THE energy and spirit displayed by the Freshman Class in Base Ball matters is quite encouraging. Some thirty-five members have handed in their names as candidates for the Nine, and many of them have already begun to work steadily in the Gymnasium. Since the recent election of officers active measures have been taken to bring about matches with the Freshman Nines of all colleges near enough to make it practicable.

The interest in Base Ball for the Freshmen usually culminates in their annual match with Yale. These matches have for the lastfive years proved disastrous to us, and now it seems quite the fashion to tacitly allow that Yale will win the Freshman match, as a matter of course, and Harvard the University match.

There is no good reason for this, and no reason whatever why Harvard cannot furnish as good material from her Freshman Class as Yale from hers. After each defeat of the last three years some reasons for the poor play of particular members have been given and received as sufficient, but the most obvious reasons have been a want of practice in playing strange clubs, and a lack of feeling of any responsibility on the part of the Class. Should the present negotiations prove successful, the first reason will be entirely removed. The second can only be removed by a change in feeling throughout the Class and the College generally, and, though this cannot be done in a moment, an exhibition of pluck and a determination to win, like the present, will go far towards it. We hope to see a break in the chain of defeats this year.