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THE UNIVERSITY RUMBLE-BEE.
5.
COMPULSARY WORSHIP.
There is a tendency in the na
ture of man to preserve existing
institutions, even after it is proven,
by much experience, that no good
results from them. As an instance
of this—the subject of this article
—coercion in religious worship,
has been the practice, till time
comparatively recent, by all sects
of the Christian faith. The dun
geon, exile and the torture of the
stake, all were means of enforcing
religious belief. As freedom in
religious worship gained ground,
coercion became an impracticable
way of redeeming man to Christ as
he began to revolt against any
procedure that hampers the sov
ereignty of the mind, But still
there lingers a feeling akin to
that which predominated a few
centuries ago to compel him, who
wills not, to attend worship. We
find it demonstrated in Georgia,
at the University, a seat of high
learning, in the form of Compul
sory Chapel.
In the University, every student
is required to attend chapel once
a day. This law is . enforced ex
tremely scrupulously. There is
no way of evading the exercises,
as every one is assigned a seat,
»d- n ,’j> 1 rofasspr is appointed M
each class to mark all absentees.
Being absent from these exercises
incurs severe consequences in the
course of a short while, as it is an
expulsion offense to incur nine
unexcused absences.
Why should a student be made
to attend worship, when in after
life it is voluntary with him?
There is no reason, justice, or good
in taking such advantage of his
position. But there is often great
injury done, I venture to say, to
many youths, by turning their
hearts in adamantine firmness
against the pleadings of the Spirit.
Force is not the most effective
mode of causing students to live
Christian lives; but it is to be
found in exemplary living and
preaching of good sermons.
As a competent speaker, as I
have been in college for several
years, I affirm to you, the Trus
tees, that with the exception of a
few—they are doubtful—religious
-worship is made odious when it is
involuntarily performed. Every
day, one can hear words of disap
proval to the present system from
the students. Now, if the stu
dents’ ideas on this matter are
wrong, “is it not a little strange
that they should be adhered to so
persistently?”
Now, why should students be
compelled to attend chapel when,
on ordinary occasions, but few of
the Faculty attend? Because w r e
are young, it should not be obliga
tory on us to keep odious laws
that are not binding on older men.
These men, who are supposed to
realize the necessity of daily wor
ship, and whose conduct is severe
ly scrutinized by not attending
chapel, express unmistakably their
convictions concerning this insti
tution. Even Riley, though ex
ceedingly narrow-minded, has
been heard to condemn it. Dr.
Boggs'favors it because he is the
preacher and delights more than
other men in hearing himself talk.
More than- the majority of the
Faculty condemn it; all the stu
dents condemn it, and I believe
all honest men should condemn it.
“Now, with such little regard paid
By those who ars us around,
We think it will injure one’s ideas
Of religion unless they are sound.
“Should such things be permitted
In the University, Georgia’s pride*
When sensible men are in Georgia,
And sensible men preside?
“We think it a wrong and an evil,
And we truly think and pray
That it ought and will be abolished
At this enlightened day.”
X. Y. Z.
the State should suffer themselves
to be swayed by petty jealousy and
hate seems to him preposterous, yet
he cah but see that this is the case
among members of the Faculty. It
is a significant fact, that while the
every day life of the student is in
large measure made interesting by
political divisions, and while there
are two political cliques which fur
nish political training to those who
will one day control the politics of
the state, yet whenever a matter
arises which touches the University
as a whole we find the mass of stu
dents and both cliques united stand
ing shoulder to shoulder for the
best interest of the University.
But how is it with our Faculty?
Are there cliques in that? Every
student unhesitatingly answers,
“Yes.” Two grand and awe-in
spiring figures stand at the heada
of as many factions which, under
no circumstances are ever united
even when issues of vital import
ance to the University arise in the
outside world. The Boggs party
is headed by the Chancellor.
What its platform is, is published
far and wide, and every student at
present is compelled to subscribe
to its conditions—“I am Boggs the
Chancellor, revere my foot-prints.”
