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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. Share in Freedom Sign up for U.S. SAVINGS BONDS NSW FREEDOM SHARES 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