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THE UNIVERSITY COURIER.
It may be for the reason that we are afraid to stand upon our merits, in striving for staff positions on the Journal, that we do not become members of that company? In all probability this is so! With a glance at that brilliant sheet, edited in such a capable manner, we realize our inefficiency in this line. We can imagine with what awful solemnity the different editors were selected by the stockholders of the Journal company. Each one was the only man within the walls of the University fitted, in every point for his respective position. We can see, by straining our vision, that the politicians are scattered and not working. It came out just as cream does out of a can of milk. Here were men who had stood upon their merits! Here were men who had been in the University for perhaps-three months! They had been weighed and not found lacking Here, indeed, was corruption thrown to the winds, and everybody rising to their feet said with one accord "These are they!" Verily the balmy days of peace have come, and we, who know when we are well off, play in our own yard.
The Law School has finally awakened to a sense of its own importance and has founda semi monthly periodical to be called the Kansas University Lawyer. The initiating steps were taken last Monday night at a mass meeting of both classes of the law school. Speeches were made by a number of the boys, and it seemed to be the unanimous opinion that a Law Journal could be successfully published without encroaching upon the territory taken by the other University papers. This semi-monthly is to be run for and by the law students. All bona fide law students are allowed to vote at all meetings and there is no college politics represented in it. No stock is issued and the members of the law school have equal rights in all elections and meetings regarding the magazines' policy and success.
The idea on the part of the law boys is to make this a purely legal one that shall merit the support of the bar of the state, in doing this they expect to keep aloof from the petty quarrels that so often ruin the common college newspapers. The management will strive to make this such a magazine of law that their efforts will merit the unqualified support of all friends of the law school.
The staff is quite a large one and is made up about equally of Juniors and Seniors. The following were elected for the remainder of the year: Galen Nichols editor, J. A. Games and W.H. Winter Associate Editors, C.R.Troxei Local,F.F.Lamb Exchange, W.H.H.Piatt Business Manager,R.R. Mitchell Circulator.
The proceedings of the disciplinary committee savor greatly of the star chamber. A plan which is in effect in many of the leading colleges should be instituted here. A committee should be framed of say three professors and three students chosen by the student body from the Junior and Senior classes, with the Chancellor as chairman. This committee should have power to settle all grievances of the students and recommend to the faculty all expulsions or suspensions. By adopting such a plan the faculty would be relieved from the suspicion of unfairness and such affairs as the late unpleasantness would be avoided. As all controversies between faculty and students and all cases of repremand from the faculty to the students, such, for instance as the late suspension of thirteen Juniors, are accompanied generally by a great deal of personal feeling on the part of the students. Under the present system the faculty council or disciplinary committee composed of some five members attend to all the affairs between students and faculty, recommend expulsions, suspensions and investigate all matters which come under the surveillance of the University authorities. Severe criticism and complaint has been recently brought forth, and in fact has always been prevalent in the student body against this method.
The faculty has submitted to the Students Journal a proposition to organize a new University paper which shall take the place of the established papers. The plan is to let the shares be sold at $1, each and officers elected, regardless of factions. Such is certainly a good move. But added to this is a proposition which the students cannot agree to with consistency. It is that the University Council shall practically have charge of the paper. The proposition has met with universal disfavor among the students and it promises to become a dead letter. Most of the students think that the faculty should not interfere in their affairs.