Senior Claims Bungling on Class Committee Elections

Elections for the 1950 Permanent Class Committee were "completely bungled," a member of the graduating class charged last night.

The senior, who declined to be named, made his complaints in an open letter to the Class of 1950 in which he claimed election procedure had been violated on 24 specific counts.

The letter is printed in full on page 2. Conduct of the vote count presented magnificent openings for dishonest manipulation," he wrote.

Council President Edward F. Burke '50 issued the following statement last night:

"The charge made by one who has cloaked his identity in anonymity are mainly incorrect, or irrelevant. I feel it is unfortunate that one who has so much public interest did not take the ordinary precautions of any serious investigator by consulting those responsible for running the election or those whom he charges with actions which might have led to an unfair election.

"Election Was Honest"

"I feel that the running of the election was entirely honest and sincere. The recounts were made only in the interest of complete fairness to all concerned, and were conducted with complete openness and impartiality.

"Due to the length of this letter, and the wide scope of the charges, it is impossible this evening to make a complete answer to it, but I feel it only fair to the members of the Class of 1950, that a full reply be issued by the Election Committee and all others concerned.

"And this will be done as soon as all concerned can be reached,' Burke concluded.

As prescribed by the "Paul Report on Class Affairs" of 1947, accepted by the Student Council in 1948, the Council member in charge of class affairs (ultimately responsible for the election) must be a senior. This post was filled by William S. Tyson '49, a junior.

The chairman of the election committee, according to the Report, must be a junior member of the Council. The letter claims F. Martin Bowne '51, not a Council member, chaired the committee.

Actually the chairman was Tyson, who therefore held two positions, one open only to a senior, the other only to a junior.

Further provisions of the Paul Report and its amendments which the senior charged the Council violated were:

The nominating member from each House must be chosen by the respective House Committees.

All ballots must be numbered and must contain pictures of all candidates.

Balloting and tabulation must be conducted by two members from each House in no case members of the class.

Each voter must sign a list at the ballot box when he deposits his ballot.

The preferential system to select Marshals as distinguished from the straight ballot used for Committee members must be noted on the ballot.

Each voter must check at least four candidates.

"Candidates Helped Count Votes"

The protesting senior also objected that Edward F. Burke '50, David H. Hall '50, and Frederic D. Houghteling '50, all candidates for the Permanent Class Committee, were present in Phillips Brooks House Council Office at the time of the ballot counting.

He said that Hall was "supervising" the ballot tabulation and that Houghteling took "active part" in counting votes. He further complained that Burke, Charles R. Brynteson '50, John T. Carnahan '50, Hall, and Houghteling assisted in Tecounts of the election.