8
THE HESPERIAN
EXCHANGE BRIC-A-BRAC
Student Lift, for January, is an exceedingly tiresome sheet.
The January Sintpsonicn for solid literary merit compares
very favorably with any we have received.
The University Courier, formerly one of our brightest and
most enterprising exchanges, has sadly degenerated.
Wc must compliment the Cresttnt upon its neat appear
ance. Can't you put some backbone into your literary
matter?
The December number of the Washburn Arey indicates
that that paper possesses considerable of the right kind of en
terprise.
The IVesleyan speaks a good word for us. Thanks. Wc
are sorry wc cannot, at present, return the compliment, but
we will carefully watch lor an opportunity.
TttR Hesperian is reminded by an exchange editor that
it prints too much local matter. Dear sir with our compli
mentsthis publication is issued in the interest of the students
of the U. of N. Wc are always open to sincere criticism, but
you should know, without being reminded by us, that your
opinion of what interests you is a very small concern of ours.
The last OttiJent devotes a couple of pages to a thrilling
discussion of the question concerning whether Alexander the
Great was a Greek or a barbarian. Aside from several un
kind cuts which the author has dealt the King's English wc
find no special fault with the article itself. Hut to us it is
a sure indication of intellectual verdancy to sec a man ex
patiite on the glory and grandeur of ancient Greece and
Rome,
Candidly we must say that we were surprised to receive a
number of the Laserentum, which we can conscientiously com
pliment. Very little of the matter printed by any of our ex
changes is worth reading, but wc notice in the above men
tioned paper a very neat letter, supposed to have been writ
ten by a greenhorn. Some of its editorial paragraphs also
exhibited more than the ordinary amount of intelligence
shown by writers of college editorials.
There is a very cheeky and noisy little sheet printed clown
at Topeka. Only by courtesy can wc speak of it as a college
paper. We hare looked it through very carefully once or
twice we are sorry to say and do not blame the students of
Washburn College for refusing to support it. Nevertheless
it "yaups" away at the K. S. U. in its imbecile way, as
though it were enjoying life to the fullest extent. We sug
gest that it be choked off and sent home to its mamma.
It is a source of some pleasure to us to note that the Mes
sathorea for January is a little belter than usual. Hut there
is a certain flavor of mustiness about its literary articles that
pains us. We suggest that rericles be given a rest. The
article under the caption "The Raven" betrays an astonish
ing ignorance concerning that poem and its author. Send us
a self directed envelope and a stamp, and we'll get one of
our preps to mail you some reliable information about "The
Raven" and its place in literature.
The professors of the Kansas State Agricultural College arc
issuing a paper which they call the Industrialist. For just
what purpose they go to so much trouble is a conundrum.
It was always our belief that if profs wish to remain sur
rounded by a halo of respect and reverence in the minds of
students they had better not show what they can do in
the way of editing a college paper. Perhaps the Manhattan
students cannot get up a belter paper, but wc have some
curiosity to see them try; for the JnJus triatitt as now managed
is of no particular account to anybody. In other words,
while it is very good in its way, the way is an exceedingly
poor one.
An exchange fears that the spirit of criticism in colleges is
becoming a chronic disorder and will soon develop into com
plete pessimism. The questions most naturally arising from
such a statement are: Can we wonder at it? Do not the
visible fruits of our college life demand it? It is quite true
that college days are our happiest and best. Hut it is also
tree perhaps from that very fact that college woik is made
naaalural and artificial. A college man lives in the midst of
books and theories. His essays treat almost universally of
tfcisgs and aaen of a distant time and another life. His ora
tioac deal only with the "ifs" and "whens" of the dreamer's
fancies. He cannot be practical. When he graduates he
feels Bswch as Monte Cristo did when he exclaimed thai the
world was his. Two years later he has learned that he don't
know as much as a Freshman. The moral is, perhaps, that
we should beg'n work at the other end of the curriculum.
