The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-05

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sirable institution and that the law
should be upheld, it was a prevalent
opinion that it was not just to single
out four boys and administer punlsn-
ment SO severe, while the majority OF
fraternity and sorority members es-
cape punishment.
Il think that it was very unfair" was
the statement of Mrs. F. w. Watson,
former president OF the city federation.
II don't see why four boys should have
been picked out from the many. and It
seems to me as though there is some
grudge against them.
It think that they should obey the
laws. don't believe in getting out just
two or three boys-it wouldn't be very
hard for the principal and superintend-
ent to find out Others. think that
some light punishment should have
been given to all. 1t is now a question
of the law and the law should be
obeyed. 1t is as much the fault OF the
parents as anything else.''
Mrs. Thos. S. Lyon: Il don't believe
in being too severe. believe that Prof.
Whittemore is right and the board
was too harsh. and it might prove to be
the means Of cheating the boys out of
their education I think that the board
should be little easy on them"
i think that everyone is opposed to
the fraternities and sororities and
would like to see them abolished said
another prominent Topeka woman VINO
preferred that her name be not used. II
had hoped that il could have been
brought about by other means
Il hoped that action would be post
poned until more thorough investiga-
tion could be made. OF course the idea
was to make the punishment sufficient
ly severe to make an impression
Be Good Sports, Says Mrs. Monroe.
81 believe that the thing to do is to
be good sports and abide by the law
az xx-17n 1re,6 ~
the affair from a different viewpoint.
L think that the school board did per-
fectly right. believe that the sororities
and fraternities are very detrimental TO
the good of the school. 1 know that
they are bad for proper discipline.
1T is getting to be hard for the aver
age persons to keep their boys in
school. One woman said the other day,
Here am walking down town, and my
son IS hiring cab to take girl to a
party
Then the fraternities are not demo-
cratic. We have always boasted of
democracy in our schools. 1t is other
, wise and 1t isn't good. 1t shuts out
more good than it puts in. A man who
makes success in life is what you call
'mixer'-the fraternity creates snob-
bishness.
eff 100 have disobeyed the law they
should all be suspended. The peniten-
tiary is full of men who started by
breaking the law in little ways. 1 be-
lieve in punishment, you know. 1 be-
ieve in people being good sports If
we don't uphold the officers we have
chosen we are going to have trouble /
think that the school board has done a
| wise thing
Mrs. C. F. Menninger: 'I do not
think that the four punished should be
the only ones punished. but they all
ought to be dealt in like manner
They should be punished to the limit,
| every one of them. They signed the
| pledge and they knew that they were
breaking the law"
| There has been nothing to prove
that the Kappa Alpha RI fraternity
doesn't now exist, although the few
/ who admit they are Kappa aIunnl
mem bers say that the active organiza-
4 ton has been disbanded. This fra
tern1ty is supposed to have originated
| from Tau Beta Sigma, a local society
of which but little was heard. The
Kappa Alpha Pi charter it is stated
1 was granted last summer.
The Owls. girls high school soror-
1ty, say that their charter was given
up long ago and was burned, and that
/ they are now purely local society.
| The four boys who are by the de-
| cree of the board of education ban
| ished from school wrote letters OF
apology for their action, withdrew
from the fraternity and did every.
thing in their power to make amends
for their violation of the rules of the
school, Still. they were treated witt
the most extreme hafshness possible
The action of the board of education
might Well have been tempered will
mercy.
Meanwhile there are hundred higf
school students, members of fraterni
ties and sororities, who go their wa,
| without interference. There is NOR,
THAN one kind of justice apparently.