming up this week. No matter how it comes out, you are guaran teed a rush of interpretations. Pundits and politicians will rush to be the first to tell you what the election means to Jimmy Carter, the economy, the Republicans and even to Russian-American relations. I will be among them, dishing the dirt as fast as my fingers can type. But, now, before the deluge strikes, remember please to take it with a grain of salt. That warning was spurred by reading a little paperback by Thomas E. Mann, the assistant director of the American Political Science Association. It is called “Unsafe at Any Margin: In terpreting Congressional Elections, and it was published by the American Enterprise Institute. Its cover is bright red, and it means you ought to stop for a moment and listen to Mann’s report be fore you swallow any very grandiose in terpretation of the mid-term election. What he says is that congressional elec tions are basically local contests, reflecting the relative strengths and perceptions of the particular candidates, more than they do any big national trends. Yes, he says, external forces — a reces sion or a Watergate — can have broad im pact. But, he asserts, “the forces for change in congressional elections, which always had a strong local component, now originate even more at the district than the national level.” That may sound like common sense to you, but it has not been the conventional wisdom. Most interpretations of mid-term Commentary voting have assumed that it reflected tides in the popularity of the party in power or the nation’s economy or both. One reason for this assumption was the data indicating that voters knew very little about the candidates for Congress — not even their names. If they didn’t know who they were voting for, the argument said, then they must be voting on some other basis. Mann has a different view. He moonlights as a polling consultant to the Democratic Study Group, a caucus of lib erals in the House of Representatives. Surveys done in closely contested districts in 1974 and 1976, he says, show that while most voters may not be able to name their congressmen when asked, more than 9 out of 10 recognize the name when shown it, and most of them have a definable positive or negative reaction to the person. Recognition levels for their challengers varied widely, depending on the intensity of the campaign, but, again, were well above the stereotype of invisibility. True, these surveys were focused in rel atively close districts. But it is mainly in those districts that the shifts in an election occur. Moreover, Mann found that candi date preference — the rating and reputa tion of the particular contenders — was the best predictor of voting choice. What this really means is that congres sional voting is becoming more indi vidualized. In those races in which there are enough resources of money and or ganization to make it a race. House con tests are more and more being decided in the same way that senatorial and presiden tial elections are decided — on the strength and appeal of the rival candi dates. My own subjective feeling, from the travels this year, is that Mann is right, and that national trends will be very hard to identify in this year’s voting. Keep that in mind when you hear all of us punditing in the next few days. There may have been an unintended and unfair implication left with some readers in this column’s recent discussion of the problems faced by women candi dates for Congress (Battalion, Oct. 20). An example I used concerned a woman legis lator in Wisconsin, whose male opponent in the primary for a desirable House nomination received funds from both state and national Republican campaign com mittees. The incident was accurate as reported. But some readers apparently thought it implied that Republicans have systemat ically discriminated against or discouraged candidacies by women. Quite the con trary. In a number of cases, the national GOP congressional campaign committee has given early and strong support to such candidates, and its policy is to recruit and assist qualified women for these races. The Republicans have enough problems without lx?ing tagged with this charge. 1978, The Washington Post Company Letters to the Editor Corps ‘fish’ shouldn’t get ticket priority Editor: This year, the second Corps trip will be to Austin. All of the C.T.s will be required to go, even if they cannot get a ticket. Since the tickets are in high demand, the sophomores and the fish won’t likely be attending the game I have heard several rumors that the Corps commander is going to ask the stu dent senate to recommend a special ticket allocation for the Corps, especially for the fish, to the Athletic Council. I am not anti-Corps or a two-percenter, but I feel it would be grossly unfair to the majority of the student body if the Corps received those tickets. Only the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band should get special tick ets since they perform a service as an im portant part of the Twelfth Man. For every Corps fish who receives a ticket, one less senior or junior will not go to Austin. Every non-reg’s chance to go is decreased. Fish are not supposed to get priority over upperclassmen. The Corps is not supposed to get priority over the non- regs. Since the Corps already have a large number of representatives in the Senate, everyone must tell his senator to not sup port a Corps ticket allocation. Traditionally, the Corps makes two trips to away conference football games. This year they decided to attend the SMU and t.u. games. I do not know who is responsi ble for the decision, but whoever it is, they are not facing their responsibility. One of the purposes of the Corps is to train leaders. One of the qualities of lead ership is accepting the responsibility for the consequences of a decision. In this case, the “leaders” of the Corps are negat ing that responsibility by putting the con sequences on the rest of the student body instead of those under their command. The Corps knew when it decided to go to t.u. it would be impossible for all of the C.T.s to get tickets. If they receive ticket allocation, it will