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VOLUME XI.IX. No. 21
THE MKllCER CLUSTER
Kill a Commie
For Christ
by Tom Cauthorn
t
Where are the realities and where are the assurances to
day as our government bfegins peace consultations with North
Viet Nam over a war that it never declared and speaking
quite out of turn for a country' it has pledged to defend from
outside intervention in the form of world communism? And
where and when will the peace conference meaningfully deal
with the National Liberation Frorit inside South Viet Nam
that carries on the breadth of the insurgence?
Have the realities really been beneath our propaganda
and bombast and will the assurance be this same propaganda
and bombast or will they also be beneath it? Will the result
ing state in reality be the same Viet Nam only a little bloody
and more conscious of world affairs? Will the condition of
the individual Vietnamese be altered in relation to the peasant
role or only under a differently labeled government?
Are we achveing an ideological settlement in lieu of last
ing realities or are we guaranteeing the reelection of the Dem
ocrats and the placating of the restless college deferee? Can
our modem world and lily pure government claim more solu
tions to southeastern asian life than the avowed warlords of
centuries in the asian past?
Our government has no answers for these questions, it
• can only tell you how many “dirty commies” it has killed. To
day the press has not stressed the tens of thousands of Ame
rican soldiers killed in Viet Nam and asked the simple question,
why? We do not know whether this struggle merits further
deaths or an immediate settlement which really admits that
little has changed in that small country save an appreciable fer
tilizing of the soil by American blood.
The realities of tomorrow should be weighed in light of
these cold assurances of today. Death and conscription by our
country should not become meaningless. But, there is no
meaning in the aimless slaughter of American youth to reach
no solution or change through war, to reach no shift in power
in an ideological dispute, to cause men to doubt their country’s
sincerity, or to put the fear of Cod in men’s hearts in an Asian
hamlet where no leader seeks a Cod-like solution or change.
A man’s life is filled with questions but none are more im
portant or worthy of an immediate and truthful answer than
those questions over which he may die.
The cowardice of America is not in its men, the casual
ties reflect that, but is in the leadership of this nation which
chooses to believe its own propaganda and shrowd its power
games in the religio-political litany of anti-communism. Have
we come home to reason, will the soldier with a life long brace
on his leg or a sonless mother believe and be satisfied with a
solution exactly like that of the Geneva Accords of 1954? If
there is no change and there never will be one why did we be
gin a meaningless death struggle? Does not the mere presence
of the death and struggle merit a solution that lends reason to
the past several years of blood?
Can our leadership face this question? Can we face the
Paris Conference with anything less than tragic humor and
full indignation?
The answers lie in the causes for the war. If the causes
were sufficient then a viable result should be sufficient. The
peace conference only underlines the fact that the causes of
our involvement were meaningless and the entire effort has
been a treacherous farce.
Campus Notes
SGA MEETING . . . Dean Hendricks announced that n new clock
will he installed this summer to centralize the passing of classes. All
buildings will be coordinated with the tnain alarm system . . . Stu
dent Discount Service in the making Hugh Dukes fulfilling his cam
paign promise Program to take effect next Winter Quarter . . . Uni
versity student operated radio station under discussion. Project date
is September 1 !Mi9
LITERARY AWARDS . The Dulcimer-Cluster Prose and Poe
try Contest winners were announced Tuesday during awards assembly.
One hundred dollars split between five students Prose winners: 1st-
Ann Jo Hendricks; 2nd place tie-Ann Jo Hendricks and John Freeh-
ling. Poetr\ winers: lst-Mary Riddle; 2nd-Ray Woods; and 3rd-John
Kreohling. Winning works published in the new edition of the Plucked
Dulcimer published this past Tuesday.
SEASON TICKETS . The SGA Season Ticket for concerts
and dances has been approved for next year The ten dollar foe will
also remain in effect for the ’68-’69 school year. Jerry Stone stated
that the ticket is worth some $22.00 if separate* admissions were pur
chased fur each event
News Briefs
Dr. Flick Honored
Dr Carlos T.‘ Flick, associate
professor of history at Mercer Uni
versity. and Mrs. Flick have been
appointed Danforth Associates at
the university.
