what of the literary, can never be ac complished except by actual participa tion in it, by contributing to the papers and taking part in the discussions. The need of this kind of training was seen by the engineering students through whose efforts the society was started. The society has now been in existence two years, and as yet no in terest on the part of the active members has been lacking to make it both inter esting and instructive ; although such membership has never included more than half of the eligible number of stu dents. The majority of the members at present are Seniors who will soon have to discontinue their work. Unless the membership is increased then, the society will necessarily work at a disad vantage. It is therefore a matter of the greatest importance that the present en gineering Juniors should consider whether the society shall lose any of its past usefulness by their neglect to keep up a good membership. LATELY there has been much said in college papers concerning the evils which may result from oratorical contests. Oratorical contests are good institutions for two reasons at least. If the contestants enter with proper motives, each one in writing his oration should have acquired a thorough knowl edge of the principles of some popular subject ; and in the preparation for its delivery he undergoes a training which THE FREE LANCE. ought to leave many impressions on him. A student actuated by proper motives will give no heed to honors or prizes, and hence no evils can result to him if justly or unjustly he receives none of them, for he has lost nothing, indeed. A youth who has learned this and acted upon it has taken one of the most important steps toward a noble career. Truly great men often have to labor in the very presence of what would be great disappointment to minds of a lower order. • On the other hand if a contestant is filled with conceit, it will do him good to lose some of it if possible. But if it is so inherent in him that a contest can not do it, we should not blame the con• test as the cause of such inferior prin ciples for a man who has become so egotistical that he cannot see his own defects, especially when they are mag nified by comparison with the superior qualities of others, is beneath the state in which we can ascribe him a position when discussing the question of effects from the contest. In regard to judge's decisions it is not supposed that they can be rendered in a manner which seems just to everybody ; and he who can appreciate it fully will have learned another thing which he must necessarily see sooner or later in public life. There is no reason why an oratorical contest should be considered a contest in the vulgar sense of the word,
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers