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THE HESPERIAN.
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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.
