Evening journal., 1902-05-14
srn1KEAr DELAWARE

AS published in our columns yester-
dav all the students of Delaware Col
,ege. with the exception OF twelve
seniors. have agreed to absent them
selvos from recitations until the fac
ulty shall relnstate six Of their tel-
loNvs who have been suspended. Ihel
trouble began over the hazing OF a
freshman, and although he submitted
as gracefully as it is possible Tor q
human being to bear such an indls-
nifty. and refused to reveal the names
of his tormentors, the story came out,
and as a result six students were s's-
pended for a short period. The stu
dents have issued an ultimatum de-
manding that the suspended students
be reinstated, and the faculty has re-
plied demanding that the students shall
return to their college work not later
than tomorrow
There are several features Of this
situation which are worthy of COM
ment In the first place, when young
men have had the preliminary train
ing necessary for entrance to college
they are supposed to be reasonable hui
man beings, aware of the ordinary
ameneties which should obtain amongI
gentlemen. and, therefore, their con-
duct in hazlng a fellow-student is in
defenslble. Il seems that it DIS an un-
written rule that new members OF the
freshman class must undergo the treat
ment as an incident that is unavoid-
able Much may be excused to the
sense of humor and fun which is a
characteristic OF the average college
student. but we should like TO ask
where there is a grain Of humor i'm
stripping a fellow student, plung-
ing him in a cold bath and painting
numerals on his back? The hoodlums
in our alleys could devise something
less savage and more mirth-provohng
than that. These young men should
realize that a delicate young man sub
jected to this treatment might have his
health seriously impaired.
II may be urged that III is custom.
If so. intelligent students should
show their grit and manliness by at
tempting TO abolish it. Neither is II
an answer to say that hazing is an in
cident of college life generally. The
students of old Delaware owe 1t tc
themselves to establish customs that
need no defense, and which shall stanc
on their own merits, and hazing, aside
from its brutality, is a species o.
tyranny that is un-American, and a
absolute variance with the spirit o
education. Nothing is proved by haz
ing a man, save the brutality i'm th'
hearts of THE perpetrators. We do no
mean to be harsh i'm our criticism, 70
there is something of the old Adam il
each of us. but education and the in
fuence of ethical teaching should kee
such impulses in subjection
The faculty has taken a stand, an
must not yield. Would the student
have them yield? Would it not lowe
them and the institution in the geneIt
esteem? There is court Of appea
which is the Board of Trustees but
is inconceivable that that body wi
refuse to sustain the faculty To d
so would be TO advertise that the stl
dents are the real governing body, an
the usefulness of Delaware COLES
would be at an end. If advice we
needed, we should say to the studen
Of Delaware, go back to your class
tomorrow morning. To stay out is n
manliness, but stubbOrnness; you a
in the wrong, and it takes more COZ
age to acknowledge error than
maintain an attitude of defiance.
future years you will probably have
pride in your alma mater, but not
you recognize that the faculty was
customed to yield TO pressure fr
students when the students W
wrong.