158
YALE ALUMNI WEEKLY
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Checks, drafts and orders should be made payable to
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All correspondence should be addressed,—
Yale Alumni Weekly, New Haven, Conn.
The office is at Room 6, White Hall.
ADVISORY BOARD.
H. C. Roprnson, 58. J. R. SHEFFIELD, ’87.
W. W. Skippy, ’658. J. A. HARTWELL, ‘89 5.
C. P. Linpstey, 7758. L.S. WELCH, ’89.
W. Camp, ’80. E. VAN INGEN, ’91 S.
W. G. DaaaettT, 80. P. Jay, 92.
EDITOR.
Lewis S. WELCH, ’89.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR.
WALTER CAMP, ’80.
ASSISTANT EDITOR.
E. J. THOMPSON, Sp.
NEWS EDITOR.
Freep. M. DaviEs, ’99.
ASSISTANT.
PRESTON KUMLER, 1900.
BUSINESS DEPARTMENT ASSISTANTS.
O. M. CLARKE, ’98. BURNETT GOODWIN, ’99 8.
Entered as second class matter at New Haven P. O.
NEW HAVEN, CONN., FEB, 1, 1899.
THE DATE OF PUBLICATION.
The WEEKLY will hereafter be dated
Wednesday instead of Thursday. We
do not like to change in the middle
of the year, but as this is an improve-
ment which we have accomplished
earlier than we thought we could, it
seems better not to wait in putting it
through. As it was announced some
time ago, we have found it possible to
push forward the time of publication by
twenty-four hours. We have finally
pushed this on even more than a full
day, so that the papers begin to go into
the mails early Wednesday morning.
As the paper is really out on Wednes-
day, we prefer to date it Wednesday
rather than Thursday. This early time
of publication is reached without sac-
rificing anything of the contents of the
paper, and we trust the move is agree-
able to the WEEKLY’S readers.
a 2
DEBATE’S OPPORTUNITY.
An article in this. week’s issue, from
a man who has been very active and
influential in the matters of which he
writes, gives some plain facts about
debating, which have rapidly developed
of late and which seem to us of unusual
interest. The article says, in a word
(and the way in which it is stated is
well worth the reading), that there is
plenty of interest in debating and plenty
of ability for it, but that in its organiza-
tion it needs radical reformation; that
the central debating power is moribund
and the minor debating organizations
are in great good health; that a strong
central organization is absolutely neces-
sary.
The situation then is encouraging to
those who have a sense of leadership.
There has not been such an opportunity
in all the intellectual revival of Yale
as is that offered to-day for the erection
of a strong debating organization. The
materials are all at hand.
We venture to suggest some things
that would better not be done. Men
who succeed in improving the present
opportunity will not make membership
in the Union, or whatever the organiza-
tion may be, a cheap thing. Member-
ship will not be a present, and enroll-
ment will not be presented as a duty
to men who have some ability. Invi-
tations to a debating dinner will not
be offered to any who will pay.
Y¥Y ALE ALUMNI
The smaller organizations have
taught the parent society a simple
lesson. They take the men _ they
want,—men who-are of some use in the
society. They take as many as are
useful for the society. They leave all
others out, no matter how long the
waiting list is; the longer the better.
They consider the first duty of the
society is to its members, to enable them
to get something out of it. They don’t
consider the first duty of the society
to be to those outside who may want to
get in. They consider that the society
will do best by Yale by making itself
strong.
No organization in this world is of
any good that invites all outside inside.
That shows nothing inside. The
strong secret societies flourish at Yale
by following the instincts of human
nature. They get together such men
-and so many of them as will, in coop-
eration, best carry out the ends for
which the society was founded. If
these ends are good Yale ends, then
the society does its work well.
A society of twenty men, whose first
interest is to make their organization
a first-class debating society, will do
more good to Yale than a Union of a
thousand members as at present con-
stituted. One of the first acts of this
organization would be to establish such
rules for its own perpetuation as only
serious necessity could overturn. It
would make mistakes; it would leave
out some men who ought to be in, and
would let in some men who ought to
be out. But, if the right men started
it with the right idea, it would, on the
whole, do its work well. It would in-
crease its membership, just so far as
would be necessary to make it reach its
maximum strength for its own members
and so for the cause of debate at Yale.
