Evening star., 1960-08-02
Sweeping Up


fellows who covered the ma
tional conventions for rival
networks deserve a sprig of
Rhus toXicodendron, or at
least a spray of Symplocarpus
foetidus, along with the bou-
quets that are being lavished
on them by charitable news
paper critics.
In describing the proceed
ings Of both conventions,
these celebrated commentat-
ors repeatedly referred to 1.-The
podium";; when they would
better have expressed them
selves in plain, understand
able English.
The term "podium" appar-
emily is too archaic to be
found in some popular die
tionarieS. WebSter's New Col
legiate defines it as. 81. Arch.
A low wall. serving as a foun-
dation or terrace wall. In
Archaeol., esp: a. The dwarf
wall around the arena of an
amphitheater, from the top
of which the seats began. b.
The masonry under the stylo-
bate of a temple. 2. A dais, as
for an orchestra conductor.
This term was obviously out
Of place and overworked dur
ing the conventions.
If the implausible pundits
who kept repeating 1t wanted
to sprinkle choice bits of their
knowledge of an ancient Ian
guage among their cute COM
ments, why didn't they use
the right word-"rostrum"?
Better still. why couldn't they
simply say, platform" or
speakers stand?
II they were trying to i'm
press their audience with
their profound erudition, they
failed woefully. They sue
ceeded only in bewildering
or boring their listeners and
in emphasizing once again
how television is corrupting
proper speech.
May they topple heavily
from their pedantic, prepost-
erous podia and brush sup on
their Latin!
Sic transit, gloria mundi!
Yours for a revival Of the
forgotten classics and a re-
turn to the homely verities
with perhaps a dash of the
good old-fashioned art of
oratory!
Hortense P. Sargent.
I would like to remind your
readers. amidst all of the
hullaballoo, that Richard Nix
on is most assuredly a man
of his word.
In his acceptance speech,
he rnouthed a lot of words
about improving our educa-
tional system, encouraging
students to work harder, etc.
A few months ago, it was
Mr.. Nixon's vote in the Sen
ate that killed a bill to aid
our schools and teachers.
Which Mr.. Nixon do you
like? You pay your money
and you take your choice.
H. C. r.
k*
Where are the rights of the
average middle-class white
family? Are we now the for
gotten people? It used to be
said that the middle class was
the backbone of this great
Nation-now this Nation is
trying to break our backbone.
The adoption of the civil
rights plank in both political
conventions was a complete
disregard of our basic rights.
Not one man who wrote that
plank or who demanded its
writing will be affected by its
complete adoption. They were,
for the most part, men of
wealth who live in expensive
communities-far out of the
reach of the average citizen
their children go to exclusive
private schools and they
themselves belong to clubs
and organizations which are
too expensive and exclusive
for the average person.
Therefore they need never
worry about their personal
life being affected in any way
by these political promises.
My family is a middle-class
family-not much money but
well educated and living COM
fortably. We are forced to
send our children to public
school and they are outnum-
bered by Negro children.
They are pushed around, and
if we complain we meet with
cries of discrimination. The
restaurants. t heaters and
an1uSements we can afford
are being taken over. Where
do we 60? Where are our