The San Juan County index. (Aztec, N.M.) 1890-19??, 1901-10-25
cApEr copE Ar wEsr po1Nr.

The course of study at West Point
Is extensive, but It is very thoroughly
covered. The secret Of the success Of
the academy is. simple. In the first
place the academic board-the faculty
lis composed Of permanent professors
who teach mathematics, physics, and
the like. and of officers temporarily
assigned, who are the heads of depart
departments of military engineering
tactics, law, ordnance, etc. The per-
manent stan maintains traditions that
have been approved by the experiences
Of nearly a century; the officers de-
tailed temporarily bring fresh blood to
the school. the experience Of war, Of
camps, Of active service. All the pres
ent officers of instruction. without
exception, are graduates of the acad-
envy and represent what is best in the
whole service.
The second keynote Of the peculiar
success Of the school consists in the
proportionately large number OF in
structors compared to the number Of
pupils. The register for 1901 bears
the names Of sixty-three officers who
are charged with the Instruction OF S91
cadets. There is Instructor to six
pupils, nearly. ThisA~cnables the
classes to be divideaf - Naall sec
lions for Rotations. In mathematics,
for example. the sections consist Of
about ten cadets who recite to n in
structor for ninety minutes daily. The
mathematical requirement Of each
cadet is, therefore, tested, on the aver
age, during nine minutes, tally, over
a period Of two years. No single days
work can be neglected without detec-
ton. Nemesis INT once a week in
the shape of marks" posted for each
days Rotations. II the marks are
excellent the cadet may look forward
to quick promotion in the future; If
they are passable. his promotion will
be delayed; II they are low, he runs
the risk Of losing his commission in
the army and besides this he Is punish
ed by confinement to his quarters. ETC.,
"tor neglect Of studies" which is neg
lect Of duty-a military offence, there
fore. Every offence is punished in the
same way, by "demerit marks" There
are, for example, about $4,000 oppor-
tunities for a cadet to be late at roll
call" during the four years. For each
hardness one demerit mark is given.
Two hundred demerit marks received
in any one year cause dismissal
Every dereiiction Of duty is noted
zone button Of uniform Goa unbutton-
ed at drill" for example-and pun
ishment follows hard upon It. This
Is the method Of Mother Nature
stumble and the fall win hurt. Pun
ishment is immediate. %inexorable, just
The result Is the formation Of fixed
habits exactly fitted to the conditions.
Besides the written code Of the acad-
envy the cadets have an unwritten code
Of their own. No man may lie and
remain a comrade, for example. Con
duct unbecoming a cadet and a gentle
man" is an offence against the written
code and is also punished by the ca
diets themselves who refuse to associ-
ate with a man under such a ban. Up
10 o point their unwritten code Is
] MMNANu0NANu VI WY AWAN years II MMN
been carried entirely too far. owing 10
the recent growth of class spirit. %
The written law does not. and should
not, recognize class presidents and the
like. by a return to the old method
Of recognizing only the officers OF the
cadet battalion the remedy for recent
Irregularities is at hand. The hazing
Of new cadets must be stopped once
and for all, and discipline must be In
the hands OF the officers only. The
country a. large has decided this point
definitely and the cadets have accepted
the decision Loyalty, as they are &C.
customed to accept all orders OF their
lawful superiors. Let them look out
side OF the little government reserva-
ton at West Point and see the fields
in which they VIII soon be called upon
to work Upon their steady adherence
to the motto of the academy. Honor.
Duty, Country" the future OF the
United States in two h~emiapheres will
largely depend. I'M the future as 90
the past. their country a rely upon
their faithful efforts New York sun.