"Our Exchanges."

Few college papers do not fill up more or less of their space with comments on "Our Exchanges." Whoever would know the inter-relations of college papers has but to search for this heading, and beneath it read the compliments, slanders, questions, and suggestions which one worthy sheet sees fit to bestow on its loved, or hated, contemporaries.

At this time of the year many of the "exchange editors" are cordially wishing each other, at the heads of their columns, a "Happy New Year," and sarcastically criticising the exchanges further down. "A Happy New Year to you all," begins one amiable critic, remarking later on that "our verdant little High School contemporary informs us this month," etc. Very clearly the holiday greetings were not intended for the "little High School contemporary." The battles which exchange editors fight with each other, with such keen weapons as cutting sarcasm and irony, are closely watched by the readers, who never fail to rejoice when the blood has ceased to flow and the space in the papers is given to something more readable.

Perhaps less interesting even than the battles of editors is their love-making. Just as every paper has its bitter foes, so, too, every paper has its dear friends. With the former all is bad; with the latter all is good. Here is a paper that is "little, but oh my!" and here one that is "decidedly fresh," and here a third that "is a credit to the institution which it represents. Such a paper cannot fail to arouse an interest outside its own peculiar sphere. We hope to see you often."

All these criticisms doubtless have a certain amount of justice in them, but why all this needless extravagance? The exchange editor of the college paper seems to lack good judgment, to be immoderate in all that he does, giving either elaborate praise or uncalled for censure. He should, however, remember that extravagance, whether in praise or censure, defeats its own ends. In the case of praise the lies are too evident; and in the case of censure the bitterness very naturally meets with resentment.

Few exchange columns in school and college journals to-day are readable. Editors doubtless find them interesting, at times exciting, but general readers almost never find them so. Here, then, is a real fault, - a fault that has but one cure. Exchange editors should talk not in petty small-talk, as so many of them do, but in a way that will involve some generality, some interest to their readers as well as to themselves. The small-talk should more properly be conducted by private correspondence. But whatever is done, extravagance should be avoided.