THE: HESPERIAN
THE JJESPERJAK
The National Convention is an unusual
event. It amounts to an escape valve for
our ambitious political embryos. It will serve
both to gratify by success and to embitter by
defeat "Let him that standeth take heed
lest be fall."
ward the coming contest and the general in
terest evinced on the outcome. Last year
hardly a single debater favored oratory, this
year it is difficult to find a debater who does
not favor it.
We shall not only meet S. U. 1. on our own
grounds in base ball but also in tennis. Mr.
Burgertfs success in arranging a tennis meet
at about the same time as the ball game, is to
be commended. Nothing can be lost by giv
ing the game of tennis its fitting place in
athletics.
- in view of the fact that our contemporary
i i its advertisements in both the '9S Sombrero
and the last Y. M. C. A. handbook refers so
proudly to itself as the 'ray" the following is
s.ilf explanatory: "Hag, n. a slang term for
a common or low newspaper" Webster's
Encyclopedio Dictionary.
It is. determined tliat Iowa and Nebraska
will meet in joint debate. The acceptance of
our challenge, while not under the best con
ditions, is a matter of gratification. The fact
that the f. U. 1. Debating League turned the
debate over to their Law Society will justify
us in placing our part in the hands of one of
our clubs here. We will surety not be justi
fied in making it a University matter as
against a club. The debate should be assigned
to one ijfjour clubs under such limitations and
restrictions as are deemed proper. This
method would match club against club and
not the University against a single department
of S. U. I.
The article appearing in the ltu of last
week under the caption of "Plain Facts in
the Matter." which it is claimed had execu
tive inspiration, contained partial truths.
But the partial truths were told in such a
way as to make the article as a whole a gross
misrepresentation. The article begins by de
nying the rumors alloat," Before the writer
finishes he proves the very thing he started
out to deny. In the first place the Business
Manager of the Hesperian never 'concluded
that an injustice would be done etc." He did
however do that which he was in no sense
bound to do. that is, leave the matter in ques
tion to the discretion of tin executive. He
was in no way bound to do this as the Uni
versity had subscribed for a certain number
of papers. It was not an a dvcrtising con
tract. The Hesperian was not "employed"
as an advertising circular. It was never
even suggested that the Hesperian was to be
denied the dignit' of a college paper. It is
not altogether probable that it ever will be
denied this privilege. It i not much more
probable that an occasion for such denial will
ever present itself.
The talk that oratory is dead in the Univer
sity is a thing of the past. A hearty, healthy
interest in it is manifest. Moreover that in
terest is increasing in strength and intensity
each day. As a body, we have finally come
to realize that oratory is a very efficient aid
to debate and that grace in the art of speaking
is acquired rather in the delivery of a finished
oration, than in the clashing confusion of any
exciting debate. One indication of the revival
in oratory is the uniform friendly feeling to-
Charter Day is once more upon us. That
da-, dear to every University man's heart .
bringing with it the memories of well-nigh
forty years gone, is with us once again. The
natal-day of the University, the monument to
the wisdom of the fathers, the commemoration-day
of the Founders, it is at once the
holy-daj of the past and the hope-day of the
future. Gathered around it is a history as
interesting as that of our own Nebraska; in
deed, the founding, the growth, the expand
ing of the University but serves to typify the
evolution of state.
The unbroken prairies have become the fer
tile fields of the commonwealth: the unpopu
lated territory has become the state, teeming
with frugal and industrious people; the once
"barren expanse of waste has been converted
into the store-house of the nation.
Planted out upon the prairie, with scant
