The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-02-06
BURLINGTON WEEKLY HAWK-EYE.

ENHANCEMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF
WEST POINT AcADEMY.-The ignorant
prejudice against the United States militia
ry school at West Point, N. Y, has pretty
much died out. Early in the war some OF
| the claquers of civilian generals attempted
| to decry our officers who had studied war
~ u science at that institution but there ia
| 100 much hard sense in the American peO-
pie TO he misled tor any length of time by
any such nonsense. At present the sense
OF the value of West Point to the nation for
the education of the future officers of its ar
mics is gaining upon the people and Justly.
Many of the last board OF visitors went to
the institution with very strong pref udices
against 1t, but after thorough examina-
ton lasting through sixteen days, and ex-
tended not merely to the studies of the ca
diets, but their discipline, morals, police
and the general administration of the
school, the board became unanimous as to
It's great practical value, and the import
ance OF charging Its capacity and adapting
1T more fully to the growing military ne
cessltles OF the country. The board also
round that the rumorS OF immortality among
the students We're false; that they hold as
high position in this respect as most col
lege Students and in some respects better,
as three Of the present classes have pledged
themselves to abstain wholly from intoX;
eating liquors during their connection with
the school. 1t would be gratifying il rs
good 4 report could De made OF any one Of
our New England colleges.
The board of visitors recommended sew
erai important changes: that the number
of cadets be increased to 400, which is the
present capacity of the institution; that the
age and requirements for admission be add
vanced and, most important of all, that
competitive examination he substituted for
appointment to cadetships. AS now admit
ted by recommendation OF members Of
Congress and appointment by the Presi-
dent, great mary incompetent boys get
into the school, who find themselves una
bic 10 pursue the studies and are ObligedtO
leave. This is humiliating to them and
| their friends and a damage 10 the general
scholarship of the institution. 1t is shown
that less than One-haf OF those admit
ted heretofore have graduated; in some
classes not over forty per cent. X there
were fair competitive examination, by
which from ali the candidates yearly there
should be selected those best fitted by gem
JUS and requirements to excel in nathe-
matical and military studies. only the boys
would get admitted who would honor and
serve the nation by the fruits Of their ed,l-
| cation, and the public money would not be
sQuandered, as in too many eases, on the
sons and nephews of congressman, who go
to West Point only to be educated At the
expense of the government, and with no
| intention of rendering an equivalent IL flu
ture public service. Competitive examin-
| alton is the rule in all the military schools
Of Europe. Any Frenchman, from sixteen
| TO twenty years of age, can get admission
to the Polytechnic school of E'rance-the
best OF its kind in the world-if be can pass
| the rigorous examaton required and stands
among the number to be yearly admitted
VINO rank highest on examination. Con-
gress can do no better service to West Point
and the country than by adopting the re-
commentator of the board of visitors. and
providing for admission to the school here
after by competitive examinations. And
not only upon West Point Will this change
be OF good influence; il will have a ,aiutary
and stimulating effect upon thousands of
smart and ambitious boys in all our public
schools, and thus indirectly promote the
cause OF popular education. II ii shall also
tend 10 substitute mathematical and scien
titic studies for some Of the fancy work ana
nonsense now prevalent III ourhigh schools,
| 1t will bea most valuable gain to the future
1 generations. -SDrinofeld Repubtlcun