the first. The greater part of the Why am I a Democrat ? could be more appropriately titled, Why am I not a Republican ? Both are very good. This is the kind of questions with which we like to see college students deal. • ---The Dartmouth contains an interesting letter froth Heidelberg University. It gives a good description of the character of the German students and gives the following explanation for their queer and barbarous custom cf sword duell ing. An American student can hardly under stand why this form of amusement should take the place of every other. For they have no athletics, in our sense of the term. But it is "an old custom," and has its. roots in part,l believe in the military spirit which is so strong in Ger many. Y asked a good matron why the parents allowed it. She replied that they thought it fostered manliness of character, and after a year or two of this rollicking, fighting life they settled down to work and generally did well. A large rop,iftion of these students came from families of rank. This is in part the reason why duelling, though forbidden by the laws of the University,is winked at. —With this issue the exchange department passes into the hands of the new administration. We have the honor of being the "other man" which our exchange editor mentioned in last months issue, We hardly know whether we are glad or sorry to take up a position of such im portance and dignity. We have a great deal of hesitation about risking our opinions in print es pecially in the way of criticism on other printed article,:. We will however do the best we can and our exchanges must, excuse us if we tramp on their toes occasionally, for it is all done with a feeling of friendliness and good fellowship. On the other hand we of the new staff wish to greatly improve our paper and one of the best possible ways to find out how to do it, is to ob tain the opinions and advise of our exchanges. We therefore invite your criticism. Tell us frank ly wherein our paper is lacking, and we will thank you for it. • Last year being the first year of life for our paper, we realized that some allowances had to be made on account of its youth. But now it is firmly established and we wish to develop it as soon as possible. So come along, brothers and sisters of the exchange and help us in our work. Rest assured we will not get angry and show our' Hibernian descent if your criticisms are kindly meant. THE FREE LANCE. -]BJEzTA P3O - 2i. S. T. FO PENN'A. STATE COLLE FRIDAY EVENING, APRIL 20, ADMISSION, RESERVED SEATS, LANCELETS. FAREWELL ODE TO ANALYTICS. [Air—"Shoo, fly, don't bother me.' On David's lofty mountain, We lay our burden down. We've borne thee o'er the campus And throughout our college town. Our tears are multitudinous Our sighs are deep and long For now the time has come for us • To sing our parting song. Cnoitus. Anna, farewell to thee Anna, farewell to thee Anna, farewell to thee And may you slumber peaceful!) We've fidlowed thee up science hill Through many a. weary year With lines and conic sections Thou' bast filled our souls with fear And many have had to crib Though cribbing maybe wrong, But now we use the crib no more While we sing our parting song. CHORUS. It never used to seem Thy duties e'er would cease, We never dared to dream Thou would'st give our minds releas; And now we find it hard indeed, To realize that thou art gone, As we gtither around thy funeral pile And sing our parting song. CHORUS. 'lllO third angle is thylocus Thine equations are transposed. Thy signs henceforth negation And all thy series close, Thy functions equal zero To thee no powers belong, And all thy squares aro frail affairs So we close our parting song. —The Bates S ADVERTISEMENTS. -117 CIiILEI3RATED :ELOCUTIONIST, . OF N EW YORK, THE CHAPEL-0 OF TB 11.1 iI4 • A!