Page 70 - TheGoldBug1968-69

PAGE 6 THE GOLD BUG FEBRUARY 14, 1969 Powell's Public Gets the Shaft by Richard Anderson AIter doing without representa- tion will recognize that the House's creet when he claimed that he tion for two years, Harlem finally case, providing the House had tel- just doing openly what the was allowed to have "Old Adam" lowed the rules and first seated Congressmen took pains to back, albeit in the ham-strung con- Pow-ell, Is from a legal standpoint Powell, It seems, was dihon ot a fresh man representative. the stronger one. This means that Iy Offensive as a Negro I say allowed because the Adam Congress evidently has the power managed to outplay Clayton Powell issue demonstrated and the right to exclude members own game. If w .. can ',tt';b~t. that Congress is motivated more for any reason at all providing a feelings to personal by political considerations than by two-thirds majority agrees. This can attribute the fact the desire to honor the philosophy arbitrary power may be undesir- of democratic government. Most able, but it appears to be legal. This people feel that poltttcs is a neces- arbitrary power may beundesir- sary evil, and perhaps the Mach- able, but it appears tobe legal. This ia vellian operation of special Inter- power has been used in the past - est and prejudlcesistheonlyprac- the mostblatantcasewastheexclu- tical way for arepresentativegov- ston of ten southerners because it First there were three. ernment to make decisions and face was assumed that they would vote civil changing problems-however, legislation, rights against poll- Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi and Chris Wood formed Traffic over a trctat judgements are notguaran- specifically the 14thammendment. year ago and then moved into seclusion in a rural English cottage. Six months later they emerged with their first album, Mr. Fantasy. Their teed to be equitable In the philo- This "arbitrary power" is of music combined the heavy rhythm and blues that Winwood picked up sophical sense, and in the judge- course non other than the opera- while in the Spencer-Davis Group and a light, airy, happy feeling that ment of Powell, equity is notably tion of politics, and polities was comes from carefree country living. absent. the reason why Adam Clayton Pow- Much of Traffic's unique sound comes from the flute and saxophone In the Powell case, the problems ell was singe led out, and why he playing of Chris Wood and Winwood's use of Spanish guitar and harpsi- have arisen primarily because the was excluded rather than punish- chord to augment his heavy electric lead. Capaldi delivers a pounding Constitution can be construed to be ed In some less drastic way. It is drum beat that sends the music pulsating into the listener's ears. contradictory - and has been. ciearthatAdam is widely detested Of the cuts on the first side, "Dealer" .ts very Spanish in flavor and Article I, section 5 says,among in the House-for his flamboyent seems to float by on the spinning waves of a-Ilute and Spanish guitar. other things, that "each house shall flaunting or tne morai racade mask- "Colored Rain" and "Hole in my Shoe" are both drug induced Impres- he the judge of the elections, re- ing the underlying corruption. Is sions of the English countryside. turns, and qualifications oC its own thIs perhaps analogous to the Mafia I looked In the sky members; .. ." And also, "each vendetta against those who talk? Where an elephant eye House may determine the ruies of And of course Powell was indis- Was looking at me its proceedings, punish itsmem- From a bubblegum tree bel'S for disorderly behavior, and And all that I knew with the concurrence of two-thirds, Was the hole in my shoe expel a member." This ts tne sec- Which was letting In water. Hon of the Constitution used by the I walked through a field House. That just wasn't real Article l,section3statesthatthe With one hundred tin soldiers qualifications for a representative Who stood at my shoulders are that he be at least 25,have been And all that I knew a Citizen of the U. S. for at least Was the hole in my shoe seven years, and be a resident of Which was letting in water. the state he represents. Powell Wlnwood has a good chance to demonstrate his guitar work in "Heaven claims that stncetne above are the Is In Your Mind," a guitar style thatls In the same class