BKS23
THE HESPERIAN
one of their own? Why did they not keep
alive the one they already had organized?
When their own offspring lay dying from
"neglect and non-attendance it was their
boast that they did their literary work in the
chapter honscs. They did not need the old
style literary. Their literary programs were
far superior to onrs. W-as that purely
mythical manufactured to -deceive candi
dates "to be taken in?" Then sir, they have
sot a single plausible argument today that
they brought forward ten years ago to prove
the advantages of fraternities over open
literary societies. They Wore 'dealing in
prophecy then. They are confronted with
facts today. They come cringing to us now
in the hypocritical garb of religion and
the organization which they for fifteen long
years sought to -destroy. Oh, yes, we can
forgive them, certainly, bnt if we should have
a finger cot off by a bnzz saw we would be
fools to thrust the whole hand in.
If these anti-fraternity amendments should
ever be repealed 1 wish these -predictions to
be recalled: "First, the so-called barbarians,
whoarenowadvoeating thisstep and prating
about their loyalty, will take a Greek: degree
before they talce a University degree.
Second, the future historians of literary
societies of the University will begin with
the repeal of these amendments to write
their "Decline and Fall.1"
v Mr. Editor, 1 -cannot close this already
long letter without congratulating the bar
barian -element in the University that The
H"EtirEEiJfLN has again Conned its war paint
and is after the -enemies of democracy and
open literary societies in the University. It
'is a -question that Nerperionoe has demon
strated needs handling without gloves.
Apathy, silence, indifference, are stlhe hot
bod of fraternityisrn. It was (these -conditions
that made possible that -disgraceful
manifesto -d uriug the joint program of the
societies last June, when a i rat -egotist an the
guise of a barbarian, -denounced in blatant
tones a barbarian who -dared to -express his
honeBt convictions upou this -question. 'Free,
'open and (thorough discussion tis the sole safe
guard of the open ftltorury societies of ihe
liforiversity tas well uis otf -democracy an the
republic. O. M. &imm&.
The Nebraska literary Magazine.
1 am told that friends and scrap-books of
contributors to the JPebrmJra Literary Maga
swmj are already supplied with suitable clip
pings. What is wanted now, my informant
says, is something censorious, and not an
addition to the list of grateful and comfort
ing notices. Bnt censure in. this instance
must surely be exhibited homceopathically.
There is no occasion for heroic measures.
For the writers it produces, writers like
Octave Thanet, Mr. Garland, Mr. Howells,
Eugene Field and James Whitcomb Riley,
the poverty of the midland in periodicals is
phenomenal. We have almost nothing with
high ideals except the 2eoZ, and this is
limited in scope. Consequently, any attempt
toward occupying the field is sure to be
welcomed and should be. One cannot pre
dict the future of lie modest beginnings
made in different places. One thing is
certain, there is room here. If the new
monthlies and quarterlies we now inspect
with curiosity are none of them to abide, at
least they will do the pioneering.
One of the boldest of these ventures is the
English Club's quarterly. It is is not a care
less experiment of good times, bntthecircum
stances of its origin and continuance have
been such that anything short of success
would liave been fatal. The want and the
ability to supply it are sufficiently shown in
the shifting of talk from mere survival to
standards. But even survival will sometime
-depend on standards.
Of course all agree tliat an effort and a
vigorous one should be tmade toward
improvement There are no advocates of
inferiority in the abstract. In particular
instances timre always are. Not many
editors have tt3ie courage to decline an ariieY
by the man of "wide reputation within nar
row limits."''' There are great men who can
not write, and some men who aim not great
but are thought so share the same character
istic. The IWwflt, American Review in its
decadence will demonstrate thiis to the doubt
ing. INames will sell a nmnW or two but