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About The Hesperian / (Lincoln, Neb.) 1885-1899 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 20, 1895)
The Hesperian. 'UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA. Vol. XXV. LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, DEC. 20, 1895. No. 7. 'The Hesperian. 'ssucitfficnii'inontlily by the Hrsi-krian Association df tbc'Univcr slty of Nebraska. TERMS 01' SUBSCRIPTION. One-copy, per college year (in advance) ... $1.0(1 Une copy, o.ic semester - .CO ADVERTISING RATKK ON APPLICATION. ALUMNI AND KX-STUDKNTS. Special endeavor will bo made to make Tub Hkspkrian Inter estlng to former studonts. Please send us your subscriptions. aT3"Subscrlptionson our books will be continued until ordered stopped. Address all communications to Tiik Hespf.kian, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska. BOARD OF EDITORS. 0. H. ALLEN ASSOCl ATES II. E. NEWBRANCH, P. H. THOMSON IDA W. HEISE CLINT M. BARR J. N. SHREVE C. E.MATSON -LULU W. BURROWS JOE BOOMER - L, J. ABBOTT, ., I NED: C. ABBOTT ( Editor-in-Chiei' Editorial LlTERAKY 'LITEKaHV Athletic ' - - Local 'Local 'Local Alumni Business Managers. EDITORIAL. Tmk Monitor indulged in its last ihsuo in a 'final despairing yawp against tho "degen erate and decadent" literary societies. "This last tirade is only in accord with the 'boliof which has marked its briuf and painful oxiataneo "Nothing good can come out of tho literary societies." They are bohind the times, they aro fit only for lower classmen; they accomplish nothing and attempt nothing; their career is drawing to a closo, all this quoth tho pes simistic sago of the Monitor. All this talk is arrant nonsense tho veriest drivol. The litorary societies aro now in the boBt state of their existence and promise to become still bettor. In point of their membership, enthusiasm and loyalty, as to their belief in their own aim and policy, there can be no question. Bnt, the Monitor says, they accomplish nothing. Their lit terary work is inane, embryonic, unsatis factory. Granted, we are not finished writers or orators or olocutionists. If we wore, there would be no need for literary societies. It is true, we are in an embryonic staejo, and our work, to the cold, critical eye of the genius of the Monitor may appear inane, but we are growing. We are developing. The poor essayist of one year, under the guidance of the societies, becomes the popu lar writer of the next. The awkward, stam mering youth who tries to speak as a fresh man and fails, gains through practice, suc ceeds through failure, and as a senior is an easy, graceful, fluent talker. And it has boon a noticable fact that tho Monitor itself has supplied its really bright and interesting litorary columns from tho pons of literary society members almost exclusively. The writers and the speakers of tho University, as Thk Hksi'BIcian has said, will bo found in the litorary societies. The society member ship, all told, is less than two hundred not twenty per cent of the students. Yet this twenty per cent contains at least ninety per cent of the literary and orntoricrl ability df tho University. Why? Because they have developed raw material. They have fol lowed the rule that "practice makes perfect." They have kept plodding steadily along, and the result is seen in tho work they do. No, no, oh ostoomod pessimist, tho so cieties aro not "dying." They aro not out of date. On tho contrary, they aro very much alive, and right up -with tho times. Ohauncoy Dopow says that tho groat fail-
