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Compromise On Resolution Ends Ferris Row In House

Compromise On Resolution Ends Ferris Row In House image
Parent Issue
Day
3
Month
April
Year
1969
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Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
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i LANSING - After four days lof bickering, charges of white land black racism, and filibustlering, House members finally Iwore themselves out WednesIday and adopted a compromise Iresolution on the Ferris State I College disorders. I Tempers were as inflamed as Ion any issue so f ar this year, Ibut when it all had died down, Ithe House still was left with a Iresolution which really has no ■ practical effect. It carries no Iforce oflaw and m e r e 1 y lexpresses the feeling of the Irepresentatives on the trouble lat Ferris and other campuses I nationally. I In the meantime, however, Ithe House had suspended action I on a wide variety of legislation jawaiting its consideration and after the session today the legislature will take a weeklong Easter recess. ] The whole furor started out Jas a resolution commending Ferris President Victor Spathelf for his "quick action" in stopping disturabnces at the college last month. But the issue quickly explodled in the House into a battle- lat one point, literally- which Iwent way beyond the original Imatter involved. Negro representaties feit bound to fight the resolution all the way because, they said, it was commending Spathelf for arresting black students without solving their grievances. The fight for the resolution was led by Rep. E. D. O'Brien, D-Detroit, who opposed the black representatives and the leaders of his own party. He and his supporters, primarily white suburban representatives, insisted the measure would put the House on record for law and order and against any campus disruptions. Democrats hold a 57 to 53 majority in the House, but were so badly split on the issue that Republicans had the 1 ing votes on how to dispose of the resolution. House Speaker William A. Ryan, D-Detroit, had written a compromise substitute of the resolution last week and at the point Wednesday when everyone almost seemed talked out, it was introduced by Reps.l Albert R. Horrigan, D-Flint, and J. Robert Traxler, D-Bay City. The substitute still containedl a line commending the Ferrisl president "in requesting thel governor to send the statel pólice to the campus to main-j tain order," but beyönd that itl differed sharply f r o m thel O'Brien resolution. I In a deft back-and-forth style, the substitute commended students "in the nation and world" who "sincerely and legitimately" seek reform- but condemned students "who have no other intent or purpose other than disruption." Speeifically on the Ferris resolution, the substitute, after commending Spathelf, praised the efforts of black and white students to better intégrate all students into the college, commended students of both races who worked for .better communications between races, and deplored the presence of arms among any students. The compromise, f i n a 1 1 y , pledged the support of the House to, "students of all races and administrators of goodwill in their efforts to provide stable and constructive educational I atmosphere at all universties with respect for the rights and I dignity of aU." In other words, the substituye I resolution had something for I nearly everyone in it. O'Brien and many of his most I staunch backers still insistedl the . substitute was a "sell-out"l rather than a compromise, butl the new measure passed 59 tol 45. I

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