Newspaper Page Text
%\\t iHeror Cluster
MERCER UNIVERSITY. MACON. GEORGIA
Jarinary JO. 1904 ' Volume XL1V No, J1
Rob Hurt
Editor
Davis McAviey
Maliasing Editor
John Weatherly
Executive Editor
Bob Carter
Business Manager
Associate Editor ...
Feature Editor
Contributing' Kdifric*
Circulation Manaser
Katie Koollnef
.....J , Bobby Douthit
Bill Dayton, Sid Mores'
.... Joyce .Davis
News and Features: Joyce Davis, Ed Simmons, Anne Johnson, Ellen
■Janos, Mary Both. O'Qinnn, Diana Dentonr^Jwry Gresham. - ••
Business Staff: Genie Asliurst, Lyn Ballard. Bette Goggarvs, Pam, No
ton. Peggy O'llidloran.' Pam Grdhum, Julia Hickson.
BOB HURT
Pressure And Progress
It's easyfor the average. Southerner to lore hit
jjalWbiel* and his moderation when faced with a
boycott, or any of the other aggressive tac-
KATIE KOELLNER
m ry'y
AROUND CAMPUS
The Registration process has
hanged u lot in the past lew years:
till he’ made. This week's poH
hot many students think more could
asked tile questions: "Did you think pro registration heljied make reg
istration easier? Wli.it would you still like to change about registration?
Mickey. McNair: "I think it made it a little easier. I think seniors
"anil juniors and sophomores should have ^residence over freshmen at
registration."
CarwKn Arnold: "I know what I'd like to change ulnml registration
The price of tuition. Lower!"
Myrt Irby: "I think it hcl|>cd. very definitely. Getting ri<l of havi
to get a post office box helped.”
Haleight Namni: "Shoot. I reckon. It's'a whole lot better than it
rised to lie,"———='—’ - ■——— - - - - - — '
Linda Smith; "I—think pro
I'gislrati
helps. ho IT prc-registcrcd
tics Tmpular With integratidnisl groups. Because
hi' is human, the Southerner does' notarne to.be
pushed.-Nor ilocs he. enjoy hieing confronted with
an issue* he would ratjier forget.
But the .demonstrations will continue, simply
liecause they work! Reaction.to a sit-in is usually
fast.'often dramatic and sometimes even violent.
All this adds up to headlines anil headlines mean
pressure This kind of force more often than not
" has- rest iked iri);&ms for desegregation.
. An inn resting example of why street tactics are .
more often ufa'd than mediation can be found in a
series of demonstrations at restaurants'owned by '.
Dohhs Houses. Inc. in Atlanta two weeks ago.
The. demon.-(rations began on a rather quiet
Saturday night - Police Sgt. Barry "F, Marlcr re-
eeiveil a call <>ri his radio to-go toa Toddle House
restaurant Tin I’eachtree St. A sit-in was-in prog
ress and -the manager wanted the demonstrators
arrested. . •
When Sgt. Marlcr entered the restaurant. 17
wlijtc and Negro Student Nonviojent Coordinat
ing ^Committee demonstrators filleil the counter
stools in the small restaurant. The manager said
he wanted them to leave, hut the students re
fused. Sgt. Marlcr' approached the first demon
strator "Are you familiar with Georgia's anti- .
tresspass law." he askCd. The demonstrator said
he was. "All tin/ man want’s is a cup of coffee,
sergeant, why don't you leave him alone?" called
a SN(X leader from the sidelines. "I'm talking to
this gentleman rigid now. I'll talk to you in just
a minute." Marlcr answered. 1
/The group, numbering 15 now, immedi
joined iij a .chords of “We Are Not Afrai
Your Paddy Wagons,", some keeing time
rhythmically slapping the counter top with
hands. Their eyes were more serious now,
something- of the atmosphere of an enthusj
football crow'd -remained.
