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September 09, 1965 - Image 4

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The Michigan Daily, 1965-09-09

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I

014r mir4logan Baily,

Lyndon B. Johnson-Tactics of Power,

Seventy-Sixth Year
EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
UNDER AUTHORITY OF BOARD IN CONTROL OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS

Where Opinions Are Free. 420 MAYNARD ST., ANN ARBOR, MICH.
Truth Will Prevail

NEWS PHONE: 764-0552

Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers
or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1965 NIGHT EDITOR: LEONARD PRATT
Premature Protests Could
Hurt Student Housing Support
THE ISSUE of high-cost housing is cur- Business and Finance Wilbur K. Pier-
rently coming to a head, but if stu- pont's' office to protest the University's
dents do not build a solid "grass roots" current housing policies.
foundation for their movement the re- Such steps taken prematurely, how-
sult may be a fiasco for campus activists. ever, would alienate many students from
Groups interested in improving student the movement because the protests would
economic welfare have a concrete issue in seem to be motivated by a primary in-
housing. It should be a common focal terest in demonstrating rather than im-
point, bringing together the different fac- proving conditions.
tions of activists in a united front so Furthermore, the entire low cost hous-
that the true pressure of the student ing movement would collapse because
body can be used to best advantage, there is nothing as pathetic as 30 or 40
students demonstrating for what they
THERE IS HOWEVER a latent schism in claim is the cause of 30,000. The move-
student attitudes toward the housing ment needs more support than its pres-
problem. More militant activists have ad- ent following of about 200 before it will
vocated such tactics as a sleep-in on the be able to stage effective demonstrations.
diag and sit-in in Vice-President for Activism is a means to achieve an end
rather than an end in itself. Some stu-
dents have "Berkley complexes" and in
reality do not seek reform but rather
their own personal martyrdom in the
Their M an defiance of the establishment.
PRESENTLY, the administration seems
N ANN ARBOR maintenance truck was to be responsive to student sugges-
making its way down a local street tions about housing. Tuesday Pierpont
several days ago about 9 a.m. Its crew was agreed to give a detailed breakdown of
carefully erecting signs reading "No the University's financial costs in oper-
Parking, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. in a previously ating dorms and to review University in-
unrestricted zone. vestment operations, and Vice-President
Following along about a half block be- for Student Affairs Richard Cutler has
hind was a motorcycle policeman giving announced that work has begun on the
out parking tickets to all the newly-creat- establishment of a student advisory group
ed offenders. who would help in the planning of hous-
Local justice? ing projects sponsored by the University.
-R. JOHNSTON Although these concessions are really
drops in the bucket, they are a start, and
they can be followed up.
p MIi dl~jlijgn1jIn reality the University administra-
tion and the students should be on the
Editorial Staff same side of the housing battle. Although
ROBERT JOHNSTON, Editor it may be true that some University of-
LAURENCE KIRSHBAUM JEFFREY GOODMAN
Managing Editor Editorial Director ficials do not wish to see low cost hous-
JUDITH FIELDS.........Acting Personnel Director ingIn Ann Arbor because they are in
LAUREN BAHR........... Associate Managing Editorin nAnArrbeasthy ren
JUDITH WARREN .. Acting Assistant Managing Editor collusion with the real estate developers
ROBERT RIPPLER ....... Associate Editorial Director it definitel is t that
GAIL BLUMBERG ................... Magazine Editor of the town, i y rue
LLOYD GRAFF ................ Acting Sports Editor other administrators seek lower costs for
NIGHT EDITORS: Susan Collins, John Meredith, dorms and less crowding.
Leonard Pratt, Peter Sarasohn, Bruce Wasserstein.
ASSISTANT NIGHT EDITORS: Michael Badamo, WHAT IS CURRENTLY needed for the
Clarence Fanto, Mark Killingsworth, Robert Moore, l o uv n
Dick Wingfield.low cost housing st vd ent s .
Business Staff build up of informed student support. It
- CY WELLMAN, Business Manager is very easy to caricature administrators
ALAN GLUECKMAN.............Advertising Manager and play with the emotions of a crowd
JOYCE FEINBERG................ Finance Manager
SUSAN CRAWFORD ....Associate Business Manager by demanding action, but it is much more
MANAGERS: Harry Bloch, Bruce Hillman, Jeffrey difficult to think along constructive lines.
Leeds, Gail Levin, Susan Perlstadt, vic Ptaznik, Stewart Gordon, chairman of Voice's
Liz Rhein, Jean Rothbaum, Jill Tozer.StwrGodnchimn fVie'
The Daily is a member of the Associated Press and Housing Committee, has displayed an en-
Collegiate Press Service. lightened leadership of the movement so
The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the far by researching statistics and facts
use of all news dispatches credited to it or otherwise pertaining to the issue. What is needed
credited to the newspaper. All rights of re-publication
of all other matters here are also reserved, now is a dispersion of this information,
Subscription rates: $4.50 semester by carrier ($5 by and a continuation of meetings between
mail); $8 yearly by carrier ($9 by mail). administrators and students on the hous-
Scond class postage paid at Ann Arbor, Mich. ing issue.
Published daily Tuesday through Sunday morning -BRUCE WASSERSTEIN
4,

