The Oxford Gown

To the Editor of The Register : Sir: - From the course of the discussion in the freshman class meeting last Saturday there seems to be some prospect of the adoption of the Oxford gown a3 a class regalia, and the movement for its adoption is quite general. Now asile from all questions as to the continuance of an oíd custom which has lost its meaning since students have come out of the cloister and become men among men, it seems as if those who are pressing this movement can hardly be aware of the great injustice which is involved in it. I beg leave to present through your columns a few facts. The gown is a rather expensive article. It is the glory of this University that the majority of its students are poor men. The writer could name twenty of those who graduated from the literary department Tast June who earned or borrowed a considerable part if not all the money they spent during their course. Probably the entire number if known would be twice twenty. Two of the most prominent and worthy members of the class were obliged to earn or borrow every penny they spent on their courso. A nother was nine nundred dollars in debt when he graduated. Other instances might be mentioned. Besides these, many more were enabled to take a college course only by reason of self sacriSce and toil on the part of parents or friends. Such men cannot afford the expenditure necessary for such extras as gowns. It may be said that they are not compelled to make these expenditureg. Not by any binding rule of course, but many are compelled by a feeüng of delicacy about revealing their own poverty. The man who does not get the regalia adopted by the classsays, vinually, "I amtoo poor to get it." If he is not led to spend money when he can ill afford to gpend it, he is at least rendered uncomfortable by the fact that he cannot take part in measures adopted by his class. No greater harm can be done the University than to allow the impression to get abro&d that it is a rich man's instHution. And yet the writer knows from personal experience that movements of thia kind are spreading that very impresaion through the state. The leas items of expense adopted or recommended as claaa or Uoiversity measures, tiie better tbr the Universily. Students, it U a very noble thing to aacriflce personal preferenoes for the sake of the righta or feelings of others. It is a very mean and ignoble thing to crowd personal desirea at the expense of the rights or feelings of those less fortúnate than yourselves. Anu Albir, Deo. 3, 1887.