Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-04-07
The kEazing at West Point.

THE LOT OF COLORED CADETS NOT A HAPPY ONE.
Secretary Ramsey last evening received from
Cen SchOheld, commanding at West Point, 4.
report Of the outrage on j. {. Whitaker, the
colored cadet at the military academy. The re
port does not Ciher from tue account tele-
gfdrhed from New York ana published this
morning. Secretary Ramsey has directed Gen.
SchoIield TO make the most rigid investigation,
and to find out II possible who committed the
outrage. According to the custom among the Ca
diets il Will be almost impossible to discover the
guilty ones, unless some evidence other than
would come from cadet can be deduced. Its the
rule never to give away another man. The
brutality OF this last instance OF ''haZing" re-
fleets upon the whole corps OF cadets. It Is
hoped by the authorities here that this may
assist in detecting the perpetrators. The null
latiOn OF Whitaker surpasses anything that has
ever been done at either West Point or Annapo-
lis in the way OF baZing. It is doubtful, how
done in the spirit OF that playful and innocent
CUSTOM Never before has cadet experienced
mutflation at the hands OF his fellows. 1t was
very likely war On the cadet On account
West Point who were colored. one OF them,
Lieutenant Flipper, now of the 10th cavalry.
graduated. The other was unable TO go othrough
the course, and Whitaker is the last. TWO col
ofed cadets have entered Annapolis one from
S0uth Carolina, tonyefS, and the other from
Mississippi, Baker. Neither Of them were able
to get out of the fourth class. The lot OF the
col0red cadet in neither institution has been a
While on duty. They lived lives OF solitude
They were among hundreds but knew no one.
They have been pefsecuted iD hundreds OF ways
IL a cadet saw tit to speak to one OF them he wa
Immediately sent to coventry ana put 10 th,-
same category with 1.-The moke.n This feeling o.
hostility and the persecution growing out
OF 1t has not been confined to youths from any
section. The northern youths as well as the
southern youths have always been reldy to
drive THE mokes' from the Academy. This
spirit, 1t IS believed, is what actuated the out
rage on Whitaker. No white youth would ever
have been treated in that way. The practice OF
hazing at the Naval and Military Institutes is as
old as the Institutes themselves. For many
years no attemps at breaking it up were made
Latterly, however, The authorities have tried to
put stop to it. The worst features Of the
practice have, to considerable extent, been
eradicated but the custom will never be wIoeG
out altogether. The new cadet is lead to
expect haZng, and the next year
when his turn comes to be the individual
who is to have the fun, he almost Invariably
avails himself of it. The eau Sc that has done
more than anything else to keep up the Gus
tom is the action of members OF Congress. Only
the more fragrant cases OF hazing come to the
attention OF The academy authorities. The
come to Washington, 60 to their congressman
and get political influence at work. They
generally succeed in getting ''reinstated." The
cadets know this; therefore the most active
haLerS are those that have the most political
influence. A young mans standing at either
West Point or Annapolis is among his class
mates gauged 10 some extent by the amount
OF political influence" he can bring to
bear The reinstatement Of dismissed cadets
became so common at Annapolis that In 1874 a
bill was passed forever debarling a cadet dis
missed for haZing from again entering the
academy. This bill has had wholesome effect.
There is hazing at the naval academy, but it is
not near what 1t used to be. At West Point the
case is different. About year ago six cadets
were dismissed for tiagrant violation OF the
regulations of the academy against hazing
All but one OF them were reinstated through
the influence Of members Of Congress Until
this is stopped hazing will continue to thrive at
West Point.