Io
Sa a
MR. BRYAN AND YALE.
What they Say About the Trouble on
the Green.
‘* FOR THIS RELIEF, MUCH THANKS.”
(Wichita (Kan.) Eagle.)
There is a conviction prevalent in
the country, and which has been grow-
ing stronger year by year, that old
historic Yale has degenerated into a
school of snobs, sports and roughs.
Coarse sons of coarser fathers, sons
whose inherited brutality finds a
shield in the money of the parents,
are sent there by the hundreds for.
an educational veneer, for a gloss of
that respectability which is supposed
to be conferred by this school of once
high character. Yale is crowded with
that stamp of youth whose heredity
is of the vulgar, is brutal, whose am-
bition is obstrusive display, and whose
highest notion of an education is one
constituted of an expertness at the
gaming board, a conversancy with all
the ins and outs of the low down and
disreputable, the whole . embellished
by an acquired expertness with the
boat oar and. ball .bat....What»with no
end of loud clothes, unlimited impu-
dence and ‘an inexhaustable
supply their success at Yale is as-
sured. A few of them receive their
graduation papers, more do not, but
they all alike drift back to the opu-
Jence of their city homes,:ninety-nine
out- of every hundred of them
utter failures, to ‘become. either
barnacles or society ulcers,
wholly incompetent and unclean. .A
mob of this character and make-up
of Yale students, at New Haven, on
Thursday morning, attempted to break
up a citizen’s meeting which was be-
ing addressed by a candidate for the
most honored, if not the most exalted
position in the world of to-day. What
with howls, cCat-calls, screeches and
roars Mr. Bryan could not be heard,
finally, as we should judge from our
telegraph reports, desisting and retir-
ing in disgust. These proletary mush-
rooms and ignoble shoots of ignorance
and money arrogance would have in-
sulted a nation had they been equal to
such a thing. There was a time in the
history of that institution when these
rowdies would have been made to an-
swer for their outrage, but that was
when Yale was governed by brains
and exalted ideals, and not by ser-
vile cultivators of the brawn of the
bruiser and of mammon.
THE ACTION HELD TO BE JUSTIFIABLE.
(N. Y. Sun, Gold.)
The students gathered in a strong
force as was natural. Practically they
were on their own ground. They ex-
pressed their feelings against repudia-
tion with the vigor and vociferousness
of youth and they had a right to do
it. They ought to have done it, and
the sentiment to which they gave ut-
terance was honorable to them.
The boys made a great noise cheer-
ing for McKinley and yelling and jeer-
ing at repudiation so that Mr. Bryan
could not be heard for several min-
utes. If they had applauded him in-
cessantly for even a full half hour
would there have been any complaint
of their preventing him from starting
out in his speech?
*x * * GOR ee ee are
General Webb talks arrant nonsense,
vet he is the President of an Amer-
ican college and an instructor of
American youth. When Mr. Bryan
began his speech he proceeded to in-
sult the students by insulting their
fathers. Would they have not been
contemptible fellows if they had not
resented his words with all the force
of expression in language of which
they were canable?
Treat such a man with respect! It
would have been disgraceful to them
if they had kept silent.
MR. BRYAN’S DELIBERATE LIE.
(New York Tribune, Gold.)
He was justifiably indignant at in-
terruptions while he was speaking in
New Haven, but that was not the
spirit which prompted his assertion
that students at Yale were spending
the ill-gotten zgains of their parents.
money .
YALH ALUMNI
Wee KRLY
—————
The deliberate lie as to nearly all of
them had another motive. He meant
to kindle the envy and jealousy of the
unlettered by the suggestion that on-
ly the sons of swindlers could in these
days get a liberal education. But in
his presence at that moment, as in
every other gathering of Yale stt-
dents for half a century, there were
young men who were supporting
themselves by the most painful strug-
gle in order to obtain an education,
and others in great number whose
parents were denying themselves the
comforts of life in order to secure that
crowning advantage for their sons.
MAY JUSTIFY MRS. POTEAT.
(New Haven Palladium, Gold.)
A few more outbreaks like that of
yesterday and those who censured
Mrs. Poteat for her sweeping denul-
ciation of Yale last Fall may be in-
clined to think she had more ground
for her onslaught than she was given
credit for.
CARRIED TOO FAR.
(Chicago Evening Post.)
While it is doubtless true that the
students acted without malice or aliy
serious intentiOn- to interfere with the
American right of free speech and
free assembly, there are times and oC-
casions when love of fun and mischief.
can be carried too far.
YALE COLLEGE KU-KLUX.
(Cincinnati Enquirer, Silver.)
