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The Weekly University Courier
The Largest College Journal Circulation in the United States.
Published Every Friday Morning by the COURIER COMPANY
EDITORIAL STAFF:
JOHN A. MUSHRUSH, EDITOR-IN-CHEF,
ASSOCIATES:
J. M. SHELLABARGER,
MARK OTIS,
MELEN WEBBER,
M. J. HICKET,
EDFH MANLEY,
J. O. WORDEN,
CLARENCE SEARS.
BUDGETS MANAGERS:
J. M. CHALLISS,
S. C. BREWSTER.
P. T. FOLEY, Printer, Lawrence, Kansas
Entered at the post-office at Lawrence, Kansas
Entered at the post-office at Lawrence, Kansas as second-class matter.
UNIVERSITY DIRECTORY.
PHI GAMMA DELTA fraternity, Meets in the Eldridge House block, third floor.
PHI DELTA THETA, Meets on second floor of Opera House block.
PHI KAPPA Pst, Meets on third floor of Opera House block.
SIGANANU, Meets in the Eldridge House block, third floor.
SIGACHI, Meets on the fourth floor East of the Opera House block.
BETA THETA PI, Meets on fourth floor of the Opera House block.
KAPPA KAPAMA MA, Meets every Saturday afternoon at the homes of members.
KAPPA ALPHA THETA, Meets every Saturday afternoon in the Eldridge House block.
PI BETA PHI, Meets every Saturday afternoon in homes of members.
ORATORICAL ASSOCIATION: Chas. Johnson, President; W. A. Snow, Secretary. Executive Committee: J. M. Shellanbarger, J. C. Fox, H. M. F. Bear
BASE BALL ASSOCIATION; Manager, Prof. A. M. Wilcox, Captain of the nine, Charles Voorhis.
UNIVERSITY SCIENCE CLUB, Meets in Snow Hall.
PHILOGICAL CLUB, Meets in room No. 30 every other Friday at 8 p.m.
TENNIS ASSOCIATION; President, F. E. Reed; Secretary, F. H. Kellogg; Treasurer, W. A. Snow.
COURIER COMPANY; President, J. M. Shella-oarger; Secretary, J. C. Fox.
The Courier is glad to notice the interest manifested in lawn tennis and would suggest a tennis tournament.
Those interesting articles in the Troy Chief over the signature "Cadmus" are written by Glen Miller who is now "doing" the world on the income from the fortune which he recently made in the real estate business in Wichita.
The action of the "powers that be" in dismissing Mr. Worden as guide cannot be too severely deprecated nor too harshly criticised if he was dismissed on account of the part he took in the recent initiation. If he did his work well while on duty, the simple fact that he engaged in one of the many college pranks which tend to break university life of its monotony should not be allowed to influence these same "powers" against him. If vengeance is to be wreaked upon any one let all suffer alike, the initiators as well as the initiated.
"Be sure you are right, then go ahead;" is a pretty good motto to follow. The individual who spends
his time finding out what other people are likely to think or say before he sets about doing anything, rarely accomplishes much. Remember that it is impossible to please everybody and if you undertake to do so you will simply demonstrate to the world your incapacity to have a fixed determination, and follow it out to the end. The best rule to abide by is to mind your own business and let other people mind theirs. You will always find plenty of ill-bred individuals who will thrust their opinions and their criticisms upon you unasked, and who insist on making rasping comments every time you do anything which you consider in your own mind to be for the best. Such people exist the world's over, and they cause more irritation and hard-feeling in society than any other class. The only thing to do is to let them severely alone. To show that you feel their criticisms only spurs them on to greater activity, and you will find in the end, if you stop to avenge or even notice such efforts, you will be in "hot water," as the phrase is continually. Suppose you have a certain laudable end in view. You take certain measures, and follow out a certain line of action to accomplish that object. Whatever this end may be you will always find people on every hand ready to criticise, or ridicule, or detract. Now what good does it ever do to continually try to please these people. If your work is honorable, and your aim worthy what difference does it make what others say or think. In the end, if you persist in going straight ahead in what you believe to be right, admiration and respect if not entire sympathy, will be yours. Whatever you do, don't waver hither and thither, a reed swayed by the wind of public opinion. Stand up like a man, show that you have a will, a mind of your own, and know how to exercise it. Don't hesitate to declare yourself for or against a measure, according as your best judgement prompts you. You will undoubtedly make mistakes, everybody does. But don't sit on the fence waiting for somebody to pull you off. You might just as well remember that whatever you do you will have enemies and detractors. So, if you have any self-respect, or wish to have your opinions weigh something, be positive, be independent. Form your opinions deliberately, and once formed, stick to them till you see a good logical reason for abandoning them, and then do so gracefully, and without ado. If you do this you will respect yourself, others will respect you, and you will have the reputation of being a "solid
man" instead of a hesitating, uncertain individual, trimming his sails to every breeze, bending and squirming from one side to the other with the elasticity of an angle worm. It lies in the power of every one to decide which he shall be, the former, or the latter.
Our Public School System.
There is a common belief that we owe our common school system to Nathan Dane and Manassah Cutler. An edition of Jefferson's works, however, which has lately come to our notice, seems to show that this belief is unfounded and that the honor of a public school system belongs not to Massachusetts but to Virginia, not to Nathan Done and Manassah Cutler, but to Thomas Jefferson.
