_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ~TH E. M I~C HI GAN DAILY . ._ . ..^ . .. _. .,. ... ..... . . , M. __:_,_. ......
"MO
THOMAS L. STOKES:
Grundy Defeat
(WASHINGTON - Encouraging to the
forces of modernism and moderation
in the Republican party was the smashing
victory in Pennsylvania of vigorous, red-
headed Governor James H. Duff over the
Joseph R. Grundy Old Guard Republican
organization.
Big Jim Duff won the Republican Sena-
torial nomination in Tuesday's primary
by rolling up an almost 3 to 1 vote over
Rep. John C. Kunkel, the Grundy candi-
date. He carried to victory with him his
hand-picked candidate for the Republi-
can gubernatorial nomination, Judge
John S. Fine, who won by a much smaller
margin over Jay Cooke, Philadelphia in-
vestment banker, of the famous financial
family, who ran under the Grundy ban-
ner.
If Governor Duff wins the Senate seat
in the November election, when his opponent
will be incumbent Democratic Senator Fran-
cis J. Myers, majority Senate whip, his
name immediately will go on the list of
availables for the 1952 Presidential or Vice-
Presidential nomination.
INTERESTING and significant as was Jim
Duff's triumph over "Grundyism," it is
more intriguing that Joe Grundy, now 87,
still had continued to be such a factor in
the politics and economics of such a great
state as Pennsylvania and with influence
in the party's national policy and affairs.
It tells something about the party, the
encrustations that still cling to it here and
there, and helps to explain its failure to
arouse sufficient popular support in re-
cent years nationally. For Joe Grundy and
Grundyism really passed from the Ameri-
can political scene at least 20 years ago,
as an episode this reporter witnessed here
in October, 1929, should have revealed.
Mr. Grundy, at the time president of the
powerful Pennsylvania Manufactures Asso-
ciation, was called before the Caraway Lob-
by Investigating Committee of the Senate
to explain his lobbying activities on behalf
of the Hawley-Smoot tariff bill, then being
considered in Congress, of which he was one
of the principal architects. It was the Haw-
ley-Smoot Tariff Act that provoked such
hostility abroad and contributed to the wave
of nlationalism then sweeping the world.
Editorials published in The Michigan Daily-
are written by members of The Daily staff
and represent the views of the writers only.
NIGHT EDITOR: JAMES GREGORY
Candidly, he not only revealed how he had
raised $700,000 in Eastern Pennsylvania the
year before and $800,000 in his state in 1924
for the Republican party among tariff-pro-
tected industries, but was blunt and arro-
gant about his concept of government. This
was that big business had an inalienable
right to write tariff bills and get what it
wanted, that Pennsylvania as a big and
powerful state should have a big voice in
government and what he called "the back-
ward states" should "talk darn small." In-
cidentally, it was the same day that he ap-
peared before the Caraway Comittee, Oc-
tober 29, 1929, that the New York Stock
Market suffered its final crashing collapse,
after a series of ominous tremors in the few
days previously, to sound the death knell of
the sort of philosophy he expounded.
* * *
H APPY, IF long overdue, is the blow now
delivered publicly by Jim Duff to what
he called "Grundyism," defining it as "gov-
ernment by a few, for the benefit of a few,
at the expense of the public."
The victory of Jim Duff 'progressivism"
has its mixed results and serves, as well,
to highlight some current paradoxes in
his party, common alike to the Democratic
party. It might be said, first, that while
Governor Duff called some months ago
for his party to be "a party of faith in
the future and not backward looking,"
he is not as advanced in his philosophy,
for example, as Senators Morse, Aiken
and Tobey and others in the Senate's
moderate progressive wing.
In the 1948 convention he was for Sena-
tor Taft of Ohio-and still is--who usually
is regarded as leader of the conservative
wing of the party, and bitterly arraigned a
coup engineered by Joe Grundy that threw
the bulk of Pennsylvania's delegates to Gov-
ernor Thomas E. Dewey, a strange sort of
alliance for the New York governor who is
regarded as in the moderately progressive
wing, but one of those alliances of con-
venience that served an immediate political
purpose. It was the break that started the
bandwagon movement for Governor Dewey's
nomination.
Interesting, too, is the fact that Harold
Stassen, one of the leading candidates in
the 1948 convention, and regarded then as
in the progressive element, openly supported
the candidacy of Jay Cooke, the Grundy
candidate for the gubernatorial nomination,
in this week's primary. Mr. Cooke had been
one of the present president of the University
of Pennsylvania's chief backers in the 1948
convention.
(Copyright, 1950, by United Feature Syndicate, Inc.)
ted
Penh
NEW TAXES are never very popular sug-
gestions in anybody's book. But in Mich-
igan, 1950, the state government is drastical-
ly cutting vital state services because it does
not have funds for them.
Even then, the most conservative es-
timate of the Republican Legislature fore-
sees a 20 mllion dollar deficit for 1950-51.
Short of a miracle, new taxes are the
only way that the state government is
going to be able to cover its expenses.
Governor Williams has recommended a
State corporation profits tax as the means
of solving the problem.
He has suggested a profits tax because
the consuming public now pays 80 per cent
of total state revenues while business con-
tributes approximately 8 per cent. In the
48 states combined business pays about 23
per cent of the taxes.
There is a Michigan corporation tax in
existance which costs business tw and one-
half mills on the dollar of capital stock and
surplus for the privilege of doing business
here. Not only is it inadequate but it operates
to the detriment of small corporations. They
must pay the tax whether they make money
or not, while a ceiling of $50,000 gives the
largest corporations a lower rate of taxation
than that of little business.
A bill currently in the Legislature would
lift this ceiling but actually do little to-
wards wiping out the state deficit. Only
seven million of the minimum 20 million
dollar deficit would be collected.
But the tax proposed by the Governor
would increase the amount paid by the
larger businesses, lower that of the smallest
ones.
In discussing the tax with a member of
the House Ways and Means Committee in
Lansing recently, I discovered that the main
objection centers around the fear that it
will drive industry out of the state. Analy-
sis, however, makes questionable the validity
of this assumption.
At the present time, 32 other states have
a tax of a similar nature. According to a
study made by the Governor, two states,
Pennsylvania and California have gained
new industry since levying it.
The eliminaton of the present capital
stock tax actually aids new businesses, since
they would not pay taxes during the period
when they are starting and making no
profits. Also, the corporations would be able
to deduct 38 per cent of the tax from their
Federal income taxes.
In the light of these facts; that the
change would encourage small busness and
give the state an urgently needed new
source of funds, the profits tax seems just.
Days of prosperity are not the time for
the State to be cutting important welfare
and educational services. The profits tax is
a fair way to continue them and pay for
them.
--Don McNeil
"How Ahut It.,ellas ?"
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XetteP TO THE EDITOR
The Daily welcomes communications from its readers on matters of
general interest, and will publish all letters which are signed by the writer
and in good taste. Letters exceeding 300 words in length, defamatory or
libelous letters, and letters which for any reason are not in good taste will
be condensed edited or withheld from publication at the discretion of the
editors.
New York School's Ban
of 'The Nation'
FRESH FROM its clash with The Satur-
day Review of Literature over the merits
of poet Ezra Pound and a sizzling blast at
Franco and Peron, "The Nation," known
as 'America's leading liberal weekly since
1865,' will soon present its case again for
reinstatement to the list of periodicals to
which. New York schools may subscribe.
The original reason for the banning two
years ago, which incidently was upheld by
the State Commissioner of Education, was
a series of articles written by Paul Blan-
shard, author of "American Freedom and
THE STUDENT HALF of this week-end's
Dance Festival, presented at Pattengill
Auditorium last night, proved to be an ex-
citing evening. The enthusiasm of both
the Modern Dance and Ballet Clubs quickly
spread to an appreciative audience and the
performers seemed to be steadily encour-
aged by the warm reception which they
inspired.
Presenting a variety of moods and tem-
pos, the versatility of the Modern Dance
Club combined with student music, po-
etry and singing into a rich program.
