Morning journal and courier., 1888-05-03
PLEADING FOR THE FENCE.

A University yMeetIng-Yale Undergrad
 uates Protest Against Locating a
 Building on the Corner of College and
 Chapel Streets-The opinion Unani-
 nous.
 The undergraduates of Yale assembled in
 mass meeting in Alumni hall last evening to
 protest against the erection of the proposed
 new recitation hall on the corner of College
 and Chapel streets, a site which would destroy
 the honored fence, characteristic feature of
 Yale life. The boys were unanimous in their
 opposition to the building on that site and in expressing the belief that the donor would generously change the conditions of his gift if he understood what the fence really meant to Yale. Morrison R. Waite 'SS presided and the following resolutions as offered by Mir. Mason '89, Chairman of the News board, were unanimously adopted amidst great enthusi- asm:
 Whereas, We are assured from the great generosity of his gift that the donor of the new recitation building is in the highest sym pathy with the interests of the university and will, therefore, gladly listen to the united voice of her students and alumni; and Whereas, The campus offers other much more desirable locations for this building l than the one selected; and
 Whereas, The erection of this building on the site proposed will separate the fence from the campus and entirely destroy it's true char acter; and
 Whereas, The fence, as the center of the social life of the campus, is the highest pro moter and most marked exponent of the manly democracy of Yale life, and to the alumni one of their most cherished memories be it
 Resolved, That we, the students of Yale ! university, do earnestly petition the corpora tion to use the means in their power to pre-. vent the erection of this building on the site proposed; and be it further
 l Resolved, That 8 committee be appointed ! by the chairman of this meeting to present | this petition to the corporation and to pro- cure for it the signatures of the alumni. A few of the things said by the gentlemen | who remarked upon the resolutions are given herewith.
 MT. Griffith 'sS said in substance that the college boys were all anxious that the fence ! should remain. From Maine to California ! the old grads would regret it's removal Many were the interesting memories of the fence al Yale Architecturally also it would be g monstrosity to have the building on the cor \ ner, Again, the aforesaid corner is the noisi- ! est spot on the campus. It was no boyish sentiment that asked that the fence remain It was undeniable that the fence has been the great source of the democratic spirit at Yale \ | his arguments were well nigh impregnable Mir. Stimson 'S8 expressed the hope that I there was not man at Yale who did not ap preciate the influences of the fence. The argument of the men favoring ths \ location on this spot was presented
 It was a rehearsal of the old quadrangle argu ! ment and that all the corners but this one | were filled, and that the removal of the ! fence is but at most question of time MT \ Stimson thought, however, that the remova should be put of as long as possible. MT. Fellowes, chairman of the 'S8 Lit board, supposed that the corporation ha.
 grave reasons for putting it there, and tha | the main reason was the condition of thu gift. He thought that Yale men should pro II tect the fence the great reviver of tn, democratic spirit. He thought that the goot \ derived at college came not alone from reef. \ tations, but from the associations formed
 and that in this respect the fence held 6
 most important part. He thought the fene, \ should be preserved as long as possible.
 MT. Carter 'S9 s., of the University crew
 said that the fence was the chief factor tha | bound the academic and scientific depart ments that this relation was weak enougl | now, but that with the fence gone that con nection would be severed which every Yal man will remember with pleasure througl | life.
 | MT. Hurd '88 in closing his we'll considered | remarks said he believed that Yale should protest against the removal
 MT. R. w. Huntington 'S9 spoke briefly ir | defense of the building.
 MT. Bris 'S8 thought that the corporation | could do little about the matter and that tht | whole thing rested with the donor. He be- | lieved that Yale men should put forth every ! exertion to preserve the fence. ! Mir Welch 'S9 said: We recognize that i lies with the donor whether the building shal \ be erected on the corner or not, but there ii
 no way to get at the donor except through | the corporation. This action ought to infu | ence the donor to change the condition of tn, gift, and wa should take this aarion MT. Harrison go said the object of tn, ' meeting had found an echo in the heart O | every Yale man on the campus. In behal1 ! of the sophomore class he protested agains | the removal.
 Dan Jones '94 enforced the thought; VI | don't want to forget the disappointment that ! the alumni on returning would have in not finding the men around the fence. The chair appointed as the committee tc present the case to the corporation, Hurd and Griffith 'S9, Pinchot and Welch 'S9 Davison 'SS S. and Harrison 80