The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 49, No. 2, Ed. 1 Friday, September 22, 1961 Page: 2 of 10
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THE THRESHER EDITORIAL PAGE
i> \ \ i i
*74e "PtecifUce
In the frantic struggle for power, prestige
and position which now, more than ever,-engulfs
the world, few men have had the courage and
the foresight to rise above the conflict and work
for its termination, and fewer still have had the
ability and the perseverence to make any prog-
ress.
Such a man was Dag Hammarskjold, and his
death is without question a tragic loss to the
cause of peace.
Hammarskjold was an internationalist in an
age of nationalism. He was an aggressive fighter
when many of the world's largest and most
powerful nations were lethargic. He was firm
in an era of conciliation, and he had courage in
the face of an enemy who laughed at his cour-
age but could not defeat him.
His death is mourned in this country not be-
cause he has given us any particular aid and
comfort in the bilateral battle we and our allies
are so noisily carrying on with the Communists,
but because he has advanced the causes of gen-
eral peace and liberty throughout the world.
These are the causes which underlie and give
significance to all the diplomatic crises and all
the conference tables and all the front lines, and,
when we stop to think about it, they are the
causes which underlie our struggle as well.
in the wake of Hammarskjold's death, there
are many who hasten to assure us that no man
is indispensable. But the next few weeks and
months m;iy well prove that here was a man
who was indispensable to the United Nations,
and the next few years may prove that the
United Nations is indeed indispensable to the
cause of world peace.
That- Hammarskjold was successful in mak-
ing the United Nations an effective force in
world politics merits our praise. That his un-
timely death leaves a vacuum into which the
ruins of a leaderless and quarreling United Na-
tions may fall merits our concern.
No one wants a powerful political figure to
die in office, for such a death always precipi-
tates a period of uncertainty and instability—
no one, that is, but the man's sworn enemies, who
see in his death an opportunity to achieve the
victory they could not- win in his life. Even if
the United Nations succeeds in evading the
Russian proposal of a three-man board of gov-
( mors, it will be hard put to find a Secretary
General that the Russians will not veto; and,
even then, whoever is chosen will" face a con-
tinuous line of Soviet obstacles to his success.
In the end, Hammarskjold's greatness lay in
the fact that he was a statesman of the world.
He helped to build for himself and for the future
the kind of organization which might some day
stand above the demands of national self-interest
and partisan goals. Freed from these demands,
the UN could go about the serious business of
raising standards of living, providing education,
and preserving liberties to the end that all
nations might enjoy true peace under the rule
of law.
Hammarskjold's brother said of him, "He
walked fearlessly along the dangerous precipice."
Who is there with the courage to walk it now?
Jite Tteu*
Rice's trig-less Fresliman Week has come
and gone—to return, we hope, for quite a few
years in the future.
Like all previous years, the expressed aim
of the Week was to "aid the freshman in
adjusting to his new environment." But what
a difference in the meaning attached to that
short phrase! For too many years, the "environ-
ment" encountered by the freshman was as-
sumed to be exclusively academic; the week was
thus designed to pitch him abruptly into the icy
waters of higher education and coldly observe
whether he would sink or swim.
Those who planned the new week, both on
the University level and in colleges, recognized
that scholarship, although it is the University's
raison d'etre, is not of itself an adequate initia-
tion for an experience as complex as college life.
The freshmen arrive expecting to find hard work,
but—frankly—anticipating much more from Rice
than that alone. A basic knowledge of the city
and the campus, their social and cultural
advantages, a system of personal counseling, the
opportunity to meet and talk informally with
outstanding professors—these things are funda-
mental. Looking back, it is almost impossible
to believe that they were included in Freshman
Week for the first time this year.
There could be no better monument to the
enlightened planning of last year's Student
Senate Committee on Freshman Week, or to
the wisdom of administrative officials in agree-
ing to put those plans into effect, than the
spectacle of 450-plus students emerging from
the week eager to venture more deeply into the
University—not stifled and discouraged.
