The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-03
,T M WATCHING with a good deal
of interest to see what they will

Fl
H. do to that naval Cadet said
Harris, the quartermaster' clerk, to
Kintuck and Biddy Doyle.
=" An phwat d. yees make av itq'
asked Biddy.
1T think he's out Of luck" replied
Harris. "Fist fighting has always been
done in the army and navy. It's the
same in every big boys school in the
world. Don t you remember in tom
Brown at Rubgy' how Tom licked the
big bully, and afterward made friends
with him7 DR. Arnold knew how to
ruin boys school, and Hughes knew
how to describe one. Their influence
was wholly good in every way. There
are some occasions when fist fighting is
necessary and proper. American boys
are taught at home that it is sometimes
proper to fight. 1t ism It in an Ameri-
cam to stand being imposed on; he al
ways wants to lick anybody who does
him dirt, and he teaches his boys the
same thing. I would bet month g pay
that every officer on that courtmartial
has done the same thing. It has always
been done at both Annapolis and West
Point; and this has always been known
to the authorities" -e@e>
''They used t. call it hahn, didn It
theys' asked Johnny Green. IT
thought that wuz all broke up at An
napolis an West Point.'
tfThere s quite difference, JOHNNY
replied Harris. Glazing had nothing
personal in it. Every boy had to take
his share Of that medicine, just the same
as every other boy, at West Point and
Annapolis. There was no personal ill
will in it at all. It was part Of the
boys education, by which he learned
to pay proper respect to his superiors,
and to wait his turn for the privileges
belonging to older men with higher
rank. That was a good thing In every
way. It was bad mistake to break it
up. The reason why it was done was
that the public got the same mistaken
idea that you have about it. Just be-
cause a few DULLES took undue advan-
tage of the customs Of hazing to i'm
pose on lower classmen, it was pub
1ished that the system was responsible,
which was not true. The cadets them
selves would have settled those DULLES
in short time, if they had been let
alone. That was DR.. Arnold's idea,
!: which Hughes brings out in tom
Brown It is the right way to train
boys. - >-..' - $780,
=: X. !. :! ..~ss
But this is different This sort of
thing is what takes place when the old,
! normal, healthy system is rooted out.
It was shown on the trial that Branch
had personal crouch against Meri-
wether. He threatened to cause his
class to 'bilge' Meriwether. That
means the same as a 'bob-tail discharge
by the top-sergeant does to us. The
upper class was to make 'life not worth
living for Mr.. Meriwether, and they
could do it very easily without the
notice Of the officers. There was bad
blood between the two boys. When
Branch snooped about Meriwether s
room he evidently did something out.
side of duty, for he was in doubt about
4 it himself, and asked first classman
who told him not to report it, as it
would be considered improper and
sneaking even by the upper classmen
who were trying to blge Meriwether
D Cadets are sometimes required to re
port cadets in the line Of duty; but they
are not required to snoop around and
spy out things and make reports just
! to give dement's to other cadets whom
they personally dislike to bilge' the
other man, as Mr.. Branch threatened tt
do in this case. Any boy with a spark
Of manhood in him would resent thai
sort Of thing. A clean, straight forward
!. boy would go straight to the other fel
low and tell him what he thought of it
SAGE to face. That is just what Meri
wether did. If the other fellow hae
been right he would have stood by hi