is youthful and fond of fun, and occasionally, in a moment of thoughtlessness, a number overstep the mark which is the boundary of honor and good judgment. But even in these extreme cases the motive which prompts them is not of itself a low one. All men are im perfect and the student is not an exception. Then why should perfection be expected of a him ? We can surely show the collegian to be no less perfect than his fellow man. We own that there have been deeds committed which were disgraceful, and the motives which gave them birth were of an extremely low nature, but all such transactions are despised by the body of students. The overturning of a statue on the Yale campus by a party of roughs recently, and the prompt indignation meeting held,by the body of students is a proof of this, There are many instances in which college life has been made decidedly undesirable to men of low tastes and character, They are, without exception, detested by students and faculty. The atmosphere created by college men has an elevating and ennobling effect, as is shown by the college graduate holding the positions most beneficial to and honorable among men. The following is a quotation from an editorial of one of our most prominent dailies, relating to this subject: “ It can be truly said that many of the reports which reach the public of dissapation and lawlessness among college students are grossly exaggerated. There is in no other class of young men so large a majority who take life seriously and are preparing them selves earnestly for its duties. There is no class of men less given to hypocrisy, and a man who is not himself out and out soon comes to be despised by his college mates. Further, there is more religious and moral sentiment among students of the present day, in our higher institutions, than among any other class of young men. This is shown by the percentage, who are professing Christians or members of the Y, M, C. A , THE FREE LANCE. which organization exists in almost every college. The leading athletes in the colle giate world are men of the most pronounced Christian type. A canvas made of a number of leading colleges, recently, showed that there were never so many students who are church members as at present. Yale, Prince ton, Amherst, Williams, return from one-half to two-thirds of their undergraduates as pro fessing Christians.” Many object to what is known as “ college customs,” and which are, for the most part, traditional customs. In fact much of it appears barbarous, and we can gladly say that this type of it is fast disappearing. But the man’s morals are not harmed by such customs, at least not permanently, since the motives prompting such things, as class strifes, prac tical jokes on new students, etc., are not of themselves impure. Again, they occurred only during the first two years of the student’s course and any bad effects, if there be any, is obliterated by the manly training imparted by the last two years. It is these last two years that the student begins to realize that he will soon be brought into contact with the world, and prepares himself for competition, com manding the world to prepare him room. If colleges are deficient, in a moral stand ard, they are more harm than good to us as a nation, no matter how satisfactory their courses of learning. Hence, from the fact that our educational institutions are next to to our religious, the greatest blessing to us, it follows, that the moral tone of our institu tions of learning is comparatively high. > It is certainly evident, from what has been said, that the average collegian is the equal or superior, in morals, to the average young man belonging to any other class. The im pression to the contrary is simply an example of transforming a mole hill into a mountain. What was once known as the “ P. S. C. Boarding Club,” now bears the name of "The Vesta Boarding Club."
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers