Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Eje Gasmuccoci Punrasn:n wE:Kh.Y nY TrHE LIRERARY Socrris. Ti.:iRMs $1.50 A YEAR. utered at Columbia, S. C. postofflce November 20, 1908, as second-class mail matter. Columbia, S. C., April 7, 1921 EDITORIAL STAFF A. Leslie . wells. .......lditor-in-Chicf J. C. Buchanan......Associate Editor BUSINESS. E. P. Gaines ...............Manager 0. S. Ulmer... ............Assistant CIRCIJLATION. D. J. Jenkins ...............M anaea cr L. B. Cox .................Assistant REPORTERS' CLUB. S. D. Ervin E. H. Folk W. C. Floyd c. E. Haselden G. H. Wittkosky T. E. Horton W. B. Harvey w. L. 13rannon J. F. Quinn Ala y Graydon COMMENTS. The secrecy of success is the constancy of purpose.-Dis raeli. We grow strong thru doing things. And when one genera tion comes into possession of the material good that the for mer generation has gained and makes the fool remark, "I don't have to work," it straightway is stepping on the chute that gives it a slide to Avernus and then all has to be done over again.-Elbert Hubbard. Strange it is that even on a college campus men who stand for their convictions are hooted. But men with a conscientious ness of purpose cannot afford to let such attitudes toward their endeavors affect their de termination. Ben Franklin it was who said, "Trifling actions affect a man's credit. The sound of your hammer at five in the morning or nine at night heard by a creditor makes him easier six months longer." That energy ciounts for more than ability can readily be seen by the fact that men who pos sessed no outstanding abilities have made their way to the top through drive and stick-to-it iveness. Edmund Vance Cooke says, "As you haven't asked me for advice, I'll give it to you now--Plug! No matter how or what you are, the how--is Plug!1" The man who obeys the Honor System merely because the regulations 'require it of him, fails to appreciate the great underlying principle which the system was estab lished to promote. To incul. cate in every man the spirit of honor, both to himself and to his fellow man, is the purpose of its foundation. The man who defeats this purpose in jures himself most. Carolina's clash with New York University in deate '+o_ morrow night marks the re sumption of intersectional for ensic activities for us. We await with anticipation the re sults. Our last inersectional contest resulted in a victory for the University, Georgetown university being defeated deci sively. That Southern debating teams more than hold their own against Northern opponents may be seen from results of these intersectional battle of wits. The University of Texas recently defeated Columbia University of New York by a unanimous vote. This is only one of many contests which have resulted in victories for Southern orators. Size of in stitutions does not feature, as was demonstrated by Brigham Young University's victory over Princeton lately. As the South Carolina Orato rical Contests draws near, Cal houns from every college of the State are preparing to sway their audiences with fluent words of oratory. This year's c,ntests promises to be an un usually interesting one. Every Carolina student feels that our colors will be filing high when the results are announced. CHAPERONES. We realize that chaperones are not very popular these days. Many who have served in this capacity at some of our recent University social functions have been made to feel that their pres ence was not appreciated and in some instances, undesired. This feeling has perhaps been respon sible for the laxness on the part of our chaperones to intervene when they thought it necessary while serving at our dances. That the absence of proper chap eroning has been very much in evidence can be confirmed very readily by the comment that has been made on some of these en tertainments. Can this negligence on the part of chaperones to properly control these functions continue and our dances be kept on a high plane? Are our chaperones sat isfied with the behavior that has characterized some of our Uni versity dances? If not, why are they willing to sit quietly by without taking any step what ever toward correcting those things which they think im proper? What is even worse, most of them leave before the dances are half over, and imme diately things begin to "get live ly," as one man expressed it. If we understangl correctly, dances held by University stu dents are supposed to be prop erly chaperoned. But if what has happened in past instances happened under proper chaper onage, then, there must be some thing vitally wrong elsewhere. We are inclined to believe, how ever, that the fault lies to a great extent with those who a,.e pres ent at the dances whose duty it is to see that they are properly conducted and to see that all im proprieties are squelched. We fail to understand why chaper ones cannot be secured who are willing to stay until the dances are over, and who will fulfill the duties for which they were ap pointed by making corrections when necessary. So long as chaperones sit by quietly, or are absent altogether, we will con tinue to hear, both on and off the campus, of dancing that is "off color." Students and faculty alike have been free in their comment on our recent dances here with regard to the nature of some of them, yet we are content to passi on with a few words of dis approval only and let the very same thing repeat itself at the next dance. Can we afford to let these things continue? Un der such conditions, is there any wonder we get a "black eye" over the State? Every student of the Univer sity respects dancing of the proper sort, but even those par ticipating have condemned some that have been held this season. We cannot recommend t o o strongly that hereafter in con nection with our dances chap erones get busy and discharge the duties expected of them. Only by so doing can we hope to keep the recreation on a high level and above reproach. REACHING HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES. Last year, it will be remem bered, several members of the Senior academic class were sent out by the