Frontlines
LIBERTARIAN RECORD SET
Hal Jindrich, California Libertarian Party member and candidate for the non-partisan office of State Superintendent of Public Instruction, received a total of 197,553 votes in the June 4 primary election, pulling the highest vote yet for a pure libertarian candidate. And the campaign was waged on a strictly libertarian platform calling for the elimination of all educational taxation and laws—a complete separation of legislation and learning!
Using Freedom For Learning as his campaign slogan, Jindrich continually stressed that "No one has the right to tell you what school or courses you or your children should go to or attend or which school or courses you should support with your hard earned money or tax dollar."
He predicted that with government out of education, the cost of good, relevant education would drop by a factor of 10 or more and therefore be within the reach of everyone. This, he pointed out, "would then allow all persons to freely and economically support, without paying double, the amount and type of education they desire for themselves, their children, or less fortunate others."
CANADIAN PHOENIX
"Frontlines" correspondent Marshall Bruce Evoy reports:
With the air of pallbearers gathering for a funeral, delegates began arriving in London, Ontario, for the 2nd National Convention of the Libertarian Party (Canada)—May 23 to 26. Why the gloom? All had received letters from Party Leader Sieg Pedde, Chairman Steve Jarvis, and Toronto Execomm. Rep. George McCallum hinting at, or overtly naming disillusionment, infighting, and inertia. Pedde and Jarvis stated their non-intention to seek re-election, and McCallum had totally resigned from the LP. This atmosphere prevailed until Friday evening, at which time the corpse of the LP was somewhat miraculously resurrected and the lugubrious air dispelled. For at 10:50 p.m. on May 24th (a national holiday in Canada—the Queen's Birthday—but henceforth of much greater significance to all Canadian libertarians) Phil Spicer, a Canadian financier attending the Convention as an observer, had asked the pointed question: "Are you people a study group talking among yourselves or are you a political party?" He continued: "A federal election is upon us. To be a real political party, you must field candidates at that election. Are you prepared to do so?" A few delegates languidly answered in the affirmative at which point Spicer tore off his observer's badge, made himself a life sustaining member of the Libertarian Party, presented the convention with a $1000 cheque to field five candidates (it costs $200 to register each candidate legally), and pledged an additional $200 to any other candidates who chose to run July 8. As of this writing we have 25 candidates. There are 264 parliamentary seats in Ottawa.
All candidates, running as Independents (we must have 50 to be recognized on ballots as an official Party), are now fighting in the political arenas in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario, some of their slogans being "Don't Feed the Hand That Bites You" and "A Tax Cut Is the Kindest Cut of All." The LP brochure is identical throughout Canada: it advocates anti-inflation and anti-tax measures, stressing such issues as a) freeze government spending now, b) stop the flow of paper money, c) cut foreign aid and other unnecessarily wasteful government programs, and d) grant everyone a basic income tax exemption of $5,000 to be raised annually by $1,000 until the income tax is phased out of existence. Civil issues are not mentioned in the brochure, but will not be evaded or avoided during the campaign.
Saturday evening Tonie Nathan, who was greeted at the convention with a spontaneous standing ovation as a tribute to her indefatigable fight for freedom, addressed the audience on the subject of "Candidating," and was followed by Charles "Yosemite Sam" Lyall's paradoxically hilarious-serious speech, punctuated with laughter every 10 seconds. He and Ms. Nathan then formed a panel, taking questions from the floor; now that we are fielding candidates, much information was solicited regarding Tonie's Vice-Presidential "candidating" trips throughout the U.S.
Sunday morning Charles Lyall was chosen Party Leader by acclamation, all others withdrawing when he accepted his nomination. Sieg Pedde (London), former Leader, was voted Deputy Leader, Mike Blake and Maria Tchir (both of Toronto), Chairman and Vice-Chairwoman respectively. An Ontario Party was also formed with Terry Coughlin as pro tem Leader. For further information on the Libertarian Party of Canada please contact: National Headquarters, 4866 Yonge Street, Willowdale, Ontario, Canada. Phone 416-223-1900 or 416-961-1984.
DALLAS '74
The 1974 Libertarian Party Convention in Dallas, Texas (June 12-16) was exhilarating, exhausting, and just plain fun (thanks in no small part to Guy and Sheryl Brown, Mike Holmes and other members of the Texas Libertarian Party and the Institute for Libertarian Studies who worked so hard to keep things running smoothly). About 170 delegates and perhaps 50 observers—including some Convention-hopping Canadian LP members—attended.
The first General Session of the Convention got off to a rousing start on Thursday with speeches by Jerome Tuccille (FLP candidate for Governor of New York), Robert Steiner (LP candidate for Congress from New Jersey), Willis Stone of the Liberty Amendment Committee, and Roger MacBride, the Convention's keynote speaker. This was followed by a heated floor fight over the Credentials Committee report and proposed changes to it, which was finally cooled down by Chairman Sue Nolan calling a 10 minute recess so that New York's AdLib Communications, Inc. (more on them next issue) could present its multi-media look at the libertarian movement.
Friday's General Session dealt with the report of the Constitution and By-laws Committee which rapidly bogged down in parliamentary complications. A professional parliamentarian, Gerta Morris, was called in and stayed as Convention parliamentarian through Saturday afternoon. The convention attendees must have been doing something right—before she left on Saturday she made a short speech, saying she was behind the LP and its platform 100 per cent and would be honored if, when the LP could afford a full-time convention parliamentarian, it would consider hiring her. Meanwhile she was going to tell everyone she met about libertarianism. Needless to say, she got a standing ovation!
By Saturday the Convention had gotten into the Platform Committee report but was hopelessly behind schedule. Officers were elected on Saturday afternoon with Ed Crane of California defeating Eric Scott Royce of Virginia to become the new LP chairman. Andrea Millen (New York) was elected Vice Chairman, Bill Westmiller (California) is the new LP Secretary, and John Kraft (Wisconsin) is Treasurer. Out of a field of 16, all seven Executive Committee members-at-large were elected on the first ballot—they are: Ed Clark (California), Eric Scott Royce (Virginia), Fran Youngstein (New York), Karl Bray (Utah), D. Frank Robinson (Oklahoma), Bob Meier (Illinois), and Dave Nolan (Colorado).
After election of officers the Convention adjourned for the banquet, the highlight of which was a very stirring speech by Dr. John Hospers, and then reconvened at midnight to get back to work on the platform. Finally, at 8:30 Sunday morning the remaining delegates decided to call it quits and head for home. Although not yet ready to be engraved in stone, the platform was moderately acceptable to both anarchist and limited government LP members, at least until next year's convention!