New-York tribune., 1873-12-15
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.

SCHOLARSHIP OF SECRET SOCIETY MEN.
THE SOCIETIES APPROVED BY COLLEGE FACULTIES
THEIR RECORD OF SCHOLARSHIP AT AMHENSI'
To the Editor OF The Tribune. .....
SIR: Although the controversy on secret
societies may have by this time died natural dea'n
there are some points which 10 me 10 have Deeh
overlooked.
remedy has been suggested for the so-called evs oi
tho secret society system which already IN oper
ton TO show this. let me give tho following extrhc'
from the laws Of Amherst College, Chapter To- sccio
TO- roads as iollows
No society," for literary or other PURPOSES shli1 10
formed or continued by he students Without tAc w
mission Of the faculty. shall any association TOT a'
purpose. be allowed, Whose plan, otgees; COURSE o. % P
ceedng, aud bylaws have not been suDmitt9d 10 az
approved by the faculty; nor snail any pedge toI ~
crecy obligation OF any description D9 per''mi m
TO interfere with the rgnt oI me Iae"Iy h n%'
times full knowledge OF the doings OF snch as,o,a ~
ons. No meeting society shaii DC nelu GUY oi h M
Coeqe bndings without special permission IRON ~;
faculty nor be continued beyond Tho n0urS ue'Iu..
by II the influence OF any society sSui ~ @ @
Injurious TO the morals Of the members, or ~ any re-
sreet dsOrdrly, II viii be the duy or VIC laCutS ~
withdraw the permission by which such society eA''s'
Similar sections may be found in the laws OF nearly al
colleges where secret societies exist and show that he
college faculty must give their assent to the plan on
which a secret society conducted and that they nave
the power, in 1t becomes necessary OF uisDihunS
any society whose influence proves perncious' from
ths your readers may easily sec that the college iacu
ties have the whole; control Of these; societies in Their
claim that any body OF men could judge better in
regard 10 their advantages or evils than col
leoe faculty which is in daily contact with the
men WHO compose them. Especially must this DE true
when 1t is borne In mind that nearly haf OF tho inem
bers of college faculties IL not larger proporuon' al
least in New. England were, in their college days. nem
rs of these organizations. When time has suieeu 10
diminish the prejudices Of their early days IN favor Oh
these societies. will any else claim that the men who
m our college offices could blind TO their own duty
and to the mental and moral improvement or the young
men under their charge as to permit either the torna
tion or continuance OF societies which their own eX-
perience and observation told them would inevitably
drag down and corrupt their membersf Shall we
infer that our college professors, whom We nave
been wont 10 know as noble and sef-sacrihcing
men, are knowingly conniving at the rum
of their students by allowing to exist whose
ultimate IL not immediate, tendency Is 10 corIupt a
debose their members Or is it not more reasonable to
suppose that hesemen, whose yes are gwen 70 eouc
tonal work ana ue study of educational queSt3n are
obt in fayorinp college societies. and that the
absurdy ridiculous statements made in regard to them
their limitations and Objects are the products Oh over
Rnt as The testimony Of some man Of distinction in re
gard to the secrecy Of college societies seems "Sre @
giving quote the following from the American Coz,
ieges and American Public" book on educational
questions by President Porter OF Yale C3leee, WHOSE
osition President OF college where the society sy
om is more extended and probably has as bad elements
nornfy To- Judge in regard to its value and where age
and experience lend 70 his opinion worth WHICH haruy
| any other educator can claim m r,p
rope and America Their existence some iora IS nees:s out
gro of huai nature In similar circumstances ardent and ambitions
{oas o % and Eerarv exercises The university cannot a
the culture this which required nor 1t could would be
either acceptable or as eeent as that wnh Is @ s I %
animated they must be win the pcuc sl
movement whether political literary these 9ssoloa shoa have
prominence and exercised powerful eiGang aueeel he
social tendencies Young would naturally lead TO associations for
os than % & y.;S siS6 6S gGS ei % nsgoH
well a. lsk e"sss 81 SSg ssc We
10 not propose to discuss the gehsaI question Of The
de.irbsns undesraben Of associations OF this sort II
deed to all to neei defense Justification Whether
n % ncyed nth faetitous sporance admit. Of more
question Tie OF and reserve is too stroag 10 human
Doubt hs Ip.,h sSeeve the possibility OF destroy
% Or 1o@ that coeSe officers not Only favor the conn.
uance such societies. but also assist at their forma-
tion during the past year is OF service. 1t
yention Of the leading societies OF the country,
states was present and personally urged the convention
charter to an association OF young men In his
ng would advance the interests OF the college so much
the establishment of this society there And 10 show
The position which these societies hold where they
established Will give You some hSures IN regard To
the prizes hOnors &e taken here during tae last year
ege in tins respect aud that as good # not better
showing in favor OF secret societies eSaa DC maze 0a
OF the college, issued In November, ls'2 CON
tanned the names OF s s1den S sscrot of w9om
zations while the remaining 142 or more than onehaf
were either members OF the antisecret society or or
none The number OF prizes given by the college was
4O number taken by secret society men, an element
comprising less than Oneha Of the college, was ST.
more tnan thrcefOurths OF the whole number given
The value Of all the prizes given was SILICA, OF which
secret society took $685. leaving $685. less than one
fifth OF the whole amount, for the element embracing
than half the college And II these are not enough
might cite the fact of the first Is honors given at
tho II were to secret society men;
that OF the Phi Beta Kappa last year. the highest
scholars in their class. eight secret society
that amherst Student and other college publications
have been founded supported and almost wholly edited
by the same element; that from this element
the orators poets Of the different classes
&C., &c. dd tnGnittn. L. NJ. n.
Amherst college, Dec. 8, 1873