THE HESPERIAN STUDENT.
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tween him and mankind, which alone can make life
happy and worth living.- If each one could only re
alize what poison he is drinking in when he allows
himself to become a victim to such influences, sooner
would he cut off his hand than receive it.
Tte Student rises to remark that it is strange
that from one to two years are required by the regents
to fill any vacancy occurring in the college faculty.
In this scientific age a University without a depart
ment of natural sciences is like a presentation of
Hamlet without the leading character. Yet it is
true that this departmen has been practically a cipher
during the present year. It is a fine sarcasm on stu
dents, university, and people to present diplomas
and confer degrees to graduates from the scientific
course who have done nothing but text book work
and very little of that in the class of studies that
should be the backbone of their education and then
to cap the climax by withdrawing all instruction in
the natural sciences during the two principle terms of
the year. It is very remarkable if there is no one to
be had who can take even temporary charge of the
classes now unprovided for. Some one is certainly
to blame and whether the responsibility rests with the
faculty or the regents, it is high time something was
done. Diplomas given under such conditions convey
an idea which is known to be false and the result is
detrimental not only to the students of the present,
but even mor j so to the reputation of the University.
The English opposition has lost its best chance to
overturn Mr. Gladstone's government. General
Gordon's safe arrival in the Soudan has saved the
administration for the present though the tendencies
of the times are against it. England is forced by
public opinion and consistancy alike to resume the
offensive in Africa. .Without discussing the abstract
merits of the case, it is safe to say that if England in
tended any action it should have taken place several
weeks sooner. The unnecessary death of hundreds of
' men rests now upon the English government, and a
mere technicality of official recognition is the one poor
excuse it has to offer. As finally aroused, however,
the outcome of its policy seems likely to be only good.
Much to the surprise of the conservatives General
Gordon has recognized El Mahdi as Sultan of the
Soudanese and his further action is to replace the op
pressive Egyptian rulers with native offiicers. With
the comparative freedom of the Soudan will probably
' come the subjection of Egypt, at least for a time, to
English regency, and probably no better thing could
happen to that distracted country. A thoroughly
ignorant people is not fitted for free government, and
such the Egyptian people certainly is. While it may
be difficult to trace England's right in her assump
tion of authority there, it cannot be doubted that the
best interests of all nations demanded that some
power should interfere, while England's matured mil
itary policy seemed to point out the duty as hers.
The Student is neither an organ ol the fraterni
ties nor of those opposed to them- An editorial
which appeared in our last issue however has caused
some discontent among the frats, and the following
reply has been handed us. We will try in future to
avoid the subject as far as possible.
The University is at present torn and rent over thu
awful, all-important question of Greek Letter Soci
eties. Whether the strife will reach the proportions
of the French Revolution or not is a question.
Robespieries are certainly not wanting as leaders.
The earnestness with which the question is discussed
would imply at least that something terrible is going
to happen. Owing to my short-sightedness I fail to
see exactly what. As far as I can determine, th e
pui poses of these societies are harmless; they have no
malicious end in view, but are simply social clubs,
It seems foolish that the peace of the University
should be disturbed by such trivial things. If some
students are afraid these societies will be the cause of
contention, let them be the more careful of stirring it
up. Students ought to have a little broader stand
point, than to let such petty considerations as the
rivalry of societies have any weight. The best way
is to quietly let them alone. Whether or not it
would have been best to have kept them out is not
the question now. They are here, and it only re
mains to make the best of it. It seems positively
ludicrous that so much excitement should be created
over such small matters; we ought to remember that
we are not children, but young men and women. If
these societies attempt anything in opposition to the
interests of the University they will kill themselves,
and if they do not there is no reason for attacking
them. It takes two parties to quarrel, and if the out
siders do not oppose them there will be no trouble.
The improvements in methods of study in the
University during the last two years is very noticeable.
Where text-book work was tht rule, it is now the ex
ception. Many of the students now do not feel sat
isfied with their preparation of a subject until they
have read every thing 1 elating to it which our limited
library contains, and this brings us to our text.
Not all of our students desire, or are fitted, to spec
ialize the subjects of history and literature; yet ou
library seems to have been selected with these two
studies almost exclusively in view. A proportion of
seven alcoves, two of them double, of history and five
devoted to literature, to two scantily fi'led with books
i elating to all the sciences and mathematics does not
offer fair advantages to students who wish to have a
thorough knowledge of science or any one of the sci
ences. Of books on astronomy we have not half a
dozen. A few stray volumns from the works of
Darwin, Huxley and Tyndall, giving a fragmentary
idea of each without a complete set of any, comnrise
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