Highlights were "The Old City," a dance
to a poem by William Trousdale, '50; "And
Higher," a striking number excellently
staged and set to music by. composer Ed
Chudacoff, 'Grad, and a Yiddish Folk Song
Suite, excellently played and sung by Sarah
Graf.
The performances of Jack Huebler, Mur-
ray Gitlin, Bernice Weinberger, Gerry Mil-
ler, Juanna de Laban, Barbara Levine, and
the rest of the group proved without doubt
that Modern Dance is an exciting as well
as expressive art medium.
Although less steady than the Modern
Dance group, the Ballet Club gave an ade-
quate showing of traditional, interperative,
and folk interpretations.
The reception accorded last night's pre-
sentation gives strong indication that more
frequent campus dance prograis should
and will be encouraged.
_Alrs a 1fif
Catholic Power." The articles concerned
the religious beliefs andrpractices of the
Roman Catholic Church.
On the grounds that such articles foster
religious intolerance, the magazine was with-
drawn from the school's periodical list.
When the banning issue was reviewed
again last year, two questions were posed,
(1) Is it a policy of "The Nation" to attack
the actions of the Catholic Church?" (2)
"If this policy exists, will it result in reli-
gious intolerance?"
The first question can be answered with
certainty today, as well as a year ago, in the
afirmative. Any reader of "The Natioa"
cannot deny that it does criticize the Catho-
lic Church as well as other organizations
that take a stand on political and social is-
sues. This is well illustrated by "The Na-
tion's" strong attack against Catholic in-
fluence in the decision of the UN to parti-
tion the Holy Land and the more current
controversy over Leopold's attempted return
to the Belgian throne.
However, "The Nation's" stand in criti-
cizing the Catholics for such action can
hardly be called an attempt to foster'reli-
gious intolerance. As William Jansen, Su-
perintendent of schools in New York noted,
"It is taken for granted that when the
Catholic hierarchy or any other organization
takes a stand on public issues, its policies
and points of view are open to legitimate
criticism."
The important point to consider is
whether ,high school students can be ex-
pected to read of the role of the Catholic
Church in political and social fields and
not feel a growing intolerance toward the
entire structure of the Catholic Church.
I doubt if they can do it, in fact, I doubt
if most grown, educated adults have the
mental will power to judge only one facet
of a group and not condemn all the actions
of the group because of one objectionable
point. For instance, Communists do come
up with some fair ideas on social inequali-
ties and discriminations, but these are lost
in the rush of opponents who denounce the
Communists for their underhanded methods
of lying and violence.
Although "The Nation's" anti-Catholic
policy probably fosters religious intol-
erance, I am not convinced that banning
it from the public school is protection for
the impressionable young offsprings. Most
public libraries are only a step around.
the corner where any interested student
DREW PEARSON:
Washington
Merry-Go-Round
DEWEY BACKS A ROOSEVELT
NO ONE WOULD ever expat Governor
Dewey to propose a Roosevelu for public
oflice.
But, believe it r rnot, that's what Dewey
c.id the other day. Ie sent word to Elliott
R< osevelt, urgin 1 u to run for Congress
from New York City against R. Vito Mai-
cantonio of the American Labor Pauty.
Dewey's message was brou'ght to Elliott by
Paul Lockwood, one of the Governor's con-
fidential secretaries, who promised that, if
Elliott could get Tammany's backing, he
would also have Republican support in run-
ning against Marcantonio.
Marcantonio has had pro-Communist sup-
port and represents the Puerto-Rican-Negro
district of New York which ordinarily would
be hard for an outsider to carry. But just
as young Franklin Roosevelt, then an out-
sider, was able to carry the 18th district, so
it is believed Elliott could carry Marcanton-
io's district if he had support from Tammany
and the Republicans.
Following Lockwood's proposal to Elliott,
the latter conferred with Tammany leaders
and their decision is expected shortly.