as Bloomfield only qualifications specified by the and Clapton. Constltution, and since he meets The second side includes "Berkshire Poppies", "Smiling Phases" them, that he should have been seat- and thetlUe song. "Berkshire Poppies" Is a bar-room style song lament- ed, ing the life of a poor city dweller who lives in the midst of filth, crime, The House, however, cretms that and a hustling atmosphere and wishes he lived In Berkshire "where the the Constitution implies that other poppies grow so pretty." quaUfications may be demanded, "Smiling Phases". is the heaviest song on the album and the best, as and that Powell - then a fugitive well. Capaldi'sdrummlnganddrivinggultarworkgiveWlnwood an excel- from justice because of his refusal lent backing for arorcenn delivery. "Dear Mr. Fantasy" is the best blues to pay a $164,000 damage suit, and song -- the words sum up the rest of the album. alleged misuser of public funds, did not meet their qualifications, Dear Mr. Fantasy play us a tune and could therefore be excluded. Something to make us all happy At this point, I would like to in- by Dan Wiles Do everything, take us out of this gloom terject that Powell might win his on case against the 90th Congress Sing a song, play guitar, make it snappy the grounds that since he was den- Circulus in Probandem You are the one who can make us all laugh But in doing so, you break out in tears. ied a seat, he was therefore never a member of the 90th Congress, At first when I conceived of this featurette, I Intended to attack Traffic Is happy blues. and therefore not subject to judge- well Intrenched, hard-core, mllltant apathy ol western Maryland Then there were four. ment. The House probably should lege. The justification Is paramount and Bob Dylan's wisdom admirably. "No sound ever comes from the Gates of Eden." In Dave Mason joined Traffic for their second album, simply called Traf- have avoidad this technicality by of the topic, realizing that my effort waspreceded many times fic. His writing and singing gave the group added depth and also gave seating Powell first, and then ex- one more mouth (pen) would hardly Increase the volume to Wlnwood a better opportunity to oemonstate his guitar playing. Two 01 pelling him later, but this is the -uU na}; S11.111ll1.l~sauoa1.l1are 'palt:J1SnJJ PUllpalnJaJ the songs Mason wrote five an Indication of his changing moods. "You center oC the legal - not the moral 'puno.ra peddajs 'uo padda1s 'ueieeq- MOJqesouj, can All Join In''is a playful little fantasy of their older days at the cot- issue. aSI'eJd JO suo 01 p~Ull1.l:JSllHl:Jjdo1ar[1's.reoee.r a1.l1uo l;)aJ1~ tage. The Powell case opened yet an- Here's a little song you can all join in with other part of tne coesutunontotn- ally pressed the compulsory ROTC Issue enough to get some It's very simple and I hope it's new terpretaUon. The tirst section of k~lIl OqHlHlOIDjno..\':::>WM III suoprunsuj peuousanbcn Ja1.l1o Make your own words up if you want to the 15th Amendment states that -senb pua s eer.ma SP!S pessard };aq1-sndureouo SlSIPI! onaqS Any old words that you think will do "the right of citizens of the U.S. to are ... maybe, Then I wondereo--tr there were people who cared, Yellow, blue, what'll I do? vote shall not be denied or abridg- only the limited objectives been accomplished? They had tried Maybe I'll just sit here thinking ed .. ." The House, it seems, does than they accomplished and no one pats himself on the back Black, white, stop the fight not feel that the right to vote as- II ul s.roiansnmnpe o~ palJl Jalla all,no}; ]I jUOUllWJOJUIS!W Does one ol these colours even bother you. sumes the right to have the results SUlllldwoa UOlll!JlsIUJwpe aq,L·)!Ollll os an SUllHlaalpJapl3 alll "Don't Be Sad" features Wlnwood playing the organ and Chris Wood on of the vote implemented. Powell os aJ-e sapollwJOP aql JO sllllHlalllHlOqJapUOHluauo I soprano sax with Dave Mason playing over them with a slow, dei1berate was elected in November '66 even a1.l1'SpJOHlJaq10 u1'uOHI!J1SnJJSI 'spuaJ.IJ ,{w 'lllq,L guitar lead while singing: though the Harlem electorate knew asoqllllllHl Supuapadxa an' no}; 'JllJ Slill ap!1JI! alll pllaJ allll1.l Don't be sad the nature of his behavior In his row and have gotten two complete separate and distantly unique I just want to see you get through previous term. In the specialelec-