r "
i. 'S rE~r
; y
, , ~l~ei}+ ir~.; r:AOr
.-, . ..: " .tr i, 9 , , ?{ : . :

By CHARLOTTE WOLTER
ALTHOUGH presidents and their
activities have long been a
favorite topic of discussion and
gossip, the myriad recent analyses
of the character of Lyndon John-
son have tended to emphasize the
mystical or puzzling qualities of
his personality without examining
the actual basis of his political
success.
Perhaps the fact that Johnson
has not encouraged more pene-
trating analyses is itself a clue to
his psyche. Speculation and dis-
crepancy, when not countered by
confirmation and consistency,
have for the past 30 years been
building an image of the Presi-
dent, which may be his most
powerful tool.
A good part of this is the na-
tural complexity of an intelligent
and ambitious man. His closest
friends and advisors claim to be
still fascinated and sometimes
puzzled by his actions and sudden
changes of mood.
BUT TO GO beyond the almost
mystical nature of the Johnson
image, one needs more than the
picture of a dominant and com-
plex personality, and this is where
the subject of power and its cul-
tivation becomes very relevant.
That Johnson loves power is
evident. He has worked diligently
throughout his career in govern-
ment to acquire it and to use it.
In the Senate, long before he had

assumed any executive office, his
reputation for using pressure and
political maneuvering was wide-
spread.
In his earliest days as a rep-
resentative during the New Deal,
Johnson was a hard taskmaster.
He pushed himself and his as-
sociates to the limits of exhaus-
tion and was constantly cultivat-
ing the favors of those who would
be useful to him in later years.
This can be seen in the bevy
of advisors who surround the
President, who can be trusted to
support and reflect his policies.
There are men like Abe Fortas,
who argued a dispute in Johnson's
first congressional election over
the vote count. Other names such
as Jack Valenti, Walter Jenkins
and Cyrus Vance, though less fa-
miliar, are tangible evidence of the
human following and support that
a man like Johnson can collect.
IDEOLOGICALLY, Johnson has
always remained in the forefront
of what may be termed the "lib-
eral cause." A large part of his
legislative career was spent in
pushing or nursing liberal social
and economic legislation through
reluctant Congresses, culminating
in the most obvious and most dis-
cussed manifestation of Johnson's
use of political power, the legis-
lative record of the 89th Congress.
Throughout the spring and sum-
mer, a parade of Administration-
initiated legislation has passed
through the House and Senate

