New-York tribune., 1876-01-22
Evils OF SECRET SOCIETIES.

EVILS OF SECkEl SOCII-lli,'
TUX TESTIMONY or ADVOCATES AND ENEN'ks-iN-
MORALITY OF TIE 0ArHs TAhtN-Effh0i w
CH tRACTER.
70 me Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: have been requested by an esteemed
ident o one OF the largest colleges In the state OF
Ipo sp1 also NV distinguished citizen o. the State OF
Ncw-York to give some statements concerning college
secret societies the public NOT inGccd 10 afEue 'he
npcstiou but 10 give some INFORMATION 'hIphEh
yonr columns During 80 years experience ~ college
,,idcnf IN this Sa'e secret society has been allowed
IN atbcr co,lrre under my administration During IL
Years ont OF u IN the presidency Of Knox College my
recollection is Tint had no siulrpt before the Faculty
for discipline Daring several Of these years the cata
l,rro shows from 800 400 stndnts in attendance.
have known no colleges where secret societies existed
ynerc any such a state ~ facts could he shown.
In TIM TEiBUSE discussions / notice the opinions Of
PROT Chadbounc and others given whore thc Greek c'-
r. patcr7tes are acknowledged to have Influential cX
istrrce Sach surely the opinions of Interested par
ties on the contrary. the late venerable President
Hitchcock Of Amherst College in his "Reminiscences
M thai institution gives the letters OF eight college IrcSi
dents decidedly ccniemnins tho secret college soc>eleS
and for diversity Of These idg ncns Of eight
f tho odes, anl wi,cst " the college presidents were
vrn before those societies had gain Il much influence in
the colleges under their car AMI their min Is were com
paravcy free from the presence and pressure of the
Grccl letter societies IT s'ems 10 ln' also. that the
opnion OF H. william VI. Evarts, who was himself
member Of the SKULL ani Bones" at Yale. aal VINO looks
back from thr cool iulrcn islr" o. succcSsr lfc Is
-ecrth much more than That Of any college or tn m
iisitition when the ohcconahlo fatcruiiics exist Mr
gvariss condemnation ot the secret racrniuca NJ Yale
commencement year or two sinco l. wen known Allow
me further srrccst that ON surprised that the most
objectionable elements of the racrnitics objected 20
seen, wholly overlooked omitted by the writer's IN
Tur rr1r,-yr y: Hodge irclnic3 moan ,hr religions
plhs ard nork solemntcs Of ihe iuations. The Whie
nnd Ciisso;lc may have obi'ctpTahN thneS of
This knd bri they are restrained rom excess " their
standing and th'ir membership while tho more recent
md l,,l f,,,crtcs r. free to cs aAsh lnd practice
limitations most brutal and slHmo 0s IN the ca'o oi
young Lesgcf who killed. and ohcr' who have had
homes b~okcn anl othcr srr.ols personal j during
.u.tiation Whoever consDlts Wariur:on. or reads
what Is taken FROM him ana Old Roman writer's
bv MicKni.ht on the Eq'stlc 10 th" lphosanS. VIII
early discern the moral and spiritual identiy ~
1heso Grrek lo;;2r mysteries with th"Se oi which PAU
Ittsa s1ne to speak ofthr things whfh arc done
y tlon in secret Tho fact g. they only take thcr
bI ,~r nature from hose oi creek my icil''
described hy l'ooius anu I'Lhnus t4a.'..HH r! M
l1ts ~ f'4to IN Dnm0Stac"s 20 tn sit aa1 shallow
fTo.ls Of Yesterday and to-day. Indeed. the men a-c
.ot now old uen. Who stnIdS OF prov s''A7 son'
from tie mgl soil OF &'V neintl, Dy falh IN @"~'
lInltian Ar stotle rc-Iri"d NJ only flr slaves,
T. the Greeks TO the o. whose swords once onn-
4aelrd tho eoI.d. Who Wcao oo"criHs !Ae Lenas 10
f,r. he Turh Is b hi,t,nJdo
! need moi saw 10 ire readers ~ Tng TETBrS, th1t
,vIaf dccrad- Paa1us Pa~aui,m. Nor need remind
iholn tai rc -tous ceremonies a. IlIicr-d Win -'r"
-iv. rIq guioa cor not To-day 81" instruments 90
t,-Ot an eui Ir, Graf, the world over AMI ti3 iitt,
i,lIoy mi insi ,id though t-cv b. have fs~" nation
act unlike that ~ "ica N'i e'' coz. ,'i 'ls
The venerable Dr. Alexander gives suAc lrI hdt YER
rar lt-lnrus concerning t1cs" "Sclf-'rnreird Wnf-
shiIs" as Dean Trcnch stvlcs tlom, and iad hop"h
whoa tue cherished uamt O d. liOdsf ~ thr ioo
o. ma Iii-i, III TGIE-NH th' Doe lIs -If % - ihr
,noft ~ hs clear hou1ts 'hc cr-'an moral d"rrn
.,atuD involved secret college mutations where re-
strain. q, tnown on where ua .e s 40 Li9's error
d don ,rh rc nat's nrc of''u administered hy lips
ftn liar wish h.a-.eiIle- a.i t.r Ht' ui tire ever
,I.I tt a, cuu.0,cd 80 cGuic. lou. ID, .,rr,s ana
.V- A.-l. r. ,i 40 m.il--i ear .ai. ~ .' i.r 3D.
-ein. tft. n .- with -rlaili' tfat ih- tn o. ana
-.urr bile sra! a:Iiuw u NrU-J fSry Mh i'i "u!
-.it t,t lr t,I. of al tI. tur. 90 .I zee, against
.,r,,. d ere. r ,l. doi rvi 90 bat give % ttr W".d au
u!yis Of tnn-c causes wi, iIaNr wIrch tuc r'Illa-
...ns Of ~, ,oa4Hrio, vi,r, CLre uuI HS App-i."'
',..lt It yr:sr. the Ilnf- 80 q % .Iyr g'f-' to D."
31nr lul ant tlo-- Jt prizes and n'tiy Gr-u'is iS 80
tl,ir place. Ncy Ic-l o.. lt.r. }. .'.-N>t"hli,
I.c-d..u 81 .catoH College.