THE HESPERIAN
9
m
low, Mr. Castor told of the "The ghost of
the Dodd farm. It was past twelve when
the last had gone, each wishing that all
examination weeks might end so pleasantly.
Those present were Misses O'Snllivan,
Shively, Wheeler, Shank, Dempster, Ander
son and Abbott. Messrs. Allen. McGuffev,
Searson, Williams, Castor, Cameron, Mc
Carthy and Barr.
To ifce Editor or UieHESPE&iAX:
Dear Sis: In an editorial in the last
issue of the Hesperian on the late election
of the oratorical association is a remark con
cerning the Y. M. C. A., which in justice to
that organization needs a word of explana
tion. The statement in question is: "The
attempted combine-compromise with the
Y. M. C. A. fell through as soon as the
Y. M. C. A. people saw that they were
being made a tool of."
The Yonng Men's Christian Association is
not and never was a political organization.
Its work is in a line far removed from Uni
versity politics. In the recent election it
had nothing whatever to do as an organiza
tion. The fact that six students, incident
ally members of the Y. M. C. A. desired a
compromise, scarcely makes ac organization
of over two hundred members a party to it,
especially when it is remembered that far
more than six members were radically
opposed to the compromise.
Again, the attempted compromise did not
fell throsgh as far as these six were con
cerced becaese the 1. M, C. A, people
saw that they were being made a tool of,"
bstt becsssse it was represented that the
Y. 34. C. A. was in some kind of political
deal. When this was discovered these six
members saw a higher dnty than they owed
to University politics and the compromise
was instantly abandoned.
I wish to farther state thai whatever use
may have been made sabaeqeently of the
proposcticm to compromise, the compromise!
was im4 originally suggested by the fraternity
people, bzt by a. barbarian who wishes to see
a more generous era in University politics.
W, T. Etseosar.
The city with strange walls and battle
ments that would never fall or surrender at
open assault and regular attack may never
theless be taken by intrigue and deceit.
The Greeks came bearing gifts to the
Trojans once npon a time, and "the gifts of
the Greeks have rightly been looked on
with suspicion from that day to this.
Democracy, in the University of Nebras
ka, has waged a long and bitter fight for
existence. The open literary societies have
fought earnestly and conscientiously to pre
serve within the community a place for the
common sons and daughters of common
people.
They have seen that in every university in
the country where the Greek letter frater
nities have been permitted membership the
societies have died, almost without excep
tion. And where they have not died, have
lived a living death. They have seen that
contact with the Greeks was not only con
tamination it was death. So the "anti-frat
amendment' has been an integral part of
society constitutions.
The Greeks have striven, and striven in
vain, to force our strongholds; they have
made repeated and desperate assaults all to
no purpose.
Now, repulsed but not dismayed, they
come with smiles on their faces and gifts in
their hands. Shall we accept them? Bar
barians beware the gifts of the Greeks! Be
ware Phi Beta Kappa!
Oar walls, never carried away, may yet
be undermined. Phi Beta Kappa will be an
easy stepping stone from barbarianism and
democracy to fratemityism and aristocracy.
It is nothing more. It is not an honor.
It is not a proof of scholarship, it is simply
the proof of a pn!L" It is an aristocracy
build op on the sympathies and prejudices of
a few members of the faculty.
It will demoralize student work, by driv
ing students to seek work under Phi Beta
Kappa professors at the expense of their own
best interests.
The Phi Beta Kappa fraternity is a frater
nity. Their gifts are Greek gifts. No man
can serve God and mammon. The frater
nity amendment, if not a dead letter, will be
promptly applied. H, E. Newbkastch.
