Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Offici What has happened to the art of telling the truth? The specific art of telling the truth to the public by public officials. The recognition that it is in cumbent upon public officials to tell the truth to the listening public. Apparently the art of honesty in officialdom has succumbed to some insidious malady wfile the trusting eye of the doctor public was not even half open. But now the eye is Watergate opened and, under the in credible impact of the scene it is forced to behold, It must certainly ike to close again. Listen. The heart of of ficialdom is beating out un truths. Listen. The stethoscope of the doctor-public is listening once again to the -beat of. the patient,offIcialdom. Listen. What do you hear? Tell yourself what you hear. Tell yourself what you have heard. Only the truth matters. Does what you hear, and have heard, matter? But when did the insidious malady of official lies, specifically, the premeditated telling of official lies by of ficials who are inherently under the oath of the public trust, begin? Was it only so recently as the summer of 1971 when Watergate was first officially dismissed as '"a third-rate burglary" by the highest officer of officialdom, and who, given his official prestige, was a trend-setter second to none? Or has this malady been with us only since the Tonkin Gulf incident was portrayed to us as a second Pearl Harbor, and as such, an impeccable reason to unleash our unsurpassed air bombardment technology on the North Vietn4mese? Or has this malady been with us since the founders of the nation proclaimed the creation of a country dedicated to the principle that "all men are created equal," and then submitted as proof to mankind a constitution that condoned slavery? Or, has the malady no beginning and no trail for philosophers, historians, political scientists and you to pinpoint and chart? On a not-too-important Sunday in the month of January of this year, on the campus of this university, the malady, not particularly unlike other times in other place, reached epidemic proportions in relation to the universe at hand. It began with distinction. The simple matter of the resignation of the then University President, one Dr. Thomas F. Jones, was announced to the listening public and portrayed by a variety of officials as- an altos ether honorable and hiregrettable event, in cludn even Jones, occasioned only by the hand of the distinguished educator himself who was said to have an in jatiable desire to return to the ldom.and joys of teaching. But, unknown to the listening, but already Watergate-cynical campus community, the malady of official lies and officialdom manufactured truths was competently grinding out this just-described sequence of events, when, in truth, Dr. Jones was exiting his high post because of insurmountable pressure exerted on him by a host of public officials, former public officials and God knows who else. The tangled and complex web of events that surrounded and culminated on that not-too important Sunday in the month of January of this year, on the campus of this University, has now been at least partially unraveled and revealed for the public's inspection. It was not exactly what the various of ficials, including Jones him self, said it was at the time. In fact, the only apparent com pletely honest statement that came out on that not-too important Sunday was that Dr. LETTERS P.E. Advisement helpful, informative TO THE EDITOR: In response to the letter A of November 25, concerning ad visement in the physical education department, I would like to present another side of the situation. I am a sophmore considering a major in physical education. During the week of advisement I visited the P.E. department on three occasions. I spoke with an advisor who was very helpful in telling me about the P.E. program, the courses, and the requirements. On another day I was given a tour of the entire center, the same advisor giving up his time to show me the facilities. on my third visit I pre-enrolled for some courses offered by the DEPARTMENT. My advisor was considerate in that, although one of the classes was full, I was allowed to enroll in the section I needed. It is true that the P.E. depart ment, just as most of the others here, was rushed and overworked during the advisement. It Is unfair to blame one advisor this busy time. It is also true, speaking from my own dealings with the P. E. department, that the advisor I spoke with is capable of his job and Is willing to give his time to help students. I greatly appreciate his concern and the help he gave me. The department and the school would do well to have more like him. DEBORAH POUND New ticket systeutt fair and equitable TO THE EDITOR: Anter reading the article in the Nov. 14 issue of The Gamecock concerning the new ticket distribution plan for the upcoming basketball seaon, feel fnally.n. truth: Whe Guest Col Carl I Jones would no I.Ter be the President of the University of South Carolina. But, it is not the tangled and complex web of events leading to one man's fall from power, no matter how malicious and malevolent those cir cumstances may be, that this writing concerns. At stake here is the now-apparently natural companion to such unscenic activities, the thing we post-Watergate com miserators always suspect accompanies any .tver-so slightly questionable event extended us by officialdom, the . Tickets...P Campus. attempt has been made to have an equitable system of ticket *distribution. It has been evident