Rome Free Academy - De O Wain Sta Yearbook (Rome, NY)

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THE SENIOR ANNUAL. 21. deeply interested in witch hunting for his own private ends, while others state that he believed that he was doing God’s will in exterminating Satan's agent. It is not for us to judge. God alone knows the motive which agitated the leaders in witch persecution. There is no doubt that some used witchcraft asa means of taking revenge for family feuds or other not like to personal malice, but we do glance at such inhumanity. There were a few who dared to deny a belief in witchcraft, but the majority of for their daring. these were punished Among these were Martha Corey, John Proctor and Joseph Putnam. John was executed but Joseph Putnam escaped. The terrible spell was at last bro ken by the accusation of Mrs. Hale, wife of the Her husband had been active in punish- the pastor of church at Beverly. ing others, but he knew the innocence of his wife and he worked to prove it, The whole colony saw the folly of ac- cusing this lovely woman and from that rr [he Governor forbade the state courts to try The and time the accusers lost their power. witchcraft. crowded prisons of Salem. any more cases of Boston Cambridge were opened and prisoners were given their rightful freedom. It fact that all of the their they confession of notable con- is a either maintained inno- the into a demned cence to last, or if were persuaded guilt, they denied it before death came. Ann Putnam, one of the three girls who about all of the fessed her sin and guilt in brought trouble, con- later years, but the Parris family seem to have be- lieved in witchcraft until the end. It is melancholy this the clouds of superstition have rolled away, the the has triumphed over refreshing to turn from period and note how leaving us in sunshine and free atmosphere of twentieth century. Humanity super- stition and inhumanity, and we have to be thankful for at the I am sure that none of us much indeed present day. count it least among our blessings that we have our glorious country with its watchword of freedom. “Freedom forever! Truce with oppression—never, oh, never! By our own birthright—gift granted of Heaven; Freedom for heart and lip, be the pledge given!”

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THE SENIOR ANNUAL. Athletics. The Athletic Association. Nghe oy in the Rome Free Acad- 41 emy have in the last two years been placed upon a new footing, that is in a financial way. This branch of the school work, for it properly should be school work as much as any study, is controlled by an organization known as the Rome Free Academy Athletic Association. This association is open for membership to any scholar or teacher in the school who will pay twenty-five cents a year for the support of athletics. The Athletic Association has a written constitution in with which it acts. A most important provision in the constitution is that one of the faculty must be treasurer, which office has been accordance very ably filled by Mr. Harris for the past two years. The present officers are: President, ‘Thomas Flanagan; Vice- President, Walter Secretary, May Wilson; Treasurer, Mr. Harris. These officers are elected at the annual meeting, held in December; the managers of the various teams are also elected at this time. When the association was re-organized in the fall of 1902, the various athletic teams had contracted debts amounting to nearly $200. Since then the associa- tion only met all current expenses, but has paid up, by degrees, $125 of the Evans; has not indebtedness. received are accounted like manner and a detailed report is required of every manager. ‘Ty . . - . lhe association now feels that it would be better justified in asking support All moneys for in.a business from the citizens of Rome, since it has paid all debts for two years, besides $125 of the old debt, than it would if it were In order to keep poorly involved in new debts. out of debt the teams have been equipped, thus possibly accounting for the number of defeats Rome has suffered in the past years. A team needs a good outfit and careful training in order to do its best. ‘This has not been given to the teams lately. Naturally the question arises, ‘“Why not?” evident to any observing member of the Academy. The most important reason is that there is no support given to the teams. The games are poorly attended and then the teams are blamed for not a winning game with a few The answer is self- playing students in the grand stand or on the side lines. Every person who is able should attend the games. The effect on a team of a large, enthusiastic body of students cheering them on cannot be measured. Another reason for lack of money is due to the small membership of the Asso- ciation, in comparison with the number in the school. There are about 100 members of the Association and about 280 pupils in the Academy. This comparison shows a great lack of school spirit. It must certainly be lack of school spirit, because the dues are only twenty-five cents a year and anybody can afford to pay them if he chooses. Let the next year start off with every student in the Academy a member of the Association and working. in conjunction with the teams, to make the athletics of 1904-1905 victorious from start to finish.