Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-12-27


the theory of evolution will not deny
that the young human animal mani
tests a strong prediction for simian
tricks. There are those who believe
that if the average college freshman,
for instance, were turned loose in a
tropical forest he would within a few
generations develop cheek pouches and
a prehensile tail. It is certain, at any
rate, that the tendency toward mis-
chief, innocent or otherwise, is innate
in boys and very young men, and there
are modified and attenuated traces Of
it in young women, especially when
they are gathered together in schools
or clubs or other aggregations. An
thrOpologists account for this youthful
tendency to mischief by declaring that
reason is imperfectly developed III
young people-and especially in young
men-and that the evil is incurable
save by time and experience. IN this
view Of the matter it is idle to preach
and illuminate against the proceedings
which are spoken of as haZing, be-
cause hazing is a mere phase Of orig
inal sin and cannot be abolished. The
sparks fly upward, and we have
ScripturaI warrant for saying that
mans prOneness to evil is a phenom-
enon which is just as natural If this
be true of the adult human being,
therefore, what shall we hope from the
human cub whose tendency to trans
gress is not yet tempered by the knowI-
edge that the way Of the transgressor
is hard? He must be left to work out
his own salvation, and if he incident
ally gets himself dubbed by the police
or cast into prison he is that much
farther on the road to enlightenment
and wisdom. This, of course, is
view of the matter which leaves the
normal citizen and his rights out &C
consideration. When the young gentle
men Of Yale University, for instance,
go on a rampage and tie up street car
traffic in the streets of New Haven, or
when the dental students in Chicago
throw plaster Of paris and other dele
ferrous substances upon pedestrians,
these latter are undoubtedly being de-
prived of their rights and privileges
as citizens. AS we have intimated,
however, this is a part of the pIice
which humanity has to pay for the
education and development Of it's
younger members. 1t is a part of the
ciyilizing process which the young bar
barian has to undergo before he is fit
for the society of his elders. And we
should remember that, after all, the
young barbarian is prone to wreak his
sayagery upon his own kind rather
than upon the innocent bystander."
Other things being equal, he prefers 10
maltreat his fellow barbarians; he Only
turns against the general public when
| there is lack Of such antagonists He
likes to fight the police occasionally,
but as a general thing he would a
great deal rather employ his simian
tricks against other simians and let
outsiders alone. All things cOnsid-
cred, therefore, we may very we'll
make up our minds to endure the mon
keyish antics which pass current I'M
der the guise of haZing. They cOnsti-
tute a necessary and inevitable fac
tor in human evolution. They are
only incidentally annoying or danger
Gus to sane people. In the end society
benefits by these manifestations of
barbaric atavism, especially when the
| young barbarians thump one another
hard enough to bring them 10 a real
ization of the advantages Of moral
over physical considerations.