One by one (he SNCC youths were dr
off to the wagons, most refusing to walk. Pt
men. two to a.demonstrator,.hauled them
hlack barred vehicles and slid them down
. wagon s benches into the growing, pile of
people. It was all over in lewr than an hour,
the (wo packed paddy wagons rolled away
Peachtree St., their occupants chanting frei
songs and swaying the wagons from' aids
side by bouncing themselves against their wal
The demonstrations caused relatively littl*
lice in Atlanta, but they did not fail. After ■
inure arrests in different Dobbs House local
'the restaurant management decided not to p
cute. The restaurants' were closed to prevent
ther demonstrations, but soon this economic
sure was felt and they reopened on an intep
basis. ' • . . ' \
Su'these, pressure .tactics worked. They left
ter feelings, but they accomplished a ded
goal. Could the same result have been achi
-with mediation over a longer period of
Probably, yes. But a demonstration is fast
dramatic, though it can leave bitter rescntl
that will cause resistance for years to come.
Most all of the demonstrators were young Ne
gro students. They'assumed an air of good-hu
mored arrogance. They occasionally laughed.
joked and heckled. A loud ami well-harmonized ^
version of "We Khali Overcome” reverberated in
the little restaurant. ^ '
Sgt. Marler talked again to the demonstrator
sitting in the first counter stool. “As long as this
law is recognized as constitutional and a state law
I ‘am bound to enforce it “ He lurried to store
So why do the younger Negro organizal
continue to demand demonstrations? Part ol
answer demonstrations can be faster than me
tion. hut also liecause' they can lie more pee
ally satisfying. Demonstrations, ■ nonvie
though they may be. are a physical way of “fi
ing back" ami therefore, more personally rew
frig than negotiation. When an individual beea
emotionally involved in an issue, he can los<
of what he is'really fighting for.' -
The demonstrator's 'at the Toddle House ii
telegraphed charges of police brutality to city
ficials, -though observers generally' agreed
their treatment was not severe. Moat of the d
manager. "Du you want this man to leave your
restaurant?" Sgt. Marler asked. The manager
replied with .a loud and grim-toned "Yes.” “Will
you leave this restaurant?" Marler asked the
demonstrator. The Negro youth smiled thinly and
said. "All I want is a cup of coffee.’’
niwtnifors refused to walk or cooperate with
twice and still was not on tile professor's li-t. Also, il would lie .a good
idea to have two lines to'pick-up the pre-registration cards."
Brady: "Pre registration made it easier, hut 1 still didn't get the
'physics eoiirse I pre-registered for."
Beth Hardaway : "They ought to he more l< nfent about course
1,‘hanges. because yott have -to pay $5 for just dropping a course, even ,
when you're not going to take another one."
Otis Andrews: "I think it made it a. lot s|H-cdior." ..
(’uqui Mendigutia: "The Freshmen pre-registered first, and it
wasn't fair to the upperclassmen."'
- Martha Sue Free:."I'd like to change the "French Situation". The
Freshmen-were all pre-registered for French and the upperclassmen
who ne. ded i* couldn't.ge( in."
sr
ixilicc orders after their arrest, not because
thought this would discourage policemen, hut
cause it would encourage brutality, and the
more publicity,
The Ni-gro wa|s escorted to a waiting police,
wagon. The next stool was occupied by a young
Negro girl. who. when asked the same questions,
refused to leave tlie res.taurant ami had to he car
ried out. her heels dragging across the floor.-
When the thing was finished, the demons!ni
sard they had won. But had they really? Be
their accomplishment a new wali of distrust
resentment had grown a little.- A few weeki
talk, could probably- have won the' victory
torn down the wall a few more inches.
JOY COCHRJ
!'-?
GUEST COLUMN
,•"•3
i .
(Editor's Note: Joy Cochran, n. writer for
Wesleyan’s campus newspaper, the Town and
Country, was invited to appear in this weeks
Cluster-as a guest eoldmnist. Her article deals
with the'Wesleyannes’ reaction to a pacifist-
-group which recently passed through Macon
on their way to Cuba.)