The appointment is given by the
Danforth Foundation of St. Ixiuis
to faculty memlierH and their wiv«>s
who have demonstrated concern for
students apd have attained scholar
ly achievements in teaching.
Faculty chosen must have re-
s|x>nsihility in classroom teaching
and must lie respected as teacher-
scholars bv colleagues and ’stu
dents. They are chosen because of
their concern for the intellectual,
moral and spiritual growth of stu
dents.
W.F.G. Awards Day
Students of Mercer University’s
Walter F. George School of Law
wen* ns ognizisl Wednesday at A-
wards Day for achievement during
(lie year.
George Williams of Vidalia, was
awarded the Charles E. ^Jadler
Award for excellence in legal wri
ting. The Law Week Award, given
in recognition of scholastic prog
ress in the senior year of law
school, went to W. Warren Plow-
den of Bainbridge.
Other awards and the recipients
included:
Outstanding Senior Award, giv
en by Phi Alpha Delta legal fra
ternity—William E. Cetti of Pen
sacola. Florida.
Outstanding Fr»*shman Award,
given by Delta Theta Phi legal fra
ternity—Miss Helen Berenthien
of Macon.
Pleading and Practice Award to
the student showing the greatest
proficiency in the Trial Practice
Course—William Exum of Lake
land
William E McCurdy Award to
tin* student receiving the highest
grade in the torts course—Hale Or-
niand of Macon.
Following the presentation of the
awards, two faculty members who
are leaving were honored by the
Student Bar Association. Dr. Ed
gar H. Wilson who will leave in
June for the Cleveland-Marshall
Law School in Cleveland was pre
sented a letter of appreciation. Mr.
Sierk has been at Mercer three
years.
George Williams
Named Editor
The editorial staff of the Mer
cer Law Review for 1968-69 was
announced Saturday evening at the
annual Law Review banquet held
at the Pinehrook Inn.
George T. Williams of Vidalia
was named editor-in-chief succeed
ing William E. Cetti of Pensaco
la, Florida.
Chosen ex<*eutive editors were
Benjamin M. Garland of Juekson
and Gus S. Small, Jr. of Macon.
Other editors included Jeffrey D.
Dunn of Jacksonville, research;
Thomas H. Vann. Jr. of Thomas-
ville. lead article; Ralph F. Simp
son of Bainbridge, survey; Edward
J. Harrell of Hakinsville, casenote
and Carl C. Jones III of Decatur,
administrative.
Politics; Rats, Mice
and Miscellany
by Wright Davis
Choice 68 revealed some very interesting informatioi
for the pollsters, political scientists, and the politicians run
ning for President this year. The most obvious factor revealet
was that the nation’s students do not approve of the presen
course of military action in Vietnam. This was clearly evi
denced by the impressive vote received by the two “peace’
candidates Eugene McCarthy and Robert Kennedy.
On the issue of military action in Vietnam 18% of the na.
tion’s students voted for immediate withdrawal and 45% fav
ored a phased reductionof military effort. Hence, roughly 62$
favored some sort of reduction. On the other hand 7% favore<
the current policy, 9% chose to increase military effort, ant
21% wanted an “all out” miiltary effort.
The issue of the urban crisis was less a surprise. Somt
40% thought education should receive the highest priority ii
government spending, while 39% chose job training. Riot con
trol was favored by 12%. The most interesting factor was thai
housing was favored by only 6% and income subsidy was th<
lowest on the totem poll with 3%. The last two choices—in
come subsidy and housing—are being pushed the hardest ii
Congress today. The issues which the poor people’s march an
attemtping to raise evidently does not receive strong support
among America’s college students.
