The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-29
a PRINCE Is YOUNG AsroR's FAC.
Sensational Information That Comes
From Elton.
London Letter in St. Louis Globe-Demo-

London Letter in ST. Louis Globe-Demo-
GRAFT
Something very much like CONSERVATION
has been caused among the more royal
cubjects of the queen by the discovery that
Prince Arthur Of Great Britain, only boy
of the Duke of Connaught, who is the ia
vorite son of the queen, and now being
educated at Elton, is forced to do his share
of tagging, and that the senior boy to
whom he is forced to render mental SER
vice is no other than young Astor, son OF
the American multi-millionaire, who has
established his permanent home in Eng,
land. The idea that a prince of the blood
should be called upon to flag at all is hor,
rifying in the extreme. But that he
should be called upon to flag to an Ameri-
can is simply dreadful in the eyes of the
vast masses of the English people.
Tagging is a form of servitude from
which no boy at Elton, or, indeed, at any
other of the great colleges of England is
exempt, no matter what his rank, and it
may be looked upon as part and parcel
of the. course of education, since it teaches
the flag the meaning of the word democra-
cy, and that there are considerations
than mere rank, ancestry and BIRTH a
full-hedged duke. when he first joins Elton,
may oftentimes be found tagging for the
son of brewer or of a city merchant. AS
a flag he is expected to attend to his
masters clothes, TO heat his shaving water
the senior boys always are fond of shaw
ing, since 1t betokens their manhood-he
must fill his masters bath and serve his
tea in his study and may be asked even
to brush his masters boots. Moreover in
his spare time, when his master amuses
himself with cricket or with tennis, 1t is
his duty at flag TO do the fielding and to
hunt for the balls. OF course there is
no question of his being permitted to use
the bail himself unless his master wishes
to practice bowling. In one word, he is
TO all lntents and purposes the slave of
his master, who has the right to chastise
him across the shoulders with stick IL
| he declines obedience, and If that is not
sufficient 10 reduce him to subjugation he
is sent up to the head master for a birch
ing.
Tagging and birching are time-honored
Institutions of the British public schools
and colleges and have been so for hun
! dreds Of years. They have been abolished
in the middle class and board schools, as
well as in schools of a municipal and
charitable character. But the schools of
the aristocracy and upper Glasses retain
| both tagging and flogging, which they APP
| parently regard as a privilege belonging
! to their caste. In fact, they pride them
| selves In the marks made by the birch,
| which they regard as constituting a sort
OF Retrospective evidence of their blue
blood. Lord Salisbury now prime minis
ter, was brched at Elton no less than
seven times, and on one memorable occa-
| sion the headmaster at Elton logged a
whole party Of thirty candidates for con-
| irmation. the paper with their names on
| ii being mistaken by him for the list for
| punishment sent 10 him every day. He
would listen 10 no remonstrance, but went
conscientousiy through the whole list.
! Young Aston, who is very popular at
! Elton, and has received a good deal of re-
| nown on the river as an oarsman, has re-
ceived his fair share Of birchlngs along
with the rest, In spite of his rights as an
American citizen. But the English people
| have yet 10 learn that castigation OF
this kind has been inflicted upon young
! Connausht" the grandson of their qneen.