be impossible for some upperclassmen, after camping out for nights, to get tickets. The Corps is well-known for its unity and fraternity. An internal solution to their ticket problem, if they truly wish to stick together, would be for the seniors and juniors to pair their coupon books with a fish’s for their “date.” Then, they could have the fish spend two or three nights in line for tickets, the same as everyone else. Beat the hell outa t.u.! —Carol Giles, ’80 Hit and run Editor: I would like to take this opportunity to beg any information leading to the person who hit my Celica in Lot 24 between 6 p.m. and midnight on Halloween night. My car was parked on the next to last row of 24 at the far east end. I will be more than glad to offer a reward to anyone who can give me any information regarding this incident. — Larry Hopkins, ’80 Editor’s note: This letter was accom panied by five other signatures. A&M flips Editor: We realize that the campus of Texas A&M University is constantly changing, but we never thought it would completely flip over. We are referring to your in verted picture of the campus on page 12 of Thursday’s Nov. 2 issue. We feel that be fore the Battalion prints any more photo graphs of campus, they should learn the difference between left and right — no wonder some freshmen get lost on cam pus. Not only has the negative of this picture been put in backwards, but the highly dis- tractive advertisement on page five seems to be a bit out of line too. Is this expected of an Aggie newspaper? Come on Battal ion, clean up your act — this is Aggieland. — Bruce F. Carroll, ’82 Kenneth Washington, ’82 Michael Holmans, ’82 Editor’s note: Oops, we goofed. Sorry about the inverted photo. Writing the editor The Battalion welcomes letters to the editor on any subject. However, to be acceptable for publication these letters must meet certain criteria. They should: . V Not exceed 300 words or 1800 characters in length. V Be neatly typed whenever possible. Hand-written letters are acceptable. Include the author’s name, ad dress and telephone number for verification. Names will be with held on request. Letters to the editor are printed as a service to our readers. Publication of a letter is never guaranteed. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters to remove grammatical er rors and to avoid litigation. Address letters to the editor to: Letters to the Editor The Battalion Room 216 Reed McDonald Building College Station, Texas 77843 The wages, and prices of SIN By DICK WEST United Press Internationa] WASHINGTON — The White House is reported eager to keep President Carter’s anti-inflation program in the public eye by means people will appreciate more than a poke with a sharp stick. If Carter’s advisers are open to sugges tion, I recommend incorporating the basic elements of the program into an adult board game. Board games are always popular gift items, and with the Christmas shopping season about to begin, if it hasn’t already started, an anti-inflation game should be a dynamite attention-getter. First, they will need a catchy name. I thought of calling it “WIN,” the acronym for “Whip Inflation Now,” but I under stand that has been used before. So I propose naming it “SIN,” short tor “Sack Inflation Now. ” That name has three things going for it. 1. Millions of people are certain to try the game on the strength of the name alone. 2. The word “sack” is especially mean ingful to pro football fans, who would envi sion doing to inflation what blitzing linebackers do to quarterbacks. Thus the name would smack of violence, which is so much a part of American life. 3. Since Carter’s anti-inflation program is largely voluntary, any breach of its guidelines would be more of a sin than a crime. Very well. On with the game. At the outset, each player decides whether he or she wants to be “Labor” or “Business.” If the former, the player chooses a small plastic marker made in the shape of a con struction worker’s hat or a white or blue collar. “Business” tokens are tiny replicas of swivel chairs, cash registers and tax loopholes. Players place their markers on the space labeled “GO,” then toss dice to determine the order in which they proceed. The player now take turns drawing cards from either the “Labor” or “Busi ness” deck, which determines their prog ress around the board. Following are some typical “Business” cards: —U.S. Chamber of Commerce predicts many businessmen “will rebel” against the 5 percent price hike limit. Advance 12 spaces. —National Association of Manufacturers adopts a conciliatory posture, saying “the time has come to join (Carter) in attacking the problem.” Advance 6 spaces. —GOP Chairman Bill Brock calls the plan “blatantly political. ” Remain in place. Here are some typical “Labor” cards: —AFL-CIO reserves comment on 7 percent wage increase ceiling. Advance 8 spaces. —Teamsters and United Auto Workers give plan qualified support. Go back two spaces. —Labor Secretary Marshall calls pro gram “best thing we could do considering the alternatives.” Lose next turn. The first player to pass “GO” ahead of the Cost of Living wins. Top of the News CAMPUS Human Relations Lab Tuesday The Texas A&M University American Humanics organization will sponsor a “Human Relations Lab” at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday. Dr. Candida Dunckley of the Texas A&M Psychology Department will conduct the free, public session in Room 231 of the Memorial Student Center. Applications due for Cotton Bowl The deadline for applications for the 1979 Cotton Bowl representa tive from Texas A&M University is 5 p.m. Friday. Any female stu dent who has completed one semester at Texas A&M and has at least a 2.25 GPR is invited to apply. Forms are available in Room 221 of the Memorial Student Center and should l>e returned to the Student Activities Office. The selected applicant will represent the University at the Cotton Bowl parade and post-season football game in Dallas on New Year’s Day. STATE Jury for Davis' trial picked Testimony in Fort Worth millionaire T. Cullen Davis' murder so licitation trial was scheduled to begin Monday at 9 a.m. A jury of seven