Panhandle Center of Ultra Writers Labor Supports Don Yarborough
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The Texas Observer An Independent-Liberal Weekly Newspaper A Window to the South Volume 53 TEXAS, FEBRUARY 23, 1962 15c per copy Number 47 ODESSA, BORGER, AMARILLO BOBBY SEMANTIC JUGGLING Panhandle Center VERSUS Labor Supports Of Ultra Writers TEXAS Don Yarborough WEST TEXAS Izzard writes an occasional AUSTIN, DALLAS firm stand behind him. AUSTIN When Lynn Landrum, "the page-one column called "From A 2. The decision to "recommend" It happened so suddenly and Houston liberal Don Yarbor- old columntator" on the Dallas to Izzard." a catch-all for editorial rather than endorse was the fruit the impact was so violent that ough drew the state AFL-CIO's News, died a few months ago asides, homespun saws, snappy of compromise between those there is still considerable confu- "recommendation" for gover- the dominant force of far wisecracks, and quotes from con- nor Saturday night in a jug- forces within labor who wanted sion about it . all. right-wing editorial writings servative leaders both local and an outright and unequivocating Jakarta is the place U.S. Atty. gling. of its normal procedure shifted to the newspapers in national. endorsement of Yarborough and Gen. Bobby Kennedy said it. That of "endorsement" which a top the high plains "box"---from About the "Turn Toward Peace" those who, for varying reasons, much is certain. It was during a labor spokesman told the Ob- Odessa and Midland northward demonstrations in Washington, Iz- preferred not to endorse anyone question and answer period with server was "a semantic propo- throughout the Panhandle. zard suggested darkly in his Feb. at all. students at the University' of In- sition more than anything It was a logical shift, for in the 17 column: "Such peace demon- 3. This compromise must be donesia. else." mass, Panhandlers are to the rest strations, while based on a natural viewed in the context of the Mav- But first: What was that thing The Committee on Political Edu- of Texas what the Catalans are human aversion to war, involve a erick-Gonzalez duel that split that flew out of the audience and cation, meeting in the Adolphus to Spain: violently surly toward good deal of confused thinking. Texas labor into warring halves just missed Bobby? Time Maga- in Dallas, decided with one regulation, even the fraternal reg- It would be interesting to dig into last year. The state leadership zine reported it to be "a cold fried dissenting vote to go with Yar- the background of the movement egg." United Press International borough because his "general poli- and see if it is not inspired by said it was "a duck egg." Why did tical philosophy and attitudes some hard-headed organization it miss? Time said Bobby "nim- more nearly coincide with our pro- that has been in the business of bly dodged." UPI said the thing grams than do those of the other agitation a long time and is ex- "went wide of the mark." gubernatorial candidates." pert in spreading confusion . ." Anyway, unsplattered, he began Drawing the same "recommen- Two days earlier Izzard had answering questions, one of which dation" in precisely the same praised Alvin R. Allison, Level- was, How does the United States language were House Speaker land attorney and member of justify its part in the Mexican James Turman of Gober for lieu- tenant governor, Tom Reavley of the Texas Tech board of regents War? as "among the stoutest defenders Austin for attorney general, and ulations winding out of Austin. Just what Bobby answered is wanted to avoid even a smaller of Americanism in these parts" Judge Woodrow Wilson Bean of This is the land of Bronco, Mule- not clear. The Associated Press split this time. for having said in a speech, "There El Paso for congressman-at-large. shoe, Lariat, Earth, Shallowater, version differed slightly from the 4. About one-third of the dele- are a great many people who op- The administrative committee, Sundown, Wildorado, Turkey, Sun- UPI. Both differed slightly from gates, perhaps slightly more, fa- pose communists, but really favor headed by state AFL-CIO presi- ray, and Happy. the version filed out of Washing- vored a policy of no-endorsement. communism, if it is given a re- dent Hank Brown, pointed out it It is also the land of Odessa, ton by the Houston Post's Felton One state leader told the Observ- pectable name like the 'welfare was not employing the word "en- Borger, and Amarillo—whose daily West. And the version used by er: "Probably 90 percent of the newspapers rival for the title of state'." dorse" for any of the approved people who wanted the 'recom- the Houston Chronicle in its Hous- candidates. ost reaet Jona - in- the state Izzard faithfully