How Ann Arbor's Reputation Is Besmirched

Une reaaon tliat Ann Arbor lias the name of being i hard town tkroughout the country, and it eertainly has such a Dame, is the fact thnt every little tliing done here is picked up and heralded over the whole state and ofteii beyond the boundaries of iho state. It i.- but natural, wliere some 1,500 or 2,000 younjr men are gathered in a place the size of Anu Arbor, that there should be some'boiling over of animal spirits, and some vvlld performances. But taking one year witfa anoihcr we do not believe there is as ninch mwdyism, or law breaking of any kind in this city as in any olher city, tlie si.e of Aun Arbor with no studeuts to throw the blame ui)on. Take any of the principal cities of our state: Adrián, Battle Creek, Flint, East Saginaw, Bay City, etc. and they are no more quiet, peaceable, orderly or law-abiding, than is Aun Arbor. Within the midstof thtin is as much wickedness, licentiousness and deviltry.of all kinds as there can be found in Ann Albor - and perhaps in some of them a tritlu more. Butevcry little thing done there is not heralded all over the country. If a saloon keept open af ter legal hours the fact is not published in the morning papera Ir a frambling: bcll is unearthed the fact is not proclaimed frora the housetopsor the public prints, but the proper uuthorities take the thing in hand and pul a "quletu1 thereto without a coluiiiii or two irticle publishiiif? to the world the graat wtokedoeftof the])lnce. IIow different it s lp Ann Arbor. Kot thesllghtest l hincan happen wltliout proclaiming tlie terrible deeds of the university town to the world. The poor sidewalkt are made the butt of eupposed witty paragrapbera. The streets ure rauddy or clusty, tho building or lawns are out of jiluinii, or Mmethlng s the matter and the world must be told about lt. Anollicr thing tobe considered Is the fact that there is scarcolj'a city, village or iiiiinict in the itate but is Istereited in A nu Arbor. In nearly every one of them there is sorae motlier wlio lias a boy here; soine father is looking over tlie dailies to see if there is any uewa frorn Arm Arbor He picks up a puper and reads a terrible story writtea up by some senseless and avaricious pcnny-a-liner, ubout gambling dens running nights md öundays; or about saloon-keepers violating tlielaw; or some terrible "lark" the students have boen on, or some otherfoolish thing of the kind, and as a natural consequence parents think it is no place for their sonsor daughlers. An item that would attract little or no attention from other places, s iven prominence when coming from Ann Arbor. Therefore great caution ought to bc used in this class of soealled news. It is just and right that vice and crime should not be coveredup or Bhiclded. The laws protecting the people from wickcdncss of every description can not be too rigidly enforced. But let the proper officers enforce them. If there are any gambling dens in Ann Arbor, and any person knvwsit, ithi8duty to enter compluint and have the law breakers puuished. Making a great blow about it In the papers simply puts the crimináis on their guard, so that when trouble comes to them they are prepared to meet it. If a Hoek of di8gusting and destructive yultures should alight in a farmer's iields andcommence destroying bis crops, would he go out u pon the top of his house.flauut a red flag and whistle at his neighbors? Or would he take a good double-barreled shot-gun.and bang away, with the muzzle of his gun pointed at the depredators? Why not lire at evil doers in this city if there are such, rather tlian raise a great "hullabaloo." make a great stencil, besniirch the fair name of our cily, abroad and allow the culprits to go free ?