men and five women will hear testimony on charges Davis plotted the murder for hire of Fort Worth Judge Joe Eidson, who was presiding over Davis’ still incomplete divorce from his wife. The all-\Vhite, middle class jury — eight of whom are in their 50s —was chosen Friday after five days of careful questioning. Panelists include four executives in technical fields, three clerical workers, two house wives, two laborers and one who is self-employed. None is a native of Houston, and only four were born in Texas. Both the prosecution and defense agreed the people selected to sit in the jury box were crucial to the outcome of the case. "We wanted people who can concep tualize, who are not locked in, the kind of thinkers who once they get input can entertain other possibilities, said defense lawyer Richard “Racehorse" Haynes. State District Judge Wallace “Pete” Moore has denied Davis’ request to be allowed to speak with reporters. In Hous ton, Davis has been screened from re porters. NATION NY papers back on streets The New York Times printed all the news it could fit into 96 pages today and the Daily News had 176 pages packed behind a banner headline: “Hello There, Remember Us?" The Times included nine pages of “catch-up information. News-starved New Yorkers wel comed the fat editions — the first since the newspapers were shut down in a strike that lasted three months. It cost 10,(XX) employees their wages for 88 days; cost the publishers more than $100 million in lost circulation and advertising revenue; and cost up to an estimated $1 million a day to the city’s economy. The strike began Aug. 9 when pressmen walked off the joh at the Times, News and the afternoon New York Post oyer a manning dLspute. s . , The last stumbling-block to tire resumption of publication was re moved Sunday when The Newspaper Guild agreed to return to work, even though it had no contract agreement at that time with the Times. The Guild today ratified management’s final proposal for a three-year contract by a vote of 226-121 after a three-hour member ship meeting. Newspaper workers returned to the Times and News Sunday afternoon and evening. “There were people not due in who came in anyway. They just wanted to come home,” said Daily News City Editor Sam Roberts. The News presses began rolling at 12:22 a.in. The Times editions rolled oft at 1:32 a.m. ’We re finally back to newspapering,” said Times Assistant Managing Editor Peter Mil- lones. in ar $3 frc Ui Ui di: ne Sts Br Bu am abi Bo se( say wil fro Fu leg Bli wil Bn Co 1 mg der for add atei was 1 less sau ami pri£ in p con ing' and to r; said allv B plai and dist pro grar SC0L any vidu 3 5 WORLD More GSA fraud indictments Eight more General Services Administration employees have been indicted on charges of defrauding the federal government, und another employee has been re-in dieted on revised charges, bringing to 31 the number of people charged in the investigation of the scandal-ridden agency. The indictments were brought Friday by a federal grand jury. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Clements said more indictments are expected within four to six weeks in the inves tigation of the agency that delivers supplies to federal departments. More indictments also are expected in Washington, D.C., as result of cooperation by contractors who admitted passing more than $300,000 in payoffs to GSA employees. Prosecutors are investigating GSA em ployees for accepting gifts in exchange for padding invoices of supplies — sometimes signing for goods never delivered — and con- tractors for offering the gifts in return for profits from the padded invoices. Twenty have pleaded guilty and one, a GSA store man ager, has pleaded innocent. Six of those indicted Friday were charged with defrauding the government, bribery and filing false claims. WEATHER It will be mostly cloudy, clear and cooler tonight. High today 70 and low tonight in the upper 40s. Winds will be North Easterly at 10 mph. The cold front which moved into College Station last night will cause cooler temperatures this week. The Battalion LETTERS POLICY Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words and are subject to being cut to that length or less if longer. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit such letters and does not guarantee to publish any letter. Each letter must be signed, show the address of the writer and list a telephone number for verification. Address correspondence to Letters to the Editor, The Battalion, Boom 216, Reed McDonald Building, College Station, Texas 77843. Represented nationally by National Educational Adver tising Services, Inc., New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. The Battalion is published Monday through Friday from September through May except during exam and holiday periods and the summer, when it is published on Tuesday through Thursday. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester; $33.25 per school year; $35.00 per full year. Advertising rates fur nished on request. Address: The Battalion, Room 216, Reed McDonald Building, College Station, Texas 77843. United Press International is entitled exclusively to the use for reproduction of all news dispatches credited to it. Rights of reproduction of all other matter herein reserved. Second-Class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843. MEMBER Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Congress Editor Kimfy Managing Editor LijiNe* Assistant Managing Editor .Andy WilliH Sports Editor Davie City Editor Jamie Aitk Campus Editor Steve ll News Editors Debbie Parson Beth Calhoun Staff Writers Karen Rogers, Patterson, Scott Pendleti Sean Petty, Michelle Scutt Marilyn Faulkenberry, Dia: Blake Lee Roy Leschper,’ Cartoonist Doug Grain Photographer .Ed Cunai Focus section editor Gary Well Opinions expressed in The Battalion arc those of the editor or of the writer of the article and are not necessarily those of the University administration or the Board of Regents. The Battalion is a non-profit, supporting enterjyrise operated by jfndn as a university and community newspapt Editorial policy is determined by tlweilitt 1 s