The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-02-15
SEVERE ARRANGEMENT OF
WEST POINT HAZING.

OpAi '- lH'l my tt4 '4i' lidN'I.E N.t7t7
of Booz aud Breth at West Point, did
not bring iu verdict fixing response
bility for their untimely deaths, but
the severe arraignmeuJ Of this cruel
practice al our national military acad-
envy contained il their report to Con
gress, shows how earnestly the commit
tee investigated matters and how re-
pigment to all that is just and honor
able it had become
After reviewing the cases of Br, tn
and Booz. who were both tr.ated
with great severity aud were never
well after they left the academy and
who without their unlawful ex-
actions could have studied and gained
in strength and vieor," the report con-
tinues and gives a clear idea Of the
practices in vogue:
while We canuo' fix upon hazing
the possibility for these two deaths,
the possibility that it FASTENED them
and The blot it throws on the otherwise
fair and glorious fame of the academy.
its conflict with proper training and
di-cipline and unlitness IN this new
century, urges the adoption Of reason
able, yet we believe effective, measures
for it. eradication aud the promotion
of diCipline at the academy
Commenting on the class system at
West Point the committee saws:
The ups er class men at the Acad-
envy are all substantial ~ on a social
equality, but great gulf divides them
from the fourth cla,s The upper class
men have gradually evolved an entire
cod of unwritten laws governing their
relations with fourth-cla,s men, a.
well a. the whole course Of conduct
which should be pursued by the after.
Under this code no friendships are
formed between the upper class men
and the lower class men; they have no
social Intercourse or relations
Except where the parties have been
acquainted before entering the academy
the upper class men treat the fourth
class man as unknown. stranger and
an inferior. The fourth class man ha-
no right to speak socially TO the upp-r
class man, aud when he speaks to him
on business he addresses him as Mister
OF "5lr." NJ fourth class man should
gaze, are oT even look squarrly at an
upper class man, but drop the eyes
when in ones presence, aud failure to
do 50 Is punishable Oflense.
ut is the duty Of a fourth class man,
when in the presence Of an upper class
man, TO stand at attention, as if in the
presence Of superior officer. A fourth
class man should b. sober aud dignified
as becomes one in training for the grave
duties of an army officer, and he must
at all times abstain from laughing or
smiling, upon the one hand, or look ing
sullen upon the other The record
shows that where cadet has looked
sullen upon being hazed he has been
called out, and if he smiled he has
been punished.
"After the fourth class men 90 into
camp each is assigned by lot or other
wise, TO some upper class man as spec
ial man, and as such much discharge
the duties OF body and tent servant
He must sweep his superiOr's tent, put
up and make down his bed, adjust the
flaps OF his tent, carry water, clean
braces, brasses, breastplate, and other
trimmings, guns, bayonets and swords;
clean and care for his clothes, taking
out dirty collars and cuffs and putting
in clean ones; take dirty clothes to the
laundry and bring clean ones back
make out hop cards. copy reports and
discharge other similar duties "
Under the third, or most unwarrant-
ed and obnoxious form Of haZing. the
committee mentions "qualfy ing, :"
fleet inspection, dragging man out
OF bed, +" ''sliding on soaped floor, 4"
standing on head in bathtub filled with
water, y standing on head In tent be-
tween tattoo and taps" standing
orders" pillow fights" and "cold
baths in the company street"
Under each Of these subjects the COM
mittee makes severe and in some cases
extremely caustic comments.
LAS this system grew and became
more aud more oppressive it became
necessary to have some effective means
to cOerce obedience to these unlawful
behests Of upper class men, and to
meet this demand a system of fighting
has gradually grown up which is
shocking in its character Each of the
upper classes has regular fighting
committee, and whenever it is reported
for example, to the president of the
third class that some fourth class man
has refused to obey any Of the unlawful
and illegal orders of an upper class
man, or has in some other important
respect violated the upper class code,
all of which, it must be borne in mind,
is in direct conflict with the regulations
and rules of the academy, the president
calls his fighting committee together,
and if it thinks the charge true, it
orders the fourth class man called out
and names the man who is to whip
him.
"a fight to a finish has a more
vicious meaning here than elsewhere.
Theoretically, when a man is clearly
whipped his seconds may throw up
the fight. The record, shows, how
ever, but one instance of this being at
tempted, and in that the principal was
the upper class man in the fight and
refused to abide by his seconds advice.
To show his grit and courage the de-
feated party, although helpless so far
as fighting is concerned, must nomi-
nally Coon so long as by any possibility
he can come back to the ring, even
though he is incapable of doing any,