THE LIBERAL CREDO

The prevalent tendency to place the critical college paper either in the nursery or among the dangerous intellectuals requires from time to time a restatement of the creed of the liberal journal in the college.

Liberalism is essentially a training in the ability to choose. In modern life this ability is made negligible, both because of the bewildering number of things to choose from, and because the pressure from our collective institutions demands allegiance or outlawry. The luxury of liberalism may therefore be said to exist only in the universities or among the idle rich. The outlaws cannot afford to be liberal: they must be radical.

However, even in the universities and among the rich, liberalism's magisterial flame burns thinly. At the present time, it would appear that the universities are too busy making over the rich and the rich are too busy making over the universities to be bothered much about this sort of thing. The college journal must therefore take on an added strength from the thought that its cause may be lost before it is begun.

The college journal owes no debt to any class or institution, save to the university which supports it. Its financial debt is to the student body. Its second debt is to the nourishing background of information and ideas which may intellectualize its efforts towards sanity. Its liberalism consists in the evaluation of first principles behind collegiate structure whether it be athletic, academic, or social. As for criticism of affairs outside of college to borrow a motto from a more conservative colleague: Dulce est periculum. If there is any sustaining editorial faith it must be a faith in the natural death of fools. If the liberalism is not foolish, sensitiveness on the part of the attacked will inevitably betray that the critical shaft has struck home. Attack for the sake of attack is destructive and errs on the seamy side of journalism.

As a social entity, the place of the college paper is in the world as well as in the college. It must take its small place in a long and honorable tradition of courageous service. It must base its claim to existence on the unbiased direction of the human will to destroy, not to create prejudice and fear. By this only can the elements of improvement and contrast enter into society. The college paper in its small way must accept this responsibility inherent in the written word.