seems that in this age and in this land, having
put down all other forms of oppression and
tyranny, we should cling so tenaciously to a
scheme like this ! Do we not know that it is
antiquated, moss-grown, effete, useless ? Do
we not realize that it is productive of far more
evil than good ? How can our college author
ities with all their wisdom and experience in
other things fail to see that students chafe
and groan under this baleful system and in
sist that they would be better off—oh, much
better off—if this relic of barbarism were
shattered into fragments ? What teacher of
any experience, what parent, what man of
good judgment can doubt for a moment that
if left entirely 'to themselves all students,
especially those in the lower classes, would
eagerly avail themselves of every opportun
ity offered in college for mental culture,
punctually attending all regular exercises.
Under the compulsory system of attendance
there are frequent absences it is true, but
these, we are sure, all arise from one cause—
hostility to the system. But abolish that
system, remove all restraints, make all exer
cises voluntary, and attendance upon them
would thenceforth be regular and punctual—
an ideal arrangement—a college Utopia—who
can doubt it ?
And yet this unreasonable and oppressive
system is in vogue everywhere, in this coun
try and abroad, from the primary school to the
great University, and instead of relaxing its
grip it appears to be getting a firmer, tighter
hold than ever upon the student community.
Even "Fair Harvard" having experimented
for nearly twenty years with the voluntary
system, is now taking back water and declar
ing that nothing will do but the good old way
of requiring day by day attendance upon col
lege class-room exercises ; that nothing but
this will secure the ends for which a college
education is designed ; and the conviction of
our American educators generally is to the
same purpose—sad, is'nt it ?
THE FREE LANCE.
What is the good of this compulsorpatten
dance-short-cut-censure-mat'k-system? What's
the good of a college training anyhow ? •
Go to, what's the good of anything ? Sure
enough
'B3. L. H. Krebs has returned from the
West, where he has been engaged for several
years past in the mining -interests and has
accepted a position on an engineer corps of
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, sta
tioned at Burnside, Pa.
'B5. D. C. Jackson was recently promoted
to the position of chief engineer of the Spra
gue Motor Co.
'B6. Win. Enterline is engaged as a partner
with his brother in the manufacture of flour
and feed in Big Run, Jefferson County, Pa.
He was recently married to a lady of the same
place.
'86.. George L. Holter, as a representative
of the State Experiment Station,read a paper
on " Various simple methods for determining
fat in milk " at the last meeting of the State
Dairymen's Association at Meadville, Pa.
'B7. We would correct a statement made
in our last number that W.' F. Strouse was
drafting for the Baltimore and North Central
Maryland R. R. Co. He is drafting in the
main off - 4.ces of Maryland Central Railroad
Co. at Baltimore. .
'B9. U. S. G. Keller recently obtained a
position as clerk in the offices of the Census
Department at Washington, D. C.
'go. John Mitchell has been signed as
pitcher for the doming ball season by the
Minneapolis team of the North Western
League.
'9l. H. V. Holmes has lately gone to Bir
mingham, Alabama, to engage in business.
I=l
PERSONALS