Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

SEGREGATION Only Time The Ultim There should be no great surprise, or much lamentation, over the Nov. 7 ruling of the United States Supreme Court. In holding that segregated public parks, playgrounds and golf courses are unconstitu tional, the jurists merely reaffirmed their ob vious conviction - expressed in the school cases and implied in other actions - that segregation by force of law is unconstitu tional when it is applied to tax-supported activities. The principle is now rooted in law and precedent. It was advanced with emphatic clarity by the eminent Charlotte jurist, Judge John J. Parker, as author of the 4th Circuit Court ruling in Baltimore and Mary land recreation cases. It was this ruling that the Supreme Court upheld. Although he has been a most articulate spokesman for maintenance of the 1896 doc trine of "separate but equal" facilities, Judge Parker, a noted and respected Southerner, concluded that the earlier concept has been overturned by the Supreme Court's 1954 rul ing against segregation in the public schools. Judge Parker, a dedicated man, is also a realist. It is clear to him, as it must be to other thoughtful Southerners, that compulsory segregation can no longer be maintained by law in public services and facilities. The "white only" signs must come down in the schools, in the parks, and, inevitably now, on the intrastate. intracity buses and in public museums, auditoriums, hospitals. Unknowns Cloud The Issue What will happen to the Southern pattern ol race relations? It is far too early to say. From the very beginning of the recent court tests of the "separate but equal" doc trine, the issue has been clouded by several unknowns. The first of them was projected by the Supreme Court in its May 1954 ruling that racial segregation in the public schools is "unconstitutional." The question then was, "What does it mean?" The answer was supplied, at least partially, a year later when the Court ordered "a prompt and reasonable start" toward deseg regat ion in the schools. The ('ourt handed to the district courts and local officials the ob ligation of completing the full transition "as soon as practicable." By all odds, the greatest unknown has been, "What does the Negro really want?" Although varying and positive answers have been advanced by the self-anointed spokes men of bo,,th 'aces. it has nmt been practicable or possible to dleterm inte. factually andl con elusiv'ely, the detht or extent of the Negro aim. Source of Discontent It can be assumed, in elementary logic, that the Negro as a human being wishes the legal stigma removed f'rom his racial iden iity. In the eyes of' the law, at least, he wants to be regarded as much an "American" as anybodly else. It is reasonable to conclude that he wishes a better educational and a better economic opportunity, with a means as well as motive toward indlividlual improvement. Heyondl these basics, assumption is uin war'rantedl. A Baseless Threat The most clamorous white supremacists have based their shrill campaign on the premise, which they proclaim as fact, that the Negro goal is a forced comingling with white - mass intermarriage, eventual amal gamation, dleib)erate racial mongrelization. They have p)roduced no convincing evidence to sustain such a presump)tion. In the emo tional clim,ate of their forum, they need none. They need only wordIs. Juke Dox Provide Infi For a long time we have entertained gripes about the lack of informal, campus-wide, Fri day or Saturday night dances at Carolina. Admittedly, the absence of such functions has been noticed. Carolina is probably the only school of its size that does not have in formal (lances regularly. Lack of an appropriate plac'e was one ob stacle in the past, but that problem was cleared with the building of Russell House. Tonight an informal record (dance will be held in the assembly room of Russell House. Admission is free, a $5 dloor prize will be given, refreshments will be served, and new records have been ordered for the occasion. The only flaw in the whole set-up is that the dane is being held the same night Can Prove ate Truth But no man knows what the Negro wants or what will occur in the years ahead as a re sult of the court decisions. No man can know until the rulings have been translated into a system of procedure, and white and black alike have been given a chance to live within the new framework. Time Is Element The Observer holds certain convictions, based partly on the reactions of other Ameri cans in a desegregated society, partly on understanding of human nature: A change in the written 'law cannot erase a traditional culture. Removal of legal bans on intermarriage would create no compulsion toward mis cegenation. And abandonment of the "white only" signs will not result in indiscriminate mingling of racial variables. Tritely, but relentlessly, water still seeks its own level. And man's associations will continue to be influenced, as they have been influenced since time began, by instinct, by custom, by economic and social pressures, by his judgment of what is proper and