The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-06

school board would stand in the courts,
because suspension or expulsion was
the recognized form of punishment The
action might be condemned in court be-
cause it was unreasonable punishment.
That depended solely upon the view the
court took Of the matter. But that the
board had punished the offenders too
severely, in light of their offense, was
his opinion.
1T may he said ssbe the means of
stopping the education of boy. And
none of these boys are bad boys. None
of them are unmanageable in the
school room They are not vicious
boys whose evil influence permeateS the
entire school to the detriment of other
children They are careless. live boys
who violated this order of the board in
a thoughtless manner. 1t seems to me
the punishment is too severe. There
are lot of men who would not be
Where they are now if they had not
had another chance. / think the SEN
tence of the board is mighty hard on
the boys who are no worse than the
rest of the boys in school. If all boys
who violated rules of the schools were
have had rather hard time getting an
education"
Withdraw Whittemore's Advice.
1t is Superintendent L. D. White
rnore's advice to all high school students
who are now active members of frater-
lillI0S SOTOIIJl0S 10 WlLQOTaW lfnQle-
diately.
Il have had lists of names handed to
me of those suspected of being mem
hers of some sorority or fraternity and
l am asking for statements from their
parents as to whether or not they be-
long to secret organizations said Prin-=
oipal Scout today.
There have been no more suspen-
sions made at all. I had asked some
OF the students to bring statements
from their parents but they came to
school without them and l asked them
to get them largely during the vacant
hours, and as far as 1 am aware no
one missed the days work
when a person is suspended he is
reinstated through the superintendent.
Some of the students must have imag
ined that they had been suspended. 1
have statements from those who were
formerly members of Lambda Alpha
lambda and Delta Omicron Omicron
who are now attending school. They
claim that their organizations have been
disbanded.
1T is justice that we are aiming at
we do not want to put students out
of school unjustly 1 know it to be
a fact that the Owls burned their char
ter several years ago, and they claim
that they are purely a local set of girls
However, the Owl organization is kept
intact and girls are pledged and initia-
ted just as they used to be.
1t certainty Is not 1alr TO the IOuT
boys suspended if there are scores of
others in the high, school who are just
as much members of secret organiza-
tions as they were, and no effort should
be spared in ascertaining who the other
offenders of the law may be.
There seems to be prevalent idea
that just so a sorority or fraternity is
not of a national character it is an en-
tirely different question, but the law
would hardly make the exception. At
Washburn college there are fraternities
that are local but are conducted along
i6entically the same lines as the ma
tional organizations
OF course the members of the various
high school fraternities and sororities
would naturally through fear of being
dealt with as were the four boys of
Kappa Alpha Pi who admitted their
connection with their fraternity, resort
to means that would put the authori-
ties off the track
In speaking of the question Principal
Stout said: LAS far as I have been able
to learn the older organizations which
f1ourished in the high school previous to
the passage of the fraternity law have
disbanded. and if they have not that
is what we want to learn.
'.Those whose names have been hand
ed to me as members of secret socie-,
ties are not necessarily suspected as be-
ing members so 1 would rather not give
out the names.