THE FRESHMAN RACE.

THE Yale Record of this week has an editorial criticising the reply of the Harvard Freshmen to a challenge received from Yale. The matter, as we understand it, is this: The challenge received was for a six - oared race to be rowed at the same time and place as the University, and, under ordinary circumstances, would have been perfectly satisfactory to our men. This year, however, they have agreed to row in the Freshman race at Saratoga, and it is believed that to row with Yale at Springfield would seriously lessen their chances of victory in the other race, and in their reply to Yale's challenge, they did not undertake to row the race, unless they could have the usual privilege of the challenged party, i. e. to name the time and place.

Speaking of this, the Record says: "This reply to our challenge is eminently unfair, and shows a disposition to seek for paltry means of interfering with any reasonable arrangements for the sake of annoying the Yale Association." And further: "We certainly are unable to change our former views in regard to the petty superciliousness which characterizes the dealings of Harvard in boating matters." Of course it is natural to expect that if our men row Yale at all, they will do it at Springfield, where the University race comes off; and we hope that it will be possible to make such arrangements.

If, however, it is decided that rowing at Springfield would be fatal to success at Saratoga, our men, as a dernier ressort, offer to meet Yale at Saratoga. We think it a question whether a race at Springfield would be incompatible with the Saratoga race, but it must be remembered that Freshman crews require to be handled with the greatest of care. We think it would have been more becoming for the Record to have investigated the matter a little more thoroughly before allowing itself to use such very candid and emphatic language. We have, however, long since ceased to be surprised at any misconstruction the Yale papers may put on our actions, and we can only say that when the leopard has changed his spots, and the Ethiopian his skin, then, and not till then, shall we look for fairness and civility in the Yale Record.