Wadsworth semi-weekly dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1899-1904, 1903-02-06
Put a stop to the Brutality.

The revelations of the haZlng In
quiries at West Point. both military
and congressional. have aroused wide
spread public Indignation and a uni
versal demand that the brutal. tyran-
meal and cowardly practices Of the
cadets at this military reservation be
stopped forthwith by academic regula-
ton II 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 and senseless indlgnities
has stirred the country until there Is a
suggestion that the institution has jeop-
ardized its own existence by the follies
Of the cadets and the complacence Of
the officers In charge.
From the admissions of senior cadets
1t is gathered that the SO called hazing
las peel a tyrannical and cruel perse-
cutlon of the small boys by the big
ultSs tnul az uSntS iCQoiAC0 " AN
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
a chance and that the ceremony Is de-
liberately contrived with a view to as
pertaining the limit of his ability to sur
yive the effects of an overwhelming on
slaught. 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-
of gloves. while at West Point the little
boys have TO meet the big one with
bare knuckles. and they are expected to
fight until they faint. no matter how
hopeless their in~feriority may be or
how certain their cruel punishment. 1t
is simply barbarism of the most cruel
and cowardly sort. 1t hardly seems
possible that American boys. selected
because of supposedly superior phys
zeal. 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
ii cannot be. then congress should re-
fuse to grant further appropriations
might happen than closing the acad-
envy. 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 poinl
of courage and generalship with the
average product Of the Military aead
envy. The country al get along with
out West Point academy. II necessary
and still develop In abundanc,
Grave and patriotic soldiers for tn,
defense of the American flag ant
American honor. The country. how
ever. annot afford to longer bear thu
stigma of maintaining a national in
stitution which degrades and democrat
ICES young men and which makes then
towards and brutes instead of develop
ing that yalor. honor and chiyalr
which ought to characterize an Amer
can soldier.