Now for thg political speculation. While it is true thai
college students are becoming increasingly more active in pol*
itics and provide much of the energy and labor of campaigns
they are at a disadvantage when it comes to nominating th<
candidates. Eugene McCarthy is a Christian gentleman whi
represents a particular point of view in his party. The questior
is can he win the nomination? This columnist would answei
in the negative. Outside his stand on Vietnam, McCarthy u
little known when it cofnes to the other issues of the pohtica
spectrum. He does not carry a national image like his “dove
counterpart, Bobby Kennedy. Regardless of the vote McCar*
thy receives in the primaries, he will not have the all important
convention votes to get the nomination.
The next question is what about Robert Kennedy? Hi
is young and aggressive and has a lot of money to throw around
He also has a national political image. However, Senator Ken
nedy is hurting in the number of convention votes needed foi
nomination. He has somewhere around 800 according to tht
latest opinion polls.
Kennedy’s chief obstacle, is his rival, Hubert Humphrey
the candidate of the Johnson administration. Humphrey has
labor, business and most of the Southern Democrats behind
him now. There are approximately 1200 convention votes al
ready committed or leaning to Humphrey. I would place my
money on Humphrey as the Democratic nominee.
The Republican nomination is becoming more complicated
with the entrance of Nelson Rockefeller. Nixon has the com
manding lead at the present and probably will receive the nom
ination. However, pressures from both the left and right coulc
change things. Many hard-core conservatives want a man more
conservative than Nixon. They are looking to Gov. Ronald
Reagan of California. Reagan has said that he will not run
but he is making every preparation in case Nixon falters.
A coalition between the Rockefeller and Reagan forces
could be very damaging to Nixon’s chances. If Nixon falten
after two ballots look out for that Rockefeller-Reagan coali
tion.
Since this is the last column this writer will he poundinj
out before the army or law school—only Cod and Local 133
knows for sure—I would like to throw in my two cents worth
Democrats: Humphrey and a less liberal governor for Vice
President, possibly Connarlv of Texas.
Republicans: Nixon and hold your breath—Governor Shaffei
of Pennsylvania or Sen. Mark Hatfield of Oregon. Pipe drean:
for conservatives: Nixon and Reagan.
My choice for the race of the century—this might blow
a few minds—On the Demo side: Robert Kennedy and Cad
Sanders of Georgia versus Nelson Rockefeller and Ronald Rea
gan for the G.O.P.
Who will be the next President of the United States'
Politics makes strange bedfellows. Thirty.
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JHernr Cluster
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Paul Kirk
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Toni Cauthorn
Photographer!
Roger Poston, Haywood Turner
Bob Johnson. Don Pettigrew
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Wright Davis
r & ..
BUSINESS MANAGER
Bob Lanier
MANAGING EDITOR
John Obi
Staff Werdlyn Mills, I)ori Ripley,
Ann Walters, Gary Johnson, Mary Riddle,
Carolyn Hamilton, Carolyn Braun, Anna Dixon,
Margie Deckle, Sherri Clark. Cornelia Bennett
Contributing Editors Becky Sims, Ed Beckwith
Busincea Specialist Chrystie Tyler
Exchange Editor ..„ Gene WIlhams
Sports Editors
Sports Staff
Special Correspondent#
Ed Bacon. Gary Brenner
BUI Wshunt
J. O. Paine, Anthony Stansfeld
Feature Editor
Feature Staff ...
Social Editor
Bryant Curley, Ben Mitcham
I.ou Johnson
John Kidd
David Sibley
Dan Newell, Izxie Smith
Carol Brnea
Notice
The property known as the Hi*
gins Mill, or English Mill Plan
on Little Towaliga River, in Lai*
Lot No. 228, Even District
Monroe County, Georgia, is posted
Anyone going upon this propert]
without permission will be pros*
rated.
Please make this known to you
student body so that they can *
bide by this and refrain from g*
tng upon this private Property.
Is not my desire to prosecute, bs
the situation out there is out
hand and the Law Enforcemes
Officers have asked my cooper*
tion in the matter.
Thank you for your cooperate*
with me on this.
Very truly yours,
Mrs. Wu. B. F:
Faculty Advisors