The University Emeute

xu tne iaat AKuua we recoraea tne suspension of six students, - three sophomores and three freahmen, - on confessed charges of hazing, and also the disreputable demonstrations made by the larger number of their fellow classmates, cqnsisting in a procession and hootings and groanings, etc. The result of these goings on is disclosed in the followiug despatch frora this city to the " Associated Press" : Ann Arbor, May 4. The faculty of the University have this evening suspended thirty-nine sophomores and forty-two ireshmeu by the adoption of the following order : . The faculty of literature, science and the arts order as follows : The students of thia department who have stated to the facuity that they have been cngaged in the kind of disorders which have recently led to the suspension of six men who had been detected in them are for this offense, and for conduct which is practically interference with the government of the University, hereby suspended from the privileges of the University. Since many of these young men, on account of their mature age or limited means, can ill afford to lose aai eutire year from their course, and by the suspension for a year mignt be compelled to give up their collegiate education altogether, a regard for their interest makes the faculty desire to save them from the just consequences f their folly by limiting their suspension to the commencement of the next academie year. Before readmission to their classes they will be reqmred to have examinations in the studies to be pursued by their respective classes during the remainder of the year, except botany, and give a wtitten assurance that they will abstain from hazing and from all attempts to interiore with the government of the University. The public voice of the State demands that the University faculties which are but the servants of the State, shall, eradicate from the University the practice of hazing, and every other form of disorder which may bring upon ït harm and disgrace, whether it costs the suspension or the absolute expulsión of a hundred or of hundreds of those who have been admitted to its privileges. The University can better afford to be without students than without government, order and reputation. This action of the faculty is none the less imperative because the traditions with which they have to deal have so lowered the tone of sentiment in this as well as in other institutions that practices which at home and away from college would be thought by the students shameful and criminal are regarded as innocent amusements in the University. In order that our readers may know the name of the attempt to díctate to or discipline the faculty, we copy the papers which were presentad, and whicli are referred to in the above despatch as " practically interfering with the government of the University." They were : SOPnOMOEE PAPEE. TO THE FACULTY OF THE UniVEESITY OF MlCHIGAN : Wheeeas, Some of our class-mates have recently been suspended from the University for the offense of hazing, and Wheee'as, The undersigneddesire that justice shall be done to al!, Theeefoee, We respectfully request the attention of the Faculty of the University to the fact that we also have heen engaged in hazing. FBESHMAN PAPEE. To the Faculty of Michigan University - Gentlemen : We, the undersigned, members of the Freshman ciass, wish to respectfully inform you, that in the affair for which three of our number have been suspended, we are equally implicated witli them; and protest against the injustice of suspending three of us only. These protests or orders were lodged with the Steward several days preceding the regular Monday evening session of the faculty, giving ahundance of time for the signers to tako the sober second thought and request the removal of their names. Acting under the teachings of cooler judgment, the advice of friends or directions frora home, twenty-two students withdrew their names. Moro desired to " come in out of the cold," but were preveuted by the watchful vigilance of class-mates who were bent upon defeating any arrangement by which the students could save their bacon without being able to say that the faculty had " caved," "Lot down ou their marrow-bones," etc. There was but one course left to the faculty, and that was unani - mously adopted, the suspension of every student whose name remained upon the paper. Not to have done so would have been to hand over the discipline of the institution to the under-graduates, to the hot-headed under-graduates at that. The action of the faculty was exceedingly lenient under the circumstances, and had the suspension been for a longer term it would have been justifiable. We harbor no ill-will toward the students of the University, and regret that any of them should subject themselves to discipline. But whenever the faculty, in the exercise of a duty imposed upon them by;their position, flnd it necessary to discipline, suspend or expel one, two three or more students, it must be understood that syinpathizing class-mates have not the right to diítate a review or reversal. Iu the University as in community.athe homely maxim must aPP'y " Let every tub stand on its own bottom" : thut is, individual students must suffer for their own and individual short-comiugs or misdoings, and it illy beoomes their class-mates to attempt to ieize the reins of government and issue their protests and manifestoes, or the higher classes to pander to such insubordinaron. We take it for granted that the faculty have no desire to send students home, that they will err on the side of laxity rather than severity, that they will not deoimate classes irom any mere freak or to show their authority, and that discipline is safer vested in their hands than it would bo lodged with freshmen or sophomores, with juniors or seuiors, or even with outsiders. That the views we express are geuerally concurred in by the thinking public we have no doubt. In another column will be found articles trom the three Detroit dailies, and other exchanges join in expressing the same general opin ions.