With such a schemer and prac
ticed politician as leader, it is but
natural’ "that”TliaT^slTouTd* Se* thl?
dominant party. But lately a
Among all the branches of learn
ing with which the student has
to do while in college, the study
of human nature is the most wide
ly cultivated, the most interesting
and the most instructive. No
where else in life are such oppor
tunities offered for the pursuance
of this study as during our college
days. Besides the class to which
he belongs and with the members
of which he is on an equality, there
is a ruling class which holds
his destiny in its hands and has
the making or marring of his
career. This august body of su
perior beings he knows as the Fac
ulty and when as a simple and un
sophisticated Freshman he comes
under their domination he is prone
to look upon them as the sources
of right and justice. After a
month or two, when his eyes are
in some measure accustomed to
the glamour which their power
throws around them he, to his
own surprise and oftentimes
against his will, begins to detect
flaws in these supposedly perfect
beings. He discovers that they
are men of like passions with him
self, and that sometimes these
these two, only hopes that they
will annihilate each other and de
liver the University from the in
cubus which is crushing her.
MINOR MONEY MATTERS.
new prophet has arisen in the land
of the Faculty. Dr. Riley, pro
fessor of his own merits and teach
er of nothing, has organized an
anti-Boggs club. Who its mem
bers are is at present unknown,
though it is supposed to consist of
Riley and wind. Many and amus
ing sTre the methods to which
these rivals resort in order to man
ifest their childish envy and to
make themselves a laughing stock
among the students.
Old “Zip” the peddler of stale
jokes and official mouth-piece of
the Boggs faction, takes occasion
to ask where Riley came from, and
how he came to leave his High
School, while Riley, chairman of
his own committee, asserts that
he is dissatisfied with the present
management, and will resign if a
radical change is not made.
Heaven save us from such a calam
ity. Space fails to tell of how 7
Boggs deceived Riley as to the
regulations in regard to order in
the class-room, and how 7 Riley re
taliates by criticising the Chan
cellor’s magnificent powers of
reading the Bible. Suffice it to
say'that the student, with all res
Though we have not the highest
respect for the Chancellor, still
we have no desire to accuse him of
misappropriating the funds of the
University It seems to us how- _
ever that, as a business transac
tion" Dr. Boggs should give an ac
count of the money appropriated
for the reception to the graduating
class. A sum of money is set
aside for this purpose, yet last
year was the only one that saw the
Chancellor even making a pretence
of tendering a reception to the
Seniors. His ice-cream and cake
were very nice and probably cost
him five or six dollars, as he keeps
only two or three cows. Probably
the rest of the money was only
sufficient to pay for the priyilege
of having an hour or two of Dr.
William Ellison Boggs, Chancel
lor’s, time devoted to that insig
nificant class.
Again, was ever such a thing
heard of, that the Chancellor
should preach the Commencement
sermon? Yet it was a cool hun
dred in that gentleman’s pocket
Chicago.
The third and strangest finan
cial venture of the Chancellor
was the awarding of the contract
for the Commencement music to
the University orchestra. We be
lieve in patronizing home talent,
but we do not think that the Chan
cellor had the right to do so in this
case. He was expected to let the
contract to the best band he could
have obtained for the money.
Personal motives undoubtedly ac
tuated him. While the young
gentlemen composing our orches
tra do credit to the institution,
still we do not think that they -are
yet able to furnish music worth
one hundred and fifty dollars.
passions manifest themselves all ipect for that body which contains
too plainly. That men who have so many good men, gone on ac-
the training of the young men of coiji'it of the short-comings of
A WORD
ABOUT THE
SOCIETIES.
LITERARY
The members of the Board of
Trustees have always professed the
greatest interest in the welfare of
the Literary Societies of the Uni
versity, yet to us, it seems that
they have been strangely blind to
the cause of their decline and the
responsibility for their failure to
revive them. Is it not a signifi
cant fact that it was Only when
the present Chancellor and Facul
ty came into power that this de
cline began to take place? Who