takes the side ton story differed slightly from mendation rather than an en- —and of Tulia, whose weekly is of capitalism, which usually seems the version the Chronicle filed out The other gubernatorial candi- . dorsement are for Yarborough." one of the most liberal in the to be the side of the producer, of Austin. And they all differed dates who appeared were John Among this one-third there was state. With a circulation of 3,300, a bias fostering such witticisms from the version released from Connally, Gov. Price Daniel, Atty. a reluctance not to offend Daniel, the Tulia Herald is one of the as: "People don't want a cheaper the State Department tape taken Gen. Will Wilson, and Marshall Connally, or Vice-President John- largest weeklies in the Panhandle. car. They want a more expensive on the spot. Formby. Wilson and Formby son. If circulation amounts to influ- car for less money," But in every version the mes- asked COPE not to endorse any- 5. How cohesive will the 200,000- ence, the most influential paper sage came through: Bobby Ken- one in the first primary. plus labor votes be in the May among these is the Amarillo News Sarcasm is one of Izzard's fav- nedy considers this nation's part A number of factors are impor- primary? "As cohesive as we were (41,907 circulation), whose editor- orite tools. On Jan. 23 he wrote: in the Mexican War to be unjusti- tant in appraising the action of in 1956 with Ralph Yarborough," ial high mogul is editor and co- "A tip to Bobby Kennedy: We fied and certainly nothing to be the some 300 delegates from across one ranking labor official said. publisher Wesley Izzard, whom know of a private housing de- proud of. Texas: It should be recalled that Texas syndicated columnist George Dix- velopment that is practicing fla- Texans heard and responded. 1. Yarborough got COPE's back- labor has never voted in a solid on has described as "a veritable grant discrimination. It's near "One of those pussy-footers who ing for two reasons, both indis- bloc, even when the choice was Sir Galahad among vigilantes. Phoenix, and people under 50 cater to socialists," the Very Rev. pensible: first, he had the warm- between Allan Shivers and Ralph who has never been besmirched years of age are barred." Two Anton Frank, chaplain of the Sons est and 'widest support among Yarborough. The Building and by even the breath of liberali- days later he wrote: "A disillu- of the Republic of Texas, said of. the labor representatives,, and sec- Construction Trades Council, the ism." (Continued on Page 2) (Continued on Page 3) ond, the state leadership took a (Continued on Page 2) Tapping the University Liberals' Ferment AUSTIN Each side handed out literature Perhaps least impressed by talk civil rights fight for the Negro," wing activities on tht campus. Several dozen University of explaining its position, and a soap- of "political ferment" is Dr: John and an "increasing fear of the Even if the "superficial" prob- Texas students marched on the box debate ended the demonstra- Silber, head of the state commit- press, that the basic systems of lems easily seen—segregation, cen- capitol and paraded up and tion. tee for the abolition of capital communication are just voices of sorship, capital punishment, at- down Congress Avenue last This was only the most recent punishment and sponsor of the concentrated business interests. tnospheric testing — are licked, Saturday carrying placards evidence of political—or social- campus chapter of that organiza- The theses of Vance Packard and says Wade, there is.still the over- supporting the national "Turn moral—ferment on the University tion. He said that the growing C. Wright Mills and, among the riding problem of "where do we Toward Peace" movement of of Texas campus, in sequence with radicalism—to the extent there older writers, Norman Thomas go as a consumer society? When liberal collegians, some of the theater stand-ins and integra- is any—is from the extreme right. are really beginning to sink in." we get all our leisure time, it whom picketed the White tion petitionings. Sometimes the "On the left, the activity is the Not that this means Silber seems to come to nothing if there House in Washington last ferment. is traceable to reaction thinks the politically conscious is nothing to do. I. think we have week. to slowly-developed, contrary ide- students are well-read. He doesn't., largely mistaken consumption for The signs carried by the group ologies. Sometimes it is the spon- Bob Sherrill He feels most of them are "politi- freedom." in Austin bore slogans such as taneous response to an ad hoc most orderly and mature I've seen cally illiterate. I don't think they He feels segregation is "easy to "The Deeper the Shelter the Big= situation.