New-York tribune., 1908-09-24
COLUMBIA AGAIN OPEN.
University Has Largest Entering
Glass an Its History.

With the largest enrolment in its history Column
bia University opened for its 155th academic year
yesterday. The informal opening of the new term
celebrated during the entire morning and Gull
minated in a fierce underclass rush just at noon
The sopho1nores made it unpleasant for the first
year men when they first tried to gain the campus
in the early morning, and it was only by banding
together in groups that the freshmen were able to
reach the grounds. There they were subjected to
the petty indignities that sophomores glorying in
their new-found authority love to administer to
the green They not allowed 10 wear their
fancy hosiery. and faslly scarfs were torn of and
displayed by the second year men.
Just before noon the freshmen assembled
in a mass meeting and taught the rules Of con-
duct Then they marched around the campus
until they came 10 South Field where three hun
dred sophomores waiting for them. The
freshmen. about four hundred strong, hit the
sophomore line. but they were unable to break it,
and after several unsuccessful attempts they de-
cided for the gymnasium. But the sopho-
mores able to give not few Of their new
rivals a ducking in the fountains before they
reached cover. As a scrap it mild affair,
but il served the purpose to break the ice of the
entire undergraduate body for the two unCerclasses
The formal exercises, which were held in the
gynana sium later in the day, poorly attended
In the absence Of President N NJ Butler John
W. Burgess dean of the School Of Political Sci
ence presided IN his Introductory address he
praised the action taken by Dr. Butler at the franz
ing of the Republican platform, and said in regard
to this:
we are now on the eve of a great domestic
struggle not 10 say revolution. It has become Gus
tomary In these latter days for certain classes in
political society rail at the restraints placed
by the courts upon popular license and govern
mental absolutism. For a long time we disre-
garded the noisy clamor the fuming Of the mob
or the fustian of the demagogue, but when at
length the threat of secret movements and opera
tions for the Illustration of the law spoken we
all recognized that the time had fully come for a
thoroughgong campaign of education in regard to
the fundamental principles of entire system Of
republican government and individual liberty
Most largely owing the efforts of DR.. \. N. But
ler the pledge to uphold the independence of our
national judiciary and maintain it in the exercise
of all its constitutional powers and functions
impaired was inserted in the platform Of one of the
great parties, grudgingly indeed, and with harm
ful modification, but sufficiently TO make of II one
Of the chief issues-in my humble opinion, the most
important issue of the campaign through which we
are now moving Were it not I would not venture
10 refer TO it on this occasion Both of the great
parties are represented in university, and
neither them has taken the stand upon this great
subject which the Constitution of our country re-
qures. Both of them have proposed TO interfere
with the judicial power OF the United States. vested
b., the Constitution wholly and solely the federal
judiciary, by of statute of Congress. Both
Of them have proposed to do by act of ordi-
nary legislation that which can be rightfuly done
only by q constitutional amendment. Both of them
have proposed to do this-a legislative usurpation
upon the constitutional functions of the judiciary
and both Of them have therefore virtually proposed
by legislative usurpation the gradual development
Of the almighty legislature, the parliamentary sys-
tem while The system of republic is in deepest
principle a system of constitutional limitations
upon both the legislature and the executive, ad-
minstered by the courts in behalf Of individual lib
erty and state autonomy
DR.. James Earl Russell, dean of Teachers Col
lege in the annual academic address criticised the
attacks that had been made athletics, and de-
cared that sports they conducted in colleges
al the present time more beneficial in their ef
feet than many people would have believe them
to be.
Announcement was made that a, fund of $4,000
had been received by the university from Henry F.
Shoemaker and Mrs. Ella de Peyster in memory of
William Brock Shoemaker member of the class
of O2 who was killed in elevator accident two
years ago. The fund is for the aid OF self-support-
ing students.