fitting, and by his own likes and dislikes. We believe those things. We cannot prove them applicable to the problem now facing the South. But no man can prove they are not applicable. The proof lies in time. Choose Which Course? The South must grant itself that time. For its own well being, and for the future security of its children, the South must ig nore its heralds of doom and renounce im patient architects who seek not to build but only to destroy. In a mood of blind defiance, the South can abandon its public schools, inviting educa tional decay and economic disaster. It can turn its parks into pasture lands and Jlose the doors of its public hospitals, know ing - as it, must know - that future gen erations must redevelop the recreation areas and rebuild the treatment centers at vast ex pense after long and needless suffering. The South can choose that course. Or the people of the South can elect to live wit h the new social order, unwanted as it is Iv nuty of them, in the certain conviction that t ime will bring resolution. ''hat may not be easy. It ought to be en lightening. The trial period may extend for as long as ten years. But it will clarif,v the unknowns. Laws Ahead of Opinion II istorically, the racial laws of the land have been a step)-inl-time ahead of Southern D)uring the days of legal slavery, the st atute books of every state embraced sec tions prohibiting the mistreatment of slaves. It was a p)rinciple to which nearly all South ernlers were soon to subscribe. Yet, in the peak of the slave-holding era, many owners mist reated their slaves as a matter of right andl privilege. Tlhe IEma nciplation Proclamation was re sistedl with courage and violence throughout the Southern states. That was a tragic ex htibition of public opinion lagging behind the law. Yet, today, few Southerners would de fend slavery as a humane pattern of human existence. The recent rulings of the Supreme Court have been bitterly contrary to majority pub lic op)inion in the South. Time could reverse that circumstance. The South must gamble on both time and history. Any other course would be a short sightedl road to self (destruction, at the very momient when the South is beginning to en joy t he cultural and economic abundance it has so (desperately sought.-The Charlotte Observer. Proceeds' prmnal Dunce as the fall Cotillion, which naturally takes pr'ecedence over the other affair. That is un fortunate, b)ut uniavoidable in this case. Cofsts of the (lance are being dlef rayed by the percentage Russell House receives fromn the snack shop juke box. Other plans are being made for free movies once a week and( more informal dlances. So there you are. A free (dance, free re freshments, and a chance of going home $5 richer than when you left. Stop griping about there being "nothing to (10" on week endls on campus, go to the (lance and have a goodI time. We endorse the idea and hope it will be a big success, with many more in the future.-C.M. DEW JAMES Roving Columnist At the Homecoming game Sat urday, the guy behind yours truly handled quite carelessly his Coke and his "bottle." He managed to spill it, and the liquid trinkled down the stands and pudding at my feet. Not that this was so bad, but being a loyal Gamecock supporter, I quite naturally stomped furiously for the birds. I thought this, too, was com mendable, but the guy in- front of me didn't. It seems that when I stomped, said liquid splashed and gentleman kindly requested that I hold it down a little. I shifted my stomping place to the aisle which ran at my immediate left. The guy with the bottle ap parently had held top football coaching positions, too, because he loudly pointed out the mis takes the teams and the coaches were making. I gathered that he was out of work, too, since he seemed to be trying to get the coach dismissed. .. * * * According to the Collegian, student newspaper at Stockston College, Calif., there's too much loving going on around the campus. In a letter to the edi tor, a student who signed the letter, "A Photographer" started off by saying "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing." According to the letter, the "lover birds" were making a common practice of .cooing, "I will see you after the next class, honey dear" and thus parting with several kisses. To illustrate, "A Photographer" included a photograph of a pas sionate embrace viewing the embracers from the rear. * * * On the subject of romance, there has recently come through the news-gathering facilities of this columnist, a tale of two USC lovers and a stalk of sugar cane. The scene is laid in Maxey Gregg Park. It is night and the HERBERT BRYAN'I Languai Should B( The foreign language require ment for any A.B. Degree at the University calls for six semesters in any one of the foreign languages taught. A recurring andl consistant complaint heard from studlents laboring under the six semester load is that six semesters are just too much. They dlon't think they should have to take six semesters of a foreign language when they could1 be spending those supposedl two hours of study and one hour class period for each lesson, stu