The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-13

thing to fair dealing and diplomatic
honor.
There is another consideration, purely
commercial in its character, but which
/ should have some weight in determining
whether the canal is to be neutral or
milan canals, providing one is fortified.
| Should the United States insist on build
ing and fortifying the Nicaraguan route.
there is little doubt that the commercial
nations of Europe will at once furnish
the necessary funds to complete the
Panama canal and make it neutral
waterway.
Whether the interoceanic trade will
support two canals costing $50O,OOO,OOO, is
| question which should not be ignored.
All things considered, it would be more
dignifed. and certainly more profitable,
for the grave senators to listen less to
the uniformed popular voice for an ''all
American canal and give heed to the
conditions as they are. Let the senate
cease hair-splitting for the sake of the
/ galleries and get down to business.
A MUCH-NEEDED INVESTIGATION.
! 1t does not matter very much whether
| the original resolution or the substitute
| offered by the chairman of the commit
tee on military affairs, on the subject Of
the hazing of young Booz, be adopted. A
congressional investigation would doubt
less results in attracting more general at
tention; but the secretary of war may
reasonably be expected to give to con-
gress a fair statement of the circum-
stances attending the unfortunate affair.
Hazing, as a practice, has all the ira
| ditions of the naval and military service
to sustain it; while in private educational
institutions it has had the liberation, if
not the approval, Of those charged with
the administration of such establish
ments.
In the case of Booz, doubtless, the re-
| ports thus far are more or less partial.
| But whatever the exact facts may prove
to be, it does not seem to admit of Sc
rious question that the young man was
treated inhumanly. The officials of the
academy have offered their explanation
| of the circumstances out of which the
! boys death seems to have arisen. The
explanation will satisfy no one. 1t brand
! ed the young man, while he still lowered
on the brink of the grave, with the
! brand Of cowardice. He died, and his last
reported words were his refusal to re-
! veal the names of those at whose hands
he suffered the injuries which apparently
resulted in his death.
1t will not justify the death of this
young man that he was Objectionable to
his comrades in the academy; nor that he
was regarded as a coward by them. If he
were invited out to a fist fight, and did
not show ability to take the punishment
inflicted on him with the endurance
which is foolishly regarded as establish
ing courage, that circumstance of itself
certainly cannot be said to extenuate his
subsequent ill-treatment. He was COM
PEELED to drink mixture which may or
may not have been the chief cause lead
ing to his death. If the suffering thus
imposed on him were designed to drive
him from West Point, those who resorted
to it would be severely punished were
they not shielded by usage or the in
fuence of those in control of them.
So much of sheer brutality has been
practiced in the name of hazing that pub
tic sentiment has long been deeply
aroused on the subject. The investiga-
ton in this case, no matter whether con-
Quoted by the secretary of war or by con-
gress, will hardly be sufficient to put an
end to the practice The most such an
investigation can hope to accomplish in
| this direction is to put an end to 1t at
West Point; and that result is as certain
of achievement through the one means
as the other.
It would be a circumstance Of the
greatest moment If some effective means
were found for the destruction of this
practice. But its destruction really rests
with the college authorities rather than
with the general public. If the practice
was certain to be attended by the expul-
sion of those engaging in it, there would
be a speedy ending of it. AS long as the
professors of the various institutions in
which it is practiced are willing to toler-
ate it, very little can be done by congress
or any other body.
Whatever one may think of the hazing
practice, there ought to be no difference
of opinion on the necessity of examining
fully into the circumstances of this young
mans death and Of properly Furnishing
those who are responsible for it, if the
responsibility is clearly established.
CARRIERS SENTENCE CONFIRMED.
Every man who values probity in pub
lie office will be gratified to learn that
the sentence of the man Carter, convict
ed by court-martial of having robbed the
government of large sums of money in
connection with river improvement op-
erations, and that there does not appear
any avenue of escape or him.
Were it not for an aroused public senti-
ment Carter would today be at large, liv-
ing his life in one or other of the fash
ionabIe clubs of which he was member
Indeed, had he been civilian, instead of
an army officer, the probability is that
with the almost inexhaustible influence