with no overt objection, no threat
of filibuster and an extraordinary
lack of revision. The pressing need
for many of the provisions and
the excellence of some of the pro-
grams cannot be denied. The
question then is what are the in-
gredients of Johnson's unprece-
dented success?
At this point the phrase "arm-
twisting" is likely to appear as an
explanation of Johnson's "wiz-
ardry" in dealing with Congress.
This phrase, however, gives an
inaccurate picture of the methods
of persuasion which Johnson-as
well as most presidents before
him-have used.
The actual use of a threat by a
president is unlikely simply be-
cause there is little that he can
really do to -a congressman. In
a local election, it is the repre-
sentative or senator, not the Pres-
ident, who makes an impression on
the electorate. Roosevelt, at the
height of his power in 1938, di-
rectly named several Southern
congressmen whom he wanted to
have defeated yet produced no
effect.
EVEN THE MOST direct forms
of influence on congressmen, such
as a personal call from the Presi-
dent, are conducted on very polite
terms, which neither would admit
to be pressure. Often, however, all
the President has to do is tell
the congressman that this bill is
very important and ask if he

would support it. The congress-
man, because of the institutional
deference between Congress and
President, the need for support for
a program of his own or an un-
definable fear of retribution, how-
ever vague, will often agree.
But if Johnson is using tactics
not much different from those of
his predecessors, what other fac-
tors may account for his unusual
success in Congress?
Most obviously, Johnson has
cultivated Congress to a far great-
er degree than other presidents.
His brand of persuasion is highly
personal, combining hominess and
a shrewd knowledge of the man
with whom he is dealing. Also, he
has not let upon his efforts to
contact, inform and, thus, per-
suade congressmen.
SECOND, in sheer numbers the
liberal representation in this Con-
gress is highly favorable to his
programs. An overwhelming ma-
jority of the freshmen congress-
men have voted straight Adminis-
tration.
And again, the Johnson image
must be considered. His famous
reputation from his senatorial
years as the politico, the "arm-
twister," impresses the congress-
man. Real or imagined, the con-
sequences which might result from
disagreement or refusal of sup-
port are a powerful influence.
An example of the use of this
power is the passage of the Dis-

trict of Columbia Home Rule Bill.
The measure has been tied up in
the House Rules Committee by
one recalcitrant representative
who opposed it,
Although the bill was of in-
terest to only a few congressmen
from adjacent districts, the Ad-
ministration was able to organize
the necessary majority for a dis-
charge petition to bring it to the
floor of the House.
IF THIS KIND of strength can
be mustered for a relatively minor
bill, then it is not surprising that
Johnson has been able to push his
massive social and economic leg-
islative program through the Con-
gress.
It is true that at certain, points
in this legislative session Congress
has collectively become balky or
annoyed at the constant push of
the Johnson Administration. It is
significant, however, that there
has been no "revolt," no effort to
defeat any of the major proposals.
The record of the present Con-
gress, then, is a measure of the
political skills of the President,
major components of which are
his personality and image, which
remain to some extent obscured.
What is obvious, however, is
that Johnson has used this am-
biguity in a highly effective man-
ner to advance his political aims,
and the success of these tactics
can be seen in his present political
ascendency.

*

1

Urban Blight, Negro Plight Plague U.S.

By WALTER LIPPMANN
DOING NOTHING in particular
for a month, yet unable not to
read the papers and keep up with
what is going on, I have been
doing some worrying. The sub-
ject of my worry has been the
number and size of the problems
that are in front of us and how
we are to find the time, the at-
tention and the energy to deal
with them.
I am not thinking only of Viet
Nam, which is for the present an
insoluble predicament, but of how
the demands upon us are com-
pounded by what the Los Angeles
riot has revealed about the Negro
revolution. We are committed to
working out on our own respon-
sibility the new relationships in
Asia between the Western powers
and the Asians. This will mark an
historical epoch.
At the same time, the same
President, with the same Con-
gress and the same electorate, is
compelled to inaugurate and set
in motion more far-reaching
changes in our society than were