dyving something that they think wvould do them more good in the long run-. The anti-foreign language group comes up~ with some good points in backing up their convic tion. A couple of the most popu1 lar arguments they use are that due to the geographical position of the United State~s, foreign language will he usedl by only a very small per cent of those taking a foreign language, and the time required and the diffi culty incurred for language study is disproportionate to the value achieved. Participants in a conference on general education held at Flor ida State University in 1950, while unanimously affirming the value of foreign- language study in general education, believed at the same time that this value was not proportionate to the amount of time it would take away from other studies. The pro-foreign language group comes up with some good points'in their favor also. They say that a major contribution of foreign language study lies in their revelation of the struc ture of human thought. They think another advantage Is found In the ability to under standl foreign words, thoughts, that can not he translated In their true meaning from a for eign language to English. Other adlvocates of foreign language cite their function- as a guide to a deeper undlerstanding of literature and history. In the close knit world of today the United States can not live Isolated. The U. S. must deal with foreign powers. The U. S. must try to nerstand BILLY MELLETTE How l You are a child of Destiny, born with a capacity for ex pression and gifted with inborn, rhythmic sensibilities that by nature shall find an outlet. . . . two chew cane on- their park bench perch. A city cop strolls on to the scene . . . seems puzzled. Cane chewers explain that just like sugar cane. . . . Tough cop tells them they have to go . . . other couples might think he's allowing them to smooch. All three exit. The big ditch in front of Mc Kissick offers an excellent bury ing place for all sorts of things quiz papers, professors you've knocked off, members of student council who voted against releas ing the number of votes for publication, etc., etc., etc. We note that many students are struck with awe when they gaze upon those little bridges that span the "big ditch." They wonder how so many students manage to cross the canyon in the 10 minutes allowed for changing classes. je Issue Weighed the viewpoints of foreign pow ers. One of the best ways to negotiate and better understand our foreign friends and enemies, the pro-foreign language advo cate, is by learning their lan guage and thereby being able to better understand their way of life. B3oth sides of the foreign lan guage issue have good points and neither side should be taken by a student before an objective consideration of all Points have been taken up. The pros and cons listed, above are, by no means, all the facets of the issue. Whether a student happens to be for or against the issue dle pends entirely upon his outlook on education. And "education" is a (difficult word to (define. Education turns out to mean dif ferent things to different p)eople at different times. Since bo0th sides present some goodi poinlts it wvould seem only right to weigh each side. For the person working to ward an A.B. Degree a foreign language can- be advantageous. But if it is emphasized too greatly in the curriculum it can be dIisadIvantageous. Therefore, a happy medlium, if such a thing exists, is possible. Probably the most effective way to handle it would be to require one or two years of a foreign language in the curriculum so that the stu (dent wvould have some knowledge of the subject and leave it up to the student as to whether he wants to continue in the subject or choose an elective. if the studen-t has no interest in the subject b)eyond the besic level there is little use in making him continue. The students who have an interest in the subject usually (d0 better andi progress faster than- those who don't. Although the requirements should not be taken away com pletely they should be reduced. The only way for a curriculum to be revised is through tl;e (lean of a school. He has to present a prop)osal to the committee on curriculum. If they O.K. the pro(posal and the faculty do the same, the revision in automatic. NII o Be AJa You feel the world a place of interchangeable melancholy and grotesque findings of divinity, permeating the intensity of your emotion. . . . You see a tran quility in light and darkness and you see unrest in human shapes and unmoving and inanimate forms. . . . You see a brilliance, you see a harmony, you see the concept of the unusual in a world of abstractions, formations, and impressions. . . . You seek the new, the untasted, the unique spiritual and physical nonentities within the dynamic pressures of time and space. . . . This is you. . . . This is life in a rhythm sounded through the strings of your individuality and the person ifications of your emotion. This is Jazz. But the distance to accom plishment is long from your inclination. . . . There must be years for learning, for develop ment, for maturity, and beyond that