180
ee
————
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"A UNION IN PACT.”
Mr. Welis’s Contribution to the Dis-
cussion of Debate.
To the Editor of YALE ALUMNI WEEKLY:
Sir:—The recent agitation in debat-
ing circles, especially the letters . by
“Debater’ in your issue of February
ist, should interest all alumni to whom
the fostering of Yale’s intellectual life
is dear. “Debater’s” statement of facts
is so assured as to carry with it an
ex officio air; at the very least it must
come from an undergraduate, who has
studied the situation and whose find-
ing possesses, therefore, considerable
importance. He tells us: that “the
Union itself is almost dead,’ but that
there is a growing interest in debate,
for “four new and flourishing debating
clubs have been started within the past
year and a half.” ‘Debating attracts
more and abler men than for years
past.” Well then, here is a problem,
and “Debater” suggests a solution.
In the first place, the remedy offered
is “the Union, as a central organiza-
tion,” of the various clubs. So far so
good; but at the next step, that the
Union should “consist merely of officers
chosen from the various clubs,” we de-
mur. To us it seems that such a scheme
sacrifices the important focal point,
now supplied by the Union, granting
always that that institution is only par-
tially effective. Hardly could such a
group of executive officers be called a
debating organization at all. No; it is
necessary not only that the interests in
this branch of the University’s activity
be focussed, but that the central and
representative society be vital.
The alternative proposition comes
nearer to supplying these two deficien-
cies of the first plan... “Debater”
would add the element of rivalry, of
competition, the essential element now
fatally lacking, by limiting the member-
ship of the Union to “the best men of
the various clubs,’ who could hold
“monthly debates on subjects of real
interest.” Here again we demur, more
strongly than before; that too in spite
of the fact that the plan promises a
society better focussed and more vital
than the first proposal suggests; in
spite, too, of the editorial approval of
the WEEKLY. We object that the
society so constituted would be un-
democratic, would be open to grave
dangers along the lines of college poli-
tics.
The comparison which your editorial
makes between such a Yale Union and
the Senior societies is particularly un-
fortunate. What future would there be
for the present Sophomore debating
clubs but to become mere Sophomore
societies, hunters for places and college
honors for the honor’s sake. The pres-
ent Sophomore societies are the pest
of Yale life. For this we had hoped
that such clubs as the ‘‘Wigwam” and
the “Wranglers” had found the ulti-
mate cure; how undesirable, then, to
introduce another germ of the same old
disease. Further, what would not the
Senior societies, the best of them, be-
tween whom and a purer democracy the
wretched Sophomore societies stand—
what would they not give to be rid of
the necessity of electing year after year
the majority of their members from
these cliques? Let it be granted that
the debating clubs exist on an intellec-
tual basis and so differ. from the Sopho-
more societies whose raison d’étre is
social, yet there remains the danger of
exclusiveness, of partiality, of the los-
ing sight of crude but sound and
promising material, which, though in
less degree perhaps, at Yale, than else-
where, is still far too likely to be over-
looked.
But we had a remedy of our own to
offer. We propose a Yale Union in
fact as well as in name; a uniting, for.
the purposes of organization and of de-
bate, of all the recognized clubs in the
University, the “Kent Club,” the
“Wranglers,” the “Sheffield Debating
Club,” the “Wigwam,” the Leonard —
Bacon Club,” the “Junior Wigwam,”
the “Windy Club” (provided always
that it change its name to one less
hideous) and any other societies whose
purpose is admitted to be debate alone;
we suggest that membership in this
Union be by clubs and not by in-
dividuals, at least that all members of
clubs included in the Union be by that
fact members of the Union. It is
especially necessary with such a plan
that debating teams representing their
YALE ALIMNI
respective clubs be pitted against one
another in competitive debate, the
“Wranglers” vs. the “Leonard Bacon
Club,” say, or the “Kent Club” vs. the
“Sheffield Club.” We should thus wit-
ness a sharp rivalry for the champion-
ship in debate, now, as we are informed,
the one element lacking in the Yale
Union. The clubs should meet three
nights a month at their own respective
centers, but on the fourth the Union
should meet and hear a discussion by
two rival teams on an important subject
upon which.the competitors will have
had a month to prepare, and the suc-
cessful discussion of which will bring
honor to the winners.
Several objections will at once be
urged. Clubs will be formed merely
for the purpose of membership in this
Union, and without any claims to real
excellence in debate. In this case you
must either (1) refuse to admit them
and be called undemocratic, or (2) ad-
mit them and be burdened by them.
