Students travel in the best of Rigs, and they get them of TOOTHAKER.
VIEWS.
EDITOR VIEWS: -In taking a cursory view of the opponents of college secret societies and their arguments advanced, we are struck by the prominence of certain characteristics.
If we inquire into the history of the opponent, we find in nine cases out of ten that he was never invited to join a fraternity. Having seen the great advantage to be derived from being a member of a college secret society, and being debarred from enjoying the benefits arising therefrom, it is very natural that he should feel slighted or wronged. This feeling soon gives place to a hatred, which bursts forth in a tirade of abuse against the coveted goal. In his ignorance, pure and simple, we see him clutching at every straw, and magnifying every mole hill into a mountain. We are told that the secret societies are training their members in the arts of the politicians, and have caused the formation of cliques and intrigues for the purpose of exercising influence in college politics, to obtain the election of members to positions of honor and trust, simply because the candidates are members, and not because of their merit. These are serious charges, and demand more than a mere denial. The fraternities certainly have not caused the formation of cliques in colleges as such, for they existed long before the system was dreamed of. The chapter consists usually of such a small number of men that it would be impossible for them to act as cliques, for such a contest would be as varied as one between individuals. In the K. S. U. less than four per cent of the students belong to any one fraternity. Then the only way possible for them to exercise the great influence attributed to them would be for several of the societies to combine for the attainment of a single purpose, and this has sometimes been done. In a school like the K. S. U., where less than one-fourth of all the students belong to secret societies, and they divided among nine different ones, the difficulty of attaining such a combination, and its utter inefficiency if attained, is clearly seen. The societies themselves disapprove of any such combination. Many of them legislate against the practice, and the general sentiment prevalent among farternity men that interference in college politics as fraternities is a mistake. It is true that usually fraternity men are elected to college office, but that is certainly because they generally comprise the most prominent and deserving students. Many teach their members that their duties to each organization in college life must be determined by their relation to such organization alone, and not by fraternity associations. They are enjoined to act uprightly, choose wisely, and if their brother is the subject of their choice, to make his worth their criterion rather than his relationship. We sometimes see fraternities voting solidly, but this is apt to be the case with students so closely associated and similar in tastes and
EDITOR VIEWS:—In speaking upon the subject of college fraternities, we are aware that we have no easy task in opposing the class who hold that allegiance to their individual fraternity is paramount to everything else, whether it be the dictates of conscience, the ties of friendship,the demands of superiors or the obligation of relationship.
When we look at a body of students gathered together for the purpose of electing to some position of honor or trust the best fitted and most worthy of their number, what do we see? Is it an election, calm and serene, where each one casts his ballot for the person whom he honestly and conscientiously believes to be the most worthy, the most deserving of the position? Far from it. We find a number of students, cliques as it were, upon whose breasts glitter in all their purity, mystic badges—the emblem of their fraternity; we find this faction blindly following a leader, who has under the tutorship of former masters, become skilled in the arts of the politician; we see them as a unit, cast their ballot for a man, who, if influential friends or relations had not secured his election to a college fraternity, would have been entirely unknown. Do they stop to consider the ability of the candidate? Not for a minute. If when they count the glistening badges and their personal friends; when they add that portion of the barb element whose votes they control; if after summing up all their strength they find they have not a sufficient number of votes to elect, what do they do? Their leader goes to the leader of one of their rivals and proposes a combination. Mutual concessions are made, and an agreement is entered into whereby the leader pledges the votes and outside support of his brethren to a scheme of which they most likely have never heard.
Now it may be argued that in a free country, where the principles of personal liberty and equality are so thoroughly inculcated into the human soul; it may be argued that no man will allow another to be his dictator. This is all right in theory, but the fact remains that the leader in the fraternity has made these pledges, and has seen that they were fulfilled. How was this result brought about? If we look at the barbarian element do we find a one man power? Do we even find organized or effectual resistance to the decrees of fraternities, which bear the imprint of time? Then we must look within the fraternity for the cause of this servility. It is all summed up in the one all embracing, all controlling word—allegiance. Each member is bound by a cast iron oath to do everything in his power to further the plans and projects of his fraternity.
western town. To do this would require a volume. If we but succeed in causing the student to pause and look around him, we will have fulfilled our mission TRUTH.
EDITOR VIEWS:——Since No. 1, Vol.
1, of the Courier first appeared there
have been unnumbered "howls" on
the subject of fraternities.
Not only do we find as a political factor the influence and power of the college fraternity manifesting itself in every form among the students, but it extends out beyond its alleged field of action. We see offices and positions of honor and profit, under the control of the regents, pass from brother to brother in the fraternity, until we instinctively ask if they are hereditary.
In the short space allotted to us, we are only able to point out an outward manifestation of the fraternity system. We can not speak of their moral influence. We can not describe the wine banquets, the carousals, the scenes within that den of vice—the chapter hall—which so much remind us of a gambler's den in a
It has been said that fraternity influence on the whole was evil. I would like to know if this is so. A fraternity is supposed to be a brotherhood, a union of persons of congenial tastes. It would form between its members a stronger and more lasting friendship than would otherwise be possible; it would stimulate their latent energy, rouse their ambition and lead them to heights which alone they could not attain; it would help make of them men of broad culture, noble, generous and true, loyal to God and their fellow men. There is no doubt that at the formative period of a young man's character it is made broad and symmetrical by good associations. He loses his crochety ways and learns to be generous and self-sacrificeing; in other words, he is polished by friction, and this friction is to be found in the chapter.
Fraternity influence should restrain the student who is inclined to become wild, by associating him with steadier men; it should teach the book-worm that there are many things in the world more worthy of study than dry writings in dusty books
The first of these two may be as good heartud as the last, but either, if left alone, would grow up with a one-sided character. In the fraternity each profits by the good qualities of the other.
My ideal fraternity may never exist. Perhaps it is better that it should not. R.E. HENRY.
I have heard the argument advanced that men in the same frat become too clanish. May I not ask why should they not be "clannish.?" Would not the association which would come from fraternity intercourse be much closer than that which exists among classmates? Are they not brothers, and as brothers should they not be much together? I do not mean by this to approve of that spirit which says to all outside of the pale of the fraternity, "I am better than thou," but I do think that a certain amount of the so-called "clannishness" is necessary.
The chapters in the U. of K. do not entirely approach my ideal. They are in a certain sense mere political machines. Each is unwilling to recognize the worth of its rivals. They are not very particular as to their standard of membership; they are subject to petty jealousies and strife; they might be improved in many particulars; yet I see no reason for the cry: "It is more honorable to be a barbarian than a frat;" as it either comes from one who would not join or one who could not. In the first case there might be no reason for remaining a barb; in the second, I would say, "sour grapes."
Reads very musically indeed.
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