New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-07
A STUDENTS REPDBLTC.

A STUDENTS REPUBLIC
The experiment of self-government by the
students which is to be tried in the old and
conservative college at Amherst has been put
to the test at least once before, and with sue
cess. This was at tie Illinois State University,
at Urbana, of which DR.. j. M. Gregory, now
one of the Civil Service Commissioners, was
President, and he made public two years ago
an interesting account of the workings OF the
plan. The Amherst system, it is stated, is to
be of government by small Senate OF stu
dents, numbering ten, representing all the
classes but drawing majority from the upper
classes so as 10 give the body the weight OF
the maturer judgment of the older scholars.
The President of the college is to preside at
the meetings of the Senate and have the veto
power. The Senators have been chosen. the
stronger men among the students being Sc
lected, and tho experiment is thus well under
way.
The scheme of government ut the Illinois
college was somewhat elaborate. The propo-
sition came from the President and Faculty,
and was unanimously accepted by the students.
constitution was adopted providing for the
of students, who made laws against various
offences, such as gambling. drinking, disturb
ance etc. Fines were fixed, ranging from a
few cents TO five dollars. The students elected
a president secretary, treasurer, etc, while the
President of the college appointed marshal
and three judges. These latter constituted
college court, before which all violations of
college law were tired without q jury. The
President of the college had all absolute veto
upon the acts of the legislature, and the Fac
ulty retained the power to expel or suspend.
The more mature OF the young men were chosen
to fill the offices. and the mischieflovers, when
the government had once been put In opera
ton, found themselves confronted, not with the
instructors, but with the organized sentiment
of their fellow students. Whep the number OF
the students had doubled, the general assembly
was found too large for legislative purposes, and
q Senate of twenty zone members was subsd-
uted, the power of adopting amendments to
the constitution being reserved TO the larger
body. Troublesome questions of jurisdiction
that had arisen because so many OF the stu
dents lived away from the college grounds we're
disposed of by making them all subject to the
jurisdiction of the college courts during term
time, whether they were on college territory
or not.
This interesting system of government had
been fairly successful for ten years when DR..
Gregory made his report upon it. 1t had sur
viyed in that period considerable opposition,
both within the college and without. Several
attempts to overthrow 1t by agitation among
the students were defeated by overwhelming
majorties. Once the question of the legality
of the system was carried up to the Attorney
General of the State, who decided that the
government was committee or agent OF the
Faculty, and therefore legal. Those who sup
ported it most heartily did not conceal their
sense of some difficulties and dangers involved
in IL. The most serious of these seemed 10 be
that self-resprct and self-reliance carried too
far became self-conceit and self-asserton. Ii
was found practicable TO counteract this ten
dency, just as it was found easy to stimulate
the students to proper degree of interest in
the work when the novelty had worn of.
There was also fear that the political
excitements attending such system, and
tho amount OF time spest in its administra-
ton, would distract the students and take
large part OF their leisure. But 1t was found
that the excitemcnts subsidized as soon as the
elections were over, as In larger politics, and
that they were less frequent than crises" in
other colleges.
There are SO many new ideas in the West
so many religions and SO few gravies-that this
experiment did not attract the attention il
would have received in the East, where inno-
vations are not SO easy. Now that IL Is 10 be
tried here the result will be instructive. The
Western colleges often contain a large proper
ton Of mature Young men who have fought
their way to an education and know the value
of it and this may have had something to do
with the success of the Illinois plan. The
Amherst experiment may show that the deyel
opment of practical qualities to be gained
skill in weighing evidence, and Judgment in
deciding upon questions of policy and points
OF detail-wll moro than compensate for the
time TO be spent, aud may make the students
better fitted to deal with men when thoy leave
the college for the world outside.