The Thresher wholeheartedly affirms the
value of the 1961 Week. Grateful thanks are
due the student leaders and faculty associates
of the colleges for their enthusiastic efforts to
extend the "environment" that meets the fresh-
man's eye; for their determination to impress
upon him the truth that someone cares about
his successes and failures; for (above all) their
proof in the Week's discussion groups that
education, always difficult, can sometimes even
be enjoyable.
I Vt COME TO
PsrcrtiATRic
HELP Si
'sed idheni
me
jeASusy
'DEPRESI
Sm'
'W OTHER 6JRL5 HATE
VET I.KWOtU ITS ONLY.
its pwim jealous
THkJgfcTOi
they only hate me because i
have naturally curly hair..
they're jealous ofme..umt
should i do?
donT kid yourself, sistb?„
FIVE CENTS, PLEASE!
eoocrcY
i ? I
9-2Z
En)
United Features' "Peanuts" will continue to be featured on
the editorial page until the regular editorial page cartoon, now
on order, arrives, while "Gort" continues to run on page eight.
"Peanuts" will resume its regular place there later.
The expected editorial page cartoon, from the Associated
Collegiate Press, will be introduced upon its arrival.
Meanwhile, Charles Dent, The Thresher cartoonist, will also
contribute occasional timely cartoons.
THRESHING - IT - OUT-
Socialist Answers
Carr's 'Manifesto'
To the Editor:
In his "Conservative Manifes-
to" included in the 15 Septem-
ber Thresher, Mr. Carr (whose
popularity in the academic cir-
cles, I hope, has not been
threatened) made several state-
ments and implications, which
I, both in the role of a Socialist
and as one who fervently de-
sires to witness the just pre-
sentation of both sides to every
issue, should like to attempt to
answer.
FIRST OF ALL, the insin-
uation that conservatives (which
term I shall use to denote the
loudest ^supporters of capital-
ism) have a monopoly on the
concept of individual freedom is
simply ajjile of crap. Few men
have believed as strongly in
human dignity and man's right
to be free, as Karl Marx; this
is immediately evident to any-
SYD NATHANS, EUGENE KEIL1N
Goldwater Conservatism Incomplete
Both those who share and
those who dissent from the
Barry Goldwater brand of con-
servatism outlined in the last
edition of the "Thresher" are
committed to the principle of
individual liberty. Dissenters
from the Goldwater view—var-
iously called liberals, socialists,
subversives or, as in last week's
"Thresher," eggheads — con-
tend that the right-wing con-
ception of personal liberty is too
narrow and its aplication ob-
viously incomplete and overly
selective.
In practice, the Dissenter
claims, the conservative exer-
The
Thresher
The Rice Thresher, the official student newspaper of Rice University,
is published weekly from September to June, except during holiday recesses
and examination periods, and when unusual circumstances warrant a special
issue. The opinions expressed are those of the student staff and do not
necessarily reflect the views of the Rice University administration.
News contributions may be submitted and advertising information pro-
cured at the Thresher offices on the second floor of the Rice Student
Memorial Center or by telephone at JAckson 8-4141, ext. 221.
Entered as second class matter, October 17, 1917, at the post office
in Houston, Texas, under the act of March 3, 1870.
EDITORIAL STAFF
EDITOR MARJORIE TRULAN
ASSOCIATE EDITOR GRIFFIN SMITH
Managing Editor Eugene Keilin McGowan
toews Editor Fryar Calhoun Engineering and Science
Editorial Assistant Jan Gordon
Feature Editor Harvey Pollard
Sports Editors Dick Park,
Milton Nirkvn, Ronnie $line
Senate Larry Moore
Colleges Charles Kipple
Politics Ken Carr,
Syd Nathans, Bill Lieblich, Pat
Steve McCleary
Religion Phil Strange
Fine Arts and Entertainment
Kathryn Pulley
Photography Scott Morris,
Bob Warren, John Reavis'
Cartoons ..ia Charles Dent
Faculty Advisor Dr. Donald Mackenzie
BUSINESS STAFF
BUSINESS MANAGER CHARLES WILLIAMS
Local Advertising and Circulation Manager Burton Silverman
National Advertising Manager Dick Viebig
cises a peculiar selectivity, by
which he assumes interest in
the "whole man" but fears so-
cial security and public hous-
ing; by which he seeks reduc-
tion of corporate income tax but
opposes' extension of the mini-
mum wage; by which he con-
demns Castro while commend-
ing Chiang.
