THE HESPERIAN STUDENT.
boundaries of parties, mid fixed llio main
planks in their platforms. Now the prob
lems which every intelligent voter is re
quired to solve are more abstract. Instead
of dividing upon the question of a gigan
tic national evil, as one party so consid
crcd, or a divine right of chattel properly
authorized by Scripture, as considered by
the oilier, voters and law-makers must now
consider more perplexing questions : The
best methods of educating, civilizing, and
milking respectable citizens of four mil.
lions of ignorant human beings, turned
suddenly loose upon society ; how to allay
tin1 race hatred existing In the south, and
prevent internecine butchery; how to
manage the great financial questions
whether "contraction," or "inflation"
will best subserve the Interests of the
community, or whether either will in
volve the East or the "West in commercial
ruin. Resides these, great moral and ed
ucational issues are rising up before us
through the rifting clouds of a near future.
The practicability of "compulsory educa
lion '' to lessen the crime, ignorance and
wretchedness now prevailing to an apall
ing extent, must soon bo decided. The
conflict between Americanism and Papacy
over the body of our free school system
has already begun, but the coming genera,
lion must sustain the heal of the battle,
and win tins victory, for the ictory must
be won.
These are only a few of the questions
which men and, wo hope, women too will
soon have to decide in the political arena.
Is not the the task imposing? Here, then,
is the scholar's duty. Here is his mission.
Let the student study for the political life
as a noble profession. Let our institutions
of learning, instead of ousting a slur upon
this calling, take special pu'us to show
students the grandeur of the politician's
work. Hut let not the scholar enter with
the intention of catering to the will of
demagogues, lie mint enter, linn in the
resolve to renovate parly, and maintain
the great principles it professes to endorse,
but which are too froouentlv forirolten in
the strife for olllcc and greed for personal
gain It will require a great deal of moral
courage to resist the "sacred sanctity of
the caucus," and violate the holy " prerog
alive of precedence." You must some
times be found in the ranks of the do
hpiscd " bolters." Let scholars be sent
forth into the political field, and we may
hope to see our country honored among
nations in all the majesty of sound wis
dom, liberty and prosperity. Let every
htu'ent who steps from these halls remem
ber that the hope of his country rests upon
the prerogative of individual responsibili
ty and thought. . E. H.
CLASS AND CAMPUS.
Why is the campus so utterly deserted
and lonely these days ? For weeks scarce
ly a shout has disturbed its solitude.
What has become of the ball-club that
promised such great things at tho bogin
ningof the term! Na3 our physical en
ergy been entirely exhausted in so short a
time? The young men of our university,
wo crily believe, cannot bo excelled any
where, for the most apathetic, listless, un
ambitious set of buman beings in regard
to athletic sports, that were ever assembled
together. And now we have realized tho
maximum of sloth and absolute laziness.;
Tho ball-club, although at one time giving
promise of future prowess and glory on
the diamond, has prematurely subsided
is deserted, tho Indian clubs, boxing
gloves, and foils have been laid on the
shelf, and everything betokens a lack of
life and vitality. Is thcro not enough am
bition and animal life left in our breasts,
to shake off this lethargy?
It Is all very well for you, my dear en
thuslast to grow eloquent over tho grand
triumph of mind over matter; to rhap
sodize about tho subtle, spiritual pleasures
of unearthing Grccit and Latin roots, and
tho internal satisfaction of devouring
"unleavened, square-cornered science."
These arc all very well excellent. Hut
you cannot afford, even for these, to pass
through your college days, without expo,
rlenclng tho grand delights, and heart
thrilling sensations of tho sternly contest
ed field. Tho physical training, and the
blessing of health preserved, though re
wards amply sullliclent for the lime ex
ponded, are not the only advantages which
athletic sports afford. Ono has lost irre
trievably the most potent formative influ
ence to slinpc and develop his character,
who has never experienced Ihe various
ardent emotions awakened by the heat of
school-day contest. He bos neither felt
tho exultation of victory, nor learned how
to bear It nobly. He has not experienced
the glow and joy of personal triumph, nor
learned how to yield the palm gracefully
to a successful rival. Ho knows not what
it is to bo a leader and possess the homage
of his fellows for his nobility and daring.
