KANSAS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
The University Courier.
Vol. II. SEPTEMBER 24,1883. No. 2.
THE FORTNIGHT.
The purpose of this department has been set forth, more or less fully, in our first issue. There is a certain pavement said to be composed of good intentions, and perhaps these are only destined to enlarge it, but the editor will earnestly endeavor that his own work and that of assistants shall be moved "by malice toward none, and charity for all." We shall say fearlessly what we honestly think, trying to do even-handed justice. We realize that the task is a hard one, but we will do our best and leave the result to the readers' judgment.
We do not believe politics to lie within the field of college journalism. At least college papers should not express editorial opinions on political subjects. If its literary contributors wish to write political articles, that is a different matter. It has been said that the young American is a born politician. But perhaps in no country are found so many politicians and so few statesmen, so many demagogues and so few real leaders as in America. We do not believe the average student has any business to form any more than the most general political opinions, or to attach himself to any party whatever,
Last winter various students were eager free-traders or warm protectionists, when they knew no more of the practical workings of either system than the man in the moon or the writer of this sentence. Theoretically free-trade seems best to us, but we shall hold our opinion in abeyance until we have opportunity to know something.
Fellow students, let us wait a little; let us get more experience before we form specific opinions on political subjects. Life is short enough; let us not worry whether Randall will be next speaker, or the Democrats elect the next president, or Hoadly beat Foraker on the home-stretch.
So the political student will be disappointed if he expected to find in these pages learned disquisitions on the state of the nation or acute prognostics on the coming elections.
We hope there will be less wrangling in the literary societies this year. We think we do injustice to none in saying that the fraternities are almost entirely responsible for this warfare. We are glad to find some "Greeks" have seen the damage to the society which this fighting will certainly entail, and laying aside fraternity jealousies are striving for the common good.