The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-21
YALB'S SOCIAL SYSTEM
The Sophomore Society Question
Threatens Revolution.
Matter to Re Settled by the Faculty
without Further Delny-Prcsidcn
Hadley Declines to Discuss the Sit
untiOn The Present Methods
Likely to be Radically Reformed.

NEW HAVEN, May 2o.-The petition for
the abolition of the sophomore societies
was again placed before the Ya.e faculty
yesterday. The question whether or not
ffty-one men shall dictate to nearly six
hundred will be finally decided at a special
! meeting tomorrow or tuesday. The de-
cision from all indications will be adverse
to the fifty-one members Of the three
sophomore societies.
The following is a copy of notice mailed
to all sophomore society men:
The sophomore societies have repudiated the
plan for the reform of the social system unani-
monsy agreed TO by their chosen representatives.
In accordance with the resolution adopted at the
meeting of the petitioners, the petition for aboli
ton has again been placed before the facu ty for
action. JAMES p. L0MBAItD,
For the Petitioners Committee.
President Hadley admitted yesterday that
the petition had again been placed before
the faculty.
II do not feel at liberty to say what ac-
tion probably will be TAKEN" said he. II
know too much and too little of the secret
societies to say anything at this time. 1t
is difficult to tell what six hours may bring
FORTH
From another member OF the faculty,
however. it was learned that plans have
been made for special meeting tomorrow
or Tuesday. and 1t seems the jollifica:ion
meetings of the sophomore societies on
Friday night were premature. The fear OF
sophomore society men now is that the
faculty will not listen to another PROPOSE
ton Of a modification OF their present So
ciety system, but will eradicate it.
The success of the coming Yale bi-cen-
sanr fnl nlnh~ haav1 nrnIN-
threatened by the fight over the sopho-
of the university. Alumni in many parts
of the country have been Withholding their
names from the subscription list until it
was settled whether He Boule, Kappa Psi,
and Eta Phi were to be wiped out. All the
athletic defects have been attributed to the
Vaccinations of the sophomore societies
The anti-sophomore society men, after
petitioniIg the faculty for the abolition OF
He Boule, Eta Phi and Kappa Psi, appoint
ed committee to meet representatives Ct
these societies with view to working
modification in the present system. After
considering many plans for the revision OF
the society system, pyramid system OF
class societies was unanimously agreed
upon. This system was based upon the
principle Of elimination, the idea being to
have a large number of society men in
sophomore year and a smaller number in
junior year.
The joint committee agreed to recon-
mend to the sophomore societies, the junior
fraternities, and petitioners Of the senior
class the following changes in the SO .iety
system:
That the present junior fraternities be
extended over sophomore year and that the
present sophomore societies be placed in
junior year; that the number OF the sopho-
more society men should be ia in all
thirty eight In each society-and that the
junior societies should each take in from
twenty to twenty-f five men--nct less than
sixty, nor more than seventy-five in al.
The fraternities and junior societies were
to be placed on a competitive basis. and
there was to be no joint campaign, as eX-
emplified In the present junior societies, In
either year. Each fraternity and society
was to stand on its own merits.
Believing that this agreement would go |
through, the faculty permitted the petition
for the abolition of the sophomore socie- |
ties to be withdrawn. But the sophomore
societies repudated the plan of reform. |
Now it is charged that they were merely |
playing for time in the hope they would |
thus stave off action by the faculty against |
them until after the close of the college |
year
Indignation at the blackballing of |
Charles Driver Francis. assistant manager |
Of the football eleven. by the three junior |
fraternities is increasing each day. Fran I
els was blackballed, II is charged because |
he was not wealthy. He has been tutor |
ing his way through college. He has been
leader in scholarship and athletics.
Election to the position of assistant |
manager of the football team has invar-
iabiy carried with 1t heretofore election to
one Of the junior societies. Percy Rookie
Teller. son of John d. Rockefeller. was
Francis predecessor in the position of as
sistant manager.
All these things are working together to
bring climax much sooner than even the
society men had expected
The faculty is thoroughly aroused, and
there will be speedy and decisive action.