Nobby Cutaway and Sack Suits at Steinberg's Clothing House.
The Weekly University Courier.
The Largest College Journal Circulation in the United States.
Published Every Friday Morning by the COURIER COMPANY
For Kansas University Students.
CHAS. LYONS, O.B. TAYLOR, Prestident. Secretary.
EDITORIAL STAFF:
FRANK G. CROWELL, EDITOR-IN-CHEF.
(ASSEMBLY)
JOHN PRESCOTT,
W. R. ARMSTRONG,
NAN, LOVE,
LILLIE FREEMAN,
LLA STERBINS,
GRETTE D'HUNICUTI
BUSINESS MANAGERS:
EARLE L. SWOPE.  [WILL A. JACKSON,
From the Press of P. T. FOLEY.
Entered at the post-office at Lawrence, Kansas as second class matter.
It is true that those who are thinking of entering the local oratorical contest, should begin preparing their orations. Do not put this off until there is not sufficient time left to do the work properly. Begin now and write your oration, so that you may have plenty of time to retouch it and polish it before you hand it in. Though, thus far this year, there have been fewer inducements than heretofore, for speakers to make efforts, and fewer opportunities for them to practice and to display their abilities and thus give an opportunity to judge of the material in school; it is not reasonable to suppose that there is less oratorical ability present among the student this year than there has been in years gone by. There are surely seven or eight young ladies or young gentlemen here this year who have more or less taste for public speaking. It is almost impossible to believe that there are not among four hundred and fifty college students, and especially K. S. U. students, at least seven or eight who possess the requisite ability to write orations and make an appearance which would do credit not only to themselves, but also to the University. We cannot doubt that good writing and speaking ability exists in abundance within our walls and that, if it can only be called forth and directed by proper effort, it can accomplish good results.
Though the literary societies do not offer the opportunities which they once did, the oratorical association stands as ready and willing as ever to encourage and help all who will try. Undoubtedly the association requires a higher grade of work than the literary societies; but in one direction at least the reward which it offers for that work is greater. Though but six orators can be selected for a contest and but one of these can win; yet the one who is successfull obtains as his reward an honor and an opportunity for winning a higher which none of the literary societies can confer. In oratory the State University has always held an enviable rank among the colleges of the State. Of the four State contests which have been held she has won
so. Shall she not win the third this year and still hold her place at the head of the State association? To do this her students must put forth strenuous efforts. In the first place we must have a good local contest. If a large number of orations are handed in the committee of the faculty will have opportunities for better selection than if they have only a very limited number to select from. This means that the grade of the local contest will be raised and that there will be a tendency to require better work from the man who wins and who is to represent the University in the State contest. This in turn means greater chances of success in the State contest. From this it is easily seen that everyone who has any taste and ability in this line should write an oration and make an effort to obtain a position on the local contest. Let some of the girls try. The opportunities which the association offers are not for the boys alone. The contests are equally open to the girls, and the girls will be gladly welcomed to them. In our sister colleges they have often made successful efforts. Why not here? Lastly, let no one hesitate to hand in an oration on account of fear of defeat. If one draw back from a college contest through fear of being excelled, or disappointed, what will be the case in after life? Will that person meet the sharper and more vital contest with the cold world, with that firmness and confidence which is one great essential of success?
COLLGE CRANKS.
"I'm a crank."
Surely an introduction was never followed up by a more startling confession. I hardly knew which to admire most—the fellow's sense in discerning his weakness or his frankness in avowing it. It is now nearly a fortnight since I first met this remarkable individual. Yet the time has fully demonstrated to me the correctness of his diagnosis. It is precious seldom anyone is so willing to admit his own frailties.
When the mind of a man drifts wholly into one channel, he's a bobbiest. When he's got it worse, he's a fanatic. When it becomes chronic, he's a crank. When it grows virulent, he's a lunatic. However, I am not startling homily on cranks. I only wish to speak of a few specimens peculiar to college life.
Two varieties of cranks infest the University—the fraternity crank and the anti-fraternity crank. I never speak with either that I don't think him worse than the other. These cranks are not numerous, but like certain disagreeable animals not to be mentioned, they have a wonderful faculty of making their presence powerfully known.
The anti-fraternity crank is the product of fermentation. His debu in the University wasn't marked by that display of student enthusiasm that attended certain other Freshmen. While they were being rushed and gushed, dined and wined, roped and soaped, by the various fraternities, no special note is taken of his advent. Chaps with bright and shining shields, or crosses, or diamonds, or
circlets on the lappels of their coats, didn't engage him in jolly conversation, attend him to his classes or take him to their cosy halls. This neglect to observe his brilliant effervescent qualities caused the first stage in the depressing, souring state into which he went. Finally, taking unction in the faith that God boosts those who pitch in on their own hook, he boldly intimates to certain Greek—letter men that if invited he would join their ranks. That settles it! He cannot fail to observe the smiles playing the phizes of the fraternity men whom he afterward meets. He realizes that his "goose is cooked." Henceforth he is a crank. He openly avows that he is utterly, eternally, unreservedly opposed to the damnable principle of secrecy. He becomes morbed. He imagines that every college movement is dictated by this or that chapter. They are all leagued against him. The more he thinks about it, the bitterter waxes his gall. If his essay misses the prize, if his best girl mittens him, or if he be repremanded in the classroom, bless your soul! it's brought about by the machinations of some secret society. They're all in caboodle against him. I heard of a case,'too—many, many years ago—where this malady proved contagious to the family of one of these cranks, and they imagined the faculty was in cahoots with the frats, this mighty cabal being engaged in a boycott against the peace, prosperity and wellfare of the boarding house operated by said family. Still this was so long, long ago that my memory fails to recall particulars.
The fraternity crank is often—not always—a metamorphosis. He was originally an anti-fraternity crank. Having by some freak become attached to a fraternity machine, he still subserves the purposes of a crank to his new gearing. As codfish aristocracy grind its course heel most fiercely on its old neighbors, so the man who after many years in the cold has been taken into warm fraternity quarters, is most arrogant to his former associates. The other fraternity crank is the man whose society is his sole stock in trade. Knowing no personal excellence to back him, he throws himself bodily on its influence. The world revolves around the college and the college around the fraternity. Fraternity is his shop, and shop is all he talks. You speak of some student and he twists up his nose in disdain with the remark that "he's only a 'barb'". He never walks with anyone who don't "wear the pin;" one thing for which the non-society men should be duly grateful. He does his best to build up caste on fraternity lines, and is terribly shocked when the world knocks the pins out from under him after college is over.
Cranks, like fleas, ants and other obnoxious vermins, live and have to be endured. They are persistent, pesky creatures that crawl everywhere and are everywhere annoying You couldn't keep 'em out if you wanted to. And if we believe in the doctrine that nothing was created in vain and that everything subserves some use, I submit that these cranks, like our University ventilating flues, may serve to carry off foul college gasses, only you want to keep away from their muzzle! **SMITH.**
VIEWS.
EDITOR COURIER:—The first part of last week R.E.Rice, before whose name I am informed the title Mrs. may properly be inscribed, made an attack upon the fraternity system of the University through the columns of the evening Tribune. While there are some particles of truth in her article,it is the truth so distorted and exaggerated that it seemed most natural to suppose that among those who were intimately acquainted with University affairs none would be found to uphold and endorse her sentiments. In fact her assertions were for the most part so preposterous that as for my self I supposed no one would give them much credit and so no harm would result to anybody.