ever contemplated in the Johnson
consensus.
IN THE Los Angeles riot we
have seen how explosive. is Negro
discontent set in the environment
of a great city. The United States
has done many great and good
things in this past century. But
our progress has been marred and
marked by two enormous failures.
The one has been the failure
to make free men of the great
mass of the descendants of the
emancipated slaves. The other has
been the failure to make our cities,
which are destined to be the home
of the great majority of Ameri-
cans, civilized and safe.
In the slums of Los Angeles, and
in the slums of other great cities,
there are the Negro poor-un-
educated, untrained men for mod-
ern industry, left behind in the
cultural progress of the nation,
coming from broken homes and
without Negro leadership. They
have no coherent program of de-
mands, but they find a spasm of
relief by going on a rampage of

burning, wrecking, killing and
hating.
Probably, in fact almost cer-
tainly, enough is known by some
of us somewhere to reduce the
grievances and remedy the misery.
But fatally this enormous task
cannot be done quickly.
It is optimistic to think that
the social and family conditions
and the cultural backwardness
which are producing an unem-
ployed and desperate remnant can
be reformed in one generation. Al-
though there are always individ-
ual. exceptions, in the mass the
young rioters are very close to
being past saving, and we have to
face the grim question of how
they can be induced to remain
quiet while the necessary reforms
for the benefit of other Negroes
are worked out in the slow pro-
cesses of political democracy.
We shall not erase easily the
consequences of slavery and of
the half-freedom which has fol-
lowed it.
OUR OTHER great failure-the

failure to make cities civilized and
safe for the masses who have been
moving into them-will compel us
to replan, reconstruct and re-
organize much of the work and
living of an increasing part of the
nation.
We have to do this, although
the public institutions of the
the counties, the municipalities
and the federal government itself
were formed in the 18th century
when the vast majority lived in
the country or in small towns.
The American political system
stems from a time when there was
as yet no problem of the cities.
The remaking of the cities will
be a much bigger task than is as
yet generally understood in this
country. But the task will have to
be attempted, for a nation which
lives in cities (the President says
80 per cent will live in cities by
the year 2000) must have cities fit
to live in.
I COME BACK to the subject
of my worrying. It is not about
the great costs of what has to be

done-we can find the money. It
is not about the disturbance of
vested interests-that can be en-
dured and absorbed in a nation
which is in the main so well off.
I am thinking of the politicians
and the civil servants and the
voters who must carry out these
vast and intricate measures and
of how they already have too much
to do and where they are to find
a fresh source of energy within
themselves.
It is reassuring to think of Pres-
ident Johnson's success with his
legislative program. It shows that
our political system can be made
to work. And yet, looking at the
legislative program-at Medicare,
education, the war against pov-
erty-what we have achieved so
far is something like an architect's
plan for the foundations of a
structure and a few holes in the
ground.
To realize that extraordinary
demands will be made upon us is
not yet wisdom. But it is the
beginningof wisdom.
(c)1965, The Washington Post Co.

A Broadside Against Pop OfIs'

"Look, Fella - Things Are Tough Enough"

'4

To the Editor:
ONE AMONG MANY things that
provide continual irritation to
me is the opinionated campus
"pop-off." By this I mean the
student who feels that unless a
newspaper specifically and daily
touches upon an issue dear to his
heart in a manner acceptable to
him, it is not only unfair, biased,
and stupid, but irresponsible, left-
ist and quite possibly an uncon-
scious communist dupe.
The pop-off is further identi-
fied by his threat ("I dare you to
print this."), a not-so subtle at-
tempt to force the editor into
giving his ill-thought and usually
unimportant gripes space simply
because a so-called "moral" issue
of free speech is raised.
I'M TIRED of hearing the "un-
represented" and knowledgeless
dissents cutting The Daily. I would
suggest they get off their opin-
ionated cans, stop polishing apples
and grubbing grades, and spend a
few evenings a week working at
420 Maynard.
-George Abbott White, '65
Quad Conduct
To the Editor:
MESSRS. FARRELL, Herstein,
Winter:
Do you guys mean to -say that
given a little privacy, you'll ac-
tually act out your perversions?
If the University lets you close
the door, you'll be homosexual
with your buddies? Or that (also
with closed door) you'd really se-
duce the girl friend, hetehosexual
though it may be?
And are you really so weak (as
well as perverted) that you need
that lack of privacy to restrain
you?
The University may or may not
be able to provide privacy. But
personal standards and conduct
are still your own.
-Jon Torre, '67
U.S. Policies

