THE HESPERIAN STUDENT.
h i
THE HESPERIAN STUDENT
Published semi-monthly by thu students of the
Nebraska State University.
MONDAY, MAY IS, 1882.
EDITORS IN CHIEF,
0. U. Davis. N. Z. Snei.i..
Local Kuitoh, Ci.km Chase.
A880CIATK Editor Will 0. Junks.
BUSINESS M AN All Ell, H. F. MaUSHAU..
TE11M8 OP SUUSCIlll'TlON.
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Editor Hesperian Student, State University.
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Editorial
On behalf of those who visited Crete
from the University, we return to the
students of Doane thanks for the many
preparations that were made for our
pleasure and comfort. No kinder treat
ment could have been wished. The cold
weather, it is true, prevented the carrying
out of many things, yet the intention was
there the means had been provided.
The Student is not at all satificd with the
result of the contest, hut for the students
of Doane College, their hospitality,
thoughtfulness and generosity, it has only
respect and good will.
The Student is afraid many of the
University students were not aware of
how gum chewing looked in an opera
house. It would not raise auy class of
students in our estimation if at a public
entertainment in Lincoln they should all
make that delightful jaw music caused
by chetving gum. Put others in the same
position you were in last Friday night at
Crete, and then imagine how it would
look. We have no desire to do more than
call the attention of the students to this
matter, as their own judgement will tel
them if, at the late contest, they did the
proper thing.
Unfoiitunately some of the greatest
evils of American politics are fostered at
college. Students who are trying to lit
thomsolves for the duties and responsibil
ities of citizenship should aim at some
thing higher titan mere skill in wiro-pul-ling
and bull-dozing. Yet how often do
we have a society election, or eyon a busi
ness meeting of any consequence, at
which these arts are not practiced ? It is
perfectly proi.er for any one to use all
honorable means, such as arguments or
persuasion, to secure the passage of a
measure or the election of a candidate.
But all underhanded schemes such as
threats, misrepresentations, unfair rulings
and challenging votes upon mere techni.
cal grounds should be beneath the dignity
of the students.
The literary society at the college farm
has decided to give an exhibition two
weeks from next Wednesday night. This
will be the first entertainment of the kind
ever undertaken by the farm boys. This
year, as during previous years, the' have
had a well organized society, meeting
every Saturday night, and doing good
work. Rut heretofore they have never
seen lit to let the public kuow what they
were capable of doing. Now that they
have decided to have an exhibition, the
Student takes pleasure in announcing
the same. In the coming years there is
no reason why this should not be one of
the constant features of Commencement
week. As it lies wholly within the power
of the farm society to make it such we
have no doubt that it will hereafter rank
along witli the other society exhibitions.
It again becomes the painful duty ot
the Student to allude to a habit which
some of our hitherto respectable students
arc acquiring. In an institution for
higher education honor should be held
high. Whatever other vices we may
have, we should not be lacking in per
sonal integrity. If for any reason one
does not feel prepared to pass an honest
examination in a study, the honorable
path to pursue is the right one. Better
a thousand times to endure the disgrace
of failure than the questionable honor of
passing (?) by means of organized deceit.
We learn that in a recent examination
concealed books and prepared notes were
used by several members of the class. This
is not only dishonor but cowardice, ana
should be frowned upon by every res
pectable student. If the professors would
show greater vigilance and the students
strive t raise the moral tone of the insti
tution, we believe this evil might be
averted.
Ik a stranger should find himself in a
knot of students, their conversation would
be about equally Intelligible with so much
Chinese. Vague allusions to events, past,
present and future, which have no earthly
interest to anyone except the initiated are
the rule. College expressions are so
numerous that we can almost say that the
students have a dialect of their own.
Law and medicine havo their distinct
nomenclatures, why not we Tj,ore is no
objection at all. But what do we think
of the lawyer or physician who constantly
makes use of technical expressions neen.
liar to his particular profession, but I
Greek to those "outside the pale?" The
sensible man shrugs his shoulders and
sets the otFender down ns a pedant or a
fool. Now, although among themselves
students are at perfect liberty to converse
after their own fashion, would it not ho
more in accordance with true politeness,
when comparative strangers arc among
them, to use the vernacular common to
all English speaking people?
To say that the students of Doane Col
lege and of the University are indignant
over the indecision manifested by the
judges chosen to decide upon the respec
tive merits of thu participants in the late
contest, would be superfluous. We were
very happy to be informed that the pro
ductions were "excellent; " but, as Lieut.
Webster said, "we knew that before," and
to be paternally patted upon the head and
told to "try again, children, it will do you
good," was not the object of our visit to
Crete. It !s all very well in theory to say
that literary productions should bo ineas
ured by the amount of the actual benefit
derived, but such is not the sole object
aimed at in these contests Why not tell
us that the student should burn his pro
ductions as soon ns written, because the
applause of an audience is a false stim
ulus ? Students no less than men engaged
in practical life want something dellnite,
tangible, tc show for their efforts. We
think we but echo the sentiments of the
students of the University when we say
that an advcise decision would have been
preferable to such ambiguity as charac
terized the verdict rendered.
We notice that the Journal was so well
pleased with the debate of Messrs. Yates
and Stephens that it made editorial men
tion of the same. It is gratifying to stu
dents to know that their efforts are appre
ciated. While we too "pronounce the
arguments of both gentlemen very ad
mirable and exhaustive exponents of the
issue, better upon the whole than have
been made on the stump by regular pol
iticians of the state," still the Student
was surprised to hear Mr. Stephens make
so many slighting remarks concerning his
opponent's argument. He indulged in too
much brow-boating. Some of this may be
overlooked, but when he openly and
explicitly accused Mr. Yates of plagarism
at best, he carried matters loo far. No
doubt It was for effect upon the decision
of the judges, as he afterwards went t
Mr. Yates and apologized for using such
language. He tried to ingiatiate himself
again Into the good graces of the one
whom he had wronged and still keep the
audience under the impression that his
opponunt was a thief. It ia the humble
opinion of this paper that the man who
would do tliis lacks some of the elements
of a true gentleman. In justice to Mr