Pushing Peace
When the.Committee for. Nonviolent Action's
.representative from their Quebec-to-Guantanamo
mareft for- peace -contacted Wesleyan tfiere were
mixed fclings of curiosity and interest. , • ‘
. Siime of us had .read about the reactions, from'
the group while they were in' Athens: others of.
us were interested in the nature of their cause;
others had never-even heard.of a Pacifist, came-
gapping to- glimpse Jhesc strange idealists from
the North. ■
Tiie representative was informed that Wes- "
h vannes would like to hear them, students |>erch-
ed themsejves o’n tabletops and chair arms as they,-
crowded .fiilo the student cenfer,. to listen, and
three ‘young.women arrived to' relate their rnes
sage. The initial impression was strong and amaz :
ingly favorable. Their dedication, and intellectual
.adeptness was overwhelming, and the discussion
which -ensued; sparked much new thought within
our- dormant Southern minds. The guests dis
tributed their literature and were .invited unoffi
cially to come back out and chat another evening.
The group’had not yet walked officially, into
•Martin', since they walk only a. few miles a day.
basing themselves in’a convenient ltication rind
driving back to the point where they left off the
.previous clay: therefore, I believe the Wesleyan,
students were arriong the first to become acquaint-
^ed-wilh’tlie wulkyrs after.they settled themselves
in .Macon. . ' ’ . , . .
. * The presence of these thought provoking young
|M‘ople here, almost'jn our midst, with.their stim
(dating. new way of looking at things*, elicited -
further, curiosity among some. deeper interest
anil concern'on the parts of others. , ■
Many students were, moved by a particularly
alert, "attractive young girl named Kit 'Havice.-
Kit was graduated from Stanford University and
Mias, attended medical school for-a year or so.,
bin she hec'ame so strongly imbued with the de-'
sire to express her convictions through actions
that, she‘dropped out and joined the .CNVA march.
- with her |>arepts' consent..';, ,
To a group of us chatting with her on campus
one day. she said,,"I felt medicine was important,
hut tjiis is so much moreso—mi much more vital
and rewarding. Nope, don’t know if I'll ever go
hack or not—probably he doing this sort of thing
for the .rest of my life. I feel so strongly about it."
The cause Mrss Havice meant is peace, the most
vital one imaginable for a twentieth, century Cold
War society A number of us were deeply moved.
We don't'hear much about paficism in the
South;'we ary a noble lot who seek 'militarily
when frustrate/I, The. philosophy this ‘group
brought some of us at Wesleyan to believe was
theirs is a ixiwerful one, though: it is even worth
•our .study ami.concentration within the proper
lierspective.
When , their civil liberties'were challenged in
. .Mavrin: some of us .were ready to defend them be
cause of oUr belief in the basic rights and privi-
'" leges of all human beings. We admired these peo "
. pic's -spunk and drive, and we ehvjed them .a
little; hit for having what seemed to be courage
to completely live for,a cause. Others.of us were
less taken with the romanticism of their endea
vor, could not come to sympathize, were hostile Or
merely quiet. 7 ;
Most of us were moved, in one direction or the
other, by the presence anil actions' of. this group
from the beginning -to the end-of their stay in
Macon. . . ‘ . ’ • . " •
Opinions change from time to time, and atti
tudes blossom-as nevy sunlight brings them into'
deeper, broader pers|)ective. The exhilaration of
some frgsh rivet of thought is especially stimulat
ing for any college campus; we should rue the
day'when'it ceases to he.
The CNVA 'group was a welcome stimulus for -
a campus like Wesleyan; now has the time come
to evaluate what they gave us, if indeed they did.
and to decide what our ultimate' reaction should
he to an example such, as theirs Paficism—yes,
that's.worth thinking about, but what about these
people? Are thev really, pacifists?
A doctor in Mlanta who is a Quaker and active,
in the. caiiipaig-n for nonviolent action called Some
ntifflibers' of this group “malcontents”—persons
who are satisfied with nothing, eternal trouble
makers.' ,' . ..
What are these individuals who could become so
productive for-society with, their intelligence and
ideals accomplishing by their deliberate defiance
and |ioor publicity? Their best contribution to us
as Southern students is a number of interesting
principles and ideals for refinement. “Emotion re
collected in tranquilify,'’ as Wordsworth said, “is
certainly a better way to truth.” ;