* * *
MERRY-GO-ROUND
OKLAHOMA'S state CIO Council has se-
cretly voted to take no sides in the bitter
battle between Sen. Elmer Thomas and
Congressman Mike Monroney. This means
that Senator Thomas, who usually gets the
labor vote in Oklahoma, will be strictly on
his own against Monroney, the man who
received the Collier's award several years
back for outstanding congressional service
.. " Trygve Lie, U.N. Secretary-General, got
a rough introduction to the iron curtain
in Prague. At a so-called press conference,
the Communist news stooges harangued him
about the. "westren warmonger capitalists."
Whin Lie nrotetneh hp. wa. m i a 4-
To The Regents ...
To the Editor:
AN OPEN letter to Regents Vera
B. Baits and Alfred B. Con-
nable Jr.:
In seeking re-election in 1948
both of you publicly supported
the idea of having open Board of
Regents meetings.
What has happended to those
campaign promises?
-Tom Walsh
* * *
"Birth of a Nation" *
To the Editor:
The Student Legislature has re-
grettably chosen to follow a for-
ward step with a two step retreat.
For I can only conclude that it was
to avoid attack for their stand on
The Debate that led them to im-
pulsively deliver us "The Birth of
a Nation."
Still, I hope that, properly in-
formed of the movie's nature, they
will have the guts to support its
banning and, doing so, maintain a
principled consistency. There is,
after all, a difference between an
individual's right to air his politi-
cal beliefs in legitimate debate and
the deliberate display of social por-
nography.
You don't have to see it to know
what its about. In "Movies for the
Millions" (1937), Gilbert Seldes
writes: "Griffith, the son of a Con-
federate Army officer of the Civil
War, was captivated by a par-
ticularly cheap, prejudiced, social-
ly vicious and on the whole con-
temptible novel of the post-war
reconstruction period in the South;
the book was called "The Clans-
man." There can be little doubt
that he at once saw great moving
picture possibilities in the hooded
figures of the Ku Klux Klan riding
in the dead of night to avenge
injustice and to protect Southern
womenhood from 'dishonor worse
than death'."
Seldes recollects the moving
scenes of the film: rumors of war
disturb the bright life of Southern
aristocrats, a call to arms inter-
rupts young dancers, great battle
scenes with action stretching as
far as the eye can see, the burning
of Atlanta, and soldiers returning
to a desolated land. "The second
half of the picture is a great melo-
drama in the central episode of
which the little girl is chased by
a negro, and desperately fleeing,
falls over a cliff and is killed; it is,
of course, a moving picture substi-1
tute for an actual attack. The rid-
ing of the Klans (to the music of
the Valkyrie) which follows, is a
highly dramatic spectacle."
This still-Birth has nothing to;
tell us; let it remain decentlyi
buried.1
-Bill Carter
* * *
"Birth of a Nation" .. .
To the Editor:
WE WISH to express publicly
our commendation for the
wise decision of the Student Leg-
islature about "Birth of a Na-
tion." However, we wish to correcti
a mistaken impression that somet
people express that to ban a mov-
ie and a communist speaker aret
the same type of thing.
.1. Communists are insidiously
seeking to undermine our Ameri-
can system of Free Enterprise.
Segregation of certain Racial
groups does not undermine Free
Enterprise.
2. Communists are nasty. Mov-
ie stars aren't ever nasty.
3. Racial prejudice was invent-
ed by Americans. It is a typical
American custom. Communism
was invented by foreigners with
beards. So did John Brown.
4. Art is art, for goodness sake,
but what are speeches?
5. The dcision about Phillips
was arrived at by a group of so-
ber faculty members. It was a
bunch of students that wanted to
ban "Birth of a Nation."
6. The movie will help us to un-
derstand the Southern custom of
segregation by letting us feel
what prejudice is like. Commun-
ism doesn't help anybody to un-
derstand anything.
7. Congratulations Student
Legislature!
-John and Phyl Morris
* * *
"Birth of a Nation" . .
To the Editor:
ARE YOU AWARE that all col-
lege students are pretty stu-
pid? Not only that they are naive
and gullible as well. Let's not
fight it, it's bigger than all 20,000
of us.
