The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1901-01-26
WILL END HAzING.
Leaders of West Point Cadets Make
nm Offer To Put n Stop TO
the Custom.

| West Point, n. Y, Jan. 21.-Hazing
at West Point military academy is at
an end. The investigating committee
of congress, aided by the wide publ
cation of the reports of the testi-
mony given at that trial, has brought
forth from the upper classmen of the
academy voluntary letter affirming
that, owing to the feeling which is
evident throughout the country
| against the practice of hazing, the
custom would be abandoned. This
| communication is signed first by the
| president of the first class and after
by the presidents of the Classes of the
years following.
The letter. while announcing the
intention of the upper classmen to do
away with the customs which had
been prevalent in the institution for
many years. at the same time COM
ments upon the fact that the aboli-
ton of the practice is approved not
because the cadets deem that aught
of Importance has been charged
against the system, but rather be-
cause it appears to be the opinion
of the American people as whole
that il be done away with. The text
of the letter is as follows:
West Point. N. Y. Jan. 10. 1901.--To the
Superintendent of the United States Mill
tary Academy-Sir: Having become cog
INFANT OF the manner In which the system
OF hazing as practiced at the military
academy. is regarded by the people of the
United States. we, the cadets of the
United States military academy. while
m "a N a N m kya m ntlF nRd ~
system from the best motives. yet realiz-
ing that the deliberate judgment of the
people should in a country like ours be
above all other considerations, do reaf-
firm our former action abolishing the ex-
ercising of fourth class men, and do
further agree to discontinue hazing, the
requiring of fourth class men to eat any
thing against their desire and the prac-
| tice' of calling out fourth class men by
| class action. and that we will not devise
| other similar practices to replace those
| abandoned.
Respectfully submitted.
wv r. BETTISON.
| President Class 1901.
| "B. o. MAHAFFEY,
| President Class 1902.
| QUINN GRAY.
| President Glass 1908.
JOSEPH A. ATKINS,
Representing Class 1904"
The letter was handed to the COM
mittee by Col. Mills, the superintend-
| emit of the academy, and after read
| ing the communication Gen. Dick
| said:
This voluntary act of the corps has so
| impressed the committee that 1t has
| every reason to believe that in spirit and
! in letter 1t will be carried out by those
| cadets who are now at the military acad-
| envy This action of the men Is greatly
| commended by the committee and will be
! read by the country with feelings of mer-
| tied appreciation.
| Cadets Bettison, Mahaffey. Gray and
| Atkins, the presidents and repre-
| sentatives of the four classes, were
| called before the committee and adj
| dressed by Gen. Dick, who thanked
| them for their action in abo.ishing
hazing at the academy and said that
congress would recognize and adopt
what they had done. The committee
then adjourned to meet again in
| Washington at ten o'c.ock this morn
ing.
The committee hold the next meet
| ing in the room of the committee on
interstate and foreign commerce at
| Washington, ID. c., at ten o'clock on
Tuesday morning. They expect to
make their report IN about ten days,
and. it is said on good authority, they
will recommend that the number of
tactica, officers at the West Point acad-
emy be increased. 1t is also said they
will report that the deaths of former
! Cadets Booz and Breth were not caused
| by the hazing they received at West
Point. In the case of BCoz, the testi-
mony showed that he was not very
strong at any time and, it is said, the
members of the committee believe that
his health had been injured by his treat
ment at the hands of his fellow cadets
! in the academy. At the same time, it
is claimed that the committee has
failed TO discover any connection be-
tween the swallowing of tobasco sauce
and the subsequent death of Booz from
| tuberculosis.
Asked concerning the recommends
lions the committee would make,
Col Dick answered in a general way
that he believed the committee would
recommend that such legislation be
enacted as would put stop to the
he said that congress will pass such
laws as will make forever impossible
n repetition of the practices that the
committees inquiry has disclosed at
West Point. l believe the report of
the committee will be unanimous,
both as to findings and recommends
tons"