2
THE HESPERIAN
gates from several colleges or universities
meet in convention and so far forget them
selves or rather their position, for they do
not forget themselves as to stamp their
feet, clap their hands, wave their arms, and
howl their howls,' until they ignore dignity,
lose sight of their honor, and disgust the
visiting public when they do this, we say
they forfeit all claim to respect and to any
responsible positions they hold. Unless an
association representing dignified institutions
act in at least a fairly dignified manner, such
an association should not exist. We would
not for a moment advocate withdrawal from
the oratorical association if something could
be done that would do away with sncl hot
fighting which always results in ill will.
We believe this could be remedied by
amending the constitution. Force each local
association to settle evcrj local difficulty in
its own association, and if it did not appear
before the state convention with a clean set
of papers, deny the institution admittance to
the state convention. Do this and all petty
difficulties always springing up in the state
convention will disappear: the business of
the convention will be done speedily and
creditably; that fellow feeling will become
a social and an intellectual one and will not
fail to accomplish the end desired in the cre
ation of the oratorical association.
Since the bill appropriating seven thous
and five hundred dollars to send the ca
dets to the World's Fair has been shelved,
it is evident that those who get there will
have to get themselves there. While the
Hesi'krias has no plan that will get every
one there, it suggests that by the following
plan those who choose to become members
of the Batallion may at least go cheaply and
enjoy the show. Let the cadets organize
two or three companies for the express pur
pose of going to the fair. Tents could
easily be secured, and this is what is most
needed. One of the greatest sources of ex
pense will be that of lodging. By this plan
this expense would be entirely avoided. The
fellows would be with their friends and the
pleasure of good fellowship would supple
mont the pleasure derived from the fair. It
is evident that the man who visits the fair
alone will enjoy it far less than he who visits
it in company with his friends. While
many who are now members of the Batallion
would not be able to attend even if this plan
were adopted, yet undoubtedly many, not at
present members, would join in order to en
joy the advantages offered by such a plan.
In order to accommodate those whose mili
tary training has been neglected, the stand
ard for admission to this world's-fair bat
allion should not be too high. It should be
organized, not as an end in itself, but as a
means to an end, and that end should be to
see the fair. Whether this plan be thought
worthy of adoption or not, it is submitted
for consideration.
"We have met the enemy and they are
ours." At last the abiding faith of a few
of us has been realized. The University has
won an oratorical contest. Many a time
have we entered contests with spirits buoyed
up by the belief amounting almost to cer
tainty, that we were leading the procession
in thought and composition, and as often
have we returned with the sad consciousness
that in delivery we had given eclat to the
procession by bringing up the rear. The
disapprobation with which our style of do
livery was regarded had the effect of regu
larly and systematically relegating us to sec
ond place. But "it is a long lane that has
no turning;" the gentlemen who acted as
judges in the last contest recognized the fact
that the sum total of good. delivery does not
consist in a series of athletic, acrobatic, or
Delsartean feats. As a result of this change
of sentiment on the part of the judges, the
University orator will represent Nebraska in
the Interstate contest. Here, it lis believed,
the conversational style will be well received.
At any rate, after winning two contests with
it, our orator proposes "to stick to it for
better or for worse. ' '
