THE BUTTALION
Published every Wednesday night by
Students of the Agricultural and
Mechanical College of Texas
Subscription price $1.25 per year.
Advertising rates on application.
Member of Texas Collegiate Press
Association.
SOPHOMORE STAFF.
Editor-in-Chief,
J. B. JOYCE.
Assistant Editors,
G. B. HANSON,
T. W. TEMPLE.
Business Manager,
D. H. KIBER.
Assistant Business Managers.
S. D. HERVEY,
E. B. CARTWRIGHT.
Athletic Editor,
O. P. SPENCER.
Cartoonists,
J. M. BURKETT,
B. E. IRBY,
G. A. WOODY.
All material for publiication should
be signed and turned in not later than
Monday night.
Entered as second-class matter at
College Station, Texas, February 17,
1905.
This issue of the Battalion is meant
to express the sentiments of the
Sophomore class and to that end we
have put forth our efforts. It has
been our policy to deal fair with those
in high authority, and the other three
classes. But our greatest aim has
been to set forth the good qualities
of our college; however, we have not
hesitated to make some criticisms
where we thought that it was proper.
But at all times we have tried to be
very careful not to m^ike any state-
' ments that we cannot uphc
We do not put this before pub
lic as a literary product, but we have
done our best. If you like this paper
give the credit to the Sophomore
class. If you want to kick, don’t kick
where anybody can see or hear you,
but come and kick us. If you are a
Sophomore and want to kick, be sure
that you give your support to this
paper before you lift your foot. If
you have not done this, you have no
kick coming.
We have not taken advantage of
•the opportunity to get revenge on
•anyone. It has been our policy to re
frain from personalities as much as
possible, but in some instances it was
necessary to refer to individuals. We
have not filled this edition with car
toons for two reasons. In the first
place. We were unable to secure
them; and in the second place, we
did not have sufficient funds to pay
for the engravings. The purpose of
the cartoons and jokes that we have,
is not to ridicule or cast reflections,
but to create some mirth with our
seriousness. They are not intended
to be personal, but if the coat fits you
and you want to take it to heart, wear
it. Before you complain, remember
that we are human and are subject to
all the shortcomings of the human
race. We cannot be perfect and we
do not claim this is a perfect product;
however, we have no apologies to of
fer, and now we offer it to you for
your inspection and criticism.
The Freshmen have claimed Dr.
Bizzell as a member of their class
and harped upon the fact continuous
ly in their edition. We are too dig
nified to claim a Freshman as a mem
ber of our class, but here we make
an exception to the rule. Dr. Bizzell
is our President, as well as the
Freshmen’s, and we are proud of him.
He has been tried for the place and
has proved himself worthy in every
sense of the word. His unceasing ef
forts to improve the conditions of the
college and to make a greater and
better A. and M. have not been made
without reward. There are great
prospects for A. and M. in the future,
and we urge all the friends of this
college to line up with our President,
to put their shoulders to the wheel,
and to pull together. Say a good
word for the college and our trust
worthy “Prexy.”
While A. and M. is making rapid
strides toward perfection, there is
one serious thing that is being sadly
neglected. That thing is class dis
tinction. For the past few years, this
one thing that is so essential to a
well-organized student body has been
neglected to such an extent that it
has grown to be serious. We do not
uphold hazing, but we do believe that
something should be done to give
more, distinction. We do not believe
that a Senior is better than we are,
but because of his better training, we
grant him a place on a plane above
us. Likewise, we grant the Fresh
man a place on a plane a step below
us. But judging from the freshness
of some of them, we would suppose
that they were about the wisest “lads
what am.”
It seems to us that the recent con
vention of the Young Men’s Christian
Association that was held at this
place is sufficient evidence that we
do not need compulsory chapel. Dur
ing that convention we were at lib
erty either to attend the meetings or
stay away, but almost every meeting
was well attended. But before the
“war price” was put on “cutting”
chapel, there was always a large num
ber of students absent every Sunday.
While we do riot mean to encourage
heathenism in any form, we do object
to being placed under guard after we
get to chapel. That old story, “You
can lead a horse to water, but you
can’t make him drink,” is well illus
trated in the present form of chapel
attendance.
We feel that it would not be out of
place to give a word of appreciation
to the M. E. Department for the free
moving picture shows that they give
the corps every Saturday night. There
is nothing that could give us a better
and more wholesome rest from our
daily duties. However, we should
also like to make some comment on
the conduct of a part of the attend
ants. Some of the cadets are prone
to take advantage of the darkness to
throw song books and raise a “rough
house” in general. These shows do
not cost us anything, and if looking
at what is thrown on the screen is
not worth your time, stay in your
room. No one appreciates the keen
wit of your sarcastic remarks or your
“stable” manners.
It is to be hoped that when we re
turn next year we shall find some
improvements made in some of the
dormitories. While we have no great
complaint to make, we feel that some
improvements could be made that are
really needed. We would also sug
gest that the cadets could take more
pride in caring for the dormitories
that we have. These dormitories
have been built to live in, not to spit
all over and deface. The people of
Texas have gone to a great expense
to provide these buildings, and any
man who does not have pride and re
spect enough to care for them should
not be allowed to remain in college,
much less in the dormitories.