Will tho cultivation of these propensities
of human nature bo of no value in the
real strife of the future? These lessons
arc open, palpable, tangible, and appeal to
the heart as well as the understanding.
Life is made up of triumphs and failures,
strife and commotion, leading and follow
ing, losing and winning. 'Hannibal learn
ed in his youth to obey and to command;
All these lessons cannot be learned and re-'
alized in tho class room. '
Ple'ise accept a word or two of gratui
tous advice : Read " Tom Rrown's School
Days," written by ono Thomas Hughes,
and you will profit by Ihe experience of
of his hero. If he who bears oft" the hon
ors and (lie crown, at the head of bis
class, on graduation day, bo worthy of ad
miration, much more worthy of praise
and emulation, frequently, is tho "Old
Brooke" or "Tom Rrown," who has
gained the lovo and reverence of his lei
lows for magnanimous deeds and gallant
leadership on the Held of sport. For, not
unfrequenlly, ho bus done far more to de
velop true and manly principles in the
hearts of his associates, than tho "class
prodigy," or even the learned professor in
his chair.
Let us have an awakening. If baseball-
has become monotonous or out of
season, let us have foot-ball, cricket or
some other vigorous substitute.
Eccentricity is many a young person's
bane. Thcro arc several kinds of eccen
tricity. Ono peculiar to many great minds
of tho Diogenes stamp, exemplified in
modern times, in tho " white hat" of the
Philosopher of Chapauquu; another of
tho Byron type, which makes a man of
giant intellect lapse into maundering ec
stasies over an ape or a, cat. Any such od
dity or peculiarity is a pitiable weakness,
a sad flaw iu tho beauty and grandeur of
a noble character. Yot tho world pets and
caresses thcBc abnormal traits, and foibles,
and thousands try to ghlii'n cheap roputa
Mon fin L'cnius. bvinfltatiiiff.Oiem.' Hut
-- "- O v-,i
comes odious and disgusting in a pigmy.
Thcro Is still another kind of eccentricity
partaking of the nature of affectation, pe
culiar to minds in the " sup and tho bud."
(It is remarkable that many minds re.
tain their sappy condition until chrono
logically mature.) Lend us an ear r
a moment, while wo glvo the diagnosis of
a case or two, from which you may bo able
to elicit a wholesome regimen for future
observance.
When you see a fellow mule or female
making himself conspicuous for ellus
ivo nicety and painful accuracy, when lie
prances up to you with a profusion of gy
rations and lisps, uses Urst-oluM "gram
mar," (wo bate "first-class grammar,"
when a fellow continually obtrudes it in
your face) and hesitates and corrects him
self, and emphasizes and underscores his
"proper" syntactical constructions, until
you feel as though you were toeing a
precipice, and dare not stir for fear of
tumbling into some etymological vortex,
nor open your lips, lest you should violate
Webster, while spectral Kirkhums and
Pinncos dance fantastically before your
horrified vision when you observe a chap,
in his store clothes, thus trying to make
you think him tho crcmo do hi crone of
" tony " par excellence, spot him, ho has the
complaint bad. Ten chances to ono the
"upper class man," before whom ho has
been showing himself off, will wink,
when his back is turned, and classify him
for a " new arrival," from this true indue-ion.
When you sec a susceptible youth none
but susceptible youths do it continually
forcing himself into the presence of the
young .ladies, .and incessantly o.inilliug
melting and tender glances he never
takes his eves off them for a f-inirle
moment and agreeing with them iu
everything, and refusing to lay claim to
his own identity, without their permission,
who never uses a square-cornered or man
ly expression, but aflects admiring " gen
tility" on all occasions, in short, who per
petrates every act of attention and polite
ness iu a sentimental and elaborate
style peculiar to himself put, him
down, he lias the disease. (As
far as our rigid accticism has allowed us
to observe, a truly refined lady likes a lit
tle manly " roughness " and independence
ocen ionnlly.) When you notice a young
lady who abhors "Americanisms" and
never indulges in anything natural and
unrestrained, and is in continual dread
lest she, or you, or somebody else, will vi
olate etiquette, (which she i3 sure to make
you feel, and of courso you feel pleasant)
and who lives in continual strife between
allegiance to the cramped, puritanical no
tions of the proprieties inculcated by nar
row parental bias, and an excessive exub
erance of ingenous spirits bestowed by
nature, pity her, for she has tho symptoms.