University to make talks before the graduating classes of the leading high schools of the State. These men were instructed to present the University in all its phases to these students who were ready to enter college the past fall. From what we can un derstand the efforts of these men were very successful, and we cannot help but feel that this method of reaching high 3ch-ool graduates has been un dervalued. A college or university ap peals to a high school student to the extent that each institu tion manifests an interest in him. If athletics, or any other phase of college life is present Bd the high school student, the eollege so d.oing is bound to be considered most by him in de termining where he will take his collegiate training. Nothing reaches the student who expects to enter college more closely than acquaintance and association with men who are actual students at the insti tutions they represent. This is why the method of sending out Carolina students to the high schools can be of incalculable value to increasing our student body and thereby increasing the scope of the University's ef., ficienev. While we have an enroll ment now of over six hundred, which is excellent perhaps, considering the size of our State and the number of colleges in it, still, if the University is to remain the capstone of the edu cational system of the State more men must be brought within the care and training of our State University. We should have a thousand stu dents at Carolina. While our present accommodations are not adequate for such a num ber, experience has shown us that additional equipment can only be secured from our legis lature when it is clearly shown that students are actually be ing refused admittance on ac count of lack of accommoda tion, and that such additional equipment is absolutely neces sary. This is a shameful status of affairs but we know it to be true. Different methods. of appeal to high school students by the University are showing re sults. Extension service and a thoroly renovated athletic sys tem are having great effect in in creasing our pumbers. But these many features of the Uni versity which should be pre sented prospective students have a greater significance to them when given by men from our own ranks, whose daily ex perience enable them to con vince students of the desira bility of coming to the Univer sity. This spring it is hoped that the method inaugurated last year can be enlarged upon this term. Past results have shown us that such a method cannot fail to be a success. HANDSHAKES. (Taken from the Longhorn Magazine published by the University of Texas. We re print it for the valuable thought contained. Apply it to our .own campus:) "There used to be some thing characteristic about the handshake of the University of Texas student in days gone by. You were introduced to a man, he looked you in the eye, as man to man, sizing you with a quick, keen glance of ap praisal He was prompt to offer his hand, which was firm and strong in its steady pressure. You felt that here indeed was a fellow in good physical condi tion, mentally awake, and ready to hold his own in activi ties of all sorts. Few of these men are left, for now if you are introduced to a student he usually raises his tired eyes, noda., perhaps 'yuh" over the drooping cigar ette that hangs from flabby lips, and not infrequently but half-heartedly extends a hand for you to slasp. But such a hand i If it is true that there Is personality and character in the handclasp, inst as +he eyes are said to be the "windows of the soul," then certainly he has little personality, and his char acter is apparently weak and inconsistent. His hand is col'd and clammy, with no pressure. This "dead fish" handshake is becoming all too common. One meets it everywhere, and is constantly reminded of cer tain initiation ceremonies where in the victim shakes hand with a glove filled with cold, damp sand. There is the unconscious feeling that the owner is just as much of a snake as the rep tilian touch of his hand would indicate. It would be a dif ficult thing to trust him impli citly; there would be a con stant feeling of uneasiness in trusting him at all. The majority of these men with limp and flabby hands, with lack-luster eyes and pallid skin, have never done a good hard day's work in their lives and they don't know the mean ing of proper exercise and care of their bodies. The possess many muscles, if not yet gone, at least never used. Life is dull to them, for they have expe rienced everything-but the worth while. Instead of using the condiments of life to flavor the substantial, they have sub sisted entirely on the peppers and cordials of experience and have lost their taste for the ven isons and luscious fruits. Physi cal, sensual satisfaction has brought on a feeling of ennui, of"what's the use," a condition of mental stagnation. Women are just as bad in this matter of handshaking, if not a bit worse because of the prevalence of the so-called handshake of the elite, the so cial element. You are intro duced to one of the feminine elite, bow slightly in recogni tion of the introduction, and see that she is extending her hand. You put forth your hand at the level of your belt, a level where all good handshakes ex ist, search and grope about in vain for her hand, and only af ter a moment of embarrassment find that she has it aimed at the knot in your tie. You are expected to touch fingers nothing more-and it gives you a feeling of real pleasure to take a firm hold and in dulge in the old-fashioned "pump-handle" shake of by gone days. The English are a race of athletes, and they take great pleasure in keeping themselves physically fit. Be introduced to an Englishman, and he will extend his hand, grasp yours and hold it in one positi.on, bow formally over it, straighten up, and then raise your hand slow ly and bring it down with a pop-the-whip motion that near ly throws your arm out of its socket. You know you've shaken hands, and you'd dis like very much having your ne wacquaintance punch you in the eye, with that hand and those muscles behind , the h and."