THE HESPERIAN.
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the evil-doers in the lower classes, the respectable people of
New Orleans have, by their lawless act, placed themselves
on the same level witli those evil-doers; indeed, they have
been relegated to the place of the accused with the mafia as
the accuses in a case that will in importance quite eclipse
the earlier one. With such a case as the above in view, one
may well exclaim, how important, even necessary, that every
community in the United States keep its judicial power and
machinery pure and clean! How indispensable that with the
well nigh sacred jury there be no tampering Tampering
with the jury is tampering with the life of a nation. Noll,
ing can in so short a time bring about such disastrous
results to the republic.
EXCHANGE.
The Niagara Index comes to our table laden down with
its customary conceit. Some departments of this paper aic
fairly well conducted, but if all the vanity, bigotiy and con
ceit were evaporated from the brains of the exchange editor
there would not remain sufficient gray matter to conduct a
pop corn stand. lie poses as a critic of papers that arc
infinitely superior to the sheet with which he is connected,
and from which his continued vituperation and fault-finding
detracts very materially. Hut let us dimiw Mm for lie must
be sufieringfrom chronic dyspepsia, or from the sweet dis
tilled liquors advertised in his journal. We beg the pardon
of our reputable exchanges for noticing at so much length any
thing so little, for really the complaints of the Index exchange
man are nothing but the whines and snarls of an insignificant
cur.
The article on fraternities, written by Mr. Watkins, of this
city, that appeared in the editorial columns of Tlir. IIespkr
ian not long since, seems to have aroused the ire of the
editor of the sEgis. The sEgis is the representative paper
from the university of Wisconsin. Since the article above
mentioned referred to the university of Wisconsin and its lit
erary societies and debating clubs, the editor attempts to
show that such societies and clubs are grand and glorious
things. In this we agree with him, but we also agree with
the writer of the "frat" article when he says that the debat
ing clubs arc not what they once were. Where literary soci
eties and debating clubs exist together it is almost invariably
the case that the debating clubs are turned into play houses
and recreation halls. In the old times only debatinc club5
were held and the members went there for business, not for
wrestling, boxing, jumping on chairs and tables, and per
forming all sorts of gymnastic feats. They received benefits
that lasted them a lifetime. This is one reason why we find
so many forcible characters in our earlier history. To-day
both literary societies and debating clubs exist in nearly all
our institutions of learning. The benefits to be derived
should be in proportion to the facilities for bestowing them.
Arc they? We could not do away with the literary society,
nor should we dispense with the debating club. We should
revive the former glory of the latter and make the debating
club interesting and more, profitable to all.
The Gates Index has a good deal to say about the state
oratorical contest. In lact it says too much. It gives itself
away. It declares that a combine was formed in which the
U. of N. took the lead. It says, "We were not surprised at
the part played by the U. of N. for they have the reputation
of taking everything they can get, whether it belongs to them
or not." It is one of the laws of nature that one should look
out for one's self first, but let us see whether or not what we
got belonged to us, There were five delegations in the con-1
vention and four out of the five were willing to give us what
we asked for. Why should it be moie outrageous for us to
from a combine, if such you call it, than lor the Gates dele
gation to try to form one? The only difference in that case
would be, one would be successful and the other would not
be "in it." Again the Index says, "A few remarks dropped
by the state university delegates at the reception revealed
the plan, and one of our boys immediately started to Crete to
sec if Doanc could be persuaded to do the square thing."
What was the square thing? Simply that Donne should join
Gates and Wcslcyan and give Ncligh the presidency or if it
couldn't get that, the next best thing, the secretaryship. It
appears to us as though it makes all the difference in the
world on which side of the bread is the butter. We arc sorry
the Gates man did not reach Crete until alter the delegates
left for Lincoln. You should have "cot wind" of the com
bine before it was formed and then formed yours. The
Index is mistaken when it says, "The U. of N., Cotncr, and
Doanc had combined to give both state and inter-state sec
retaryships to the U. of N." The state association has .no
authority or power to bestow the inter-state secretaryship on
any one. It can merely endorse a certain candidate and this
person must be voted on in the inter-state convention by
every delegation present. This does not prevent any other
candidate's name from coming up to be voted on in the con
vention. As far as precedent is concerned Gates cannot
claim the presidency on that ground. If she will go back a
few years in the history of the association she will find that
the first precedent established was that the college entertain
ing the contest did not have the presidency. How can the
real history.cstablish a precedent any more than the earlier,
especially since the association is only a few years old.
The Index further states, "No one was at the depot from
the entertaining school except two members of the state uni
versity reception committee." This was no fault of ours.
We tried to learn the exact time that the Ncligh representa
tion would arrive but were unable to do so. We did not know
whether it would arrive the day before the contest and hence
did not go to the depot in force. We are sorry that we could
not meet them in royal style with the band, university yell,
and all soils ol accompaniments. Let us know when you
arc ccming next time and we will assemble en masse at the
depot.
ATHLETICS,
If there is any one in the university that has any sugges
tions to make in regard to athletics in any of its various
phases or departments we would be very glad to give him a
hearing. This department was not opened lor the benefit of
the athletic editor (if it was may none of our friends be bene
fited in the same way) but it was opened for the benefit of
all those interested in physical exercise and athletic contests.
Let us have your opinion on all subjects pertaining to this
department so that the matter contained herein will voice the
sentiments of every lover of out-door sports.
As Mr. Peters has quit school for this year Mr. Marlcy
has been appointed to fill his place on the base ball com
mittee. We hope the committee will see to it that the best
players arc finally selected to make up the team. So soon as
a man outside the team shows himself to be a better player
than some one in the team a change should immediately
take place. The first question a candidate should be asked
is, "Can you play ball?" The next question should be,
"Can you control your temper?" The candidate should
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