The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-01-17

is dubbed a dig" Is branded as an
outcast, perforce soon finds himself out
of sympathy with the body of his asso-
ciates, sinks ito undisturbed but ostra-
cized manners of life, gains his honors
but comes out at the end of the course
mere book-worm. The associations Of
1.-THE men have been denied him, his
social opportunities have been swal-
lowed up in the interests of the cliques;
though rich in mind he is poor in
friends. He has found that the soci-
cites have trampled him under foot
and have passed over; that he, a
scholar, is cast aside as a freak" a.
dig" and they of leisure are looked
upon as Representative" men in the
classes.
1t is same with literary honors. Mem
write for the position. confessedly
write for the honor" the glittering
badge dazzling their eyes, the true
meaning of it lost to view. No degree
of reimbursement to the editors is con-
sidered too lowly If the aspirant man
age to, get his article in. All self-im-
provement, all advance in self-disci-
pline, in art, in ability to express an
idea and clothe it with living Words
all these are lost sight of. 1t is all
and only, "Will such an article suit %
by judicious wire-pulling can l man
age to get in such a poem?' and ''When
my class has voted me on, shall l stand
in for such and such place."
1t is when we touch upon the evils of
the society system as it interpenetrates
and winds about the highest of our in
situations that we really realize it's
power. 1t has come to that pass to-
day that the positions Of religious i'm
| portance in the various classes are
becoming marks for politicians. 1t is
| a well known fact, and one winked at
by those in a position to correct it, that
the supposed religious work of Dwight
hall during the first two years covers
a tremendous amount of Hypocrisy
hypocrisy that has, at least, the one
redeeming feature of being apparent on
the very face. In freshmen year men
attend the meetings, many of them for
the purpose of making friends among
the promising leaders of the class,
many of them with visions of future
prizes in social life rising before their
eyes. With all respect, the competi-
ton for class deaconship lis a most
melancholy sight. AS much canvassing
is done, as much talk excited as in
the election of Tammany chieftain. 1t
is because the position insures social
recognition that men most desire it; 1t
lis because, along with a base ball
and a football champion, a relig-
| ious leader stands a good chance for flu
ture social honors. 1t is small wonder
if the observer himself not so irrelig-
ious as he seems, refuses to become a
member of Dwight Hall, and prefers the
company of his books and his own
Thoughts to that of his religious asso-
ciates.
That we should be dictated to by the
boys at school is bad enough, but what
| is worse is, that many good man
and true should have to feel the effects
of it during his college life, and for the
selfish interests Of the few lose his
chance of making the most of himself.
1t is this that makes every man who
looks down into the depths of our life
cry out in protest.
Yale life is changing, changing rapid
ly. The old is passing away and the
new is coming in For a century the
old brick row has stood for what Yale
was, and now the old brick row is
passing away. A new campus is rising
close beside the old; Yale life is ex-
tending, expanding beyond it's former
boundaries, and is branching out in new
directions. 1t is just here, just at the
fading of the old into the new that the
| danger lies. A few false steps and the
best things of Yale life will be matters
of tradition. A little further overstep-
ping of the old and recognized bounds
| of Yale democracy will be thing OF
the past, the only semblance of which
will be the pitiful ghost of it's old self
resurrected from time to time in the
optimistic effusions Of college editorials
1t behooves every Yale man to look the
thing squarely in the face to recognize
some undeniable if unpleasant facts
Words will not bring it back, the OLD
emocracy-skilfully framed sentences
will not restore the kindly fellow-spirit
of the olden time, after-dinner speakers
will no do 1t. nor college orators; moth.
ing will be of service but the return Of
the essence of the old good feeling, the
return of democracy itself.
The spirit of reverence for social hon
ors, which is so much a. part of the col
lege life of to-day, is right against this
progress. The choosing of the favored
from the ranks of "wire-pullers" Is
the greatest obstacle in the way of Its
return. The filling of the ranks of can
didates by men who employ question
able methods in pursuit of literary
scholastic and religious positions, is 6
most serious matter. In it's rebound or
4 the rest of our institutions its influence
is distinctly pernicious
1t is not the best Kind of love for the
Alma Mater that urges US to enthusias
ito platitudes, nor the best kind tina
sees only the abuses, and with an equa
lack of judgment prompts to bitter cyni
cism. We may respect the men wht
attain honors in the class room, Will,
we may resent the intrusion therein O
men whose end lies solely in socia
emolument. We may admire the mer
who lead upright lives without though
of anything but the debt to their owl
manhood, while for the occasional fig
urehead who poses as leader in relig
ion we may have nothing but toleran
contempt What we need is more rev
erence for the individual and less fol
the organization The value Of a course
at Yale cannot be overestimated. We
have here the opportunities for the
rounding OF the man on all his sides
The few who constitute the inner cir
Gle will get the truest culture. ant
many who would be hindered by the