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SAN ANTONIO STUDENT DRAMA ‘Raisin in the Sun’ Lucid Case Sirs: I appreciate very much Dr. George I. Sanchez’ article \(Obs., can problem. I thought he stated his case both lucidly and eloquently. Exactly what is his position at UT? Surely he must either be in history or philosophy. I am certain that nothing of such grace and style could emanate from the college of education. Richard Kirkpatrick, 1531 Bayou Rd., La Marque. Modern Methods Sirs: While doing research for a paper about the era of Woodrow Wilson, I came across an editorial in The New Republic, November 14, 1914, entitled “Sessions in Texas.” The editorial is concerned with inefficiency in legislatures; needless legislative session s; “hasty, ill-considered, and inadequately formed” legislation; and, in particular. a legislation; and, in Texas. In contrast, the editorial stated: “Swiss legislative bodies expect from the administration not windy recommendations of subjects for legislation, but the legislative projects themselves.” Lest it he thought that Texas’ state government has preserved institutions of some 48 years ago, one should note The New Republic’s remedy: “The cure for such troubles as Texas complains of is to adopt modern democratic methods, despite the desperate resistance of the professional lobbyists whom it would relentlessly displace.” Jim Clark, 102 Echols, University of Virginia, Charlottesville. Moteetie? Sirs: In your March 9 issue, you report that Mr. Keith Wheatley premises to carry his campaign for Railroad Commissioner to such communities as “Bug Tussle, Fort Spunky, Beaukiss, Tow, Wa.mbi, Snipe, Snook, Moteetie, Dime Box, and Climax.” I think you’ve pulled one here. I’ve heard of Mobeetie. I’ve heard of New Mobeetie. But Moteetie? That is ridiculous. Harris Green, Prentice Hall, Inc., New York City. A slight misprint.Ed. He Will Pay Sirs: r would like to know if I could have some information on comets, meteorites, asteroids, and planets. I will pay if necessary. Roy Gibson, 1C06 Grand Blvd.. Security, Colo. Contribution of Sorts Sirs: Before the campaign got underway this season I heard a few Democrats say Price Daniel is “more liberal than you might think.” So in order to he fair I ca refully surveyed the incumbent’s record before decidine; to vote for Don Yarborough, and I discovered that P. Daniel has made a. contribution of sorts to liberalism, and in the Huey Long tradition at that! The Louisiana Kingfish promised to make “every man a king.” But kings are not heroes any more, and P. Daniel \(I believe the copyright to this name is held not in Liberty county but next riot only promised more than old Huey, but he’s gone a long way toward delivering. P. Daniel can even use the slogan “Every Man an Admiral” for his fourth-term hid. Imagine how this will catch on in the piney woods and on the THE TEXAS OBSERVER Page 8 March 23, 1962 plains! If you haven’t got your commission yet, stand up and be annointed. Anyone with a hint of political power is eligible. One thing bothers me, though. What’s he going to do with General Walker? Admiral General Walker? And what if Teddy W. starts dishing out stars to potential backers? Now there’s the sort of thing which could promote a real, old-fashioned Army Navy donneybrook right here in Texas. Jim Presley, P.O. Box 26, San Antonio 6. Demos Ahead Sirs: On March 14 the New York Herald Tribune, a Republican paper with emotional maturity, published the latest Gallup Poll headed up as follows: “GOP FACES HARD ROAD IN ’62 VOTE IN MID-WEST” The poll shows, as of this writing, 61 percent favoring the Demos and 39 percent the Republicans. It also says “in only two elections in the last quarter of a century-1936 and 1958has the Republicans percentage of the major-party vote for Congress in the 12 Midwestern States fallen below the 50 percent line.” I feel, in spite of the margin for error, this finding should be published in the Texas papers. The Dallas Morning News won’t do it; a sad commentary on both their fear and “iron curtain press” tactics. If you will get it, and permission to print it, I know a lot of intelligent people in both parties would appreciate it. Earl Eisenkraft, 3618 Ainsworth Dr., Dallas 29. False Aspersions Sirs: Bob Sherrill has cast some dastardly and false aspersions on the town of Shepherd,:my former residence. On page on \(Obs., trivial community.” Shepherd is the largest town in San Jacinto County, and has the only bank in the county. It is the only town in the county with a railroad, and the only one with a publicly owned water system. How, then, Tom Reavley are a cinch for the run-off for attorney general. V The recent Belden poll which gave Waggoner Carr a strong lead for the attorney generalship Was scorned by candidate Bob Looney as “phony as a professional politician’s campaign promises.” The poll did not rank Looney. Looney said he had been told that Belden actually took a secret poll and found that he, Looney, was leading. Other critics of this poll say that while Belden offers it as a new poll, the fact that Looney was left off indicates that is was actually taken before Looney filed, Feb. 5 . . . The much-debated Belden poll showed Carr “now” leading with 40 percent of the votes, followed by W. T. McDonald, 11 percent; Tom James, 8 percent; Les Proctor, 4 percent; undecided, 44 percent. 