The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1896-06-17
discipline Must BE Maintained.


general Discrimination to brook
military restraint and obey the
rules Of the institution, were SITS.
pended, after having refused to
subscribe to an apology or recan-
tation demanded by the Faculty.
Senator Sholars, of Ouachita,
whose SOIL was among the number
OF suspended cadets, has provok-
ed II Legislative inquiry into the
University troubles.
The evidence thus far at,iuced
appears to Indicate tne inrtficlency
of Col. Nicholson and will proba-
bly, eliminate il his resignation or
deposition. While the sentiment
against bin, both of cadets and
certain members of the Faculty,
may be untenable and entirely
without foundation, yet the fact
that such prejudice exists, is safll-
cient to impair his usefulness and
is lust cause for his deposition.
Personally, we are very friendly
TO and entertain the highest re.
gard aud esteem for the Snpelln.
tendent. But the University is d
State institution, fostered by the
State aud in which every Loulsian.
ian has or ought to have a juSl
pride. Its curriculum must be
kept up to the highest plane OF
literary excellence. No dissen-
sion between the Faculty and CD.
diets or individual interests can
be permitted to impede its prog
ress. If Col. Nicholson is STUN.
bling block, as the testimony ap'
pears to Indicate, preventing the
disciplinary and educational wheels
flom revolving smoothly, he must
he removed aud the sooner, the
better.
The action of the Faculty, how
ever, in the suspension OF the III
subordinate cadets, must and vii
be approved by every just an.
reasonable person, without any re
gard to whom it may affect
When discipline is relaxed or over
thrown, an army is soon converted
into a disorganiZed rabblr. THE
maintenance OF discipline is JUS
as important and essential i'll ;
military institution or in any 9th
pr for the matter Of that, as it il
i'll all army.
Just thirty seven years ago, tlt
writer, among nearly the entire
Freshman and Sophomore CLASSES
Of Kenyon College, was suspend
I'd for an intract;on Of some mino
college rule. Although it was ;
very trivial affair, it was a whole
sale and deliberate violation of tn
rules, which could not be coudon
ed without endangering the inter
tsts Of & tlouris!'ing institution
The faculty resolved that the OF
Tending students must either lcav
the institution or sign a pledg
that they regretted the act of in
discretion complained of am
would never again be guilty Of Vi
olating thit or any other colleg
regulation.
About one thiil Of the suspend
ed students refused to compl
with the conditions exa.ted for r.
instatement and returned tD thei
respective homes. The remaihiel
the writer among the number, n
alizing the difficulty, if not abs(
lutte impossibility of gaining aC
mission to any other institutio
under the ban of expulsion, sigl
ed the pledge, then considered s
odious and humiiating and resun
ed our so suddenly suspended IT
lations with the College.
We thought then that the Col
ditiOns of re instatement were III
necessarily harsh. But the tligl
Of time and the acquisition Of
maturer Judgment has convince
us that We were in error.
We hazard nothing in the Fl
, diction, that with a similar expe
fence, every one of the suspendt
, cadets, will realize that he WI
wrong and the Faculty right.
The newspapers are engagll
in considerable discussion as
whether or not Governor Bradlr