If you agree with the above
comments (and it seems there are
some who feel that it applies to
most of us) there is little point
in fighting the sporadic censor-
ship being imposed on the cam-
pus from without amnd within.
Just sit back and be saved! And
there are plenty of people willing,
and even eager to save you from
Communism, Capitalism, hell, sin,
prejudice . . . . It's really almost
painless to be saved, too. They'll
just tell you who not to listen to,
what not to read, movies you
shouldn't see, and people you
shouldn't talk to. And it's all for
your own good. You're so stupid,
you see, you might believe the
nasty old lies OTHER people are'
telling you. In fact, to save you'
from your own weakness (you are
weak, you know) they'll just take1
those outrageous movies, books,'
and speakers and put them awayI
some place where they can't clog1
up your delicate mental machin-1
ery.
If the above sounds fantastic
and exaggerated, take a quick
look around. Look and the capi-
talistic lies 'the Russians. are be-l
ing "saved" from... . Fascists and1
Communists have one thing (at
least) in common: They've both
assumed responsibility for siftingt
information for public consump-
tion, and you can bet that what
gets past them is pretty easilyz
digestible.1
I'm not implying that the vari-
ous college "bans" are the firstt
step to totalitarianism, but II
would like to point out that any-
one who feels that (supposedly
well-informed) college students
are incapable of weighing all
sides of a controversial issue, must
really choke at the thought of
the American Public at large de-
ciding on election issues. And
that's totalitarianism.g
-Lee Paul, '50.
"Birth of a Nation" ...
To the Editor:
O CHAMPION admittedly ma-
licious slander with the lofty
precepts of free speech is to sub-
ject. those precepts to a legally
novel interpretation. 'A few my-
opic people have made such an
interpretation by unashamedly
defending a presentation of "The
Birth of a Nation."
In addition to the legal un-
tenability of their view point,
which equates slander with free
speech, there is a moral bank-
ruptcy as well. These people can-
not honestly feel that the Negro
is their fellow man, for if they
did, they could not conscionably
offer their support to a film that
has beencharacterized as the
most indefensible propagandistic
outrage ever committed aginst a
minority group in this country.
These people are sanctimonious
hypocrites, for indeed, it requires
a sanctimonious quise of inno-
cence to wave the banner of
democratic brotherhood with one
hand, while the other is lifting
from the mud, where it should be
allowed to remain, the shabby,
brutal, self-defeating question,
"Am I my brother's keeper?"
-Francis X. Crowley.
* * *
"Birth of a Naon ...
To the Editor:
N A society, absolute liberty is
impossible. Laws and culture
control individual and group ac-
tion so that society may function.
It is in defense of freedom that
expressions of ideas may be con-
trolled. Restrictions against slan-
der, libel, pornography, obscen-
ity, lies, incitement to riot, or vio-
lence just as restrictions against
speeding,theft, arson, and murder
are not infringements of our per-
sonal rights. Restrictions against
the expression of religious opin-
ions, political ideologies, and eco-
nomic theories are invasions of
group and individual freedoms.
When a student-faculty group
protested the showing of a film
slandering a large group of Amer-
icans, the Speech Department
acted wisely in support of our
liberties, by withdrawing the film.
"Birth of a Nation" never should
have been created. Historians agree
that it is a vicious distortion of
events during the reconstruction
period, and that its lies and ob-
scenities were responsible for the
resurgence of the Klan after the
first World War. With increasing
expression of hostility against Ne-
groes, demonstrated by three re-
cent burnings of partially com-
pleted homes in Detroit, and by
the denial of a restaurant and
tavern service to Negroes in Ann
Arbor (in direct violation of Mich-
igan laws) it is of extreme impor-
tance today to prevent the false-
hoods and slanders from being
spread.
"Birth of a Nation" has a place
in a study of the history of the cin-
ema, just as it has a place in a
study of the history of the Klan.
To exhibit it as an isolated exam-
ple of one point in the development
of the cinema, is an insult to all
Americans who have accepted the
demonstrations of the equality of
men. The question of racial su-
periority is not debatable, it is
a slanderous obscenity which must
not be spread.
