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HESPERIAN STUDENT,
I'UM.LSllKI) MONTHLY 1JYTHK
HESPERIAN STUDENT PUBLISH.
ING ASSOCIATION
OK TIIK
XEUKASKA UNIVERSITY'.
EltTOU-tX-CHlKt 0. E. HOWARD.
ASSOCIATE, - FaNKIK MliTCALK.
Local, W. L. Swket.
J. M. Iuwin, Business Manager.
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Subscriptions collected invariably In advance.
Advertisements collected monthly.
STUDENT AND POLITICS.
There is no topic fraught with more in
tcrest to the man of letters, ami to the stu
dent, than the politics of the da'. At
least no subject ought to demand graver
thought and more earnest study.
The signs of the times indicate that we
are on the eve of a great revolution in the
principles, the motives and maxims which
heretofore have controlled political par
ties, and in the whole modus operandi of
the political campaign, from the caucus
to the ballot box. Nay, the epoch has al
ready begun a marked change, in many
respects, is already apparent.
During the long, bitter slavery contest
and the bloody struggle in which it cul
minated, the issues were sharply defined.
Contending passions benevolence and
hatred, pure patriotism and bitter preju
dice, raged in the Nation's breast. Men,
without thought, were forced, or eagerly
chose, to take a radical stand upon one
side or the other of the all-absorbing
question. Passion and sensation tired the
hearts of all, marked out the boundaries
of pai ties, and fixed the main planks in
their platforms. Measures for the gener
al promotion of the interests of commerce
and trade, and more especially problems
which involved the moral and educational
prosperity of the Nation, were neglected
for issues which, though binding the par
ties strongly together for the time, requir
cd far less wisdom and sound statesman
ship in determining. The issues upon
which parties readily divided, and the
platforms upon which thoy stood firmly
in times of passion and war, like the old
Federal Constitution, were not strong
enough for times of tranquility and peace.
The scholar played a minor part in the
sensational polities of those days. Now
the problems which every intelligent vo
tcr is required to solve, are more abstruse.
Instead of dividing upon the question of
a gigantic national evil, as one party so
considered, or a divino right of chattel
property, authorized by Scripture, as con
sidored by the other, voters and law-makers
must now consider a more perplexing
questionthe best methods of educating,
civilizing, and making respectable citi
zens of four millions of ignorant human
beings turned suddenly loose upon society
with a weapon in their hands more dan
gerous with such a class, than the " curs
ed Malay Creese" the ballot.
Questions of finance which require the
profoundest human wisdom and experi
ence to comprehend and properly answer,
must be met, where a grave blunder
would bankrupt a nation and starve thou
sands. Besides these, great moral and educa
tional issues are rising up before us
through the rifting clouds of a near fu
ture. The practicability of Compulsory
Education to lessen the crime, ignorance,
and wretchedness, now prevailing to an
appalling extent, must soon be decided.
The birth of the "New Temperance
Party" aub the out-break of the " Wo
man's Whiskey War," are the monitory
gusts, the pent-up rumblings of an ap
proaching tempert which will not subside
in a day. These arc but temporary out
breaks, the side fissures in the laboring
volcano, which herald the long and over
whelming Irruption.
Alcohol, that Goron-visagcd and insa
tiable Dragon, which, with sovereign
mien and breath af pestilence, has so long
infested our beloved land undisputed by
politician or part, like the Lcrnian Ser
pent, will soon find his Hercules the in
telligent freeman's ballot.
"Into serpent, of old, crept the author or 111,
But the arch-llond dwells now In the worm of
the still."
The ballot is undoubtedly the only en
glne which can overthrow the distillery
and the dram-shop.
These are a few of the questions which
men (and, we trust, women too) will soon
have to decide in the political arena. Is
not the task imgosing? Can it be
done without thought, culture and great
wisdom ? As the issues take more of a
moral cast, became more abstract In prin
ciple, and require more prescience ami
acumen to see the path which leads to the
happiest results, there is more need of
educated men in the political field.
We, therefore, conclude that the student
should make politics, in all its legitimate
channels, a subject of earnest study while
in college. If we desire a pure politics,
and intelligent, honest politicians, wc
must have educated men at the head of
every political movement the scholar
must work in the primary and the con
ventlon. The student should study for it
as a noble profession, if he thinks to en
ter. He need not stoop to its low trickery
and cunning to be successful; he must
raise it to his own level. He need not be
soiled from contact with tricksters and
demagogues; ho must expose and displace
them. lie need not be poisoned by the
noxious atmosphere; lie must be the
quick-linie to purify it.
The condition of our politics, It Is pain
fully true, is revolting and disgusting to
the cultured mind. The means, the tone
of the arguments used to attain ends most
sacred and important to thp welfare of the
country, aio such as ho is ashamed to em
ploy. The consequence is that men Of
culture are loth to enter a field so cor
rupt. This is wrong. There is no grand
er fiold of labor than the political. No
theme inspires to nobler deeds of benevo
lence and usefulness. The politician has
a most sacred work to do. The happiness
of nations depends upon his heart and
brain. If evil men have made politics a
scone of avarice and intrigue, is there not
moro need of honest men ?
Hero then is the scholar's duty. Here Is
his mission, But he must not enter with
the intention of catering to the will of
demagogues. He must enter firm in the
resolve to renovate the parly, and main
tain the great principles It professes to en
dorse, but which are too frequently for
gotten in the strife forolllce and the greed
for personal gain. He must never relax
In his work though evil men apply the
scourge of parly fealty to terrify him from
the post of duty. The scholar should be
found in the ranks of intelligent bolters.
