1903-04 Volume 28 No 1–5 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

THE SCROLL. 247each of these years the precedence question was submitted tothe junior class, and the non-fraternity students always votingthat * A © should head the fraternity lists, the three disgruntledfraternities succeeded in preventing the publicationof the annual.In 1887 the class of '88 published the second volume of theTrochos. The old fight was resumed, and * A ® and thenewly established A Y were the only men's fraternities representedin the publication. If the opposing fraternities controlledthe ball, certainly * A 0 controlled the annual, and astranger would not have been aware from it of the existenceof B © n, * K *, X * or 2 X. The latter, also newlyestablished, having been promised admission to the fraternityparty provided it would vote with the other three, had agreedto do so.After the Trochos was published in the spring of 1887, theclass of '89, in arranging for its publication in 1888, sustained* A © in the position it had taken throughout the wholetrouble. This led the other fraternities to offer a compromise,and it was finally agreed that the fraternities should appear inthe annual according to their English alphabetical order,though this was not satisfactory to * K *. The followingfall B 0 n, * K *, X * and 2 X, as usual, made theirarrangements for the party without notifying $ A ©. Theyhad settled the annual matter, and impliedly had promised todrop all differences. But * A © was too strong a rival forthem to thiiik of removing a handicap which was to theiradvantage. At first fair arguments and appeals to their faith,given in the annual settlement, were made, but they were notto be thus influenced. Seeing that nothing could be gainedthere, Wisconsin Alpha presented the case to the universityauthorities, which again decided that the other fraternitiescould not have the use of the Assembly Hall for the 1888party without admitting * A ©. The other fraternities werethus forced to surrender, and such was then their desire tostand well with a formidable and successful competitor, thateach of them hastened to assure Wisconsin Alpha that throughits influence * A 0 had been admitted. Especially was thisthe case with B ® II, which had bitterly opposed the admissionof $ A 0, yet afterward claimed to have been instrumentalin its admission. * A 0 gained admittance throughnobody's influence except its own; it had won over the combinedefforts of the other fraternities, and because it was thestrongest fraternity at Wisconsin, and they could not keep it out.