Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-10-23
IIAZING.

HAZING.
The pranks and practical jokes which
college students have become accus-
toned to play upon Freshmen and new
corners, have of late years been carried
to such an extent, that the restraining
hand Of authority ought to be assisted
by an uncsmpromising public sentiment.
Young gentlemen are sent to college,
to not only prepare themselves for the
rough and tumble of business and pro-
| fessional life, but also to gain that social
polish and Christian culture that shall
qualify them to shine and lead in the
social circle, and the sanctuary, where
courtesy and good breeding make the
rights and comfort of others, of the
first consideration. 1t is time that col
| lege students ceased to regard brute
force as all there is of manliness, and
cowardly and brutal assaults and
"rushes, as necessary accomplishments
of gentlemen, when they are introduced
| to a new class that has not been initiated
into the gentleness and culture of Uni
versity life.
The murder of Mortimer Leggett by
the Cornell University students, at
Ithaca, New York, few days ago,
while playing brutal pranks upon him,
under pretence of initiating him into a
secret society of the college, ought to
serve as an awakener to University pro-
fessors, and TO the people generally. The
account given of this tragedy is this :
that the secret society of the college
known as the Kappa Alpha Fraternity,
induced young Leggett to make applica-
ton to join them, and had assembled to
witness the fun of putting him through.
The members of this society gathered on
the banks of creek a little outside the
village, and Leggett, the candidate for
initiation, was blindfolded and subjected
to the usual ceremonies, which appear
to have been rough and cruel. While
they were in progress, Leggett and the
two young men who had him in charge
fell over the brink of the precipice into
gorge fifty feet below. There they
were found by their companions, Leggett
with his skull fractured and the other
two seriously and possibly fatally in
jured. Leggett lived about half an hour
after the fall.
No one supposes that these seniors
had any expectation of such result as
followed their brutal practices, and the
high handed outrage that blotted out one
and perhaps three bright lives, just as
hopes of future usefulness began to
dawn upon them, and their friends were
clothing their names with fond anticipa-
tion of renown and greatness in the near
future. We are told that public feeling
in Ithaca is aroused and that all con-
cerned will be prosecuted before the
criminal courts of the state. This is
right, and we hope that the time is not
far distant when if college student or
class make an assault upon another, that
public sediment will require that he or
they shall be treated precisely as any
other person would be for the same Of
fence, and the penalty should be in
creased to compensate for the cowardice
of the act, that seeks to shield itself be-
hind a class custom.
We have no prejudices against secret
societies, either in civil or college life,
and, if properly conducted, we can see
where they add intensity to the enjoy
ments of life and serve as a relaxation
from severe labors. We delight to see
organization and method applied to the
pleasures as well as the business of the
world, but when the purposes of organi-
zation are allowed to degenerate into
giving pain or offence to individuals, or
to carry on the brutal treatment of 9TH
ers, Systematically, for fun, it should be
frowned upon and the sublime teach
ing of the police court should be brought
in to aid the stern logic of christian cul-
ture, when the edicts of civilization and
the fruits of good breeding are powerless
to reform the brutal tastes of young
men. IF this tragedy at Ithaca brings
about this reform and abolishes ''hazing"
and its kindred enormities of college
life, Mortimer Leggett will not have
died in vain.