-Addi Geist, Grad '49
* * *
"Outlaw" Criticism .. .
To the Editor:
IT WAS with avid interest that
we read Davis Crippen's review
of "The Outlaw." At last some-
one has had the courage to bring
the true facts into the open.. "The
picture's end is literally rocking
w i t h homosexual undertones."
How true, how true! But the sen-
tence preceding this one dis-
tresses us a bit. "There was even
a serious theme in this thing that
I, fond fellow, would like to see
developed further in another
western." But my dear, fond fel-
low, why must -you restrict this
theme to westerns? How about
"Henry V," "Twelve O'clock High,"
"All The King's Men," and "Bat-
tleground," to mention only a few
of the more conspicuous in-
stances? Didn't you notice how
many of the male characters were
F R I E N D L Y? Congratulations,
however, on one of the most as-
tute reviews it has ever been ou&
pleasure to read.
-Siegfried Feller
Thomas Linton
"Birth of a Nation" . .
To the Editor:
Attempts by adversely affected
groups to ban, suppress or censor
productions like "Birth of a Na-
tion" have never been supported
by either the American Civil Lib-
erties Union or- the Michigan
Branch of the American Civil 1b-
erties Union. Rather, it has been
the policy and purpose of the
American Civil Liberties Union to
prevent censorship and suppres-
sion, and this freedom must eft-
tend to matters in which there is
substantial disagreement.
The. Union has always corm-
mended University and public of-
ficials for their efforts to explain,
meet or dissipate any inaccurate,
unfair or harmful portions of a
publication or picture.
Complete freedom of press and
speech is the central principle to
be preserved.
Walter M. Nelson,
Michigan Chapter, American
Civil Liberties Union
"Birth of a Naton ...
To the Editor:
H 1(AD A nightmare last night
that went something like this:
There was a big green dragon
with a name-plate "Sam Green"
emblazoned across its chest. Acrcis
the table from this dragon sat Sen.
Bilbo and Rep. Rankin, both. of
them chuckling and nudging each
others ribs. In front of them lay
a Michigan Daily with the head-
line news that 18 members of the
Student Legislature had decided
to sponsor the film "Birth of 'a.
Nation." The dragon, which was
belching forth white. hoods ir-
stead of fire, roared approval of
the paper's message- At the right
side of the table were 18 figurines
of men and women each smother-
ed with signs saying 'free speech'
Bilbo patted the figurines and
Rankin nudged them so that, one
by one, they leapt over a minia
ture scaffold and broke into
smithereens. Sam, the dragon
that is, was so angry at the ant-
Mundt Bill resolution that was
before the Student Legislature that
his white hoods were coming out
tattle-tale gray! When the dream
ended, I woke in a sweat.
Could it be, I wondered, that
this is the group that while ne
willing to condemn the Mundt
Bill, is more than willing, yes; an-
xious, to put out an anti-Negrb
movie? How wonderful the KKK
feels today! In Germany it was
the Jews that bore the brunt of
racism. Yet Fascism will weave a
noose not only for the Negro ped
ple here, but for all students-yes,
even the 18. This isn't a politically
partisan issue-this affects you re-
gardless of your race, religion or
creed. Be heard for democracy
now! Write to Ruthven!
-Hy Bershad
"Birth of a Nation" . .
To the Editor:
"THE Birth of a Nation" is an
open and deliberate insult to
the Negro people. Those who show
it here or anywhere will be hela
accountable as panderers of racist
slander. No clothing of motives i i
the protective coloration of "Jef-
fersonianism" will spare them
from this accountability.
-Charles H. Bisdee
4
T 0
1
mir~jtg Ft
Fiffy-Ninth Year
Edited and managel by students of
the University of Michigan under the
authority of the Board in Control of
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Wally Barth.......PhotographyEltor
Pres Holmes....... .Sports Co}-Editot-
Merle Levin..........Sports Co-Editor
Roger Goelz .. Associate Sports Editor
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productions like "Birth of a Na-
BARNABY
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