The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-12-14
Insubordinate Cadets.

The condition of affairs ut the Virellii,l
polv,echnic Institute, as far as can DC
i told from tho meagre reports. "h'ch ilaSe
been received, is distressing, not 70 say
alarming, to tho friends Of that institu-
+ ton. SE
There are two sides to every question l's @
E. !. IA in no bosoms is the sense OF JUS ice
more acute than in tho bosorNs or young Gun
men. THAT the v. 2. I. cadets are READY
to resent an injustice is not only natural
a,,,t most honorable. It seems, ho"eVer'
+ that the cadets hnvo lost their bearing bearing
Il !. ! "a the proper mode of procedure.
If an injustice had been done 10 ing ing
members Of their clnss. their proper rene
dy would have been n protest TO the ne
faculty, and, &c that awaited nothing
rro1est to the board of visitors and de-
,nand for full investigation. It Is hard
Nv credible that both of these procedures
would have failed Of their object, anu
that the Injustice would have been con =
Il tin1ed without redress. But these reg
,,1ar and orderly methods did not SUIT
the temper Of the young gentlemen ana
they adopted the preliminary proceed
tngs of strikers and demanded tho restor-
alton Of their comrades by a certain hour
and falling in this, they would all quit.
This certainly was not the spirit tor
young gentlemen with any sense Of re-
spect for their faculty or for discipline
and their demand was properly and f1rn1-E
" refused. II 1t had been acceded to the
management OF the institution would at
once have been an object Of contempt
both to the students and to the people.
OF Virginia. and this ought to have been
plain to- the young men, who SO unani-
lmously made the demand.
we don't know what the facts Of the
case are There Is direct conflict OF
sta tement In the reports. Enough has
been brought OUT. however, to show thai
there is something rotten in Denmark,
ana that the ". P. l.. IS III an unwhole:
so.ne condition. we hope that the board
nj visitors. that IL now IN session. will
;;n 10 the bottom OF 1t. and will make
such changes as may be necessary to give
the cadets Il proper respect Tor thelr
commanding Officers, and the command
aug Officers a lesson in the right way to
handle cadets. :. :,
Il Enquestionably. it Is better not only
for the juniors and every other class 10
quiz and clean out the whole place. both
Of students and professors than that SUCH
!, spirit OF INSTRUMENTATION and defiance
should be tolerated there
Since the above vas put in type We
have received the report of action taken
Tuesday by the faculty and the Exccu-
tive Committee OF the Board OF Visitors
of tho V. z. l.. about tho junior class.
and VIC most heartily concur IN their de-
clsions Nothing less in cosntnon self.
respect could have been demanded by the
authorities of the junior class. than that
they should withdraw their threatening
letter.
This invlng--with amazing tatuity-becn
refused by the juniors, :hc authorities had
no alternative but to terminate all &C.
SationshIp with them,
1t Is 10 be hoped that the inflammatory
disease which seems to have nsgailed the
minds OF the juniors. does not extend
TO the other classes Of cadets; If 20, FUR
sher depletion is the correct, If not the
drastic remedy.