WE have heretofore supposed that Memorial Hall was for the use of the students, but from recent occurrences it appears not. When men visit the Hall and deliberately insult the students while at their meals by standing with their hats on, if their conduct is hinted at as being disagreeable, by the medium of feet in conjunction with the floor, whoever is seen making any disturbance is pounced upon by the Directors and expelled or suspended, to serve as a warning to others. What right the Directors have to do this we fail to see, unless it be for the reason that as the authority to govern in the Hall has been deputed to them, they feel bound to exercise it on the student, rather than take what would appear to rational beings to be the most natural course, namely, to remove the casus belli by prohibiting visitors from Memorial Hall during meal-time.
The idea of visitors coming to the Hall at meal-time is no less absurd than it would be for people to flock to one of our large hotels to see the guests eat. However, if they must come to the Hall, they ought to make no distinction between it and a hotel, and they ought to conform to the same rules of politeness which would govern them in such a place.
No man would think of entering the dining-room of the Revere House and standing with his hat on, nor would such conduct be tolerated for a moment. It would be considered as an insult to those present, and measures would speedily be taken to correct the manners of the offender. The same rule applies to visitors at Memorial Hall; and it is our opinion that if men, through ignorance of common rules of politeness, persist in standing in the gallery with their hats on, students are perfectly justified in endeavoring to teach them better manners.
The best way to administer the reproof is without rudeness, and it appears to us that the sending of the head-waiter to request the removal of the obnoxious tile is a perfectly polite and gentlemanly manner of effecting this, and that it ought to be put into practice in every case where such a breach of etiquette occurs.
There should be no distinction of persons, and "gentlemen of distinction and prominent standing in the University" - no matter if they are unfortunate enough to be extremely susceptible to cold - should, by being guilty of this impoliteness, lay themselves open to the reproof which they justly deserve. We should imagine that such gentlemen would have the sense to choose a time more fitting than that during the hours of meals to pay their visits to Memorial Hall.
The mortification which was felt at the occurrence mentioned in the Advocate appears to us to be mere affectation, and we consider the sending of apologies to be a specimen of cringing servility perfectly characteristic of the present management.
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PROPERTY FOR HARVARD COLLEGE.