After it had formed itself into a strong
society and saw a good many people
outside who wanted to come in, it would
not go outside on its front steps and
say to them: “You are good enough
people to have some organization to
get into, and we will help you to make
one, since you can’t come into ours.”
Its members would know that just so
soon as there was force and strength
enough outside, there would be another
debating organization. The artificial
planting of rivals is not a good thing.
There is one other thing which the
successful founders of such an organiza-
tion will avoid. The debating society,
whatever it is, will be for the sake of
debate and not to further anyone’s
political aspirations or any _ other
organization’s interests. When any
sign of such influences appear, the germ
will be burned out at any cost. In
our opinion, the modern Yale genera-
tion will not be up to Yale standards
if it cannot use the opportunities of the
present to put debating on very strong
foundations.
Oe
A COLLEGE AND ITS ALUMNI.
Mr. Talcott Williams, a well known
Philadelphia alumnus of Ambherst, in
an address sometime ago before the
Amherst alumni said:
“It has grown plain in many ways
during the last five or ten years that the
alumni of our colleges, taken as a
whole, are not satisfied with their pres-
ent share and influence in directing
college policy. This is apparent most
of all in an increase of the criticism of
colleges, which is not confined to the
press, and exists in the press first and
chiefly because of the growing inter-
est in the business of colleges. aie
“When this desire, plainly apparent
at every alumni meeting and at every
dinner like that which I am now ad-
dressing, to make of the relation to the
college something more than a mere
sentiment, seeks to become effective,
the first difficulty in the way is the
ignorance of the alumnus. The college
VY EO Ea Ere
has here a duty which it does not dis-
charge,”
The criticism of the last sentence was
perhaps especially intended for Am-
herst, but it applies well to other insti-
tutions. Yale has improved in this re-
spect of late years and the more the
relations between the government, if
the term may be used, and the alumni
have tended towards perfect frankness,
the stronger has been the hold of the
government. The traditions of the
place have been mightily in favor of
secretiveness. May these be more and
more rapidly removed and annihilated.
The more perfectly frank the relation
of Yale to her alumni and, further, of
Yale to the public, the better for Yale.
nn
Phi Beta Kappa Constitution.
There will be a meeting of the grad-
uate members of the Phi Beta Kappa
Society in the society's room in the
second entry of White Hall on Thurs-
day evening, February 16, at 7.30
o’clock. Although the meeting will be
largely of a social character, it is hoped
that there will be an informal discus-
sion on expansion from an economic,
historical and political standpoint.
An important matter of society
policy regarding the selection of under-
graduate members will be brought up
at the meeting. At the present time
the undergraduate members have an
amendment under consideration to
change the chapter constitution in ac-
cordance with some suggestions given
by the delegates at the Phi Beta Kappa
Convention held at Saratoga last Octo-
ber. It is hoped that Judge Simeon E.
Baldwin and Professor Perrin may have
some suggestions to make on this point.
A cordial invitation is extended to all
graduate members of the society, who
may be in New Haven, whether mem-
bers of the Yale chapter or of other.
chapters.
on Bn cnet
International Chess Match.
The chess clubs of Yale, Harvard,
Princeton and Columbia sent a chal-
lenge, January 4, to the Universities of
Oxford and Cambridge, England, for
an Anglo-American intercollegiate
chess match. The following letter has
been received. by the editor of the
American Chess Magazine acknowledg-
ing the receipt of the challenge.
36 Wellington Square,
A xtord, Jan. 13.
“Dear Sir:
“T have much pleasure in acknowledg-
ing the receipt of your letter conveying
a challenge from the Universities of
Columbia, Harvard, Yale and Prince-
ton to Oxford and Cambridge Univer-
sities for a cable chess match. I shall
have much pleasure in laying it before
the Committee of the Oxford Chess
Club at a special meeting as soon after
the commencement of the term as pos-
sible, probably in ten days’ time. I
NEW YORK LIFE
INSURANCE COMPANY.