It is a weak cause which does not
bear discussion of the Yale College
Ku-Klux. The speech which Mir.
Bryan was not allowed to make—how-
ever able and eloquent it would have
been—could not have done the cause
of the people nearly as much good
as will the shameful story of the
“sound money” ruffianism which the
educated, thoughtful and refined
young sprigs of sham aristocracy at
New Haven visited upon him.
FOR PROF. PHILLIPS AND THE FACUL?S
(Sacramento Bee, Silver ) owe
One can scarcely censure the Yale
students for being hoodlums' when
the Faculty rather encourage them
therein by looking upon their ungen-
tlemanly and outrageous conduct, as
a boyish prank to be laughed at. In-
stead of expelling every young man
concerned in the assault upon free
speech at the recent Bryan meeting
at New Haven the Faculty rather en-
courage them therein, astonished that
so much criticism should have been
given to it. In fact, Professor Phil-
lips publicly declares: ‘‘No one regrets
more than I do, the demonstration
made at the Bryan meeting, but it was
done more to have a little fun with
Bryan than for anything else, and he
missed the opportunity of his life by
not treating the matter as a good-na-
tured attempt at ‘jollying.’ By the
utterances of a few pleasant and
timely sentences he could easily have
won over the boys.’
The best way to have won over
those ‘‘boys’’—most of whom are prob-
ably old enough to vote—would have
been by means of energetic exercise
with baseball bats.
Bryan did not miss the opportunity
of his life at New Haven, but that
opportunity came to him unsought.
The shameful manner in which a
great American citizen, the chosen
champion of the cause of the people
was treated by a lot of young up-
starts, whose only claim to considera-
tion is the very unworthy one that
their fathers happen to have money,
has helped Bryan wonderfully, and
has brought many and many a new
recruit into his ranks. The additions’
to his vote which this result has made
will be greatly increased when the
people , thoroughly comprehend that
the Faculty of Yale College do not
consider the case one meriting the se-
verest punishment of the guilty hood-
lums, but rather one which should be
laughed at, and which Bryan should
regard as a good joke.
When a great college like Yale be-
comes not only the apologist for, but
even the champion of, disgraceful
hoodlumism ai#d brutal blackguard-
ism, it is no wonder that thinking
citizens pause and ask whither this
country is drifting. When the Fac-
ulty of such an institution pats hood-
lums on the back for grossly insult-
ing the man who is fighting the mon-
eyed trusts and Shylock syndicates of
the land, it is no wonder that the peo-
ple fear that this country is drifting
into an imperialism of class and
caste—an imperialism, not of birth,
nor of brains, but of sordid cash, often
ill-gotten—a catfish aristocracy, for
the catfish is the prize hog of our
rivers.
If the best that Yale can do is turn
out braggarts and hoodlums to insult
aman of far more worth to this
country and to the cause of human-
ity, than all their fathers and all
their father’s descendants, then Yale
should forever close her doors out of
respect to decent American citizen-
Ship, and out of very shame for her
own conduct.
‘‘ LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON,”
(Richmond Dispatch, Gold.)
; It is but a single step from the
coercing of the vote of a workingman to
silencing the man who is pleading his
cause. -In the absence of argument,
force is the nearest weapon at hand.
It was a case of like father, like son;
_they were carrying out the lesson of
the home. The great conservative
sentiment that stands between’ the
two extremes of life in this country
is quick to. note an evil symptom in
the lower classes, shall it be less on
its guard against demonstration from
above?
: PRETTY BIT OF FICTION DISCUSSED.
(Springfield Dally Republican.)
It is hardly to be believed that the
Yale rowdies had planned an abduc-
tion of Bryan, and the treating of the
eandidate to an old-fashioned hazing,
while he was in New Haven. But
since such a story has been told it
May be remarked tnat-both the coun-
try and Yale College are lucky in hav-
ing the rowdyism extend no further
than it did. Had it been carried to
the point suggested, we should not
have cared to stake much either on
McKinley’s election or the rising fort-
unes of Yale in the immediate future.
CANNOT BE EXCUSED.
(Waterbury American, Gold.)
If these young men are to be ex-
cused for howling down a speaker who
disagrees with them, on what ground
can we protest against a rougher in-
tolerance which vents itself in mis-
siles? We know Yale’s youth well
enough to know tkat Mr. Bryan’s
cause was not aimed at especially,
and that their attempts to “‘break up
a show” are aimed impartially at
Barnum’s circus and Dr. Parkhurst’s
lecture.
LIKE THROWING TORPEDOES AT
ELEPHANTS.
[New Haven Leader, Gold.)