We heartily agree with President
Bizzell in his recent statement con
cerning demerits. Demerits should
be looked upon with more serious
ness. They should be considered a
personal expense rather than a mere
happening. Some of our students
seem to think that they are not get
ting all that is coming to them unless
they can get their limit of demerits,
and be allowed to join the “Ag. 99”
bunch on Saturday afternoon. This
is a miserable state of affairs. Such
theories as these are what keeps the
State penitentiaries and other such
undesirable places filled with unfor
tunate victims.
We should like to suggest that
something be done to improve the
condition of the honor system that is
in vogue at this institution. The
theory of the honor system is a great
and good plan, but it should be prac
ticed more. A system that places a
man obedient to duty in a class by
himself, is worse than no system at
all. It is a good plan to stand out
from the crowd, and there is nothing
in any man’s character that could be
admired more, but it would be almost
impossible for anyone to stand out
on this subject when he knows that
he is not being backed up.
The campus improvements that
have been looked forward to for so
long are now becoming realities. The
recent completion of the Y. M. C. A.
building and the tearing away of the
old mess hall have taken away two
sources for the accumulation of trash.
New walks will eliminate the car
toonist’s evolution of webbed feet,
the new cables enable us to see the
sun, and the new laundry will soon
replace the old one. In fact, the
campus in general shows marked im
provement over the condition of last
year.
This year’s Longhorn will mark a
nearness to perfection in the form
of an annual college publication.
Editor Jarvis and his assistants have
worked with untiring diligence to
make this annual a success. In spite
of the fact that they have been left
upon their own resources for a form
of compilation, they are going to get
out a better book than has ever been
gotten out by any Senior class here
tofore. Every student should buy a
Longhorn and show his loyalty to his
college and to the men who are de
voting their time to this publication.
We wish to commend this year’s
management of the Battalion. Editor
Burgess rind Manager Hayden have
done exceedingly well. They have
given us a college paper devoted to
the college and its betterment. It
has been a clean and unselfish publi
cation aiming at the best. This has
been anextremely hard year for a
publication that is partially depend
ent upon advertising for its resources.
But they have managed to keep up
the interest to such an extent as to
give us a good paper.
It has been suggested to us that
the cost of living has grown to be
exceedingly high. Also, we had
rather suggest that the probability
of remaining in college has been
greatly lessened. Ten demerits, with
the probability of an accumulation,
is a little expensive to pay for a short
social call between fall-in and tattoo.
Until recently, we have been labor
ing under the impression that the
motto, “Might makes right,” had been
abandoned.
We would not pass up this oppor
tunity without speaking a good word
for the band. Major Day and Captain
Greene have been unusually success
ful in keeping up the old spirit
among the boys in the band. The
band has been on the job on every
occasion where its presence was
needed, and they have given us good
music. Say a good word for the hand
when you boost for a bigger, greater,
and better A. and M.
The writeup of the hike is a week
old and may be a little stale to some
of our readers who keep “tab” on the
time. It is the custom, however, of
the Sophomore class to write up the
hike, and because of tradition we
claim it. Our edition should have
been published a week earlier, but
the Freshmen were pushed for time,
due to the fact that the hike came
earlier than has been the custom
heretofore.
If all classmen could realize the
rules and regulations that they are
supposed to conform to, and then
those who have the proper authority
would enforce these rules and regu
lations impartially, it might possibly
happen that the list of delinquents
would decrease. But it is improbable
that any law can he enforced, with
out conflict, when the punisher
breaks the law that he punishes for.
Our class is rapidly coming to the
front. We know it is, because the
recent “ram” lists have proved the
fact to be so. Even George Alexan
der (Cop) Forsyth went for a whole
month without having his name
placed among the delinquents. This
is a very uncommon occurrence and
should be placed under the head of
unusuals.
Special attention has been called
to the advertisements in this paper.
Read them and then remember the
advertisers when you want to buy or
sell anything. Boost for the estab
lishment that has the “pep to toot
its own horn,” and then patronize it
because it is not afraid to tell its own
business.
The corps should be commended for
its conduct on “April Fool’s Day.”
The day passed as all days do and
we went to classes as usual. We
would not have known that it was
April 1, if we had not torn a sheet
off our calendar to find the date, when
we went to write home to “dad” to re
mind him that we were “busted.”
If you should chance to call at the
rooms of some of our brethren after
taps, you would very likely find them
sleeping with their heads in sacks.
The recent northwesters do not ex
actly harmonize with the Sophomore
malady that has recently broken out
in the form of “peeled heads.”
We feel proud of ourselves now
since we belong to that famous class
—the Sophomore class. Last year
we were ignorant, ugly, and slimy.
But this year we are wise, handsome,
and wild. It is great to be a Sopho
more and a live wire in the upbuild
ing of A. and M.
This year the Sophomore-class
plate for the Longhorn will be printed
in three colors. This is the first time
in the history of the college that any
Sophomore class has had this done.
This, along with the other good
things, speaks well for the “Sophs.”