St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-03-01
COLLEGE HAZING.

The bovine or brutal quality is by
no means wholly worked out of the
blood even yet. The taste for pugil
ism, or the pummeling of the human
frame into jelly by the force of fsti
cuffs, as a form of enjoyment, is Il
relapse into barbarism. 1t is the
| instinct of the tiger still surviving in
the white cat transformed into the
princess. | will not call it, young
gentlemen, the fond return of Melusina
to the gambols of the mermaid, or
Undine's momentary Inconsistencies
of soul, because they are poetic and
pathetic suggestions. The prize-ring
is disgusting and inhuman, but at
least it is a voluntary encounter of
two individuals. But college bullying
is unredeemed brutality. 1t is the ex
tinction of DIR. Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde.
1t is not humorous, nor manly, nor
generous, nor decent. 1t is bald and
vulgar cruelty, and no class in college
should feel itself worthy of the respect
of others, or respect itself, until it has
searched out all offenders of this kind
which disgrace it, and banished them
to the remotest Coventry.
The meanest and most cOwardly fell
lows in college may shine most in
hazing. The generous and manly men
despise it. There are noble and in
spring ways for working off the high
spirits of youth: games which are rich
in poetic tradition; athletic exercises
which mould the young Apollo. To
drive young fellow on the thin ice,
through which he breaks, and by the
icy submersiOn becomes at last Grip
pie, helpless with inf1ammatory rheu
matism- surely no young man in his
mind thinks this to be funny, or any
thing but an unspeakable outrage. Or
to overwhelm with terror a comrade of
sensitive temperament until his mind
reels-imps of Satan might delight in
such a revel, but young Americans ii
never, young gentlemen, never.
The hazers in college are the men
who have been bred upon dime novels
and the prize-ring-in spirit, at least,
if not in fact-tO whom the training
and instincts of the gentleman are I'M
precious among English words. The
man who is justly entitled to it wears a
diamond of the purest lustre. Tenny-
son, in sweeping the whole range of
tender praise for his dead friend Ar
thur Hallam, says that he bore
without abuse the grand old name of
gentleman. "WithOut abuse"-that is
the wise qualification. The name may
be foully abused. [ read in the morn
ing's paper, young gentlemen, pitiful
story of a woman trying to throw
herself from the bridge. You may
recall one like it in Hoods 'Bridge of
Signs" The report was headed, ''To
hide her shame" "Her shame 2" Why,
gentlemen, at that very moment, in
bright and bewildering rooms, the
arms of LOthariO and Lovelace were
encircling your sisters waists in the
Intoxicating waltz. These men go
unwhipped of an epithct. They are
even enticed and f1attered by the
mothers of the girls. But, for all
that, they do not bear without abuse
the name of gentleman, and Sidney
and Bayard and Hallam would scorn
their proclamation and betrayal of the
name.
The soul of the gentleman, what is
it Is it anything but kindly and
thoughtful respect for others, helping
the helpless, succOring the needy, be-
friending the friendless and fOrlorn,
doing justice, requiring fair play, and
withstanding with every honorable
means the bully of the church and
caucus, of the drawing room, the street,
the college? Respect, young gentle
men, like charity, begins at home.
Only the man who respects himself
can be gentleman, and no gentleman,
will willingly annoy, torment, or in
lure another.