Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1901-08-14
Put a Stop to the Brutality.

The revelations of the hazing in
quiries at West Point, both military
and congressional, have aroused wide
spread public indignation and a uni
versal demand that the brutal, tyran-
nical and cowardly practices OF the
cadets at this military reservation be
stopped forthwith by academic regula-
ton If possible, by the force of law IL
necessary, and if neither of these avails,
by the discontinuance of the academy
itself. The continuous narration Of
stories OF compulsory pugilism, brutal
exercising, inhuman treatment, petty
prosecutions ard senseless indignities
has stirred the country until there is a
suggestion that the institution has jeop-
ardized it's own existence by the follies
Of the cadets and the complacence Of
the officers in charge.
From the admissions of senior cadets
it Is gathered that the so called hazing
has been a tyrannical and cruel perse-
cution Of the small boys by the big
ones; that the fights required by the
academy "code Of honor" are in fact
mere barbarous punishments Of the
weak by the strong; that in nine cases
out of ten the freshman has no sort OF
q chance and that the ceremony is de-
liberately cOntrived with a view to as
certaining the limit of his ability to sur
vive the effects of an overwhelming on
sIaught. The fights are far more brutal
than contests in the prize ring, where
feeble men are never pitted against
their physical superiOrs and where bru-
tality is somewhat Iessened by the use
of gloves, while at West Point the little
boys have to meet the big ones with
bare knuckles, and they are expected to
fight until they faint, no matter how
hopeless their inferiority may be or
how certain their cruel punishment 1t
is simply barbarism of the most cruel
and cowardIy sort. 1t hardly seems
possible that American boys, selected
because Of supposedly superior phys
ical intellectual and moral qualities,
could descend to such degradation as
has been revealed at West Point or
that officers of the United States army
would, as shown by the testimony, de-
liberately wink at such atrocities and
give them sanction by their compla-
cence.
Public sentiment has reached the
point where these abuses will no longer
be tolerated. If the hazing cannot be-
stopped, and some Of the officers con-
nected with the institution declare that
it cannot be, then congress should re-
fuse to grant further appropriations
and end it's existence. Worse things
might happen than closing the acad-
emy. History has proved that many Of
our bravest and best military captains
did not have the advantages, or dis
advantages, Of a West Point education.
Among these may be noted Generals
Logan, Miles, Shafter, Lawton and
Chaffee, who certainly rank in point
Of courage and generalship with the
average product of the Military acad-
emy. The country can get along with
out West Point academy, if necessary,
and still develop in abundance
brave and patriotic soldiers for the
defense Of the American flag and
American honor. The country, how
ever, cannot afford to longer bear the
stigma of maintaining a national in
stitution which degrades and demoral-
ICES young men and which makes them
towards and brutes instead of develop
ing that valor, honor and chivalrN
which ought to characterize an Ameri'
can soldier.