The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-10-29
COLLEGE FRANKS"

lie llillc has CtIile Wutu tuOsC 1utcleot- |
ed in,wbat is termed "higher education," |
especially the trustees and faculties of our |
colleges and universities, should bestr |
themselves and take thought of something |
besides the mere teaching of the studies laid |
down IN the curriculum. We know not
whether in this aspiration to secure a
"higher education" for the young men
committed to their charge, they have lost
sight of all else, but certain it is college
students in manners and morals are fast 60
ing from bad TO worse. What the cause
thereof may be we cannot tell Treating
young men as boys,as was the case in times
past, has given way to recognition of the
fact that they have ceased to be boys, but
this recognition and corresponding treat
ment has not developed manly self re-
spect On the part of the students. Instead
Of being boys and indulging in "tricks" and
"pranks," after the manner of boys, tricks
and pranks without particle of malice in
them, they have passed in rapid strides to
| lawlessness and rowdyism, and now indulge
| themselves, by way of sport, in acts which
| in others would be called crimes and be
visited with the punishment prescribed by
law for crimes.
| Even ''hazlng," bad and mean and cow
ardly as it was, was mild and gentlemanly
| compared with the so-caled ''pranks" of
the latter day student. "HeziDg" was
mean and cowardly, but it had no malice
in it, and 1t was simply doing unto others
as they had been done by--and this we are
told has ceased. 1t should have been
stopped years ago. 1t was relic of bar
barrie aristocracy, kind of feudal tenure
claimed by the older from the younger stu
dents, a, if you please, brutal initiation of
a student into college life, but, as we have
said, this has measurably, it not entirely,
ceased-but to what are we treated in its
stead ? Ask Middlebury college, with its
rebellion Of last June, its sophomore class
breaking windows and doors and insulting
the faculty. This, however, is very mild
instance. For these ''genlemanly pranks"
of 1876, we have to go to New Haven and
witness the Yale students assaling an Odd
fellows procession with stones, brickbats
and other missiles; or to Cambridge where
Harvard students narrowly miss of blow
ing up one of the college buildings by play
fully exploding quantity Of gun powder
or nitro. ycerine; or to Williamstown
where students delight themselves in burn
ing outbuildings. ..,. ,,.t,eai.,-'.-.
These acts are all crimes and should be
met and punished as such. Unless they
are considered as something more than
mere boyish pranks, unless some measures
are promptly taken to prevent their recur.
renee, parents will hesitate long before
they will consent to trust their sons to The
tender mercies of such institutions where
they will learn, by precept and example
lawlessness The wholesale suspending Of
a class for day or two and then restoring
them upon making an apology, will no
mend matters. Such course results il
further lawlessness, teaches the studen
that there is no particular harm in sucl
t practices, and brings the faculty into con
tempt. Instructors can do much to pre-
t vent these outrages. These young mel
must be taught that hy becoming students
t they do not cease TO be citizens, that TO de
4 serve and receive the treatment of youn,
: gentlemen they must conduct themselve
0 as such and not as rowdies, that the colleg
9 has no place for rebellious students, an,
: that such as commit criminal acts will b
r handed over TO the courts TO be dealt wit
: as ordinary criminals. In view of the re
= cent acts of students, it seems the hight o
+. absurdity for Charles Francis Adams
f Theodore Woolsey, George William Gun
g tis, Richard A. Dana, Charles Devens an
o others to be invited to address them ON til
d independence of Political Action" an
e kindred topics. A few lessons, both
C professor and student, on the amenabilit
l. of citizens to the law, the nature of Grim
q and its punishment, and kindred topic
n would be timely and might .be productiv
,. of good results