The Volatile for January is a genuine surprise. Hcing
of the west ourselves, wc take the greatest pleasure in com
plimenting this waif of the cow country upon its general ex
cellence. Dear girls, you of the Monthly wc mean although you
take exception to lcing paternally addressed, wc think that
wc know the reason why; when you arc older you will ap
preciate our reason, though wc do not print it here. Wc are
glad you have no 'bums." Wc arc also glad you feel no
sign of premature decay. Hut the latter feeling does not
necessarily appear as one of the symptoms of big-head. Wc
would like to !top here, but your vague ideas concerning the
relative site of your paper need bracing up. Any printer
will tell you that Thk Hesperian contains twice as much
reading matter each month, lacking only one column, as the
Monthly, This entirely ignores the question of quality, for
which you should be devoutly thankful. You should appre
ciate the gallantry of the chivalrous gentleman of the Rainbler.
If criticism were made to take place of the "twaddle" in his
own exchange column he might rise alwc the position of a
mere toady to a lot of tolerably bright girls.
The Ctmus calls us a chronic kicker and suggests that wc
leave out our "Direct Pointers." If wc possessed those im
material and ethereal attributes which characterize that sheet,
wc might listen to us suggestion. Hut, friend, being entirely
a creature ol this earth, and receiving to cents a line for
that matter, wc prefer to continue printing it, although we
will probably some day sec the mistake wc make in not act
ing upon your advice. Yes, wc are a kicker. Wc believe
that it is one of our first duties to kick, and contin ic kicking,
on such miserable little sheets as the one from Jamestown
College. Its editorial beard consists of eight men no, loys,
-and it is issued once a month. With all this opportunity to
make a good paper, its last number is ocr half reprint.
Not content with that it shoves in nearly two columns of the
rankest, rockiest ol all the rotten chestnuts now afloat. Now,
dear boys, wc arc wasting considerable space on you, but it is
from friendly motives. Don't say "kicker" to your letters
when you print so much rot yourscll. Hracc up and goto
woik, ana you may yet emerge irom your present insignm
cant position.
In the last University Review wc noticed a short defense of
the men who were executed in Chicago on the 1 1 th of No
vember. We cannot repress a word on the subject. It is
too common a thing nowadays to undertake a defense of men
who have died in a bad cause. The men referred to are
called reovlutionists and arc compared in a perfectly serious
way to Socrates of old and to John Brown. Wc believe this to
be a thoughtless comparison. Of course everybody knows of
the various social movements now in progress, and of the
very decided way in which they are leing favored by the
best thinkers of the age. But to our mind it is in the high
est degree absurd to think for a moment of classing the Chi
cago "anarchists" with social reformers. No man can do it
who knows anything of the evidence produced by the prose
cution at their trial. It is astonishing that men should rise
up to defend or justify such unblushing advocates of law
breaking, violence and murder. The first duty any man owes
to himself or to society is to he a law abiding citizen. It was
the boast of these worthless characters that they owed alleg
iance to no government or society. The truth is that they
did not, nor could not, represent the principles of social
reform let alone the cause of the laboring classes. All but
one were foreign born. They came to the only free land on
earth, and, just because they could do so unmolested, preached
the abolition of property rights, marriage laws and religious
beliefs. These institutions may not accord with an ideal
state of society, but violence is not necessary to reform and
improve them. The only principles which Spies and Parsons
did represent are those of ignorance, inebriety and profli
gacy. Their struggle was not to attain an4deal state of so
ciety; it was the contest of shiftless idleness and reckless
hoodiumism against law, older, industry and the restraints
that prevent liberty from meaning unbridled license. The
laws of the United States may not grant enough lilcrty to
American citizens, but, w ithout being at ?U conservative, wc
can conscientiously advise the blatant foreign "anarchists"
who can't be satisfied with them to go lo some place where
they can be content. In the future world in which they may
find themselves possibly it will not lie so easy to emigrate ai.
it is here.
r
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