Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-04-10
FORTY-SIXTH CONGRESS-.
TSecond Session.
The Senate.

House bill appropriating $50, 600 for the
erection of public buildings, Paducah, KY,
passed.
The bill authorizing the secretary of the
treasury to repair and extend the public build
ings owned by the government at Cleveland,
Ohio, was reported favorably and placed on the
calendar.
On motion of Senator Bayard resolutions
offered by him February oath, providing for the
appointment of joint committee of two men,
bers of the finance committee of the Senate,
and ways and means committee of the House,
to take into consideration the alleged losses of
revenue arising from evasions of the tax stamp
on cigars and other articles subject to excise
duty, and ascertain what remedy can be pro-
vided by law, and with power to recommend
such measures as they may deem proper by bill
or otherwise, were passed.
The House resolution for printing 800, coo
copies of the report of the commissioner of
agriculture for 1879, passed
wHITTAKER's woONDs.
Senator Logan submitted a resolution direct
ing the secretary of war to furnish the Senate
with any facts that may be in his possession in
reference to the recent mutilation Of one of the
cadets at West Point.
Senators Eaton and Maxey thought the reso-
luton premature. An official investigation of
the outrage was known to be in progress, and
the Senate would be able to get the official re-
port when it should be made.
Senator Logan modified his resolu tion SO as
to request the President of the United States
to transmit such information in regard to the
affair as in his judgment would not be incom-
patible with public interests. In some remarks
on the resolution Senator Logan said the re-
ports regarding the outrage were most extra
ordinary. He had never heard of man COM
mitting such an Outrage on himself, and he
wanted the Senate furnished with the facts.
Senator Voorhees, said he was in favor of
every possible investigation of the administra-
tion of West Point academy. He regarded
those who had graduated from that institution
with wonder as having survived a regime of
brutality, inhumanity and uncivilized con-
duct. have known for years, he continued,
of young men going there, not colOred young
men but white young men, who have be-
driven away by a system of conduct on the
part of students there so disgraceful that l in
tend to lend my aid, humble though it may be-
Oh all occasions to every kind of investigation
and to swell public opinion as far as l am able
to assist in doing it, to humanize and civilize,
and, if possible, to christianiZe West Point
That ought to be done or the institution should
be abolished. If this unspeakable and internal
outrage has been perpetrated upon this young
man there is no length to which this govern
ment ought not to go for the purpose of cor
recting such an abuse, even to the extent of
abolishing the Institution. If it is impossible
TO conduct this institution on civilized and hu
name principles it ought to go down. | have
attended institutions of learning in my day
and 1 know that il is possible for young men
in large numbers to be assembled toge er and
pursue their studies and treat each other as
gentlemen, but there is something in this SEM
mary of war to inspire young men with dash
of brutality that is perfectly amazing. Wheth-
er it is because they are being educated to war
with their kind or whether IL is the fault of the
management do not know. take no stock
in the thought that this young man cut his
ears off, 1t is absurd and ridiculous
to my mind. 1t is a part of that system of
Outrages that l have known committed upon
young men from my own Congressional dis
trict when l was serving in the other house;
part of that system that makes young man
fight for his right to stay there while being
educated.
Senator Bruce-I endorse every wo-d the
Senator from Indiana, Voorhees, has uttered.
For three or four days the newspapers have
been filled with reports as to the mutilatiOn of
this young man, now the theory is advanced
that this man mutilated himself. If he did,
the country Dhght to know it, and he should
be expelled, but it is making entirely too
much of me to believe that he or any other
man would mutilate himself; to use a
vulgar phrase 1T is entirely
too thin. We have for several days been dis
oussing bill that will more effectually chris
tianize and civilize the Indians. l think this
Senate would do we'll if it should devote a lit
tie time to civilizing and outstanding West
Point. For six or seven years scandalous sto-
ries have emanated from that institution as to
the treatment that young men sent there re-
ceive. l know one instance of young man
who voluntarily did that which would cause
his dismissal, because he was unwilling to be
I.
that institution.
Mr.. Hoar-I do not think this case ought to
be confounded, as the senator from Indiana
seems to confound it, with ordinary cases of
hazing. Hazing occurs in the first year, not
the third year, in our colleges, but
the treatment of colored pupils at West Point
stands by itself The colored bows
who have entered West Point have been SUBJ
jected to course of treatment which, if it
cannot be ended, ought to result in the aboli-
tiOn of the institution itself, ana resorting to
some other method of educating officers for the
service of our republic. The colored boy who
enters West Point, unless the practice there
has changed within year or two, is in as COM
plete solitude from the time he enters until
his graduation as Robinson Crusoe was on his
deserted island. Everything which the disci-
pline of the institution demands from one sol
dier to another next in rank is scrupulously
performed, but the boy is left absolutely without
an associate. Nobody speaks TO him. Nobody
calls upon him in his room. Nobody affords any
sympathy to him in sickness or sorrow. When
he enters the recitation or examination room
and takes his seat on bench that bench is va
cant. Now who would not rather fight his way
through dozen attempts at hazing than spend
four years of his growing oyhood in such sol
itude as that. l am afraid the instructors at
West Point have not tried to impress on the
classes there that the basest thing they can do
is to treat young colored youth as person to
be exiled from any sympathy and association
of humanity on account of the color of his
skin. This American republic, with its 4,000,-
600 of colored citizens, equal before the consti-
tuition and law, will grind that institution to
powder unless this abuse Is ceased.
THE UTE AGREEMENT.
The Ute bill was then taken up and Senator
Vest addressed the Senate.
Senator Vest supported the bill not because
it was perfect but because it was practical
step in the right direction and would prevent a
terrible and inglorious war. He believed that
the granting of land in severalty, the estab-
fishing of small reservations and the turning
over of the blanket or wild Indians, to the war
department was the only practical course for
the future treatment of Indians. This would
break up the tribal relations and gradually
bring about their civilization.
Senator Teller said the attempts to educate
the Indians had proved failures. He was there
fore opposed to Dawes amendment.
Senator Plumb said the Indian was incapa-