Qh ED
JOHN A. MCCALL, PRESIDENT, »
This Company has been in success-
ful operation since 1845, and has now
over 300,000 policy-holders and over
$200,000,000 in assets. It offers the
most privileges and on the most favor-
able terms, of any Company. Under
its new system of classifying and com-
pensating agents, it offers to young
men continuous employment and a
life income. Its policies and agents’
contracts will interest all students.
om Fd
New YORK LIFE
*"NSURANCE COMPANY,
346 & 348 Broadway,
NEw YORK.
will also communicate with Cambridge
on the subject, and will let you know
what is decided immediately after =z
decision is arrived at. It will not be
possible to do anything before the
beginning of the term.
“Until then permit me to. return on
behalf of the Oxford University Chess
Club, its cordial greetings to the Uni-
versities of Columbia, Harvard, Yale
and Princeton, and to remain,
“Yours sincerely,
“FREDERICK Soppy.”
The editor of the American Chess
‘Magazine has since received word from
the President of the University of Cam-
bridge Chess Club to the effect that
the challenge would be accepted, al-
though sufficient time has not elapsed
to receive a formal reply which is
expected some time this week. The
latter part of March, has been suggested
by the University of Cambridge as a
suitable time to hold the match. The
annual intercollegiate matches of the
British universities are held in March
and are usually under the auspices of
the British Chess Club, which has con-
trolled the matches between Great
Britain and this country. The teams
will probably be composed of six men.
A formal reply from Oxford is also
expected shortly.
———————~>__—
Mrs. Baldwin’s Gift.
Mrs. Nathan Baldwin has recently
made a very beautiful and valuable
gift to the Yale Art School in the
form of a large Japanese Cloisonée
vase, of the finest design and workman-
ship, measuring over seven feet in
height.
The vase has just arrived from Japan,
having been ordered some years ago
and is said to be a facsimile of one
of the finest examples of Cloisonée.
_ This beautiful gift, at some future
time, will find a resting place in a suit-
able addition to the present Art School
Building, where it is hoped there will
Be ample space for the display of the
collections in every branch of Art. For
the present it will form a fitting center
in the room which is devoted to the
famous Wells Williams collection of
Chinese ceramics. But as many per-
sons have expressed the desire to see
the vase, it is now temporarily placed
on public exhibition in the North
gallery of the Art School, where it
may be seen daily between two and five
o'clock.
—___$§_~¢¢—___
Oregon Association Prize.
Frank, J. Sladen, i902, has been
awarded the prize annually offered by
the Oregon Yale Alumni Association.
_The prize is ten dollars, and is given
every year to the student who enters
Yale from the State of Oregon with the
highest record of scholarship.
© u tin O February
offers a generous supply of exceedingly in-
teresting text and artistic illustrations.
NEW ENGLAND FOX HUNT,
although innocent of red coats and through-
breds is still a lasting pleasure to quite as keen
sportsmen as ever donned scarlet.
THE EVOLUTION OF THE DOU-
BLE-HEELER. By Capt..A. J. Kenealy
is just the subject to draw from that worthy
old salt a fund of curious lore, past experience
and shrewd conclusions that all yachtsmen
will appreciate and enjoy.
The Modern Game of Skittles. The pleasant
game introduced into ‘‘ New Amsterdam” by
the Dutch settlers has traveled.far and wide
and the article will be a welcome and practical
one for persons interested in BOWLING.
When W. B. Leffingwell sets down to spin a
yarn it is apt to be interesting. A practical
man and a good writer he adds to his reputa-
tion by his description of his recent trip
SHOOTING ON THE GULE COAST,
There are other articles on Winter Sport,
Shooting, Travel, Cycling, Yachting, Natural
History, Fishing and Photography in this
number, besides the regular monthly review
of the more important EVENTS IN THE
ATHLETIC WORLD.
Now on sale at all first-class newstands.
25 cents per copy. $3.00 per year.
The Outing Publishing Co.,
239 FirraH AVENUE. NEW YORK.
Yale Law Sthool
For circulars and other information apply to
Prof. FRANCIS WAYLAND,
Dean.