University of Virginia Library

Newton Speech

I write concerning the Virginia
Weekly's accusation that the University's
administration has cancelled
Huey Newton's speech on purely
political grounds. This accusation
troubles me for several reasons.

First: if the administration does
cancel speeches on purely political
grounds, why did it allow both
William Kuntster and Jerry Rubin
to speak at the height of the civil
crisis over Cambodia last year?

Second: the University has a
valid interest in having its own
guards present in at least part of
University Hall to protect
University property. The Panther
contract would have forbidden such
guards.

If Mr. Newton's sponsors were
so intent on having him speak here,
why did they not modify the
contract demands so that both the
University's interest in protecting
its property and the Black Panther
Party's interest in protecting its
Minister of Defense could be met?

Undoubtedly, there are some
members of the administration who
would like to keep Mr. Newton
from speaking here. Perhaps - and
this is pure hypothesis - they are
glad that a valid reason does exist
for cancelling the speech.

But even if this hypothesis is
true, it cannot obscure the basic
fact that the administration has an
obligation to protect University
property, and it cannot rightly
forsake this obligation without
some good cause.

Let me add that I am personally
anxious to have such a major
historical figure as Huey Newton
speak at the University, and that -
as I have indicated above - I do not
suppose the administration to be
politically or culturally neutral.

In spite of these personal biases
in favor of Mr. Newton, I see no
grounds for a charge of political
repression and will not accept such
a charge unless it has been
specifically proved.

Henry L. Bowden, Jr.
College 4

— Ed.