If the misguided action of some
young enthusiasts, who were not all
Yale men, kad been premeditated, the
affair would have beer deserving of
more than a rebuke and condemna-
tion. But we cannot believe that it
was a premeditated act directly
against Mr. Bryan. The impulses of a
college Freshman are at times won-
derful things. It seems to us that
the spirit of deviltry that spontane-
ously found utterance yesterday was
the same that imbued the students
who threw torpedoes at the Barnum
elephants some years ago, thoughtless-
lv oblivious to the serious conse-
quences that might follow. Both
were boyish freaks, admittedly in bad
taste, it is true, but we do not think
that yesterday’s freak was a malicious
one.
RR Ie Rae ce me oe
To be sure there was more of mis-
chief than of malice in Thursday’s
cerformance. The Yale men cheered
and jeered at Mr. Bryan much as they |
are accustomed to do when a strolling
player is giving an exhibition of his
powers upon the Campus. It is plain
Tighe, Laue, Wheeler & Fariham,
Aitocuecs at Law,
109-112 Manhattan Building,
St. Paul, Minn. —
" AMBROSE TIGHE.
JOHN W. LANE.
; HowaARD WHEELER.
CHARLES W. FaAaRNHAM.
that they did not appreciate the fact
that Mr. Bryan represented a large
number of American people, and that
while Yale men generally believe his
doctrines to be entirely heretical, he
is entitled to a respectful hearing.
It is not that Yale men do not ap-
preciate the generous treatment of op-
ponents. No one who has witnessed
an athletic contest at Yale Field can
fail to notice how pluck and skill is
impartially applauded and how the
faintest cheer of joy at the advance-
ment of a Yale man is hissed down, if
the advance be occasioned through
the blunder or injury of an opponent.
The discourtesy to Mr. Bryan was
occasioned only through thoughtless-
ness, but it is a pity the young men
did not pause and reflect, before bring-
ing dishonor upon themselves and upP-
on Yale.
‘OUT FOR A LARK.
(Cleveland Plain Dealer, Gold.)
The students were out for a lark to
see Bryan. Their exhuberance of
spirits got the better of them, and no
one regretted the result of their hi-
larity more than the students them-
selves; many of whom are only eight-
een to twenty years old.
Candidate Bryan, who is a ‘‘boy”
orator himself, and was once a college
student, realized the situation and
seemed to keep his composure under
the trying circumstances.
—_— 4 >
Opening Meeting of the Wale
Wnion.
The first meeting of the Yale Un‘on
for the present year was held last Fri-
day evening in Union Hall. The fea-
tures of the evening were addresses by
prominent members of the University
Faculty on the.subject of ‘““Debatine”
and the value of such an organization
as the Yale Union. The attendance ait
the meeting was good, considering
the other events, which occurred the
Same evening and also called for at-
tendance of the undergraduates.
The first speaker. was Dr. Raynolds,
who was received with enthusiasm, his
assistance to the debaters last year
being remembered and appreciated. He
emphasized the idea that in inter-col-
legiate debajteS the object ‘should
not be to down someone but to give
a good exhibition of argumentative de-
bate and oratory. At the same time,
every effort must be made to win.
Prof. W. G. Sumner spoke of the
great value of oratory, which he de-
fined aS the power to “electrify’’ an
audience, and mentioned the Chiicago
speech of Hon. W. J. Bryan’as an ex-
ample of his power, which cannot be
despised no matter upon which side
of a question it is used. Oratory, in
its correct sense, is of value to man
in every profession. Debating is a
battle of arguments dressed in oratory
and delivered extemporaneously.
Prof. A. M. Wheeler closed the list of
speakers. He spoke of oratory as the
power to put ideas simply, clearly and
forcibly, in the best form for the ordi-
nary audience to hear. Correct modu-
lation of the voice, graceful appear-
ance and gestures are important fea-
tures in the making of a true orator.
—_—___+4—____—_
Sophomore German Committee.
A meeting of the Sophomore class
was held in Alumni Hall last Tuesday
evening to elect a Sophomore German
Committee. G. Parker, ’98, presided,
and on the informal ballot the follow-
ing men were nominated: Griswold,
129; Wright, 91: Warren, 72; Cheney,
58; Powers, 63 ; Noble, 47 ; Darlington,
45; Chambers, 39 ; Day, 38 : Brayton,
837. On the final ballot the: folowing
men were elected: William Edward
Schenck Griswold, of Erie, Pa... 175:
Harold Clark Cheney, of New even
1384; Thew Wright, of Buffalo, N. Y.,
121; Henry Wick Chambers, of Cleve-
and, O., 111; Charles Alonzo Powers,
of Cleveland, rey 110.
