ustxtxb_obs_1984_06_29_50_00002-00000_000.pdf

W., ,….,:’ S FOE . Pr, _ TAE P EOPZ _ Nil , ….. .. –sr ~ti . C`…. in PR TE1`1.4 /am, po i .. _ ,,F, A,10. ‘. _ -‘… ., 11=111111 12133 +I \(I; I! H ,ii ,.._-_ ,., lill gl i vi ………., w i y .1111:p.1 111iiiiiiii1,11 10 UM PIII .1 hill ‘ , / 0 g ow .1 1 ; !’ : II ’11’111 ‘ —-7. ,. .–._ ,………_ / ” -.—-_”” –.^.–:. -…………,…..——…._.– ——-,..___,.._ __. ..,…T- …….–4-_-a .,\\—-.,..,..:_. ..—,_——-,.—….. ———–,…_ THE TEXAS SERvER ‘\\,The Texas Observer Publishing Co., 1984 Ronnie Dugger. Publisher : ,…….. ., .. 76, No 13 7c,.;._., _ .!.,!. June 29, 1984 Incorporating the State Observer and the East Texas Democrat, which in ntrn incorporated the Austin Forum-Advocate. EDITOR Geoffrey Rips ASSOCIATE EDITOR Dave Denison EDITOR AT LARGE Ronnie Dugger CAREY McWILLIAMS FELLOW: Nina Butts EDITORIAL INTERN: Teo Furtado CALENDAR: ALENDAR: Chula Sims …. WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Al Watkins , :91uT AND DESIGN: Alicia Daniel *TORIAL ADVISORY BOARD: Frances Barton, Austin Elroy Bode, Kerrie; Chandler Davidson, Houston; Bob Eckhardt. Washington, D.C.; Sissy :Fkenthold, Houston; Ruperto Garcia, Austin: John Kenneth Galbraith, Cambildge, Mass.: Lawrence Goodwyn. Durham, N.C.; George Hendrick. Urbana, III.; Molly Ivins, Dallas; Larry L. King, Washington, D.C.: Maury Maverick, Jr.. San Antonio; Willie Morris, Oxford. Miss.: Kaye Northcott, Austin; James Presley, Texarkana, Tx.; Susan Reid, Austin; A. R. \(Babel Schwartz, Galveston; Fred Schmidt, Tehachapi. Cal.; Robert Sherrill, Tallahassee. Fla. CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Warren Burnett, Nina Butts, Jo Clifton. Craig Clifford, John Henry Faulk, Ed Garcia. Bill Helmer, Jack Hopper, Amy Johnson, Laurence Jolidon. Mary Lenz. Matt Lyon, Rick Piltz, Susan Raleigh. Paul Sweeney. Michael Ventura. Lawrence’ Walsh. . . CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Alan Pogue, Russell Lee, Scott Van . OstIol, Alicia Daniel. CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS: Jeff Danziger, Beth Epstein. Dan Hubig, Pat Johnson, Kevin Kreneck, Carlos Lowry, Joe McDermott, Ben Sargent. Gail Woods. A free journal of voices We trill serve no group or party but trill hew hard to the truth as we find it and the right as we see it. We are dedicated to the whole truth, to human values above all interests, to the rights of humankind as the foundation of democracy: we will take orders from none but our own conscience, and never will we overlook or misrepreient the truth to serve the interests of the powerfill or cater to the ignoble in the human spirit. Writer’s are responsible for their own work, but not for anything they have not themselves written, and in publishing them we do not necessarily imply that we agree with them because this is a journal of free voices. Business Manager Frances Barton Assistant Alicia Daniel Advertising, Special Projects Cliff Olofson Advertising Dana Loy Editorial and Business Office 600 West 7th Street, Austin, Texas 78701 The Texas Observer CO.. 600 West 7th Street. Austin. Texas 78701, \(5121 477-0746. Second class postage paid at Austin, Texas. years, S38; three years, 556. One year rate for full-time students. 513. Airmail, foreign, group, and bulk rates on request. Microfilm editions available from University Microfilms Intl.. 300 N. Zech Road. Ann Arbor. Michigan 48106. . Copyright 1984 by Texas Observer Publishing Company. Al! rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced without permission, POSTMASTER: Send form 3579 to: 600 West 7th Street, Austin, Texas 78701, 2 JUNE 29, 1984 PAGE TWO Democrats Convene Houston THE TEXAS Democratic Party convention in mid-June was not a fractious affair; still, one was inclined to wonder, in the waning hours when the mind gives way to impertinent thoughts, what is it, anyway, that keeps such an odd assortment of people together in the same coliseum under the same cloud of smoke? Reel the footage backwards through the long afternoon. Here is a man, no doubt a good Democrat, who feels called upon to criticize his peers’ resolution against the manufacture and storage of chemical weapons in the United States. After a guarantee that “Russia’s not doing this,” the Democrat implores his fellows: “Think about the communist world closing in around us. We cannot fight communism with our hands behind our backs.” His argument prevails. But later a resolution against U.S.-sponsored intervention in Central American passes. Here is a woman who defends the state’s right-to-work law, insisting on “my right to work for a company and not be a union member.” As she is hooted down by union members, party chairman Bob Slagle intercedes. “We Democrats can disagree without being disagreeable,” he suggests. Then a union member denounces right to work as “right to freeload.” No freeloaders! he declares. “We’ve had’m long enough; it’s time to stop’m.” . Here is the Democratic Party defending society’s losers; here is the party of the decent people with kind hearts; here is the party voting down a resolution to abolish the death penalty in Texas. Blacks and whites and browns together. But what is that grumbling from the West Texas delegation when the blacks in the Harris County section become vociferous? What is that stoniness from the Hidalgo County Democrats when Kent Hance of Lubbock addresses the convention? Here in the mid-point of the second day, the Black Caucus brings an internal squabble before the convention. The leader of the Jesse Jackson delegation mounts the stage, only to get booed. Chairman Slagle is instantly at the microphone. “Hey, hey,” he scolds, “No booing. We’re all Democrats here, and we love each other whether we like it or not.” S0 THE DEMOCRATS were well-behaved, and the leaders kept trying to pass it off as unity. Numerically, it was Mondale’s convention. He had 53% of the delegates and emerged with 60% of the delegates to the national convention in San Francisco. Maybe it’s too early to expect enthusiasm, since the nomination isn’t official, but if this convention was a warm-up for Mondale, there are stiff days ahead for the Democratic Party. It was interesting to walk around and probe for signs of excitement about the man. Usually there would be a momentary pause, and then out would come something about “Well, compared to Reagan. . . .”