you must experiment in seeking originality. . . . Once traveled, you must maintain your accomplishment by constantly re shaping and fortifying the prin ciples and sounds which you com pose. . . . You must crush the unable and evaluate the chal lenges of powerful new voices in the sounds of Jazz, for this is the law of cultural inheritance, un changeable and soul-enforced... This is Jazz. The question Is, why go to all that trouble? You can be a prominent jazzman by following my simple, easy instructions. Mine is the step plan. Every thing is taken b y steps. First off you have to establish your p)osit ion as an unusual person ality. Do nothing in the conven tional wvays. Some of my stu dents have achieved success in diress, some in their manner of pe(rformance on the piano.' As a medium between these, I now instruct my followers to comb their hair dIown over their fore heads and hang their heads upon their chests so their eyes seem to peer~ out from under the dark ness of sonme overpowering troiu ble, some universal worry. While p)laying, they continue to hang their heads like a broken Krazy Tke and let their tongues hang out slightly. With your claim to talent now estab1)1ished, you may advance. You may perform. You may get a job wiuth a progr essive dance bandl and yo' may take rides. PAT TREACY Public E4 To Be Cc Next wveek a p)anel of experts are going to discuss p)ublic edu-. cation- in South Carolina. This is a subject that should interest everyone on campus. It is one of those times when we should stop and give a few serious thoughts to one of the basic functions of our government. The normal reaction is to shrug our shoulders and forget about the whole thing. And we, as studei(nts, have the fault, some times, of "Letting George do It." It could sound like another one of those (lealk which are great... for those wvho are interested. Bunt my b)ig point is that this is real. The ideas which promptedl this discussion concern everyone, and will hit home. Public educa tion isn't a misty fog of pipe dreams which professors worry about. It is what we are learning now, what our kids will learn in the future andl how they will learn it. People are tampering with children's minds Whahould zman The only restriction is that you may play no melody. No melody. Just gnarl up your fingers and hit the keyboard, hard. Then- hit is softly, with disharmony and great feeling. Then bang it again, more disharmoniously. Now. You are sure to become famous. Keep hanging your head like I told you, because they are going to wan-t pictures of you for the record shucks. To get an extra good shuck cover, wash your hair and dry it briskly with a thick towel. Don't comb it. Now drop your head over the keyboard again and cover one eye with an arm, perhaps sticking a finger in the side of your mouth. Now look up at the ceiling. That's the picture; take it. . Once you are an established virtuoso, start composing. Don't make the mistake of using regular music composition paper like squares do. Get something new, get a new way to write it down. A colorbook will do. Get those crayons and go wild. Let red represent one chord, blue another, and so on. You've got to feel it, boy! Finished this, you are ready to release the record of your composition. An important thing is the title. I have a book which will. help in naming the thing, but for the time being, play with some titles like' "City of Grass," "Lollipop," or perhaps something like "Gretticollor Compos." Do you get the idea? Good. Now for the shuck cover of your latest creation, get that same p)icture of you hanging over the piano arnd let a s'miall child write a letter to you, right on top of the picture. Print it. Run it off in color. That's your cover. On the back of the cover, put some writing that sounds so dianged ab)stract andl rhetorical that people will feel like they ought to like the record. You can (do this simply by thinking briefly about some weird Wah zoo birds hanging in space until you begin to quake with emo tion, andi by using K-S-V-2 wvord-~patterns--w..~ords like in dlividuality, concept, cultural, dynamic, and so on. To stay prominent when- you have run out of coljbook inspi ration, turn to' algebra. By the application of the lawvs of permu tations and combinations you can compose from virtually an end lessource. Juc ation msidered they know ? Howv should they learn? In a sense this meeting is a measure of our stature as mature college studients. There is no place at this meeting for the flighty and irresponsible --the problems are too important. At the present time there is a need for this pause, where we can sit dlown to discuss the problems which will confront us a few years from now with shocking reality. If our calendar of events can not include this meeting we are in sorry shape. I know of three types of people who will not be there. 1. The Neroes who will be making music elsewhere. 2. The clods who will be rubbing shoulders with other dull edges. 3. The Casper Milquetoasts who have to pull (lown the shades wvhen changing their minds. Let's make this one andl see just whore we are going in edu cation.