THE BATTALION
MONDAY, APRIL 7, 1980
Page 5
m
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state
Democratic raids leave
LaRaza politically dead
Chairman explains view
of welfare sterilizations
s. but tin
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' bon United Press International
e show,|(| Even La Raza Unida’s chief found
er admits it: the predominantly Mex-
:ss figlite f ican-American party is dead as a poli-
ig battle, ' tical force in Texas, the victim of a
i was awj I Democratic Party raid on its issues
'kings fc; | and chief movers and shakers,
says. % \ In 1978 La Raza Unida’s Mario
with pro{j Compean failed to receive enough
[votes in the governor’s election to
liscoveries.
a Danisb, state-funded primaries, and it prob
ably will not field a single candidate
— federal, state or local — in the
1980 elections.
"It’s in limbo — neither heaven
nor hell nor purgatory,” concedes
Zavala County Judge Jose Angel
Gutierrez, who started the party
with the epithet, “Kill the gringo” in
a tumultuous school squabble at
Crystal City a decade ago.
“It’s been collapsed for some
time,” agreed Carlos Guerra, who
has changed the fatigues he wore in
angry Chicano marches in the early
1970s for a business suit and mem
bership in the Democratic Party.
Gutierrez blames the party’s fai
lure on Democrats co-opting the par
ty’s issues and its personnel, such as
Guerra, who served as campaign
manager for La Raza governor’s can
didate Ramsey Muniz during the
party’s heyday in 1972 and 1974.
Muniz polled 7 percent of the vote
in each of those elections, but now is
trying to gain parole on a 10-year
federal marijuana smuggling convic
tion.
Compean, who ran an almost
token campaign in 1978, has gone off
to do graduate work in Wisconsin
and what was left of the state party
machinery has come to a halt.
Chuy Ramirez, La Raza Unida’s
chief leader at San Juan in the Rio
Grande Valley, also has switched to
the Democratic Party, and Guada
lupe Youngblood, who attempted to
bring the party to power in Rob-
stown, has become politically inac
tive.
La Raza Unida attempts to win
elections at Cotulla and other areas
as independents proved unsuccess
ful, leaving Gutierrez’ forces at Crys
tal City the only remnants of the par
ty still in power.
j “Speaking as a pragmatist, I don’t
think so, ” Gutierrez said when asked
whether the Texas party might make
a comeback in 1982, “because you
can’t hide in your shell and just go
away and then come back. If you’re a
political party, you run for office, you
run candidates and you make your
stink and make your mark, even if it’s
a poor one. You hang in there. You
just don’t wither away and then come
back.”
Why did the Mexican-American
party fail, Gutierrez was asked.
“I think we’ve gone the route of
normal third party trajectories,”
Gutierrez said. “Our leadership has
been co-opted, our issues have been
co-opted. We’ve been harassed
almost to death. We’ve made quite a
few mistakes of our own. Combining
1 ail that together, you have pretty
I much exhausted the energy that was
there with the numbers that were
there.
Gutierrez said he would remain
faithful to the party he conceived and
might consider running for some
statewide office when his current
county judge’s term expires in 1982.
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Stiff penalties sought
for sex abuse cases
United Press International
RICHMOND — All in all, Texas
Welfare Board Chairman Hilmar
Moore would rather be ranching or
hunting. But lately his time has gone
increasingly to explaining his posi
tion on sterilizing welfare recipients.
The reason is a comment Moore,
59, made Feb. 26 to a reporter at the
conclusion of what he described as
another dull Welfare Commission
meeting.
“I realize that no legislature is
going to pass that, but I have sup
ported, personally, all along the con
cept of sterilization, birth control
and whatever,” Moore said in Au
stin. “I’ve always felt that when you
cannot support yourself or your fami
ly, you give up certain rights. One of
these is bringing in more children,
and if you don’t want to give that up,
then get a job and get off welfare. ”
The reaction from activist women,
blacks, Hispanics and Catholics was
critical. Some demanded an apology,
others his resignation. He was called
a racist, a bigot and worse. But he
rolled with the punches, not apolo
gizing, certainly not resigning and,
really, relishing the attention.
Surrounded by trophies from his
hunting trips to Colorado and Africa,
Moore relaxed in “Papa’s Parlor,”
the den of his spacious home where
he likes to entertain his five grand
children.
