Morning journal and courier., 1884-02-23

Fn1 b0GA Aappd anu IhC AEOAH OA H 0N To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 Sir-The scheme for the revival of the Phi Beta Kappa, which has been nursed in secret for some weeks, was at last made public in the Yale News of last Thursday in an article the tone of which would lead uninformed readers to believe that the movement has
 great strength. the hearty support of the senior class and such an intellectual character as will bring to Yale the millennium of intel lectuality and purity of society system. But the glittering generalities which characterize what dimmed by the hard facts of the case.
 'sThe interest of the senior classes in the matter" means only the interest of the twenty or thirty men who have stand in the class high enough to ensure them an election. The letter in to-night's Register shows that the
 ''heartiness with which the junior class take up the natter is not so great as the pro-
 moter of the scheme could wish.
 Just what is the purpose of this movement?
 According to the article in the News. (written
 presumably by the originator of the move
 ment) ''the object of the society is to organize a brotherhood of
 intelligent men," I suppose the writer means intellectual men; otherwise his
 statement is keen reflection on the rest of
 the class and the members of the other soci-
 ties particularly. But why organize such 8
 brotherhood7 This is the question many are swered Is it because there are net enough incentives to college duty that this is to be added as 8 new goal for ambition, @ new force to draw the ambi- tious and high minded students from the pursuit of liberal and we'll balanced, into kavk I,aO,6 6a1E- Is it in order that that Intelligent brother hood, having spent all their mental energy in attaining an election to Phi Beta Kappa, and so having none left wherewith to im- press their intellectual superiority on the world, may secure this object by showing 8
 'tpin" as proof of their former mental vigor Or is it, as so many of us poor intel lectually inferior ''gentiles" think, simply and solely that certain men may have some vest ornament in place of the one they didn't get2
 The arguments against the new society are many, even if we leave out of sight the fact that it will do no good. As ''Junior" states in the Register, any increase from artificial stimuli in the intensity of desire for high stand will serve to make more marked the deterioration of scholarship after election. We might add that it will also serve to in- crease the s'cribbing" and other dishonesty by which many seek to attain that high
 
 against 'sBones" and s'Keys" could be used with great justice against this new society. It will create new aristocracy. ''But it will be an intellectual aristocracy," cries the founder of P. B. K. True but he will do what no man has ever yet done if he creates an intellectual aristooraey' which is not also "social It will be hard work to keep up this intellectual standard of admis- sion; for we must remember that such was once the standard of Bones and Keys and with them it has fallen. Many other argu- ments might be made against this movement, but these few points show that the revival of Phi Beta Kappa is not "consummation de- voutly to be wished"
 The remarkably inconsistent position of the originators of this movement is an anus ing instance of the irony of fate. The very men who have had most to say against the secret society system have turned around, united with Bones and Keys men, and are spending all their energy in adding new secret society, new element of discord, another artificial stimulus to the already over-goaded high stand man. Let us examine the consistency of these mems actions. In the Nation of last November 29th(about), one of these want-to- be-Phi- Beta Kappa men says that ''the societies create an aristocracy;" that ssthe whole energy Of goodIy number is bent toward securing this one end" Gan evil end, namely, election to Bones or Keys); that members ridiculously show their pins Gs it more ridiculous to show Bones pin than 6 P. B. K. watch key?), and so on. Again, another says that the old societies suppress the freedom of the college press. What guarantee have we that the same result will not follow the election of editors to Phi Beta Kappa2 Further on in the Nation wefnd that non society men refuse financial SUD- port to their Alma Mater. Does not this hold as an argument in the present case? But will not add more examples of the in- consistency of men who first kicked" against a system in which they had no share on the high moral ground that the system was gross evil, and now turn around and give their support to that very "evil'
 The ssirony of fate!" Alas! Fate, that capricious mistress of our destinies, who teaches us to believe so respectfully, so ad- 1 so lovingly in the high moral pur- pose of reformers, only to show us at last In 1 bitter mockery, that reformers. like other l people, can come down to the lower ground | by the intellectually inferior as | soon as their self-interest calls them. We, | Loo. want to wear pinsI
 Feb. 22, 1884, ANOTHER OBSERVER.