Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1882)
THE HESPERIAN STUDENT, ncntof the right or the wrong side of a question, and a man with such a power can no more help wielding u mighty in tlucnco than ho can help breathing if he would live Mighty deeds and good ones live long after one is dead, books, whi'thor of truth or Action aro as immortal as the languages in which they aro written, but nothing, to us, is quite so thrilling, so soul.stirring as eloquent speech. True one only one great generous deed can stand so boldly out on the pago of history as to be a perfect beacon light to a selllsh groveling world, and a book or poem can bo strown broad-cast over the world, in every country and language and union g all peoples and with its earnest woids or stimulating, rouse up the dor mant consciences and faculties which men have almost ceased to believe arc here jjt all. And yet the human tongue witli tliu varying tones of tho human' voice, is more effective than them all. Men arc moved by impressivo speech as in no other way. Tho destinies of nations even may hang upon the eloquence of an hour. The lives of men every day depend upon tho power of speech and alas then for the stammering tongue, the befogged ideas and hesitant fitful language Sim plicity and earnestness and truth aro nee cssary prerequisites to effective speech "Eschew line words as would rouge," says an English writer; " love simple ones, as you would native roses on your cheeks." So we send our greeting and good wishes to this new debate as wo do to all projects to further effective speech and eloquent address amongst us. We can remember, and it is not so long ago either, when the classes for tho .June exhibitions were determined as tho ofll cers of 'ho society were and are. The faction of tho society which chanced to have tho controlling power secured the exhibition committee, as it was, we think, called, whoso business it was to select tho class for tho society. Members were chosen for important places who were so fortunate as to belong to tho party in power; members of tho committee not un frequently put themselves on, and this came at last to be an understood thing that the President should appoint a com tnitlo with so little modesty as to choose themselves to represent tho society at its annual exhibition. It thus sometimes came about that those on tho Juno pro gramme were tliero not because they were selected by tho society as the most com potent to represent it, but becauso thoy hnd had sufficient assurance, being mem bers of the committee in charge of all arrangements, to elect themselves, and by skillful maneuvering to secure Iho adoption of tho desired report by tho society, if indeed, this farcical formality was necessary. The absurdities of such a system aro apparent and tho evils under favorable circumstances may becomo great. If tho Prcsidont is on the side of tho majority and appoints a committee from the same side, still thoy ought not to have undisputed authority. And if the President chooses to repudiate his own party and toady, for any reason, to the opposing faction, or if ho perchance belongs to tho minority in tho first place, and so gives the committee cntiroly to them, it is plain that tho society will not probably bo fairly represented. Eycn if the report of tho committee hos to be adopted before it is worth anything, still tho difficulty is not by any means entirely done away with. Tho point which wo aro trying to get at is that theso exhibitions should come directly under tho control ol tho society in every particular. There is too much of the "&poils system" in this committee business anyhow. Under tho old regime we recall now a story which was told on one of these "exhibition com mittees" to tho effect that after the com mitlco had met, chosen tho class and arranged tho programme, decided upon the stylo, cost, and so forth, one member suggested that the names of tho com mitlco bo printed on the back ol the pro grammes, when lo and behold every mem ber of tho committee was also a member of tho class for tho exhibition! And as tho chairman pertinently remarket ho could see no necessity for printing their names on botli sides of the pro gramme I n't The Student has not unfrenuentlv given place in these editorial columns and elsewhere to earnest protests against fur ther curtailing our library privileges and also to requests equally earnest that theso privileges of tho library be increased and that more time bo allowed students in the library room, and even that they should bo permitted to tako out more than ono book at a time. In tho opinion of tho Student tho library should bo open din ing tho mornings as woll as afternoons, and all day on Saturday. Tho books In tho University .library arc purchased for the use of the students at least that is the common supposition and tho students in order to have tho full benefit of them must have access to tho room oftenor and longer than from two to flvo afternoons in the week. Wo know that this is an old theme and the fact that tho students feel that thoy aro not being fairly treated in this matter is shown by tho frequent allu aions which liavo been mado to the sub loct from time to time in tho college paper. Tho public library is open trom two to ten r.M. daily and many of tho students go there becauso our own room is not accessible. Yetwhilo wo can mako tho city library do duty very often instead of the University library, still there aro somo books wanting in tho former which are found in tho latter. Tho University library contains many books of reference which arc not to bo found elsewhere and to which students ought to have free access. Attention to the whole matter of the library was called by tho communication of the Librarian to the Regents in which, according to the Journal report, Prof. Howard thinks that too many have access to the room and that tho books ought to bo better protected which means prob ably that the books had better bo kept carefully upon the shelves and preparatory students and all others who fail to handle the volumes as thev would eggs, be greatly restricted in their library privileges. O courso the books will wear out, but if meanwhile more or less of tho wit and wisdom they contain find lodgment in tho craniums of a larger or smaller number of students, the end for which those books were purchased will, in the opinion of the Student, have been accomplished. The books which wear out can bo replaced and those stud-cuts whoso educations at the University aro rounded and polished by means of their free uso of a larger library than was over open to them before arc not going to begrudge to tho students who come after them the money necessary to replace tho books injured in thoir col lego course. And, it must bo remembered, those wlio aro our students hero to-day arc tho tax.paycrs, voters and legislators of to-morrow, and tho future interests of. our institution aro largely under the control of its present pupils interests to bo kindly fostered by them or ruthlessly over looked as their present experiences shall mould and detormino their actions toward their alma mater. Tho rule of taking only ono book at a time is far from accom plishing tho object for which, in our opin ion, it must have been made. It may bo that only a short chapter or paragraph or single sontenco is wanted by a student from cacli of two, three, or a half dozen works yet if he cannot find tho references needed, while U tho library or for some reason cannot remain there long enough and would like to tako them all homo with him for a few hours or over ono night or two possibly, there is that old rule learned by heart ere this to tho effect that ho can tako home only cue book at a time. Then supposing ho does want only ono ho may want it longer than two weeks and it is begging the question to talk of the injustice of ono student keeping a book longer than two weeks, for wo have not unfrequontly wanted a book longer than two weeks and brought it back when tho time was up only under protest, and to see it stand untouched on tho shelf 'till wo took it out again! Giyo us liberty t then, in our library and reading-room and all freedom not inconsistent with order and harmony.