Theso examples will, perhaps, suffice to
illustrate our idea. If you would shun
every phase of this fatal complaint, bo
careful not to overleap yourself. A lack of
polish or agrccablcness, diffidence, is a
negatlvo fauli, but an excess ot politeness,
Affectation, is positive, and is not cosily
forgotten nor forgiven.
NOTES ON EXCHANGES.
into hibernal torpidity. Tho gymnasium1! what limy be easily excused 1u a giant be
es Introduce us intimately into the college
life of tho sixty or seventy schools they
represent. Ono feels almost as If ho had
a personal interest in each of them.
Willi tho Olio, however, avo would do.
nounco tho uucourtcous and splenetic
stylo of criticism adopted by many of tho
exchange reviewers. Don't imitate fourth
rate political papers in tills respect. It
will bo noticed, that thoso who resort to
this unmanly expedient, are thoso who
can attract notice in no other way, or arc
capable of no higher typo of wit. A crit
icism may bo pungent, oven acrid, with
out being abusive, or exhaling tho foul
breath of tho bar-room jester.
Did you ever hear a bumpkin attempt
his first speech on debate? You noticed'
that he Invariably pleaded his own want
of "sand," on tho ground that his op
ponent had produced nothing worth his
attention.
Now hero comes the University Ihille
lin as tho first example of this pitiable
class. Hear it: "Reviewing exchanges
is. at best, dry work, and it seems to have
become so thoroughly a part of college
journalism that it would bo olmost im-
possible to rid ourselves of it; but when
we have nothing to review, then indeed it
is doubly dry and irksome." Poor thing !
you should not luvsc donccd tho toga dr
ill of a full fledged college journal so
sooh. Return to your maternal pap, for a
brief respite, wo entreat you. Your di
gestlvo apparatus is not yet strong enough
for the substantial of "dry" college jourl
nalism.
Tn the Union Col. Mag., wo have come
very near realizing our model of a college'
magazine. Tho June issue is specially
good. It oilers the Studknt a cdmpli-1
menl, -which conies in guise so enigmati
cal, that we have been sorety puzzled to
cor.struo it satisfactorily. It runs thus:
"Wo agrco with the Targinn in awarding'
tho Hksi'kuiax Sttoknt praise for variety
and holiness." On tho whole,' pard, wo'
thank you for tho compliment. Thriugh'
never having professed the. blessing of
"Perfect Love," still, to be candid, wo do
lhttcr ourselves for something of a com
pendium of tho moralities and Christian
beatitudes.
We would mildly suggest to the High
School tho propriety of changing tho cap
tion of its news column. "Educational
News" is decidedly a misnomer, in the
ordinary uso of the term. If, however,
the editor means to designate by this term
tho novel and fictitious character of his fe
vered flights of imagination, it is not so
bad. Hero is a specimen of its style:
Tho Nebraska State University opened
for the winter term on tho (5th of Septem
ber. The attendance was very light.
The Omaha public schools opened on
the Oth Inst., and at tho next succeeding
meeting of the Hoard a request was hand
ed in by the superintendent asking more
seats and more room for the increased
number of scholars.
What a startling antithesis between the
fat and plethoric condition of the Omaha
high school, and the emaciated
corpus of tho University! The
antithesis between this "news" and tho
truth, however, is still more apparent.
Tho University opened on tho ninth of
September, with more studonts in atten
dance than were over registered for nn en
tire year sinco its organization. One hun
dred and fifty are now In attendance, and
I others entering every da'. This shows
We approach tho pleasant feature of edi
torial work tho perusal and review of
exenuuges. buhiu .. uw Uii inorensn in remilnr nttnnrinnr.n Af fir,.,
offer some choice morsel of news, wit, or t . . . . ,, , .
mm owuiu i,iiv.yu v , per cent, over that of any previous ;ternv
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