The University Courier.
Vol. II. MARCH 13, 1884 No. 13.
THE FORTNIGHT.
The political student has been in his glory for the past week, discussing the chances of the rival candidates, and making his little bets on the result. But at last the excitement is over and not yet will Oread society see her critic with jubilation take his way to the National capital. Visits to the various polling places showed that quite a number of students voted, and many more took great interest in the election. What impressed us most, however, was to see the excellent business manager of our monthly E. C. dangle his Jovian legs from a pine table at the polls, and industriously check off the names on his little list. Then to see him say to the Funston myrmidons about, "Go to! one John Smith has not voted; go ye, and bring him unto the box that he may drop his little slip of paper for Fog-horn Funston." And they went and did as he bade them until every citizen of color in the third ward had performed the duty of a freeman.
At night the scribe wandered forth with sundry Democrats who, foolish in their generation, had staked sums of gold and silver on six hundred majority. And they werewoe-begone,andtheGazetteofficewas like unto a funeral;butin theofficeof
Thacher there was rejoicing and laughter. At midnight the scribe, having seen his fill of political sights, did return homeward laughing in his soul at the saying of the business manager of this great religious semimonthly. For he desired Funston to be elected, but by a very small majority, because he is, in truth, a protectionist, while the B. M. is a mighty and valiant freetrader.
If the persons who are howling about "combinations" and "trades" in the Oread would cease that sort of business themselves, the occasion of their woe would soon vanish. Combinations are a bad thing for a society, beyond a doubt, but when affairs come to such a pass that members must sit back and see the best man beaten because he does not belong to the ruling faction, then the time has come to match combination against faction, to set plan against scheme, and see who can work the best. There is an old adage that says, "You must fight the devil with fire." Combinations may be for good purposes. When the fire of combination is brought against the devil of faction, we think the former far preferable. A victorious combination