This, then, is the idea we wish to ad-
vancc: Ought not special instruction, in
all our higher institutions of learning, be
given to students who contemplate enter
ing the political field, in every department
of knowledge which will fit them for this
profession ?
Not merely instruction in the elements
of Civil Government, and Political Econ
omy, but in the special duties and quali
fications required of an honest politician?
Ought not special pains be taken to
show students the Importance and gran
deur of a politician's work, and in how
great a degree the happiness and material
prosperity of the coining generation de
pends upon his action j?
Ought not the profession to be elevated
and represented In its true light, rather
than scoll'ed at by professors as low and
debasing, or never mentioned at all V
Let scholars be sent forth into the polit
ical field and we may hope to see our
country honored among nations in all the
majesty of sound wisdom, liberty and
prosperity.
L2t every young man who steps from
the college halls into the political arena,
remember that the hope of his country
rests upon the prerogative of individual
responsibility and thought.
"God speed tho day I
Fraud science elull unbounded run
Extensive as yon circling sun."
ATHLETIC SPORTS.
There is no doubt in the mind of any.
ono regarding the beneficial effects of a
certain amount of active out-door exer
cise. The student, with his mind and soul in
tent upon the bust improvement of his
mind while in school, is apt to forget that
the body, as well as the mind, Is devel
oped and strengthened by use and oxer
else; that a mind distorted, over-stuffed,
over-worked, over-cultivated, in everv
way disproportionate to a feeble and puny
body is apt to prove too strong a captive
for the fragile bonds which secure it to
its frail prison-house, and is liable to de
sert and leave its unworthy tenement un
occupied. We have a few examples in our Univer
sity of students, who would make more
real progress, and leave its hulls better
equiptod for active life, If they would
spend a part of each day or week regu
larly, in somo active oven violent athletic
exercise. Tin time spent in the gynina
slum room, at a game of cricket, baso ball,
wicket or foot-ball, if moderation Is ob
served, so far from being lost is a great
saving. It is a keen mental appetizer,
and gives zest and relish to study. Man
ly strength is a matter, even in the nine
teontli century, not to be disregarded.
Evon of itself it will command respect
and admiration; butwncn combined with
a corresponding intellectual strength It
commands more than admiration it In.
splros awe and obedience. The man of
great brain and excessively active mind,
but of efiemlnite body, may inspire a ccr
tain degree of respect, rather wonder for
his talent, but It is that kind of admirr-.
Hon the world bestows upon a monstrosi
ty, a pigmy, or a pet to be fondled and
caressed, but at heart pitied and despised.
This reminds us that our gymnasium
rooms are of little value unless fitted
with appliances for use. It would eosi
but little to place them in a condition
such that cacli student could spMid an
hour each day in systematic training.
The benefits would warrant the necessary
expense. Besides having a beneficial of
feet upon tho recitations in the class room,
many an hour, spent by students now In
the billiard saloon and other resorts of
more questionable character, would be
passed here.
Wc earnestly hope the matter will re
ceivc some attention. We apprehend,
however, that we ourselves are to blame
that It has not been done before this.
For a set of students with less energy
and enterpiso In this direction, we verily
believe was never before collected togeth
er tlic) must have been culled, or, like
drones, driven out of every active neigh
borhood in tlte state. The Sophs and
Preps do occaslonally.about once a month,
take a spurt and muster up enough ener
gy to attempt a game( ?) of base ball. But
they make a sickly " stagger" at It. They
get most beautifully beaten, in every at
tempt, by the High School urchins, or any
other set of school boys who will deign
to let themselves bo amused! But hv
" most unkindesi cut" is, that they call
themselves the " University Nine." We
arc really ashamed of them. We hope, if
they persist in representing the Universi
ty, they will wake up and play like men
who mean to win. The University has
material for the best club in the state, if
properly worked up.
We believe in doing with the might
whatever the hand finds to do.
HAVE OHARITY(V)
This is one of the virtues which we are
commanded to be very particular about
exercising by word, thought and deed.
Wc have been placed in circumstances
recently, however, which severely tried
our othodox and puritanical notions in
this respect. We saw an opportunity for
generously unloosing our purse strings
which we neglected, and under circum
stances which have made us a little skep
tical as to the observance of this maxim
as an unvarying rule; for which gross
Infidelity may Heaven forgive us!
While hurrying along O street, one day
last week, intent upon some stern busi
ness care, suddenly all tho tenderest sym
pathies of our humane nature were arous
ed Into keenest action the cords of our
being vibrated with terndercst sensibility.
We saw a one-legged soldier dressed in
ills battle-stained regimentals of cerulian
hue, ( which he had bought for $-1.50 at a
second hand shoddy clothier's,) playing
upon a hand organ, in pensive and martyr-like
air, "Just bolero tho battle moth
er," while from his classic, heroic feature-,
beamed an expression of meekness and
resignation. Our manly bosom was the
turbulent battle field of contending enio
tions. In our quickened imagination we
heard tho horrid rattle of tho musketry,
and the ominous sing of the deadly
" niinnie," on tho sanguine field of Shi
loh tho blood-stained heroes and tho
ghastly dead of Gettysburg tho sicken
ing carnage of tho Wlldorncss, and the
loathsome charnol houso of Andorsonvlllc
filled with the starving and tho dead i
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