We think decidedly that, in the first
instance, the Union could judge fairly
and reasonably of any society’s stand-
ing, and, in the second, that the rivalry
between clubs would remove the objec-
tion. Another objection, that success
in the Union by club teams and by in-
dividuals may divert the attention of the
best men, as at other colleges, from the
intercollegiate debate, is more serious.
But tradition, what there is of it, is at
Yale in favor of the intercollegiate de-
bate as the higher honor.
On the other hand, the advantages of
democracy (in our judgment, the pre-
requisite) and of competition have been
mentioned. There remains the advan-
tage, not less great, that the various
departments of the University will, by
their representatives in an important
branch of our intellectual life, have the
chance to meet and to try conclusions.
We shall thus further that end, whose
accomplishment is likely to be the
especial task of our next President, the
participation by every department more
and more in a common university life.
| Yours very truly,
CHAUNCEY WETMORE WELLS.
——_+0e—____—-
Cornell University News.
Forty-four men came out to try for
the Cornell University crew, at the call
of Captain Fisher, Wednesday, Feb. 3,
but only two of this number were mem-
bers of last year’s crew, Dalzell and
Beardslee, bow and No. 6 respectively.
There is plenty of good material in the
College, however, and Coach Charles
Courtney hopes to produce at least an
average crew. Only gymnasium work
will be undertaken at present.
At a meeting of the Cornell Athletic
Council Monday night, Feb. 6, it was
voted not to ratify the election of E. R.
Sweetland to be Captain of the Univer-
sity Football Eleven. Sweetland was
elected about a month ago to fill the
place of Captain Reed, who had re-
signed. Although the charges of pro-
fessionalism, which have been entered
by Assistant Coach Fennell, do not seem
to be well founded, the Athletic Council
deemed it best to take the course it did,
and so prevent even a breath of sus-
picion against Cornell’s athletic purity.
In commenting on the situation the
Cornell Sun says: ‘It seems as if an
infusion of Cornell spirit would go far
toward clarifying the clouded athletic
atmosphere and stop the infection be-
fore it spreads any further. It will be
a sorry day for Cornell if the policy of
splitting hairs is to be generally pur-
sued.”
—_—_—_—_--- } &
Athletics and War.
The report of President Eliot, which
has just been made public, contains
some interesting figures going to dis-
prove the popular impression “that high
scholars in College are almost always
men of poor physique, distinctly inferior
in that respect to the average college
student.”
In reference to the “claim that the
highly competitive athletic sports de-
velop qualities which are exercised and
tested in the work of the soldier or
sailor,” President Eliot reports that out
of the 97 young men who enlisted from
‘the five classes, 1898, 18909, 1900, I9OI,
and 1902, 14 are recognizable as ath-
letes. In that is included men who
rowed on a class crew or a Weld crew.
From the five classes from 1887 to 1893,
IO men were recognizable as athletes
out of 86 who enlisted. In the older
WHREKLY
classes the proportion of athletes
was decidedly small. “One excellent
authority made .the number of athletes
on the whole list of 384 names to be 34.
Another who included managers of
teams, members of the shooting club,
wrestlers and polo players, counted 42
recognizable athletes in the entire list
of Harvard Volunteers.”
_ President Eliot concludes as follows:
“These figures do not indicate that the
men who took part in the highly com-
petitive athletic sports are on _ that
account more inclined to enlist as sol-
diers or sailors than the ordinary stu-
dent who is physically sound enough to
pass the medical examination for the
army or navy. It is probable that a
taste for riding or shooting would do
more to take a man into the army in
time of war than a taste for football
or baseball; and it is certain that skill
in the management of boats or of
machinery would tend much more to
take a man into the navy than any skill
in the highly competitive games. It
has been supposed that football was
especially adapted to training soldiers,
but the facts seem to be that nothing
can be more unlike actual fighting than
the bodily collisions’ which take place
between football players. In modern
warfare no one seems to see his adver-
sary, and the constant thought of the
men in line of battle is to conceal or
cover themselves and their weapons
while advancing or waiting.”
————ooo-____——
Shooting Match with Harvard.
The Yale Six-Shooter Club has
arranged a team match with the Har-
vard Rifle and Pistol Club, the date
being set for Saturday, April 15. The
teams will consist of five men and each
man will shoot six scores, using revol-
vers and standard American targets.
The clubs will shoot on their own
grounds, each club sending one repre-
sentative to the other. |
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