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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 20, 1887)
yA!V;VfeT?g o THE HESPERIAN. t T H il :f iM I i :s ft F ( i I i brains. We do not mean to insinuate that cither of the newly nominated regents belongs to the last named class. One of them we know does not. The other we can find no fault with, for the simple reason that we never heard of him before the moment of his nomination and have so far been able to discover little about him. He may make a most excellent of ficer, we most sincerely hope he will; but the fact that the nomination was given him by a body of men not one-tenth of whom knew anything of him and for the simple and, to the politician, sufficient reason that he lived in a part of the stale to which but little sop in the shape of office had been given, leaves a large chance for the opposite result. We dislike to see any office of so much responsibility bestowed by chance, or, worse, by the scheming of ward politi cians. We were much interested in reading an account of a novel assembly 1 eld at Omaha lately. It was composed solely of those persons, almost entirely Germans, who had left Iowa on account of the pro hibitory stitutc. There were over a hundred of them and after making denunciatory speeches and passing resolutions, they raised 150 to fight the amendment in Iowa next campaign. One of the principal speak ers, a lormer German editor of Des Moines, stated th3t, "Prohibition isa humbug, denounced as such by the people who voted for it." After thus declaring its. inefficiency, he said, "Prohibition has ruined the industry and business of Iowa, has driven from the state thousands of business men, mechanics and saloon-keepers and finally has reduced wages." We extract from the resolutions, "ruined cities, towns and farms and robs the farmers of 3 to 5 cents a bushel for grain by closing breweries and distilleries." They extended sympathy to those still living under the "curse" and "pestilence of prohi bition." Both by their action in leaving the state and by their own words they acknowledge that Pro hibition is not a failure. It has both shut up brew cries, distilleries and saloons and made it a hard place to live for those who must guzzle beer. In the absence of knowledge to the contrary we will admit that the fanner does not recieve quite so much for his grain. But, on the other hand he needs not pay such high taxes for the support of paupers, for police, for criminal courts and penitentiaries and his whole some grain does not come back to him transfotmed into the damnable stuff which will rob him and his family of wealth, honor and happiness. The assembly had lots of pity for Iowa because she would have to get along without them and their money. From their fiery utterances Ave should judge they would make first-class anarchists when primed with a sufficient quantity of their favorite beverage. We would prefer to take Icnva without the drinkers and drink-sellers even if she had a small er population. Wealth rightly used is a benefit to a community but applied as these people would apply it, it is not. As we have heard nothing of Iowa's disorganizing or proposing to annex herself to Mis souri, we presume the grand old state is pursuing her usual progress and wouldn't have missed her erring children if thev hadn't made such a fuss about it. A PLEA FOR TIME. llccausc the majority of our students arc now working hard, it may be thought by many that the University is ac complishing all that is necessary. Wc think otherwise. It is recognicd by all who have thoughtfully considered the sub ject that the text book education received at college is far from exercising the greatest influence upon the aficr life of students. That education which comes from social meetings with his comrades, from work in societies both lit erary and religious, from athletic sports in short, from all that goes to make up the variegated web of student life, is a greater factor in deciding the course of life after graduation Class work only will not suffice to make men and women. Too much class work is a positive detriment to the highest education. Let us look at our own situation. We do not mean to say that our literary societies arc dead, or even not flourishing moderately, but we can say with truth that never since we have known the University has there been so little interest ta ken in the societies, so little rivalry between them. Those placed upon the programs claim with truth that they cannot do themselves justice because of the pressure of their other work. In athletics very little interest is taken because it is only those who arc willing to partially neglect their studies for the sake of sport that can take time c en for necessary ex ercise. Many arc unable to attend the Scientific and Classi cal clubs, both excellent things, liecause they occur on Sat urday, the only day on which it is possible to take exercise. And for the scientific students even this day, heretofore left to their own disposal, is laid ofl in laboratory woik. Each educational institution of prominence now supports a college papei, in wluch arc reflected its events and general progress and from which the reputation of the institution is to some extent produced. It has been almost impossible to gel any one to take hold of the paper which is supposed to represent the U. of X. Even after election it is exceedingly difficult to get any copy from them. All these things simply show that too much class work is required of our students. For all these shortcomings the universal excuse is "lack of time," and wc arc inclined to think that in this case it really means something. The required amount of work has been greatly increased in the last two years. One reason probably is that when less was required many elected additional work. Hut this is as it should be, for each student should, if he so wishes, have the opportunity to devote all his time to class work; but to require so much that it is impossible to attend to outside mat ters without neglecting other work is not just. We do- not wish to sec the high scholarship of the University lowered, but because our students faithfully try to do all that is re quired of thciu, they should notfbe imposed upon. Let us have some time to devote to these really important matters outside the college curriculum.
