CHARGE OF FAVORITISM.

The following is part of a special correspondent's article which appeared Wednesday morning in a prominent Philadelphia paper, the "Public Ledger."

"ANOTHER CASE OF CLIQUEISM AT HARVARD."CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 9.- [SPECIAL.]-Another case where favoritism and personal feeling have prevented the best man from getting a fair show at Harvard has been brought to light in the last day or two. This time it is Mains, the Brown University pitcher of two years ago, who is the object of the feeling.

"Mains entered Harvard in the fall of 1895, but was prevented by the intercollegiate rules from playing on the nine last summer. He worked, however, on the squad and showed such ability that he was counted on for big work this year.

"When the list of candidates was given out his name did not appear, and the report was spread through the college that he had been dropped by the Faculty because he had not attained sufficient "marks" in his college work, but it is false. Mains was not dropped nor has he left college. He has changed his department to the Bussey Institute, the agricultural school of Harvard University, situated at Jamaica Plain, some five or six miles from Cambridge, which gave rise, perhaps, to the story, and accounts for its being believed; but he is a member of the university, and as eligible to play as any of the candidates.

"Now that it has begun to be voiced about that Mains is in the college some of the leaders in the movement to exclude him have made the statement that he is not a "full-fledged" student, and therefore cannot play. This is merely a subterfuge, for he certainly is as much a member as Scannell, who is in the Medical School, or Stearns, one of the subpitchers, who is in the Law School.

"It is another proof of the glaring partiality in crimson athletics. Instances of it have cropped out many times in the history of sport at that college, particularly on the nine and crew, but of late there has been a strong feeling among the graduates and undergraduates against such treatment, for it is by this means that Harvard invariably puts into the field teams which are by no means representative. This has been the most potent cause of Harvard's failure to keep up her end with the other colleges.

"The chances are that it is not a movement of any individuals, but more of a society feeling, which is backing some candidate. Mains's friends, of course, are indignant, and so are all of the fair-minded students, but judging from past cases of this kind, that is all that it will amount to. The cluques have always ruled Harvard and it is reasonable to believe they always will."