The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1961-04-07
Americas Road Up To Conservatism
Lies On Coll eye Campuses

In Iul, believing 1t to be OF interest to our
readers)
FOR 80 years the government of the
United States has moved steadily
away from the sound conservatism with
out which there can be no national free
dom, and toward socialism which, UNI
less checked, eventually would provide
Washington scheme of providing, de-
termining, controlling and administer
ing the life of all people in the nation
from their necessities to their pleasures.
This picture became clearer and
clearer in the 20 years of Roosevelt
Truman. 1t was emphasized in eight
years of Eisenhower through the fact
that change of parties at the presi-
dental level could not check it because
there had been no change at the con-
gressional level.
Last November the people selected
although in only skin-of- the-teeth man
ner socialistic President pledged
to the most complete program of
socialism ever offered by any major
party candidate or platform in Ameri-
can history.
The South - cradle of conservatism
and always bulwark against all ''isms"
contrary to Americanism = delivered
itself lock, stock and barrel to the
socialistic candidate and the socialist
program with the exception of state
here and there. Even most of the old
COpfodorato Of atec accaptod wild from
tiers Of socialist schemes in order to
crafty local political or other pre-
JUDGES.
Under these conditions, wherein lies
hope that socialism can be stopped and
Americanism and its conservatism re-
stored?
If it lies anywhere, it seems to lie
now on college campuses.
And, amazingly, the hope for a re-
turn to conservative Amercanism may
lie in large part on the campuses of
colleges and universities usually look
ed upon as liberal" and anti-conserva-
tive in their general tone = Harvard,
Yale, Princeton, California, Southern
California and even the University of
Chicago.
On these campuses, students are re-
voting against parlor pink Liberal"
garbage fed them by some of their
teachers and against the election day
practices of their elders in disregardng
Amercanism and its conservatism to
vote for personal preiudices, or the So
Elastic easy way" of government-hand-
led life
Back in 1862, presidential straw votes
on college campuses showed an anaz-
ing preponderance for Adlai Steven
son and the 'liberalism'' that leads to
socialism. Last fall the preponderance
of such straw voting was for Richard
Nixon, especially on Southern campus
es although Southern elders as a whole
voted otherwise
Whatever the cause, the road up to
conservatism today is being built by
youth and the most active revolts
against socialism at Washington are on
college campuses even though only
a small percentage may be involved
But in these rest our greatest hope at
the moment
The campus conservative movement
started in 1858 with formation of the
Intercollegiate Society of Individual
lists. 1t was idealistic, seeking to be
educational but not partisanly political,
and thus did not get very far. 1t had
support Of small circulation conserva-
tive publications and was a spark from
which flames later sprung
The greatest sparks from Isl were
1AF, the Young Americans for Free
dom, and SEGA. the Student Committee
for Congressional Autonomy These two
nationwide campus groups now are
fighting a olds-barred battle to the
death in behalf of Americansm and its
~ conservatism. They are out to win - at
the polls and everywhere else; not mere
~ to propagandize
Young Americans for Freedom especially
is a fighting group from start to finish II