Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-25

aE on almost In ,ss as Y hon9r as En- ssS
among the New EHglaaA colleges. One day
members for libraTs EXERCISES. and on those
occasions the most, eminent orators and
poets came forward. nj No greater honor
could BE- conferred 4pSn a statesman or
scholar than an, Invitation to deliver an
address to the fnsmbefs OF the Phi Beta
Kappa fraternity, lreru
The Inflated Philip Spencer.
One of the founders asf Chi Psi at Union
was Philip Spencer son of John c. Spen-
Ger. Secretary of1Wari and afterward Sec
rotary Of the TREASURY in the Harrison
Tyler administration, After graduating
from college he entered the navy as a mid
shipman. and while serving on the man-of-
war SommerS was hanged at the yardarm
for mutiny. The talents and family con-
'nections- of the young man. of course, gave
the incident unusual Importance, and 1t has
been a subject of controversy ever since.
Senator Thomas H, Benton believed that
the young man was the victim of a con-
spiracy, and endeav0red to ayenge the
wrong! Gail Hamilton spent a great deal
of time investigating the case, and wrote
several papers about It in an .:endeavor to
secure vindcatiOn of Philip; Spencer's
memory. She became convinced that he
was a martyr and was sacrificed because
he tried to vindicate the spirit of American
manhood against the d-fashioned, brutal
discipline of a ship of war.
Nearly all of the fraternities have club
houses at the different universities for the
accommodation of their members Some
Of them are large enough to furnish lodging
forth upper Classmen; many of them have
mess at which the members board. Some
of the houses are beautiful and costly speci-
mems of architecture, erected with funds
contributed by graduated members of the
fraternities. They are fitted with libraries;
reading rooms and amusement rooms, like
nj tU 1l1hc with
ury, according to the wealth and liberaIity
of their members. They furnish homes for
homeless students: they are center of
interest that never fails; a refuge as we'll
as resort. T.. .
Value Of Fraternity Life.
When boy enters college he is subject
to various influences; good and bad His
individuality. if he has any, and few boys
have none, is rapidly developed and recog-
nized by those of his own grade and taste.
The law of affinities causes human beings
to seek their own kind, and if boy can be
drawn into the companonship of good men
who are a little older and have a little more
experience'it will certainly do him no harm
Class relations among students can be pro-
NOTED without fraternities, but interclass
associations are difficult to cultivate outside
of a club or chapter house. In most of the
fratern1t1es, and to a certain extent in all
of them, 1t is expected that the upper class
men Will take an interest IN looking after
the morals, habits, the scholastic standing
and the general interests of the sopho-
mores and freshmen who are members of
their fraternities Indeed, that is one of
the recognized obligations of membership,
any many youth has been rescued from
dissipation and stimulated in study by be-
ing drawn into them. Friendships formed
there are the strongest of a lifetime the
social advantages are often very valuable,
and while these privileges have been
abused, like all other privileges, you will
never find right-minded man who will not
readily confess his Indebtedness to his col
Nearly all of the fraternities have gradr1-
ate chapters and ASSOCIATIONS in Washing
ton, and they have annual reunions. din
ners, suppers, SMOKERS and other informal
gatherings at which tlie graybeards and
the boys meet OF common ground with
common interest and cali each other broth
ers-one to renew their youth and the other
to learn respect for rts age by congenial inter-
course.