University of Virginia Library

Replies To Hilbert

I write in reference to the letter
to the editor by Mr. Lee Hilbert
which was printed in The Cavalier
Daily on December 13th. I
would first question the propriety
of publishing such a letter attacking
The University Party (as the
headline stated) and attacking its
candidates (as Mr. Hilbert did)
on election day.

However, specifically in answer
to the questions raised by Mr.
Hilbert, we of The University
Party have a platform to which
our candidates—unlike those of the
two traditional caucuses—are committed.
There is, consequently, an
official party position on many
issues. Since the CD's questions
were all covered by the platform,
our candidates did, of course, have
the same answers.

Our candidates do, and this
goes without saying, have
individual opinions on many other
issues but they were not asked
about these. In regard to the
question about our candidates'
ability to write and think, I do
not think that this has ever been
questioned (except, perhaps, by
yourself). If you had listened to
any of the panel discussion presentations
on WUVA, I do not
believe that you could seriously
question the ability of our candidates.

Finally, in respect to the same
answers to the questions being
printed three times (which admittedly
is not usual journalistic
practice), our candidates submitted
one set of answers to the questions
sent out by the CD since
their answers were necessarily
the same. The Cavalier Daily
chose to print the answers three
times.