Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE .GAMECOCK Published weekly by the Literary Sooieties of the University of South Carolina. Terms, $1.50 a session, payable in ad vance. "Entered as second-class matter November 20, 1008. at the postofice at Columbia S. C., under the Act of March 3, 1879." The Gamecock solicits humorous sketches, essays, verse, etc., and will gladly pub lish such an is available, when accom panied by the full name of the author. Unsigned manuscripts will neither be acknowledged or returned. All checks and money orders should be made payable to Bernard Manning, Bus iness Manager. Business Manager. .Bernard Manning, Sumter. Assistant Business Manager. B. S. Beverly, Virginia. BOARD OF IDITORS. Editor-in-Chief. A. D. Oliphant, '10, Euphradian. Associate Editor. B. J. Whitte, '09, Euphradian. Local Editors. J. H. Brown, '10, Euphradian. J. A. Marion, '09, Clariosophic. Athletic Editor. C. N. Sapp, '10. Clariosophic. 'T. K. Vnney, '10, Clariosophie. Y. M. C. A. v. S. lutchinson, '09. COLUMBIA, S. C., MARCH 4, 1909. WILL THE SCRUBS GET THEIR MONOGRAM? The Advisory Board meets some time this week. It is earnestly to be hoped that they will see fit to award the monogram to the hard-working and deserving "scrubs." Although it would be too late to give the letters to the football "scrubs" of the past season, a start could be made by awarding it to the baseball men who make this year's second team. COMPULSORY CHAPEL ATTENDANCE. Webster defines chapel as "a place for worship." The nine o'clock chap el services which are held at Carolina are the offspring, doubtless, of the Ro man Catholic five o'clock mass. This early morning service, as a prepara tion for the work of the day, should do us all good, but does it? We are all required to attend chapel four days out of the week, and, if we do not, the consequences are more or less unpleasant. In other words, we are made to go to chapel. Now, do we go to chapel to wor ship or merely because we are, in a measure compelled to? How many of us can honestly answer the first part of this question in the affirmative? We venture to say that those who can are not many. Suppose we were not obliged to go to chapel, suppose chapel attendance were optional, would not we approach chapel in an attitude of wvorship and be in a frame of mind to derive benefit from the services? Even if wve did not attend four times a week, which we are now obliged to do, when we did go we would get great good out of the service, where now we get little. Chapel attendance is not a matter of conscietice. We go because we have to. -It is an irksome duty to be gotten over before we take up the rest of the day's work. To the hard-worked members of the faculty, who have to.,attend chapel six days* in the week, we would like to say that they lose four thousand .three hundred and twenty minutes, which might be spent in the arms of Mor pheus. We do not say well spent, but we simply call to their attention the fact that it might be so spent, We hope that we will not be under stood to be in favor of the abolition of chapel, for we are not. But we are in favor of leaving attendance or non attendance at chapel service to the con science of each individual. Then we believe that we would derive benefit from tle fifteen minutes which we might spend in worship. NO MORE "NAUGHTY" CLASSES. No, the classes show no signs of re forming nor have we any reason to hope that they will, as classes, change their mode of existence. We venture to predict that the prohibition mea sures will affect them little, if any. They will do just as they have done since there has been such an institu tion as classes. We do not look for any startling reformation in morals, still we insist that for ninety long years there will be no more "naughty" classes. Next June, when the colleges and universities of the world pour out their strean of sweet boy and sweeter girl graduates, the last "naughty" class for four score and ten years to come, will be liberated on the face of the earth, to exhibit to the solid inhabitants thereof their knowledge or their lack of it. The world will not be startled, for the same thing has happened for an infinite number of years. Yet it is high time to sit up and take notice. With the advent of '09, "naughty" classes will be a thing of the past. There will be '10s and '11s and '25s and '50s, but not another "naughty" class until the class of 2000 A. D. unties the blue ribbon from around their diplomas and tries in vain to read the Latin printed on the surface of the sheepskin. * * * COLLEGE SPIRIT. In some several issues of the Game cock, articles have been published which spoke in derogatory terms of Carolina's college spirit. While by no means are the articles untrue, it seems that something should be said for our college spirit. If we are in such a sad state, the thing to do is to arouse some little fire rather than to smother the already smoldering heap. There are several things that show a spirit that should be encouraging to us. Note the number of men out for the various teams. At least forty men were out for the regular football team, and half as many more tried for the class teams. Basketball has attracted the attention of some twenty or twven ty-five and the baseball field is literally covered wvith aspirants for honors of the diamond. The track team and run ning clubs entice many more. We cannot all be athletes. Some have larger brains than others, which must be exercised. These men shine out in the various Society contests. They naturally desire to attain dis tinction in literary or oratorical achievements. For various reasons others may desire to do likewise. What is the result ? Are not the societies increasing in membership? Does this not show cee spirit? Then, consider our publications. The