Willmar tribune., 1906-03-28
CADET BARRACKS s. AT WEST POINT,

The whole country has BEEN stirred
Of late by fatalities consequent upon
hazing and honorable" school fights.
The death of a4lad in this quiet little
seat OF learning, the violent end Of a
youth at our naval academy, instance
after instance Of very serious injuries
received at the hands of hazers- s-all the
tragedies. resulting L.. from school
pranks,"' :" has led to a general protest
against the custom, to demand for
stringent Investigations. After careful
consideration of the evil as existing at
Annapolis, the senate recently passed
measure regulating the procedure and
punishment in trials for hazing.
In the bill hazing is defined as any
unauthorized assumption of authority
by, one midshipman over another mid
shipman whereby the last mentioned
midshipman shall or may suffer or be
exposed to suffer any cruelty, indignity,
humiliation or hardship or oppression,
or the abridgement Of any right, privi-
lege or advantage to which he shall be
legally entitled.
The naval academy used to pride itself
On the fact that hazing was unknown
there, make reference to it as feature
of West Point life, wherefore to be RI
diculous. The naval school at first was
not military school, the midshipmen
boasted of unlikeness to the military
youths. Park Benjamin, author Of
"The History of the U. S. Naval Acad-
emy,'' and graduate of the class of
81. writing in the Independent, says:
1T was enough to know that hazing
was habit of the army people, to
make the midshipman leave it severe
~ alone" Back in the sos the elders
patronized the youngsters rather than
tormented them. However, Mr.. Benja-
min thinks boys then were not SO
very different from boys now, only
that changing conditions and ideals
have not been met by the necessary
increase in strict discipline. To quote
the authors terse words: "The mid
shipmen Of those days were not an
gelic beyond the generality OF youths
Of their age. They punched one an
others heads, boy fashion. as circum-
stances demanded, and occasionally
'deviled' an -over-conceited plebe-not
because Of his plebeness, but because
OF his ,conceit. No corrective much
worse than making him chant the
praises of himself as printed in his
home newspaper was applied, and no
harm, in fact salutary lesson, re-
suited"
In another article Mr.. BENJAMIN
rather upholds a mild sort Of hazing.
For the plebe entering with an ex-
allied opinion Of himself. thinks it a
pretty good, thing for the boy that he
be brought to a changed estimate; but
the author, with the rest Of the ma
ton, looks with sternest disapproval
on hazing as carried to the extreme
marking the present. He names sew
eral reasons for the present state of
affairs; among them, the exalting Of
athletics in the school curriculum;
the creating in the older students an
exaggerated sense Of self-importance;
handing over so much Of the direct
discipline to the senior class; the sud-
den increase in numbers from 300 to
SS1; an inefficient superintendent,
weak administration-''th true pre-
ventive of hazing lies less in punish.
ments than In the Improvement of
conditions. It has lately been official
ly recognized that there Is nothing in
the training Of naval officer which
especially fits him to be the head Of
this great educational institution"
Mr.. Benjamin gives a vivid picture
Of the conditions under which hazing
has developed into it's present exag-
gerated and brutal forms-"a great
crowd Of boys Of all ages from 16 to
"a coming from all ranks and condi-
tions Of life, housed In more or less
disorder, treated as mature minds to
be convinced rather than immature
intelligence to be compelled, left to
infer that obedience to law and disci
pline is open to debate, given absurd
positions and a degree Of authority
over one another far beyond their
years, led to believe that gladiatorial
triumphs outweigh professional study
as preparation for their future career
weak administration-fs It any
wonder, with the hazing law not mere
~ flouted as 1t was 20 years ago-but
in (the) recent instance by both ex
ecutive and congress practically sci
aside-that these boys disregard th<
obligations Of their official oaths
slight both law and discipline ani
evolve "codes OF honor which do not
prevent their lying pitifully on thu
witness stand or seeking to evadt
culpability by wretched quibbling ove1
the name they give to their offense?
1nfractions of regulations at th,
academy are punished by system o.
aomerits, the number proportioned Il
the gravity Of the offense. If ;cade
receive beyond q certain number :
year he is liable to dismissal. Fol
more serious breaches the punish
ments are extra drill, loss Of privi
leges, confinement on board the San
tee. The bill just passed by the sen
ate in reference to hazing, before tt
final amending granted to the secre
tary Of the navy authority: to dismiss
midshipmen at his discretion; .
amended, it gives the as midshipme1
power. II he 50 wishes It, to demand
q court-martial to determine actua
facts. 81 (. ..a M Mil rs NJ. :. \
Is Candidates for admission; to Wes
Point are called Ssthnas STA - those TIM