The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-03-01
EMBRYO POLITICIANS.
ELECTION OF FINAL PRESIDENT
AT THE UNIVERSITY.

Questions Answered-A Sore Subject to
Many Persons.
CHARLOTrRsvILE, Va, Feb. 2S.-fSpe-
cial. The University Of Virginia prepares
its students for the business Of life, and
much is learned there that is not embraced
in any Of the courses laid down in the cata-
logue. There are no text books in some OF
the more occult Of the sciences that are
studied there, but many teach by example
rather than by precept, and hold their
leadership By the grace Of superior know
ledge of men, and the 'election" OF surpass-
ing tact.
There is no phase Of college life that is
less realized by the public than college
politics. There is nothing quite so shrewd
or so fruitful Of cOUps de main. IL is the
bewilderment Of the student during his first
months al college; 10 is his certain source
OF pleasurable excitement in all his sue
ceeding university career. He begins his
experience By being pract'ced on. and ends
IL by pracucing successful stratagems on
others for the election Of his candidate.
Johnny Jones, parting for the first time
from bis sister sue. enters the University.
After De has finished his first round with
the Y. NJ. G.. a. men. the reading-rOOm men,
and the others representing special college
he hears that Billy Green and
Charley Smith are spoken OF as candidates
for the cherished honor Of being final presi-
dent Of the Jefferson Literary society. A
caucus OF the fraternities is called 10 meet
for the special purpose Of deciding for the
jefferson Society whether il shall be- the
privilege of Billy Green or Charley Smith to
preside over this Society al its celebration
next June.
VARYING PREFERENCES.
As the date of the caucus approaches, ii
is found ihat some fraternties favor Green
while others prefer smith. The result is
two caucuses are held. the one known asl
the smith meeting and the other as the
Green convention.
I'm the mean time partisan feeling de-
ycl0pes very rapidly. some Of the more
excited canyassers rush about getting up
combinations, and, in very rare cases, per-
-Onal animOsity. Men are butt0n-hOled,
their likes and dislikes closely studied and
lumOrcd. The nOn-fraternfy man who
does not believe i'm Greek letter societies
nds himself imbbing the belief that one of
he candidates would have a very pitiful
indeed if it were not for his
strength with the secret fraternity men,
while he who believes in such fraternties
ls firmly as in any religious prejudice he
may hold. is led 10 fear that this same can /
iidate is privately up in arms against
ireck letter brOiherhOOds. In short the /
turmoil Of the wider field of state or nat /
onal politics is reproduced in miniature /
under the arcades OF our university.
The candidates even are on dress parade. /
irecn viii not miss "a baseball or football /
match. and his enthusiasm for athletics is /
Inb0unded. He must cultivate the athletic /
interest. smith is ready with a smile and /
lanl-slake for all be meets-is. in a word. /
hc peoples friend The non-iraternity vote |
s worth angling for.
ADARK HORSE.
But the representatives of the various fra /
ornities meet in caucus. and Johnnie Jones I
IS there. lie is a goat from the decks" /
ID. Is. ESD or some other fraternity. and /
ly somes pecial iayoritism is permitted 10 at. /
end as a spectator. Here he learns for the 7
Irst time that Jim Jackson will be a candi- |
late next session, and as Jim Is popular he /
legiu- 90 attach his friends 10 him and make /
he most of the sunshine. lie makes such /
roadway that 10 begins 90 be a very desira-
be thing To- patch up treaty with /
lim. lie is Kappa something or
ther, and his fraternity is large.
Billy Green is Sigma something or
ihcr. and De pledges his fraternity, through /
Is representative in the caucus. 10 support /
Jackson next year in exchange for the sup
.ort of Jacks0n's fraternity this; and 80 il
'Ocs through the entire list OF fraternities
hat have hOnOrs i'm view for the more bril-
liant OF it, members. The man who makes
he best use of this sort of diplomacy al
Ways wins the plum. lie is the 'mOst
promising man." and binds his fraternity
l0re closely than his competitor There
re cases ON record. it is said. in which can
idatcs for the coveted final presidency have
efused the honor which was within their
Tasp, because 90 succeed, too many pledges
eemed necessary.
ONLY SOME TRATERNITIEs.
1t must not be supposed that all the fra
ernities We're represented IN the two eau
uses. Some of them are Indifferent: others
re divided i'm their liking. These, OF
curse. cannot be manipulated through the
aucus. bat they are reached very effect
,cly. smiths Cor Green's) friends in the
lW class determine among themselves that
hcse men must be secured. They resolve
ID organize the class. They will need a
resident and probably other officers; so
hey choose some member Of the "split'
as their candidate for president
lr iudgel and say % this didiyided frater-
IT'S, Vote for our man for final president
nd your irater shall be elected" And 80
ledges are exchanged and votes won and
jst. They work the Indifferent fraterni-
les in much the same way.
And then there are men who belong 20 no
paternity. They have votes. and are 10 be
edulously cultivated. They are induced to
lin "a n0n-fraternity combination to vote
lr one or the other candidate. Both sides
0motimes get up such combinations. which
include men who have never joined the
en. and who must do So, and pay the fee OF
ix dollars before they can vote. There is
lways fcag that these men viii refuse 10
ay this sum 90 vote for candidate they
ave often no more than seen, and so one
ide or the other suggests "pairlng OFF,; IL
done. and these men do not become men,
ers of the society al all
TuE JEFFERSON MEMBERSHIP.
The result Of a heated canvass is general
/ a very large membership for the Jeiler-
ON Society. This year, am told, its men,
ership exceeds two hundred and hfty.
h0icsale 'running-in' OF men for the
inele purpose of voting for the final presi-
ent was believed 10 have been source or
injury 90 the society, and the bylaws were
ID nuAItN liht iu'7t j"ihlh- tH' e'NiSt-
,.s than two months before the election
re not permitted 20 take part in IL. To
his is due the little interest that now pre-
als. The election was practically at an
nd two months ago. and it only remains
DIT the society 10 90 through the form OF
iaking It's choice. Everybody knows now
.ho will be chosen. The pledges are out
md will De redeemed. No reputation OF
lcm need be looked for. There is no other
lace. that / know Of, in which a man who
isrcearded the sanctity Of a promise, or Is
thorwi-e dishonest, finds his level and
roper place 80 soon as AT the University OF
irgnia The students are manly and
0norabie set, and while these contests are
rarm. they are also above reproach.
The above article has been made wholly
npersOnal. because of the fact that party
pirit ran'so high in the election this year,
bat the whole subject is very sore one
mone the friends Of the defeated candidate.