HIS IS selectivity which ad-
vocates fewer controls on inter-
state commerce ^nd more con-
trols on labor unions, fewer re-
strictions on big business—and
more restrictions on what the
public schools may teach.
The conservative practices
the kind of respect for indi-
vidual liberty which manifests
itself in a capitalist's justifica-
tion of free enterprise and an
aversion* to interest in civil lib-
erties and social welfare.
This narrow conception of lib-
erty is evident in what the don-
servative says. Goldwater. and
his followers condemn the so-
called liberal for his alleged
over-emphasis on the material
side of life; yet these same con-
servatives claim as their broad-
er vie\v the endorsement of a
set of ill-defined spiritual val-
ues which are inextricably
bound up with their defense of
free enterprise.
THE SELECTIVE applica-
tion of this concept of liberty
is even more evident in what
the Goldwater Conservative
does. As he applauds the NAM
as it lobbies for a freer free
enterprise, he condemns the
ACLU as it seeks to guarantee
even its bitter enemies full pro-
tection of the law. Though he
charges the Warren court with
desertion of the Constitution, he
personally nullifies the fifth
amendment by regarding its use
as tantamount to the self-in-
crimination it was designed to
prevent.
The Goldwater conservative
restricts the applicability of the
doctrine of individual liberty
even further in the manner in
which he applies it to the sys-
tem of private enterprise.
The conservative is concerned
with placing the minimum of
restrictions upon the economy in ■
order to facilitate freedom of
choice for the individual and
freedom of advancement for the
talented. The Dissenter, on the
other hand, wishes to expand
upon this doctrine.
HE REALIZES that the man
without the education his state
could not afford has less free-
dom in the economic market-
(Continued on Page 7)
one who studies his work. We
Socialists maintain that liberty
is the most sacred right of
man—and it is precisely for
this reason that we oppose any
political or economic system
which deprives man of his free-
dom (excepting, of course, laws
prohibiting individuals from
threatening the welfare of
others).
Furthermore, we b.elieve that
it is ridiculous to assert that a
man can in reality be free un-
less his first basic needs—ma-
terial as well as spiritual—are
cared for. If Mr. Carr does not
recognize that man is such an
integral being, then he is simply
not being realistic. If a man has
a right to be free, then it
necessarily follows that he must
have a right to education, to
medical care, to adequate food
and housing—regardless of his
economic status.
IN SHORT, we fervently be-
lieve that every man should be
provided with an equal oppor-
tunity to "life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness"—and it
is our conviction that the cap-
italist system does not provide
this opportunity. We do not be-
lieve that the "free" enterprise
sy^em by its nature ever can
provide this opportunity; and
we not only maintain that the
present American system is
highly inefficient, but that the
majority of working people —
including teachers - - are far
from receiving fair payment for
the quantity and quality of their
labor.
FINALLY, WE Socialists are
violently opposed to totalitar-
ianism and bureaucracy: we
feel that government should be
man's tool, not his enemy. If,
as Mr. Carr suggests, the pres-
ent government constitutes a
dangerous threat to our liberty
—a condition inevitably born
out of capitalism—then this is
all the more reason to insist
that it be changed to a more
democratic and workable form.
We say this with a sense of
dire urgency; for we are con-
vinced that capitalism — and
therefore America under the
present system — is only headed
for disastrous crises, and event-
ual collapse.
—LYNDON HENRY '«3
Socialist Party
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The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 49, No. 2, Ed. 1 Friday, September 22, 1961, newspaper, September 22, 1961; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth231184/m1/2/: accessed June 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.