REPORT ON MINOR PARTIES' CANDIDATES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, January 31, 1992                   TAG: 9201310449
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short
REPORT ON MINOR PARTIES' CANDIDATES
THE ROANOKE Times & World-News should report on the candidacy of minor-party nominees for the U.S. presidency. Andre Marrou, Libertarian Party candidate, offers a voice to voters frustrated with high taxes and growing, meddling government.
Only a third party gives voters a chance to show dissatisfaction with Demo-publican status quo. Yet the state throws mean obstacles at independents and smaller parties: It requires thousands of signatures by currently registered voters in proportion to district size, and many bureaucratic procedures and filing fees and deadlines.
Is that how a democracy should act? Then the media say outright and by omission that there are only two presidential hopefuls - thereby omitting the truth.
The popular movement to limit terms in Congress shows that Americans desperately want real choices. We are unhappy with the exclusive game as it is now. Powerful officeholders exclude underexposed candidates from debate, and so get away with painting issues in fuzzy, simplistic sentiment.
Only a third party can get them to sharpen the focus. America has often used a third party to wake up the fat cats, as when it nominated dark horse Abraham Lincoln. This is a vital safety valve for democracy. Please don't let them kill it. Please tell us about minor-party candidates now! JOYCE STEWART-TAMBE BLACKSBURG

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB