Litchfield enquirer., 1879-05-15
The "Greek Letter Societies"

SC large an extent, determinee the associations of the college student during his four years attendance on the teachingsof his Alma Mater. The Alpha Delta Phi'' held it's 47th annual convention at Trinity College, Hartford, on Wednesday and Thursday; while, on Tuesday and Wednesday, the "Psi Upsilon" met at | New Haven for it's 46th annual convention, and to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the formation of the Yale chapter of that order.
 The Alpha Delta Phi has branches in fifteen colleges it boasts 36 presidents of colleges, 300 college professors and some of the most distinguished men of the country, among those who were it's college members Its membership for the present year is 473O, including 300 un- dergraduates. At it's Hartford meeting the chief star was Edward Everett Hale, and 8 new charter was granted to students of Har- yard University where the former local associ- ation had become extinct.
 The Psi Upsilon meeting, at Yale, was pre- sided over by Gov. Andrews, an address was delivered by the Hen. Benjamin K. Phelps, of New York, and poem was read by Dr. Holland. He find no full statistics of this society reported as in the case of it's rival, but have no doubt it numbers as many and proba- bly as distinguished members as the Alpha Delta Phi
 Man is naturally clannish; he dearly loves | a secret, cherished in common with few; hence, in spite of many undeniable evil results, in spite of the opposition of college faculties, the sprouting up of college secret societies seems necessary incident of college growth. They are not without their good uses. The brotherly feeling between members, the hon. orable emulation of rival societies, the art of | organizing and controlling men, the rallying | of graduates to common center of interest," all these are advantages no one can deny the college secret society.
 On the other hand, there is much that is false and hurtful in the relations these socie- ties seek to establish. They assume to deter mine, often immediately on the arrival of the Freshman at college, the associations he is to preserve during a four years course They assume to separate hundred or more raw youth into cliques and parties that are to claim his allegiance during his whole career as student. Hence-in a college fully domi- mated as many are, by it's societes-the stu- dent finds his associations settled arbitrarily in advance, instead of being allowed to settle themselves by due process of natural selec- tion. This is manifestly unwise. A college class, | as it progresses, witnesses many wonder f,,1 of clIaracfor and Standinp among it's members. Many who at first enjoyed tine chief confidence of their classmates have | fallen far to the rear. Others have developed most valuable fruit from the most unproms | ing germs Individual intimacies have also undergone corresponding transformations. With these natural snittings of class position, | and with the natural consolidation of perma- nent associations and friendships, the secret society tie inevitably conflicts. It holds those together who would naturally separate; it separates those who would naturally come to- gether. : Worse yet, the secret society teaches the student his first lesson in partisanship. Col l lege politics accustom the youthful intellect to l moralities of real politics. It begets partisan modes of thought and action. The antago- nisms of the secret society keep the best men in college apart, just as the antagonisms of politics. of religion and of society, keep the best men in the outside world apart. Locking back, in after years, we readily see that these college grounds of difference were chiefly fac titious Yet many who condemn the false distinctions raised in colleges by these ''Greek Intter societies" seem unaware how complete lu thaN ill senarataa si---s-S ing men by political, denominational, and so- cial distinctions, also to large degree facti- tious Probably, too, many students who see no merit in the secret society idea, find them- selves forced into conformity with it from the pressure of college opinion. They join secret societies merely because they find themselves without social influence or position outside them. Is it not much the same feeling which, in later life, makes them supporters of political parties whose views and conduct they largely disapprove, members of churches whose creeds they doubt, and upholders of social distinctions which they at heart despise9 Indeed we have high authority for supposing that the way of the 'independent" is somewhat difficult of &C., cess and travel, without as, we'll as within the precincts of the university.
 The Waterbury show of the great Snowman, on Monday last had been, of course, widely advertised, and-what was not So confidently expected by those who have followed his ex- hibitions, more or less carefully-the perform ance justified the announcement. The exhi- tion of horses was everything that the most enthusiastic could have anticipated. The group ofsix black stallions would alone have paid one for going to see nor were they better than others A pair of bays were perfect models ] A milk white horse, ridden by Miss Emma Lake in the ring, was perfect king of horses we nev- CT saw horse step so proudly and gracefully as did this horse to the music of the band. The vaulting by dapple grey, right over the backs of the other horses in the ring as easy as a fox takes fence, seemed to us as great a performance as that of any horse un the turf. We can not avoid speaking of the riding espec- ially of the graceful performance of Miss En- ma Lake, or the enthusiastic feats of Madame Dockerel. That, as we'll as the acrebatic per- formances were instructive as showing what disciplined effort may accomplish. Unless we are mistaken, there are much better class at tending circuses than formerly. The ladies had the majority Tn the afternoon. No small number of prominent gentlemen could be seen in the audience, and two CT three coats seemed to us pretty plainly to indicate the preacher under them-perhaps twas only our imagina- tion, though! Anyway, the country towns for a number of miles around were we'll represented. Litchfield had out good representation, and we believe they all came home pleased.
 PAROLE.
 The announcement of the strike to come of in July is movement that may retard the re-