In this edition is given a plan for a public school building which Jefferson drafted for the State of Virginia, but which this state refused to adopt. After his failure in his own state he endeavored to engraft his system upon the constitution of Tennessee just then assuming statehood. Here he again failed. However, nothing daunted, when the Northwest Territory was organized he again presented his plan and urged its adoption for the new territory. While the Northwest Ordinance was yet under consideration he was sent to Europe on official business. During his absence the plan which he had submitted to the committee on territories of which he was a member, was taken up by the other members of the committee, partially changed and incorporated into the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. So that to Jefferson really belongs the honor of originating the great system of public education.
In another column will be found an article by "Nedrow," on the dignity of labor, in which he arrives at the conclusion that "to do work is to endanger the social recognition of a student." This is evidently a wrong conclusion, and can not be logically drawn. We have known students who have worked their way through the University, who have received as much social recognition as the man who never did as much work as the blacking of his own boots required. No one was more highly respected than Walter Davis, and he worked for every cent of his money. Will Brown is another one of the boys who made their own way through the University, and yet he was never hindered by any social distinctions. Social recognition in the University, we are happy to say, is not placed upon so narrow a basis. The young man who works his way
through college is, other things being equal, generally more highly respected in social circles than the man who spends his time in ease and luxury. The cultivated and refined mind can readily gain access to good society, regardless of the fact that its owner must toil for support. This is true now at K.S.U. and we trust it will never be otherwise.
Last Monday evening Prof. A. G. Canfield lectured before the Unity Club on "Boulanger and the French Republic." The lecture of more than an hour in length, was full of information and interest. The professor soon disposed of Boulanger and gave most of his time to a very careful study of the political conditions of France which make possible such a mushroom growth as Boulanger. He showed that while the French people are excitable and apparently fickle there has been a steady advancement on political lines ever since their first attempts at free government a hundred years ago. The many influences which to-day retard this development were carefully traced by the professor. Boulanger has few moral and intellectual qualities to recommend him, and his record as a military man is not particularly brilliant. He has a certain dash and effrontery which have brought him into notice but which can make him at best the hero of an hour. This lecture was one of the best of the Unity Club's course, and those who were fortunate enough to hear it were well repaid for their time.
Prof. Marsh's Lecture.
The postponed address of Prof. Marsh before the literary societies was given on Tuesday evening, April 9th, in the chapel. The audience of students was largely reinforced by people from the city who were interested to hear Prof. Marsh and know his opinion on the prospects of poetry in America. Prof. Marsh's subject was: "Will poetry revive?" Not a few voices, he said, have been heard lately to declare that the age of poetry is gone forever. Professor Charles Elliott Norton had written a letter to him, that Matthew Arnold was probably the last of the poets, and that there was no sign that the coming generation or two, at least, would produce another. Prof. Goldwin Smith and Prof. Edward Dowden were also quoted as having expressed a similar opinion.
What are the grounds for such an opinion? Two great facts are pointed to—the supremacy of science and the scientific method, and, for America at least, the power of democracy to restrain individuality and to level
distinction. These facts are admitted. But Prof. Marsh was unwilling to conclude from them the future impossibility of poetry. Poetry, Sir Philip Sidney said, is a high and fruitful knowledge—the highest and most fruitful. Science is knowledge, too, but does not include poetry and can not take its place. It proceeds in an opposite way. It takes things apart, resolves phenomena into successions, subs for causes and processes. Poetry sees things whole. Science asks how things came to be as they are. Poetry takes them as they are, novels their true form, and interprets them. Science has absorbed lately, and will continue to absorb more than once it did, the finest minds. But the human spirit will not be satisfied with one kind of knowledge. It will continue to desire and to seek both.
More threatening is this tendency of the democratic spirit to do away with distinction, to reduce to a dead level. The tyranny of public opinion in a democracy has often been pointed out. It is hard for new and strange views of truth to find expression. Opinion is impatient of unfamiliar truth. So America has produced no poet of first rank. It has developed a vast energy but not inspired by high ideas. Aspiration it has of a certain sort, but vague and indefinite, for mere size, bulk, magnitude. Its enthusiasm is chaotic, turbid. It wants elevation, direction. Walt Whitman is recognized very generally by foreigners as the representative American poet. He has expressed what he felt in him and saw in those around him. He shows the American to be capable of powerful original expression, but his example emphasizes the need of direction, elevation and distinction.
Go to Orme & Engle's for spring hats.
Go to Orme & Engle's for spring hats.
Orme & Engle have a large line of spring and summer hats on hand. Call and see them.
Buy your spring hats of Misses Orme & Engle.
The best and cheapest spring goods at Orme & Engle's.
Prof. Robt. Hay, of Junction city, Geologist for the State Board of Agriculture, called on Prof. Snow Wednesday.
Stet on's latest styles in soft hats just received, at Abe Levy's.
Go to Abe Levy's if you want to buy a good hat.
New Spring underwear, at Abe Levy's.
Oh! My! What slick suits are for sale at the Boston Square Dealing Clothing House.
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