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October 37. 1967 TfU MERCER CLUSTER by Tom Cauthorn Student participation in the recent Dul- cimc elections was something short of amaz ing. Student confidence and loyalty to the democratic system at Mercer makes one feel that perhaps dictatorships are the most effective forms of government. A little over 500 students voted in the election when at least 800 were needed to make the amendment valid for passage. If us think that a literary magazine is not : then they have effectively made •. . . -r sum when less than 30 per cent voted. Wi.si someone tells us that the cafeteria , are too long or that the women’s restric- j;„ n , are too stringent and archaic, then the , ..date turns and fails to respond to some- jkkig as simple as filing a ballot then perhaps the dictatorship of the deans is the most effective form of government. But if you want to stop the dictatorship of the deans the starting place is at the polls and the logical beginning in over simple issues such as a literary magazine editor. Mercer students love to rally to the cause like the cafeteria but when something a little less extreme is in the fore then the support melts into the complacent cacoons called dormitories and fraternity lodges and the only talk is of the past. The past is a wonder ful tool if appllied as a guide to the future but if the electorate becomes sleepy then the dictatorship of the deans must take over and perhaps appoint a new editor. Are we stupid or are we lazy? Perhaps it is both or perhaps we are waiting on another Civil war to trot out our whipping boys and play hell with the great old cause. / ■P'S?! / c The Case Agdinst Political Parties by Russ Drummond (from The FURMAN PALADIN) Rat week hazing, fun, etc. It was rat week at Furman University. An annual event in which the upperclassmen harass the unorientated freshmen men. The blast of a ctierry bomb and it was no longer fun. At first it was fruits, vegetables and water balloons. After the bomb, it was rocks and brick bats. This event has caused much controversy to come over Furman’s Rat week. (from The FLORIDA ALLIGATOR) A young UF student has called for his classmates to stage a mass boycott against ROTC. At UF, as at many other schools, ROTC is mandatory. The student charged his class mates with the following statement: “The boycott will have to include all lower division males — yes all you secure little b will have to find enough guts to refuse indoctrination by the military establishment: To Boycott.” U. S. MILITARY OBJECTIVES IN PANAMA (from GRAMMA: the central organ of the central committee of the Communist Party of Cuba.) While we are listening to our “FLOWERS” in one ear, lei us listen to our neighbors in the other. Cotntnunwt propaganda tells the people of Cuba that the U. S. objectives in Panama are: “A base for aggressive war against the peoples of America and the other peoples of the world — Panama is being used in the counter-guerrilla struggle (in South America) and in aggression against Vietnam — More Panamanian land is being bitten off for Yankee military bases for the training of imperialistic troops.” What can I say? By David Hudson The reader of the last Cluster was presented with two fine articles by Larry Finklestein and Wright Davis, advocating the reestablish ment of political parties at Mercer. By comparing their arguments with the existing j; situations, how ever, one sees how weak such arguments really are. They base l their claims on David Hudson rather vague generalizations mixed with a scattering of myth concern ing the effectiveness of those par ties which they advocate. Looking first at Larry’s article, he points out that parties were eli minated in 1959, to allow more than just two candidates in each race and to stop the domination of the parties by single fraternities. Larry says that without the help of par ties, candidates must either flock to the Greek organizations or un dergo a great burden in financing and staffing their campaigns. In contradiction, however, one already knows that the winner of the presidency in the recent fresh men elections was an independent. The matter of finances is of indi vidual concern. In three outings in campus politics, my total bill would come to less than forty dol lars. And speaking of the burden of staffing a campaign, this is one of the challenges of politics. Tho candidate that can best recruit as sistance and keep winning through the final run-off has already ex hibited the potential of good leader ship. As far as the number of candi dates is concerned, a large number of contestants shows excellent spi rit, concern, and enthusiasm. Li beral qualification requirements are especially helpful in freshman elec tions where the candidates are rela tive strangers to the electorate. In comparison, in upper class elections, the qualifications and relative strengths and weaknesses of the aspirants are better known there is a voluntary decrease in the number of candidates. Larry was also critical of the pre sent system for being dominated by different Greek organizations. As upper classmen, we know this type of domination is a short lived thing, and as such, passes back and forth between the different groups tnclu- JLaat ^sL — — — i nurpnineius. r tinnenmrp, what would stop this type of teas- tElje ^‘Hercev fllluster October 27, 1867 Volume XLIX, No. 5 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Tom Cauthom ASSOCIATE EDITOR Wright Davis BUSINESS MANAGER MANAGING EDITOR Bob Lanier Steve Wright Copy Editor - Claudia Young Contributing Editors . Becky Sims, Ed Beckwith Business Specialist Christy Tyler Exchange Editor Russ Drummond Executive Editors Bill Dayton, Bobby Phillips Sports Editor .... Art Ilapner Feature Editor Dan Newell Feature Staff Karen Rivers, Milton Moore, Clyde Hoover, Judy White, Stove Darby, Roger Bell, Reid Banks Social Editors 1 Leonard Bone, Carol Bruce Cartoons Roger Poston Photographer Bob Johnson Staff , Wardlyn Mills, Dori Ripley, Chris Greis, Susan Scott, Pom Warwick, Claudia Wheeler, Carolyn Hamil ton, Cathy Goren, Dianne Downer, Charles Goolsby, Sharon Young, Cornelia Bennett, Ginny Scherer, Lois Schcller, Anna Rougman, Linda Poe, Ed Ward Special Correspondents t Bill Wchunt, Ed Bacon Faculty Advisors ... .... Prof. Anthony Stansfeld, J. O. Pains Wright advocates, we would not desire it Opr jeprosentative# are required to often stand in our steed and organize our activities; both of which are assignments that require more than a knowledge of theory and ficticious in national politics, personalities assume greater importance than the issues which are represented in little used plaftorms. Wright next tries to pereesde us to believe that a party system would negate powerful Greek in terests; but he should realise^ Larry, that this influe and should not bejdestxoyed. They must remember that uncontrnttod fraternity influence was the asata fault of the party system to whisk they mow advocate a return. Undse the status quo, each group on OMS* pus, social or otherwise, has an (Continued on page 6, CoL 2) Rebuttal In Kind parties? Was this not one of the reasons for abolishing parties in the first place? The charge was also leveled that the run-offs resulting from a multi candidate system tend to cause a drop in enthusiasm for the run offs build anticipation and excite ment in addition to being a demo cratic necessity. In the party syS- tions. Personally, I believe that nm- tem, would not the real election be the nqminatiOn in the dominant party? IikUus case, the campus wide election would just be a mat ter of this strong party getting its members to ilie polls^The real election would have taken place in the party, another step away from direct participation by all the stu- dents. Turning to Wright’s article, let’s look at his different points in the order that he presonts them. Wright first charges that Mercer has i "sterility” of issue-oriented poll tics. This is quit# true for there are no great splits in student opinion. We have no proposed tax hike, open housing bill, or escalation in Viet nam to create such .divisions. We are all in general unity in the ef fort to safeguard student interests, to obtain more autonomy, and to have interesting and entertaining campus wide activities Even if it were possible to have politics void of personality and popularity, as By Wright Davis Let us consider Mr. gumentation in light of our original contentions. You will recall that the first question under consideration was the apparent lack of issues in recent campaigns at Mercer. Mr. Hudson’s reply was simple — "there are no great splits in student opinion”. "Ws are all in general unity in the effort to safeguard student interests . . .". Indeed we can think of no more ideal situation than the political panacea described by our president Just think what a utopia Mercer could be if there were no issues to divide student opinion. True wa have no proposed tax hike, open housing bill, or escalation in Viet nam, sd absurdum, to deed with, but there are the issues at the cafe teria, the college store, th* co-op, the post office, the Library, the dormitories, the chspal. a.cademic freedom, parking, woaaems rules, drinking, and so many othiers with which we shall not oonceirn our selves herein. Yes, we will agree with Mir. Hud son in that all Msroerimns equally concerned with the* resolu tion of problems threatening the student body, just os Americcans are in general agreement upon the ne cessity of safeguarding our ; national interests. But is this not to :*ay that there exists no dissention dunongst Mercenans upon the best nneans of resolving these issues? Meircerians should think not. If the primary issues which con cern us students are to be circum vented by leaders who only' seek to interesting l campus wide activities then hire a social director. We would need no student government We went on to point out in our second contention that students do not have an effective voice in cam pus politics. History has recorded time and time again that only through organization can t group of people assert their influence upon wliat course that history shall follow. In other words, only through effective organization, can we make a collective evaluation of issues prior to tho consideration of chruli dates. Under the present structure the student body votes on the can didates’ self-claimed ability to re solve issues rather than the candi dates' stand on particular issues. The issues themselves therefore be come of secondary concern. Our third contention is that the formation of a party system, tran scendent of fraternal lines would provide the student body with choice of the best leadership of all groups. The concept of campus parties is not intended to destroy the Greek influence, but rather to broaden the political base whereby the other 51% of the student body will have the opportunity to be heard in a more highly organised manner ie.—political parties. It is interesting to note that after reviewing the editions of the Cluster over die past yean that political parties did not stifle com- petition as Mr. Hudson would lead na to believe. In fact Just the oppo site was true. In 1960 (parties who abolished in 1956) four major ad* fices were unopposed including fha Vice-President of the SGA. la 1964 ten major offices were un opposed including the President, and Vice-President of the SGA la 1965, five major offices were un opposed including the SGA Vice- president, Secretary, Treasurer, and Town Representatives. Tire 1963 records are unfortunately lost. It would also be interesting to check the record of that year. It has been this apathetic lack of keen competition since parties were abolished that numerous major of fices have gone unopposed. Let us move on to our lourtk contention that Student Go vest ment members would be more sponsible to student opinioa concrete form. The traditional paigning techniques of poetess, speeches, and handshaking cannot be neglected, true, but, a political party system provides a much more mature approach whereby students can decide on how a candidate stands on the issues formulated by his party before he is elected in stead of how he resolves issues af ter election. This has been the nor mal procedure in democratic elec tions. If candidates of political parties campaign on issues which are vital to students of Mercer University, is this a detraction from the mJfcx. purposes of student government? We know that Mercer students do not look at their student govern ment in this light Mr. Hudson states that political parties do not have a control over its —T re fa in /in Icton- owo their allegiance only to toe constituencies. Arc not members ef a student political party to be con sidered constituencies? What con trol do “real” citizens have over “real” elected state and national leaders? The relationship is parallel for both cases. We would hope that students do not consider student politics of Mercer as games to play. If Mer cer campus politics is a game to play, then what is the status of onr student government leaders? We also are electing “real” presidents, vice-presidents, senators, and ap propriation committee members here at Mercer. We take our par ties more seriously than just games to be played. Mr. Hudson asserts that “the student activists position is mass subject to criticises—a matter of in tolerance versus too much toler ance”. No one need be reminded that it was those intolerant activists who staged a sit-in in the library— the hours were changed; it was those intolerant activists who boy cotted the cafeteria—the situation was improved somewhat; and it was those over 1000 intolerant ac tivists who signed petitions in tap* port of the Dean of ChapeL These are not political games of issue hunting or needless political speculation. These are the issues that would be given a complete air ing by those “evil" political parties during a campaign.