But within two days the anti-fraternity element, the commonly denominated "barbs," I use the term merely as a matter of convenience and with the utmost respect, hold a meeting and adopt resolutions fully endorsing Mrs. Rice's article and pledging themselves to purchase copies of the issue of the Tribune in which it appeared and send them to their homes with a view, apparently, to insure its publication throughout the state. If their object is attained this article will be read by large numbers of people who contemplate sending their children to the University; people too, many of whom can know nothing about the influences which are brought to bear upon the student while in the University. Read, as it will be, by these people, holding, as it does, that the fraternity system is at once so important and so injurious a factor of University society; endorsed, as it is, by those who pretend to represent the major portion of the students, it must cause many to hesitate, perhaps to refuse, to send their children to our institution. The action of the "barbs" makes it necessary for some one to say something in reply to what would otherwise have probably been perfectly harmless.
Mrs. Rice opens her article with an attack upon the University professors who are members of the secret fraternities. It is true, it probably always will be true, that a goodly number of the professors are connected with these organizations, but that they have been in any way partial or prejudiced in their treatment of students she is the first to discover. Upon the contrary it has always been recognized by their students that these professors have been as impartial and fair-minded as any could be, and it has been impossible to distinguish between their treatment of members of their fraternity, members of other fraternities and non-fraternity men. It may be true that students have been prohibited from discussing "fraternities" from the chapel rostrum. So it is also true that they have been prohibited from speaking on religious and political subjects. Indeed it was the recognized policy of the faculty to forbid discussions which would tend to hurt or embitter the feelings of any students. If an article on "fraternities" was rejected, the writer can testify that its author fared no worse than many others.
She accuses the fraternities of destroying the literary societies of the University. Here more than any where else there may be some ground for complaint. No one will deny that the fraternities have quarrelled and fought among themselves in the literary societies, but they have never attempted to refuse to any student all the privileges and benefits of these societies. As the fraternities have grown and developed they have been able to do literary work within their own walls and as a result their members have gradually dropped out of the literary societies, thus leaving them to the non-fraternity men in whose hand they have died. It must be evident to anyone, there being no restriction on membership and the number of non-fraternity men as large as it is, that with proper interest on the part of these men the literary societies would still be in a flourishing condition.
The fraternities are said to have almost entire control of the boarding interest. The only way in which this has any application is found in the fact that members of the various fraternities have been in the habit of boarding together in clubs. To any one familiar with these clubs it is needless to say that they are a great saving and convenience. Table board in a private family for a single student costs on an average about $3.50 a week. By the club system this amount has been reduced to $3.00 and even as low as $2.00. It will be hard to demonstrate that such action is "with no reference to any known law of economy or convenience."
She next objects to the fraternities on the ground of expense. Under this head her figures have not even the semblance of fact but wander unrestrained in the field of fancy. When she says that "the least this membership is known to cost is three dollars a month," her statement is preposterous and absurd. In fact I feel safe in saying that in no fraternity are the necessary expenses more than one dollar per month. In support of this statement I have the testimony of various members of all the fraternies. If it be argued that the well-equipped apartments of the fraternity cannot be maintained for so insignificant a sum, it must be remembered that the work of furnishing these apartments has extended through many years and is chiefly the result of the voluntary contributions of alumni members. In view of the comparative records made by fraternity and non-fraternity men, it is sheer nonsense to say that the fraternities are detrimental to good scholarship. The classes of '86 and '87 were both lead by fraternity men. Indications point to a fraternity man as leader of the class of '88. A majority and a large one too of all honors awarded in the University have been won by members of secret societies. These statements cannot be denied or refuted for they are a part of the University history. Their truth shows that her appeal for the protection of the young men against the fraternities "as well as we now try to guard them against the temptations of the open dram shops and licensed gambling dens" is an insult
--made very and long ties pain who excuse your queen for so nizar state stam queens tend endc Mrs. sors anv far fr spoil spoke drate inde the instit ing Rice thei they arbi Area that ple soci Area cause she at ht
As more wroth the y swoop positit themized c body perie crimi toady really that should the re ed, g profe
So bund I do has r ful e Univ vince misit speci
No by th
I one
he he
effe effe
it it
temt temt
Tauction
bee bee
con con