“I probably don’t have very much
diplomacy,” he said in his booming
voice. “But the greatest sin on earth
is hypocrisy. I may be a son of a
bitch, but I’m going to be a son of a
bitch right out in the open.’’
Moore, mayor for 32 years of this
quiet town near Houston, admits to
habits, characteristics, and whims
that combine to defy stereotyping.
Moore, an egotist, said he is con
fident he can persuade anyone with
an open mind of the wisdom of his
causes while dismissing his critics as
people who don’t know him.
Although “it was just something I
said off the top of my head,” Moore
doubts Gov. William P. Clements
“will have the guts to reappoint me
after being as controversial as I’ve
been” during five years of his six
year appointment.
Mandatory sterilization of some
welfare recipients is a personal pre
ference, and Moore is not pushing it
as state policy. He sees the aged,
blind and disabled, as well as neg
lected and abused children as de
serving of every cent they receive.
UODDDDODDEDOD
RE-ELECT
DIANA
HORADAM
SECRETARY-TREASURER
CLASS OF ’83
ALTERATIONS
IN THE GRAND TRADITION OF
OLD TEXAS WHERE MOTHER
TAUGHT DAUGHTER THE FINE
ART OF SEWING SO HELEN
MARIE TAUGHT EDITH MARIE
THE SECRETS OF SEWING AND
ALTERATIONS
"DON'T GIVE UP — WFU.
MAKE IT FIT!"
AT WELCH'S CLEANERS WE NOT
ONLY SERVE AS AN EXCELLENT
DRY CLEANERS BUT WE SPE
CIALIZE IN ALTERING HAF\p TO
FIT EVENING DRESSES, TAPERED
SHIRTS, JEAN HEMS, WATCH
POCKETS. ETC
(WE RE JUST A FEW
BLOCKS NORTH OF FED
MART.)
WELCH’S CLEANERS
3819 E. 29th (TOWN & COUNTRY SHOPPING CENTER)
846-HSI
United Press International
DALLAS — A record number of
cases involving sexual abuse of chil
dren has prompted the Dallas Coun
ty District Attorney’s office to seek
stiffer penalties for such crimes.
District Attorney Henry Wade has
directed members of his staff to ask
Gov. William Clements’ support of
four proposals increasing penalties in
sex-related child abuse, said Assis
tant District Attorney Kelly Loving.
Last year, a record 55 people went
to trial in Dallas County for sexual
abuse of children, fcompared to only
12 in 1970. Also, three children were
abducted, sexually assaulted and
murdered in 1979 — as many cases
as occurred in the eight years before
1979, Loving said.
Assistant District Attorney Jim
Burham said sex abuse of children
has become almost commonplace,
with five or six cases presented to
each session of the grand jury.
“It’s really on the upswing, no
question about that,” Burnham said.
“To me the cases are the hardest to
handle. In some cases, the children
have to come in, and it is hard on
them. A lot of it is repulsive testi
mony.”
Specifically, the legislation prop
oses:
—The penalty for rape of a child,
sexual abuse of a child and injury to a
child be raised from a second- to a
first-degree felony, which would
allow imposition of a life sentence
and maximum $10,000 fine. The
maximum sentence currently is 20
years and $10,000.
—The penalty for indecency with
a child (generally, indecent expo
sure) be raised from a third- to a
second-degree felony, with a 20-year
maximum sentence and a $10,000
maximum fine. The current max
imum is 10 years and $5,000.
Loving said he has written Cle
ments urging his support of the prop
osed legislation.
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ELEGANT
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846-1021 846-4116
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YDftZOS COUUTT PAVILION S
SATURDAY , APRIL I2
° BEER 5Y TElE PITCUER . ° COUTtSTS
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CD
ATTENTION!!
May and August Graduates!
Don’t forget the Former Students’ Senior Induction
i
Banquets April 14 & 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the Brazos
I \
Center! The banquet is free but you must pick up a
ticket to attend. Tickets will be available the week of
April 7-11 from 8-5 in the lobby of the Forsyth Alumni
Center. Although there will be an increased capacity of
1000 per evening be sure to get your ticket early!
Class Agents will be elected at the banquets so make
plans to attend!!!
I
J