Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-28
GEN. MERRITT ON HAVING.
He Declares the Practice Has No Re
deeminE Trait.

lc DCSAuTcS the ITucticc Nus NJ ne
deeminS Trait.
Hazing at West Point is discussed by Maj.
Gen. Wesley Merritt, U. S. A. in Leslies
Weekly. Gen. Merritt was formerly super
intendent of the United States Military
Academy. He says, in part
when l was a cadet at West Point from
1855 to 1850, 1 was opposed to hazing, both
as a plebe' and as an upper class man,
though / had to endure good deal Of what
was termed 'yanking.' That consisted of
pulling a sleeping cadet out Of bed and
dropping him on the floor. This as rule,
did no harm, though 1 remember one fellow
cadet who was rather seriously hurt.
'Yanking' amounted only to a pleasantly,
of course. but 1t was annoying and unjust
when added to all the hard work that the
'plebes were required to perform through
the day.
Il recollect that three of us occupied a
tent together, and that we took turns in
sleeping in the most exposed position. That
was in the bed at the front of the tent. One
night, when l was awarded what was con-
sidered the safest place-the bed at the rear
I sank to sleep with blissful sense of
security. The next thing that 1 knew
flying through the air and landed jar
ringly on my back. Another form of haz-
ing in those days consisted of the unmerci-
full chatting of new men. but / always en-
deavored to give back as much as L re-
ceived
Fighting, in the sense of today, had not
been instituted then. There was no scrap
ping committee, and combats between rep
resentatives of classes We're unheard of.
During my whole time al West Point ! had
but one fight, and that was with a fellow
classman over a personal matter. The new
kind of fighting is to be unsparingly con-
demned, as the man who has been at West
Point year, and has been training all that
tine, is sure to be better qualified for a
personal encounter than a man of the same
height and weight who is fresh from home.
For this reason fight between pebe'
and second years man amounts to piece
of brutality.
There are great many army officers
though there We're more formerly than at
present-who heartily favor haZing, on the
principle that 1t is in the interest of dis
cipline and teaches the future officer to
obey without hesitation. One of the chief
difficulties that l encountered when super
intendent of the academy from 1882 to 1881
was that quite a number Of the younger
officers were Numerically opposed to my
views on haZing-so much So in fact, that
l could not obtain their cheerful acqui-
escence in what was trying to do to stop
the practice.
Il found. to put the matter plainly, that
/ had to deal with old 'cranks and young
'cranks.' The Older ones were some of the
members of the academic board, and the
younger ones were cadets who thought they
knew 1t ALL For the first three years
was very much interested in my work.
during the last two years there was lit
tie cooperation with me in my efforts to
abolish haZing that l became very tired of
the post. and was glad when my appoint
ment as general officer relieved me of the
superintendency.
"Wil hazing ever be stopped at West
Point? Not unless drastic measures are
employed The superintendent must be a
man who Is bitterly opposed to haZing, and
L believe Col. Mills thoroughly meets the
requirement. When he makes a recon-
mpnGatiOn to the War DanartJnent n
miss cadet from the service that recon-
mendation should be promptly and favor
ably acted upon
when young man goes to West Point
and develops what Is termed freshness he
rs certain to be haZed. Distinctions in So
ciai standing are never made on account of
family, position wealth. L remember that
the most popular man in my class of forty
hve years ago was one who, upon his ar
rival at West Point. reported his family as
being In INDECENT circumstances. He was
very kindly treated by all. George Van
derbilt, son of Commodore Vanderbilt, was
put through the PAGES with great rjpor