Dynamic Conservatism

In the past two weeks, we have seen the sordid climax of the long-term misuse of an undergraduate political organization. The type of election battle now being waged in the Harvard Young Republican Club is representative of the internal disorder and external uselessness that has typified the Club in the last few years.

The reputation of the HYRC in the eyes of the rest of the College is self-admittedly at rock-bottom. While becoming an increasingly intellectually respectable philosophy in the rest of the country, Republicanism at Harvard is being discredited by the organization and people officially representing it. Gaining toleration for the conservative viewpoint is especially important at Harvard, an institution characterized by the liberality of faculty and students and by the number of influential leaders graduating from College.

The HYRC has done little recently to further "The New Republicanism" or any other kind; it has acted only to further the frighteningly intense political ambitions of many of its members. A college political organization might better be used to encourage discussion and disseminate information about its ideal and purpose in order to further the cause of the party it represents.

The aspirants' efforts and their confidence of future success might seem highly ridiculous, except for the behavior they utilize to implement their success. They win their Club elections with force and promise of future influence, rather than with character or intelligence. The present activities of the HYRC, in foisting this kind of politician upon society, do not reflect well upon Harvard.

After campaign machinations end tonight, it is to be hoped that constructive steps will be taken to prevent their recurrence in future elections. The HYRC would do well to take a more positive view of its educative function and replace its emphasis on internal politicking with a comparable concern for external political action.