1000 Former Austin district at torney l’roctor estimates he has shaken 150,000 hands in his campaign for attorney general. This is the kind of personal campaigning for which he is noted in Austin politics. V Both Carr and A.G. candi date Tom James are making a big pitch for election on the fear of organized crime. James could anyone possibly consider it “trivial”? On page five, he says that Shepherd “has six grocery stores and that’s about all.” That’s not about all. Shepherd also has a drug store, a bank, two cafes, an Oldsmobile dealer, a feed store, a barber shop, a jewelry shop, and a two-story building right downtown. Also, it has a volunteer fire department. Dave Bennett, 3312 Caribbean, Mesquite. Roberts Praised Sirs: Our “hurrahs” to Rep. Ronald Roberts of Hillsboro for instituting legal action against Mrs. Harold Boots for her wanton labelling of him as a “card-carrying Communist” during the recent House textbook investigating committee hearings in Amarillo. We have personally written Roberts to voice our approval of -his action, stating that, “in the absence of a moral ethic on the part of irresponsible people we can only resort to legal methods to protect ourselves against hysterical accusations . . .” We also added that we are grateful to live in a land where such legal remedy is possible. During our travels here and abroad, we have seen the results of hysterical name-calling: the loss of jobs, the censuring by “friends,” and the social stigmata visited upon the “accused’s” family and associates, even where it was proved that the accusations or labelling had no basis in fact. There is, of course, a deeper moral issue at stake in the slander case against Mrs. Boots, and we urge all citizens who are aware of the horrifying threat of a rule by fear and consequent stifling of individual liberties to pursue truth and justice to rally to the support of Roberts, writing to him, individually or through signed petitions, to voice their approval of his action against the immoral tyranny of irresponsible actions and accusations. Michael J. Gramlich, 2102 San Antonio St., Austin. asserted this week that he will stamp out betting whether it be on the horses or on basketball or football . . . James said he has information on a payoff for fixing the score of a Southwest Conference basketball game to suit gamblers. “The bookmakers approached the referees to control the spread of points, and in some cases the games. The referees in turn would receive a fee, in one instance $2,500. In another instance a referee went outside the game and made a bet in the direction he was going to control the game.” Carr pointed to the recent juve-. nile gang assault on astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. in Virginia as sign of the severity of the juvenile problem and spreading “morale decay.” V In the race for lieutenant governor, Republican Kellis Dibrell said the Kennedy administration is feeding Texas conservatives “improperly baled politics,” which, he said, would have the same results as feeding a cow improperly baled hay. Candidate Preston Smith promised he would not represent any special interest group; Republican candidate Bill Hayes praised newsmen for not misquoting him SAN ANTONIO Fewer than a thousand persons in San Antonio last week were given a treat as rare as going to a successful Broadway hit. There is little doubt that the play is one of the best American productions in recent years, and the most unfortunate aspect of its local production is that so few saw A Raisin in the Sun at St. Philip’s College. But the drama by Lorraine Hansberry had a twonight stand, each time before a capacity audience of more than 400. St. Philip’s, a city junior college originally an Episcopalian school for Negro students only, should feel proud of its Little Theater after A Raisin in the Sun. The cast lacked the polish of a professional troupe, and such accidents as dropped or swallowed lines did occur, but their amateur enthusiasm outshone any possible damage. ALL OF THE ACTORS except two were St. Philip’s students Robert Yates had to be imported from Smith Elementary School to portray 13-year-old Travis Younger, and Robert Jolly from St. Mary’s University for the role of Karl Linder, the white community “welcomer” who tries to buy out the Negro family’s new home purchase in a cracker neighborhood in Chicago. A Raisin in the Sun was produced last year at Prairie View, and this is the second time it has been done by a college group in Texas, at least to the knowledge of Director John B. F. Williams Jr. For those who have not seen the screen version with Sidney Poitier et al, A Raisin in the Sun concerns a Southside Chicago Negro family about to share in a $10,000 insurance legacy which somehow goes astray. It is a pretty good play for a white man to see, too, if he wants to take a casual glance at the other side of Jim Crow. The title comes from one of Langston Hughes’ poem s, in any of his 224 speeches; Houston candidate Robert Baker opened the National Bowling Tournament and visited with a group of his high school friends; candidate Jerrard Secrest swept through the Valley advocating doing away with the ,present way of fixing automobile insurance rates; candidate Turman, a former school teacher, promised teachers at Birdville that he would do all he could to help Texas schools; candidate Crawford Martin promised district attorneys that he will work to get them more pay. V In the race for congressman at-large, Manley Head said he was way out in front, while veteran Houston Post political writer Bill Gardner mused on the question “why nobody of state wide prominence entered the race f o r congressman-at-large.” He said Martin Dies Sr. and J. Ed Connally backing out at the last minute, has never been fully ex plained. “While friendship for Daniel might explain Connally’s decision, and possibly even that of Dies, there is a more practical consideration which undoubtedly kept other well-known politicians out of the race,” writes Gardner. “This is the likelihood that the job will only last two years. The which begins: “What happens to a dream deferred?/ Does it dry up/Like a raisin in the sun?” There is little doubt the play could have had a much longer run here, but Williams, in his fifth year at St. Philip’s, pointed out that because of studies and other work a holdover would be impractical. He has had requests to hold over the play, he said. A Raisin in the Sun was the college Little Theater’s fifth production and the first one with a racial theme, as well as the most difficult one to carry off. All equipment used in the production was borrowed; this is one of the continuing problems of drama work here. Williams plans another production, of a Broadway hit for next year. If neighborhood and school interest continues, he is hopeful of someday having a drama department at St. Philip’s. There is increasingly more interest in drama work among students, he says, because there are now more opportunities for Negroes in acting than formerly. WILLIAMS, 32, calls himself “a frustrated actor.” A teacher of French and English at St. Philip’s, he studied at Fisk University, did graduate work in edu