over the past three, years that I have been at Carolina, students have not been isatisfied with the old system of ,distribution, and whether or not the lprop,osed first come first served plan works, at least an attempt will be made to try something dif kerent. A As I understand the new system, A$niors and graduate students wil' -not have their tickets taken aw) from them by underclassmen who use upperclass fee reclepts to obtain the. better tickets. One advantage. I see Is that the first come-first served system is not as rigid as the digit system. Rather than having allotted times as employed .by the old system, under the new system the student may pick up tickets at any time of the day allowing the student to pick up tickets at their own don venience. .I feel before we criticize this system we should allow for a period of Implementation to better understand the Inherent ad vantages and disadvantages of the new plan. Under the digit system with a large pickup It seems almost virtually impossible to control, because of the large number of students. Under the'old'system a' certain amount of tickets were alloted for each time slot. When these ran out, the student with this particular time slot was out of luck. AslIsee with this new system this GIll be eliminated tflbs- allowinge ach n oppositet usmnist laab malady of the premeditated official accounting of events in Orwellian terms, the "truth" as stamped "manufactured in officialdom;" as brought to you by the same sort of honest, ethical type of - officialdom wisdom mind that gave you everything from a slavery condoning Constitution to th Tonkin Gulf incident. But, these are of course extremely exaggerated statements of indignation. be event and its subsequent less than-honest portrayal to the public by the public's officials was simply not of the stature of E. advisement opinton student who wishes to obtain tickets a chance, regardless of time. Let's face it, the Coliseum will not seat everyone. Someone will be left out. BiO if you are interested enough, at least' with the new system Pf first come-first served everyone will be given a fighting chance to get tickets. So lets give it a chance and if it doesn't work then complain. DAVID F. GRIGG Alternatives needed for abortion TO THE EDITOR: (In reference to the Southern women's service article printed Nov. 18) Isn't there some way, some method for girls who are pregnant, Instead of having an abortion, to go ahead and have their baby and turn it over to a couple who have agreed to pay all hospital costs? I, for one, and I think there are plenty more, would be willing to do this. I think such an organization should be formed. We are too quick to do away with a prospec tive human being. I think there is a lot going for a baby born in America, no matter how bleak the situation may look to an un married, pregnant teenager. If the baby was stillborn, defective or retarded; boy or girl, the couple who signed the contract would be liable; so all would be taking a chance. I p refer taking that chance over infanticide any day. DON KIRCHNER repel other frae ted by other officialtoms at other times. The one that occurred on this campus months ago was, in fact, minute by com parison with the magnitude and importance of others. But the style was the same. Statements to the public by those under oath of the public trust that simply do not state the truth. Yet, the worst single aspect of the malady under examination, the same malady we once thought was only capable of rearing its ugly head as communist propaganda, or in novels such as Orwell's 194, is that the only readily-apparent cure is the disease's first victim truth. Truth. In particular. that much sought after phenomena worshipped by the seventeenth century rationalists. Truth. Once thought to .be capable from ending oppression. Trth. Once thought to spring from "the free marketplace of ideas" and capable of nurture in officialdoms that realized aid had faith in the public's ability to hear it and handle it. Ip this the problem? Is it how we, the public, handle the truth, when we hear it, that concerns officialdom. It may be the case. Can you imagine what would have happened if a spokesman for the Universi Board of T*stees had said "The Board has seen fit to remove Dr. Thomas F. Jones as President of the University because of the following reasons... .etc, etc." If that had been said, and the reasons were honest and valid, the campus communAty would have foreseably reacted reasonably to the an nouncement and even renewed its faith in the source. But, imagine the same spokesman saying, "For a host of primarily political reasons, petty grievances, statehouse pressures and personal am bitions, the Board has seen fit..." But, you don't have to worry about hearing that. And it's precisely. because of ficialdom knows that the public reacts reasonably. It wouldn't have been Dr. Jones that was leaving his post. But again, It is Incumbent to repeat that much of what has been said here unduly com pares and references situations that are similar only by style, general technique, intent and results. Officialdom commits an act for Its own designs. Officialdom realizes that the public will not react In the manner that officialdom desires if the truth Is disseminated. Officialdom manufactures a version of events to placate the public, Marks It 'official," and then denounices disbelievers. The malady is born. 'And if we don't kill this child, If It stBil be a child, Its "truths" will soon be indistInushable with truth as we still brely see It toaym,