development of the two countries
further.
Not only has the United States
supplied each combatant with its
arms, we have further set an ex-
ample of settling conflict by force
and outside the United Nations,
in the Dominican Republic and in
Viet Nam. Our reluctance to bring
either of those "wars" before the
world legislature certainly must
provide impetus to these two Asian
combantants, who, for the past
several months have been glaring
angrily at each other across
boarders without meaningful ne-
gotiation or United Nations in-
tervention, and who now are in
open conflict.
THE FIRST TASK facing the
United States and the world com-
munity is to settle the India-
Pakistani dispute before it gets
further out of hand. A second task
for this nation is a total and long-
overdue re-evaluation of our for-
eign policies, which have encour-
aged the development of this un-
fortunate situation.
-Steve Zarit, '67
Campus Parking
To the Editor:
THE UNIVERSITY has reduced
the number of parking spaces
available for motorcycles. It has
also announced that recently
painted angle parking spaces must

be used for cycle parking. How-
ever, Ann Arbor has a city ordi-
nance requiring that cycles paral-
ley park and have their rear tires
not-more than 12 inches from the
curb. Violators will be ticketed.
Congratulations to the Univer-
sity for figuring out still another
way to separate students from
their money and congratulations .
to Ann Arbor for figuring out such
an effective way of minimizing
the city's already painfully limit-
ed parking facilities.
-Edward Herstein, '66Ed
Complaint
To the Editor:
THE DAILY has done it again
as they have consistently done
it in the past. You take a picture
-oh, look at the large crowd-
isn't this or that group influen-
tial. If one looks at the picture
on page 2 of the Sept. 8 Daily
(purporting to be a representation
of a crowd of 200), one will find
that there are a total of thirty-
three people in the picture and of
these only eleven are looking at
the speaker.
IN THE name of truth, give us
the facts so that the 99.3 per cent
of those University students who
were not there can be well in-
formed.
-Kenneth L. Yeasting, '67

A

Help Parents Learn Facts of Life'
And Stamp Out Moral Decay

By ROGER RAPOPORT
A SHOCKING REPORT just re-
leased by Ohio State Univer-
sity sociologist John Cuber re-
veals that "A very considerable
number of people living at the
top of American society seek adul-
terous relationships in an effort
to achieve emotional fulfilment."
(rh t9 f,.. T_ -- a ..c+ s a of mnr

adult moral decay must be placed
on this nation's college students.
College students and other
young adults have ignored the
moral upbringing of their parents
-with dreadful consequences. In
a word, they have failed to help
their parents develop proper moral
attitudes.
Simple guidelines are needed to
r,.,rr artths-ztinn_ T nia rp

Answer their inquiries, honestly,
fully and with an air of detach-
ment. Don't be reticent-encour-
age your parents to discuss their
problems naturally.
The nature of the discussion
naturally depends on your par-
ents' sex problem. If it is merely
frigidity perhaps you should rec-
ommend several good books.
Be nrenarr1 tn iscuss any bin-

Patiently explain to them the
disadvantages of the double stan-
dard, wife-swapping, adultery and
the like. Try to make them under-
stand that extra-marital relations
are a dubious sort of thing at
best.
Let them know that if publiciz-
ed this sort of thing could cause
you, their child, no end of em-
barrassment. And were an acci-

I

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