The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-02-10


Z. N. WOOD.
Central Plains, Va, Feb. 4, 1901.
Hazin= ut West Point and Virginia.
Military Institute.
Editor of The Times:
SIT congratulate the country at large
over the excellent work being accom-
piished by the Congressional Committee
IN investigating hazing at West Point.
II SHOWS what u little common sense can
soinetlhes act ofnpiish when supposed ex-
pert Information and fitness fails entire
" Inc military committee, made I'D evil
IDENTIFY of military martinets and in strong
sympathy with prevailing methods at
west Point, marched uD the hill and
"arched down again and gave the boys
an entirely clear bin of health. Their
hholnS was simply ridiculous
1t brought JUNCTION to my soul to see
no" congressman Digs puncturcd the
conceit and showed up in its true light
the cowardice and brutality Of these
1yro soldiers. l see the boys have been
smart enough to sniff afar the storm of
Indignation that is abroad in the land
ana nave made an abject surrender and
promise hereafter to be good. 1t remains
10 be seen il this promise is sincere but
"helher 1t is or not. the Congressional
Committee will be doing only half their
4
also tackle the head and make a clean
sweep of the entire staff of officers and
professors who have had charge Of the
cadets. From either Observation-Disclosures
they knew OF the hazins and failed TO
stop IT. or whether, on The other hand
they were not smart enough to detect it
they deserve to be promptly dismissed
ana no excuse OF paliiation extended to
them.
nope this shake up. before it lets up
VIII reach what is popularity known as
me W est Point of the Soutll-the Virginia
Military Institute at Lexington. Virginia
1t became necessary for me to personally
investigate hazinS there last September
ana can truthfully say that if hazing
at West Point is bad. that at the V NJ
l. is worse and more cowardly. / was
'nVelgled into patronizinE this school by
"a representation in their catalogue that
All cadets were required TO take solemn
oath That they would not engage in haz
ing IN any form while connected with tho
institute found III truth such an oath
was so required. but the BOYS as a whole
Claimed the oath was compulsory. and
therefore, not binding. and they held
themselves free to engage in all the haz
ing they wanted. This is really not true
Tor i myself saw the oath administered
ana 1t WAS not compulsory at all The
boy could take it or not. and it is not
forced on him at all. and | pronounce any
VOCATION oil such an oath when once taken
as Migrant violation OF Il mans honor
as ne could ever make at any time and
under any circumstances ] can sneak
WITH som" authority Oh hazing at military
schools, FOR in my earlier years | had
considerable training at one of ,ht, hes,
the South has ever had-1he South Cara
ma Military Academy at Columbia ana
Charleston. ! was here at a time when
he w,4y-e fIJr-,1
the great Civil War, and | can testify
that haZing is no more necessary for Il he
education and training OF n soldier, than
pulling of legs and wings of a fly is for
the bringing up OF Il child Both arc
equally brutal and cowardly, but would
award the palm for the greater mean
ness TO the former. for the latter max be
more or less eXcuSabIe from ignorance
when the former is not
liazlnS as practiced at the Y. At 7 has
much III common with that ut West Point
as brought out by the Congressional Com
1nlttee, but there are two popular features
at the Y. NJ l. which seem TO be too low
down and cowardly 10 be practiced 1t
west Point. One is that known as buck
ing. consisting of making a plepe bend
over table, awhile the older cadet beats
him with an iron ramrod or broom stick
Not only is this extremely Illuminating to
the P!ebe. but 1t is also very painful and
he Is apt to be seriously damaged for life
The other is the cursng of the plebe by
the older or cadet officer while the latter
is III ranks drilling or marching him.
understand this cowardly insult to the
helpless plebe is not permitted at Nest
Point, but / know it is freely INDUCED in
at the Y. NJ. !.
y word about morals at the Y. NJ /
An older c:1det approached a newly ar
rived plebe and said: "Rat, do You smoker
NO. sir, replied the plebe. DO you
curse?' NO. sir do you drink" $40,
sir" Well replied the older cadet. be
tore you leave here You will be doing all
three, just like your brother" 1t seems
that the plebe has an older brother who
has been a cadet there for some time and
Is known among the boys as having &C
CURED all three of these varied accom-
plishments ~. l am prepared to give the
names OF these two brothers. Yes, s,noh-
ing. cursins and drinking are all INDUCED
in at the V. M 1.-the former TWO very
freely found the sutler in one of the
buildings of the schools. besides offering
pies and ice-cream. also displaying a line
of tobacco goods for sale, including the
pernicious cigarette. The consequence is
not only do the boys indulge freely in the
latter. and buy them at all time Of the
Gay, but a very large proportion OF them
have the inevitable teil-t2le yellow finger,
indicating the young man is either al
ready a cigarette fiend or is fast becom-
ing one. The conduct in the mess hall is
d;sgraceful. There are no professors or
sub-professocs about during meals-the
older cadets supposng to hive a .tsalu-
tary" influence on the newly arrived
plebes. 1t is 'salutary'' with a vengeance.
The older cadets are scattered around the
different tables among the new arrivals,
and they play all kinds of rude ,pranks on
the latter-such as throwing glasses at the
plebe and make him catch them: drinking
up all the milk so the plebe can get none,
and forcing him to eat all kinds of un-
palatable messes etc.
Altogether. haZins at the V NJ L needs
Investigating and deep probing. not by in
competent military anartinets. but by a
committee of the Virginia Legislature, who
viii handle the situation with common
sense and gloves off. They should not put
in ali their time investigating the boys,
but should start in at top and go through
from the superintendent down
If the Legislature will appoint a COM
mittee OF investigation. I should like to
appear before them. and. in doing SO, am
not only prepared to furnish facts and
names, but also to give circum stances
which will be proved not nrly Ia no frre