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UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA.
Vol XXVI
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, DECEMBER 24. 1S90
The Hesperian,
Tho scrap precipitated by the proposed
changes in the Hesperian constitution
now seems to be in a fair way of settle
ment. The main features of the new
plan have mot little if any opposition.
They were submitted to such men as
Prof. Caldwell and Will Owen Jones and
approved by them. They certainly go a
long way toward correcting certain dis
advantages under which the paper has
labored. But although the main outline
of the plan proved acceptable, one or two
details met no little opposition. Ai.d
this opposition took the position that the
provisions of the old constitution had
not been complied with and consequent
ly the new constitution entire good
features and bad was illegally adopted.
It was argued that the proposed
amendments were not "posted" and
nerofore could not be adopted. It is
mio that tho nmoiulmonts had not been
j)osted in the usual manner, i. e. thev
not been stuck up on the bulletin
Jard. But they had in effect been posted
ecauso the main features had been pnb
hed as widely at least as thev would
; been had the amendments been
Jlnp in the hall. When the ques
ame up ln tho lneeting p
a" man explained that the officers of
lm r,)Ui0n llnd no C(W e old
nst tut10n and had not learned its ex-
h m iN,S1nS in time t0 Ply with
oCole whdays' H M that since
ZVr beon
snoh n , .. Now who is to decide
h qnit,onf except tho meeting oall-
No lg,
edto act upon the proposed amendments?
It would seem that a majority of such a
ineeting must be competent to pass on
such a question. And if the meeting is
unanimously of this opinion as was the
meeting last Friday that the constitu
tion has been complied with, what more
can be asked? The opposition itself act
ed on this view when it submitted this
same question to the meeting last Mon
day and was defeated. Nor can anyone
charge that the officers, were guilty of
sharp practice in hurrying the matter
through. The plan was submitted to
some twenty representative society mem
bers and made public through them. It
came up at a meeting Friday, was dis
cussed in detail and laid over until Sat
urday. Meantime the societies met and
discussed it and one of them passed reso
lutions instructing its members how to
voto. If all did not know the details tho
fault was their own. They knew thai;
important changes were pending and they
knew the time and place of meeting.
But there are two provisions in tho
new constitution whose legality is more
doubtful. They had not been published
till Friday. They were inserted
by tho committee informally appointed
to draft tho constitution. And these
aroused the most opposition, more on ac
count of their nature than because of the
manner in which they were proposed.
All concerned are ready to admit that a
bad blunder was made in forcing these
through and those most intimately con
cerned stand ready to do what they can"
to correct the wrong At the request of
these the new managing editor will call
a meeting on Jan. 5, at which the ques
tion of the legality of the whole proceod
ure will be considered and the objection
able clause will probably be modified or
withdrawn.
M