Gamecock has the record of being a pure news college paper. No ad. vertisements are scattered over its pages. Could it be thus if the students did not feel an interest in it? Then, The Carolinian has a reputation over the State for its literary selections and tjfeir excellence. Last, but not leas;,' every student is proud of The Garnet and Black. Those who do not contribute to some of the publications are scarce to be found. College spirit is dormant in every student. Let some person attempt to abuse old Carolina before any student and see what he will do. The evidence of college "vim" might easily then be seen. As regards "rooting" on the ahletic fields. Forty per cent. of the students are Freshmen. They do not at once acquire the athletic fever, which in spires one to go out and "root." If one looks over the spectators at our games, the majority arc the higher classmen. By the last of the year, the Freshmen will have the same spirit and join in furthering the good work. In order to bring out college spirit, the different abilities of the various students should be centralized on some one thing. Carolina cannot support several, branches of the same nature. For instance, we could not support a glee club, orchestra, band and a mins trel. Our forces must be centralized on some one of the several or a combi nation of some two. To do this some young Gideon must raise his band of followers and go forth on a crusade of centralization. The result would be an organization of which every student would be proud. They would all back it up and college spirit would be greatly fur thered. Somebody please get busy. * * * THE Y. M. C. A. A LARGER ATTENDANCE DESIRED. Signs of spring are here. ''here is a fringe of green on the campus trees, the afternoons grow long, and the sun shines most invitingly. After a good Sunday dinner, the temptation to lie on the grass or stroll away to the river is almost irresistible. And, judging from the attendance at the Y. M. C. A. last Sunday afternoon, most fellows did not resist. We must do something to increase our attendance. It is just too bad to invite speakers here and then have nothing but empty seats for them to address. Field, for est and river are especially inviting at this season, and there are other attrac tions, we know. But the afternoons are long enough now to give us time to attend Y. M. C. A. first and yet have time for other things afterwards. We have got to do better or turn our Y. M. C. A. work into a mere farce. LAST SABBATH AND NEXT. We failed to get Mr. Brunson to address uts last Sunday, but he has promised to come for our next ap pointment. He is an attractive speaker, and we must try to get out a good audience. M. R. McDonald and S. J. Wall were chosen to represent us at the In terstate Convention to be held in Char lotte March 1R..o. DISTINOUISHOC ALUMNI OF j. THE SOCIETIES In the belief that the Clariosophic and Euphradian Societies are two of the most distinguished in this coun try, and in the hope that a knowledge of the Iiistory of their distinguished alumni will stimulate us to more active appreciation of their worth, the author of this ~sketch intends writing each week in The Gamecock singular ac counts of the famous graduates, be ginning, of course, with those whose portraits adorn our walls, and alter nating between members of the two societies. CHANCELLOR WILLIAM HARPER. On the right as one enters the Eu phradian Society hall hangs the por trait of a stern-looking old gentlemap, attired after the fashion of the early nineteenth century, entitled "Chancel lor William Harper," who, as he was one of the first alumni, so he was one of the most distinguished. William Harper, the son of a Methodist mis sionary, was born on Cagua Island, 17th of January, 1790. Very soon after this, however, the Harpers re turned to South Carolina, where Wil liam entered the South Carolina Col lege at its opening in 1805. One of the first things that he did was to join the Euphradian Society very soon aft er its foundation, and lie was always a sincere and conscientious society worker. As a student, lie was noted for his attention to duty and literary ability, and upon his graduation in 18o8, lie recited an original poem which received, a great deal of com mendation. After graduation lie stud ied medicine for a short while, but soon gave it up for law, being admit ted to the bar in 1813. He attracted no special attention as a lawyer be fore his arguments before the Court of Appeals in the case of. Butler vs. Haskell. In 18z6 Mr. Harper began his pub lic life, in that year going to the Leg islature as representative from Rich land county. Soon, however, in com pany with his father-in-law, Mr. Coul ter, lie emigrated to Missouri, where lie immediately rose to distinction, be ing elected chancellor in 1821. Re signing that position and returning to South Carolina in 1823, lie served. as State reporter till in i86 he was ap pointed by Governor Manning to fill the unexpired term of John Gaillard in the United States Senate. In 1827 he moved again to Charleston, whence he was returned to the Legislature. IHe then held in succession the offices of speaker of the house, chancellor, associate justice of the Court of Ap peals, and chancellor again when the Court of Appeals was abolished. 'He took a very important part in the Nul lification Conventions of 1832 and 1833. In 1842, on leave of absence from his duties as chancellor, lie made a visit to Europe. In his own account of his travels lie says they were pleas ant, but it seems that Paris some what shocked his nice sense of pro priety. He continued in the office of chancellor till in October, 1847, aft er a long illness, he closed his earthly existence, lamented by the people over all the State on account of his wvis don, justice and integrity.