Word: customs
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Dates: during 1890-1899
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...upon the class of Ninety-seven alone; it falls upon the whole body of students; it falls upon the graduates who year after year have gathered about the old Tree and revived the memory of their college days. I have no sympathy with the sentimentality which defends a bad custom just because it is an old custom. I believe that the scrimmage about the Tree is not only an old custom but a good one. I believe that it can be and has been conducted in a manly, fair way, and that hundreds of graduates look back upon...
...protest stating that if the Corporation abolishes the scrimmage around the Tree, the Class Day Committee will resign, and that there will be no Class Day whatever for the class of Ninety-seven. In this way alone the Seniors may show that they are in earnest, that the custom which is so lightly disposed of by the Corporation is of vital importance to them. It will arouse the graduates as no other protest could and it will bring the strongest pressure to bear upon the Corporation...
...people who happen to stand by when the successful "rusher" presented his crimson rose to "some other fellow's sister," the improved exits will hereafter enable the few to stand aloof, and leave to the many the enjoyment of an institution which they hold dear. The custom is sentimental; the behavior of the gentlemen is just as inelegant about the "Tree" as it is on the football field; but nevertheless should the Corporation put it to a vote of the Seniors, of the whole University, or of the graduates, I predict that each of these bodies will declare with practical...
...strenuous plea is made in behalf of sentiment. That is all very well in itself. We all want to keep up the sentiments and traditions of Harvard as far as possible. But where a traditional practice is harmful, sentiment must yield. Human slavery was once a time-honored custom; but an enlightened generation abolished it. Hazing in American colleges was once a time honored custom; but, of late, it has been almost completely suppressed. So the argument for sentiment amounts to nothing if it can be shown that the custom is a bad one. Nor is it any argument...
...Corporation may reply, "No. Substitute some other exercises at the Tree and there will be no objection to continuing the custom." But is not the scrimmage the very essence of the custom? Is it not the tradition itself, around which the cheering and other details have grown up? A moment's examination will show this to be the case. Ever since the year 1815, and probably from a much earlier date, the flower exercises have been established at the Liberty or Farewell Tree, which, it must be remembered, is the successor of the old Liberty Tree which formerly stood between...