New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-28
THE SOPHOMORE PERIOD AGAIN.


10 the president and faculty of Harvard niVrf-
sity, calling their attention 10 certain lh"IS"''''
and crucltcs habiually pactiSed by the "Idcr SUI
dents upon the younger ones III INC COURSE I'll "h''
is called an initiation into one OF thc uN'h lt''ci
secret societies which has chapter III mat UNI
vc,sty. has excited considerable comment IN mo
press. II appeared from Mr. Garrison account
e. what happened during that process IN recent
case that one uf the tests uf pluck ana cnduiah"
~ which the victim was subjected, wa> branding
the arm win six deep and savage burns nom
tho shoulder 10 the elbow. with lighted cigar.
Mfr. Garrison SAYS, with proper indignation IN
calling the attention Of the officers 81 Inc uhlFer-
sity 10 "a cruelty akin to the barbaHNm oi me
Fiji islanders or the practices oil degraded III
| dian tribes" that "outside the precincts OF tho
| university such mutiIa;ion would call Tor inc
ouick interference Of law, even though me
weak and foolish subjects yielded Their consent
and l. deserve, t. be an indicahc oli"n". Nj
,f which is absolutely true and all ot u com
mDnds itself with special force 10 the parents "i
YOUNG men who are abou, "a enter College y;
The same t;mc. it is not improbable 'ha' the pa
rcn,> Of Young men who have passed ms sort
# ordeal. aud the young men themselves who
have gonn safely through, albeit with scars ma!
think Mr. Garrison writes VIA unnecessary
| warmth.
! Ttrr TpIHr.NE rok occasion "a SAY, a icW days
ago. aprnpo> If he arrest Of two la.c students
for indulging in the playful freak oil = aIinE
| signs. that The tendency OF the average 'pPhoIh'"
80 make 4 nui,anc, Of himself Wa, due, not 10
sny personal peculiarly, but 10 the period
through which he was passing. And "e Sild L>o
for the comfort Of the young men who are pass
ing through this painful period that alter al
! they wore mirroring that they were not nearly
9, loud - aggressive or 50 silly IL some 81 IL
tbcir elders who criticiSc them now, were
in rho long AGO time which we dImly remember
and that college life on the Whole was growing
70 be more gentle and refined with each genera
,ion If students. Such occurrences Is that which
| Mr. Garrison has called 10 the attention oil the
Governing powers Of Harvard University, 1t mus
| be admitted initiate against tins theory ! OF
il can hardly be said that the pElctlcc-li IT be
nIactico instead of an isolated inSancc-Of brand
ing a nGyiac on the arm with ok deep ana
| savage buns from lighted clgar-shCWS much
progress in gcntlcnesS and refinement from any
| condition of student nfc with which the oldest
living graduate ever acquainted. No IAN
| yuage is too harsh to characterize the brutality
| and cowardice Of such conduct. II is the bullying
Of the English school system, pushed away over
fl and beyond the verge Of savage barblrisn
And the mischief Of it is not 80 much in the out
rage upon the younger student aS IN the per
nicious effect of it upon the habits and character
Of the older Of the perpetrators OF the violence.
The question will undoubtedly arise in tho
minds Of some whether il may not be the result
Of a serve and snobbish imitation CT English
customs. English habits Of thought, and English
notions of what constitutes manlincS>, which PIE
walls in the ncghborhood when those things hap
Zen. The British lion and the English bull
dog are mas "rful cmblems, but isn't IT pos
sbc to make too much Of them? However that
NAV be- it strikes us-and we come now to The
essential consideration Of a remedy for the brutal
practices complained Of-that Mr.. Gall,OnS APP
neal 10 the governing body Of Harvard nj
yorsity is not the most oilicaciGuS method {.
reach the abuse in this particular case. The
lGmck letter society into which the young mon
who suffered these indignics were undergoing
initiation has an intercollegiate organization
with chapters in number OF universities III
various parts Of the country. And il haS-what
may not be- generally khOWn-n0 regular form O
initiation except that the new members AZ
pledged to sccrcsy and put through some unim
rort.lnt folmaitics. The barbalities and devil
tries which, in some Of tho larger colleges, are
superaddcd arc the temporary inventions Of each
succeeding class, who, having in mind the rough
treatment they have themselves received, de-
termne to ego one better on their SUCCESSORS
The point for applying remedy is the general
convocaion Of all the chapters of the sUicty
or the body-whatever be the name of it-whicl
meets annually and is supposed to have if MI
positive control of the subordinate bodies, AT east
a potential influence in the conduct and manage
ment.
Ii is for that body to require the Harvard chap
tier either to foego such practices Or surrender