St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-06-03
MORE CoLIEGE kUFFlANlsM.

NAOAkAH Ss%AIAbAS0G H ~
Another exhibition of college ruftiau-
ism occurred at Carlisle. Pa. Friday
night. During all entertainment given
by the freshman class of Dickinson col
lege, mob of sOphomores entered the
hall and created disturbance, which
ended Ill free fight, in the course of
which lady was seriously injured by
missile thrown by one of the combat
ants.
The colleges seem determined to
bring themselves into disrepute and to
establish their right TO be called train
ing schools of thuggery. When young
man enters one of these institutions he
is compelled to leave all gentlemanly
instincts. all polite training, behind.
He is expected to join one of the organ
lied bands that have lawlessness for
their basis. On the pleaof maintaining
tine honor Of his class he is expected to
engage in brawls that would disgrace
band of Hottentots. He trains at the
gymnasium. not with the purpose of
developing his physical system for noble
uses, but with the sole object in view of
overcoming his opponents i'll hazing
expedition, cane rush, or a foo ttall
encounter. The class room is forsa ken
for the ball ground or the fistic arena.
When he graduates he may he lusty
athlete. but he lacks as scholar and
enters upon his business career at a
woful disadvantage. He is soon out
stripped in the world of tt ade by men
who have received apractical business
education. In the professions he finds
himself at disadvantage when COM
peting with men who have grown up Ill
the attorneys Office. the counting house
or the printing office, and if he does NOT
subSide into a clerkship in public
office or mercantile establishment is
compelled to Degin his education over
again, unlearn what he has already
learned. and rely for success more upon
intellectual superiority and sagacity-
than upon brute force.
The murder committed at Cornell COL
lege last fall during the progress of a
prank among the students has thus far
been unpublished. The fact that the
victim was poor working will
perhaps account for the apathy of the
civil and college authorities. Probably
this late outrage and crime at Dickinson
college will also be ignored or set down
to accident. But these institutions will
gain nothing by the reputation they
have attained, for wise fathers would
as soon think of sending their sons into
a den of murdererS to be educated as to
these institutions.
But the civil authorities are respon-
Sible, as well as the faculties of the col
leges, for these outrages. College rooms
and college grounds are not sacred spots
within which the law may be defied at
pleasure. Such incidents as that at
Dickinson should be rigidly investigated
by the police. and every person engaged
in the riot arrested and dealt with in
accordance with law. And every breach
of the peace at all colleges should be
punished by fine in the criminal courts
or incarceration in the common Jail.
After few such experiences the young
hoodlumS would weary of their ruffian-
ism, and be content to act like civilized
human beings rather than bowling BAL
barianS.
Something must be done to free our
colleges from the odor of rutfianisn that
adhers to them, or the colleges them.
selves will pass into utter disrepute.
The young man who enters one of these
institutions sober, StudiOuS and gentle
manly will have to possess unusual
ability to resist temptation if he does
not emerge a staggering bully, addicted
n Ijnunr an6 ri ,,nffod with
his own Importance. and yet ignorant
Of the first essentials of a good educa-
ton. He is neither gentleman nor a
scholar. He may be an adept with the
boxing gloves. the foils. the oar. or at
tennis, but he is utterly unfit to COM
pete with his fellows in the race of life.
His iconoclaSt:c surroundings have left
him with low estimate of woman's
purity and an exaggerated idea of his
own Importance. He has not learned
the primary lessons of Iife-the value of
gentlemanly department and consider.
alton for the feelings of others. A
college education, instead of being a
benefit to him, has been his ruin. He
is of little use in the world, and in esti-
mating the sum of human usefulness
he figures simply as a cipher.
College ruBanism has reached the ut
most limit of public endurance. 1t
must be suppressed, or the colleges
themselves must be abolish ed.
"A NEW FUTURE FOR IRON.
Within a few years Minnesota has
SDrunp into 0isa of tbe great iron.nro