EXCHANGES . Our lively friend, the Lutherville Seminarian, though rather lute in putting in appearance, is'up to its usual standard of excellence. The University News is one of the best college papers of its kind that comes to us, Though weekly, each issue is full of news, always contains some edito rials of general interest, and has in it what is so often lacking in all college papers, the latest general college notes. The October number of the Swarthmore Phoenix con tains an excellent article on a question which has, in the last few years, been vigorously discussed by those inter ested in higher education, that of abolishing the system of honors prevalent in nearly all of our colleges. It says: “The very system of marks and honors from marks, is, in itself, opposed to the board and liberal development which makes a thorough college man or woman. A student who is working for marks can neither afford the time nor the attention necessary to give him the advantages of the intercourse and exper ience with bright minds and current affairs which are the more important half of college training. Who will assert that knowledge gained from mere text book study is the best acquisition a college course gives ? Yet who will deny that the same text book is nine-tenths of the bases ol marking in the majority of classes? The Hesperian seems to carry on an unremitting war against fraternities, for in each issue we find one or more editorials, some them rather sharp, too, on what to them or would seem, an all important topic. Leaving out entirely the question as to the merits or demerits of fraternities themselves we, do not consider it the place of any true college paper to set itself up as the champion of one faction of students and to wage war, whether justly or unjustly, on another faction. Surely it would be for the good of the Hesperian if it would look to the interests, as every real college paper ought, not of a faction of fraternity or non-fraternity men, but of the united body of students of the college which its represents. The recent issue ot the Campus contains an excellent likeness ot Allegheny’s distinguished Alumnus, Geo. W. Delamater. The Campus by no means renders itself a political organ in publishing the picture of an alumnus of whom, regardless of party prejudice, it THE FREE LANCE. has a just right to be proud. It is rather to be com mended, on the contrary, for the loyalty and the inter est which it shows toward old students of the colleges. We quote from the Columbia Spectator in regard to the noble and time-honored habit of rushing: “Senti mental philanthrophisls have remonstrated with our college authorities over the evils of rushing, and fond parents have condemned it ns a horrid custom,as often as a boy has returned home with bruises or torn clothes. But objections are trilling and shortsighted in the extreme, ft is true that bruises and torn clothes sometimes result from rushes, but what if they do? The heartiness and spirit tlint rushing developes, and the interest in college affairs, do far more good, both to the individual and to the college, than there would be harm done, if all the ridiculously exaggerated accounts that have obtained circulation were true. * # Let us cling to rushing then as fiercely and tenaciously as we would to a palladium. Keep it ’93 and ’94 as much and as often as you like and “down with the man that first cries out ‘enough.’ ’’ The Princetonian does not seem to agree with the Spec tator in its sentiments regarding cane-rushes as the fol lowing clipping from a recent issue shows: “Per se, the cane spree is by no means the evil which it is usually represented to be; it is merely a fair and square, manly sport, and holds a legitimate place in inter-cluss athletics. But long custom has added many very objectionable features to what otherwise would be a decent and respectable contest between the Fresh men and Sophomores. If any method can be devised whereby the cane-spree will be a cane contest pure and simple, and not a spree of a more general nature; if the rushes which follow each stage of the contest can be tempered, and.relieved of the vindictive hate, how ever foolish it may. be, which animates the ranks of the two rush lines; if outside sluggers can be forced to stay outside and keep their hands off, then, under such halcyon conditions, tho cane-spree would be possible, and even desirable. But we believe it is not possible to relieve the time honored custom of its dis graceful and undesirable concomitants; we are sure that another experiment would end in no good result, and would only confirm the existing evil. Therefore, it would seem foolish to perpetuate a custom whjcli brings with it no good and much harm : no matter how desirable the custom itself would be when stripped of its accompanying factors, if these factors cannot be removed, it is wise to forego the contest, intoto ■"
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers