THE HESPERIAN.
though this would be a very satisfactory way ol dividing the
day of twenty-four hours: into three periods of eight horns
each, one for work, one for sleep, and one for recreation. If
all the workingmen would be ucnciittcd by this it would cer
tainly be a good plan; In our opinion it will only clTcct n
portion of them. It will aid coal miners, and we think they
need the change more than the men that work at any other
trade. The life of a miner is at best short. If the number
of woiking hours were less the men could be above ground
more, and this would perhaps, prolong their lives and make
their business more profitable. As far as the other indusuics
arc concerned, nearly all will, probably, be benefitted with
the exception of forminc. Here, seems to us, to be an in
justice. The farmer has been in the habit of working from
ten to fourteen hours a day. He has to make up time lost on
account of storms or some other unavoidable cause. In
winter he does not have to work so many hours each day,
but the inclement weather is about as wearing on him as the
long days work in summer. After he has gathered his crops,
what has he? If his crop consists of corn and wheat it has
cost him, according to investigations, at the rate of twenty
or.e cents per bushel for corn and fifty cents per bushel foi
wheat to raise it and get it ready for market. Of late years
this cost exceeds the market price that is obtained for the
grain. Why docs this state af affairs exist? It has been
argued that the farmer himself is partly to blame because he
still persists in raising corn and wheat when the country is
already flooded with these cereals. They say the faimer
should change his crop, that there arc other things he might
raise that would be more profitable than corn or wheat. The
country is not flooded with these products. There arc people
in different parts oi the country who arc starving for want of
the corn that farmers in other parts of the country burn. The
reason is that the faimer is unable to transport his corn to
those who are" in need only at a great sacrifice to himsclt.
No matter whether the crop is corn or wheat or anything else
the labor in producing it will be the same. How, then, can
the farmers, composing as they do about one-half of the
working class, afford to labor only eight hours a day, wlien
they have to mortgage their farms to get money to support
themselves, working as they now do twelve hours a day? It
is certainly an injustice to grant a boon to one half the lab
oring men and deny it to the other half. It is the object of
every labor agitator to obtain equal rights for all hard-working
men. It seems to us that if this eight hour system be-
comes universal the discord will be increased and in the end
the difficulties will Jc harder to overcome.
MISCELLANY.
The change in commencement programs is an assured
fact. The seniors have secured P. S. Hcnson, L. L. D., of
Chicago to deliver the commencement oration. Dr. Henson
has long been connected with the work of the Chautauqua
circles, is an eloquent and witty speaker, and has attained
great eminence in educational affairs. This is a great
improvement upon the plan of having orations by the mem
bers of the graduating class; all who attend the commence
ment exercises may feel sure of hearing an interesting and in
structive discourse by a man of recognized ability. The Uni
versity of Nebraska is not far behind other educational insti
tutions of high rank in abolishing the high school system of
graduation. A man should show the world what he has
gained from his collegefflifc by what he does after he leaves
college and not attempt to render a balance-sheet in a fifteen
minute oration.
The fai-incis' alliance will appear next fall as a factor In
politics. The farmers of this and neighboring states, have
at least become aroused, and realize that officials who spend
one-half of their time procuring government positions for
ward politicians, and the other half In efforts to secure per
sonal popularity and obtain a mortgage on a second term are
not suitable statesmen to take charge of the Interests of the
people. We, of the university, who look upon liberal educa
tion as the ultimate cure for nearly all of the social evils of
the age, welcome with pleasure, the advent of this powerful
educator. At their meetings the farmers discuss new meth
ods of farming, and derive great benefit from Intercourse with
men possessing a wide knowledge of agriculture. The al
liance claims to be non-partisan, but it is not. Us party will
be that of reform, bound to no one ol the old parties it will be
master of all. If it compels existing parties to place in nom
ination men who arc capable and honest it will ijain a great
victory, but there is another point to consider. Honesty is
not the only essential for state and federal offices; their inter
ests must be identical with those of the people. Monopolists
and heads of gieat corporations arc honest, and when they
arc given power they arc true, in the use of it, to the interests
of those with whom they are identified in business. The
alliance will be, worse than a failure if it does not keep itself
free from the dictation df demagogues. The other extreme
is also dangerous; a party controlled by an irresponsible, un
intelligent majority is a source of danger to the state. Intel
ligent, successful men, whose interests are identical with
those of the farmers are the men who should rule; they have
shown by individual success that they arc qualified to under
take large enterprises. The alliance need not be in poli
tics" but it must be ready to go in at any time. This is its
political mission.
'The library is open every day for two hours for consulta
tion, and certain classes arc allowed to take books for use at
their rooms." The above is quoted from the university cata
logue for 1873-4. What splendid library facilities we had in
those times, 'two hours' every day for consultation of library
books. At present the library is open eight hours each day
except Saturday when it is open four. This is no doubt a
vast improvement upon the old system and shows great ad
vancement, but we made this advance so long ago that it is
almost forgotten. Let us take another step forward.
The library is the general laboratary for all university
students, especially for the students in the college of litera
ture, and it should be managed with the ultimate object of
giving to each student the best facilities possible for consult
ing the books pertaining to his individual iVork. The greater
part of a student's work in books is done in the evening. In
order that we may obtain the best use of our library it is
necessary that there be an assistant librarian, and that the
library be open from 8 o'clock in the morning until half past
ten or eleven at night. By adopting such a plan as this it
would be possible for any student to go to the library for the
purpose of reading references and be sure of securing the
books desired: no reference books need be allowed to leave
the library; everyone could do the parallel reading in the
reading room. When a large class is referred to four or five
books for the principal part of their work it is manifestly un
just to allow one person to monopolize one of those books
from five o'clock in the afternoon until nme the next morn
ing. He can use the book but once during that time and
may be entirely through with it in an hour or two. If all
such reading were done in the library each book might be
use 1 by several students. We sec no va'id objections to
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