Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-09-03
FIRST CLASS STANDS PAT.
DETERMINED TO FOLLOW IN
FOOTSTEPS OF PREDE-
CESSORS
Act Against lIazing-Tte Practice Must
Be Abandoned
NO CLASS NOW CRATES" HAZ
ING ACCORDING TO THE
CODE

INV nANNANGAAF0 ~ a
CODE
n can he said authOritatiyely that
the present hrst-cass Of midsbipmeD
will take similar action 10 that Of
the Grst class Which has just grad
uaied. the latter being the first class
tO take a definite stand against the
practice of hazing IN any form. ON
account Of the fact that the .nembers
Of the class were scattered over the
different ships of the summer practice
geet there has been no meeting ~ the
class and definite action taken, but
the decisive majority Of the class has
expressed Itself in favor of carrying
out the wishes Of the authorities and.
IN fact, the whole country.
The fact that MidsbipmaD Archibald
II. Douglass, the president Of the
class, was detained ~ Annapolis on
account Of an operation 10 his leg, also
had something ~ do with the fact
that the matter has not been taken ~
by the class iu formal manner.
While IL Is not denied that there Is a
minority ln the class which favor tbe
continuation Of bazing 10 certain
degree. yet II Is entirely ontweigbed
by a majority coWpOfed Of members
or the class who have reached their
conclusion IN a number ~ ways.
With some IL Is matter u principle
and good feeling, while others frankly
admit that they are looking ~ the
risk more than anything else.
The midsbipmeu who have passed
three years III The Academy and are
looking ~ graduation within q year,
a. tTfga al
have worked for and being sent away
from tie school rs disgrace as were
certain FIRST eiassmeB q little over
year ago. A great many Of the mem
bers of the class feel, A. did the best
element fn the class that has just
gone, that the time has come for tie
fuidslIipmen u abandon The practice :
That II ~ forbidden by their entrance
Oatbs and opposed by Congress and
the country at large. There - also
strong feeling in the class that u
would be disIOyaI and uBgratefuI to
Snperintendent Badger and the other
officers ~ authority 10 allow = reyivai
0f hazing under bis regime. IL -
known that the disclosure ~ the series
0f courts martial held during tIis
winter Of 19OJ-'OC, caused some criti-
cism " the administration ~ Captain
BTOwusOn ~ superintendent during
which Captain Badger, now superjL-
fendenf,~ was cOmmandant Of midsbIp-
men.
A revival of baziug soon after Cap
tain Badger assumed the duties Of sm-
would unguestiODaDIy be
the cause Of great regret to Captain
Badger and might lead u criticism
from those who were not thoroughly
acquainted with the situation. The
members Of the first class know this
and would be IOathe 10 take action
leading to such consequences, As Cap
tain Badger is very popular among
the midsbipmen. Indeed, both Cap
tain Badger and Commander IS. :.
Benson, cOmmandant Of midshIpmeu,
are treating the midshipmen IN the
most frank and open fashion and the
whole spirit Of the administration is
one 0f appealing to tbs sense Of honor
Of the young men and Of having as
little Of espionage as possible.
An interesting point in connection
with the situation is that there is now
no class in the Academy, with the
exception Of the Grst class, whose men-
bers rate bazing according 10 the
tradition Of the Code" that used 10
be in force at the Academy and is still
invoked at greater or less intervals
and with more or less authority. The
present second class is said to be the
class which brought all the trouble
Of the Courts martial upon the upper
classmen, and consequently hazing by
its members could not be tolerated
by the present FIRST class, some Of
W hose former members severed their
connection with the institution on
account Of them. The present third
class would not be allowed to haze
on account Of the fact that its MEM
bers had never been hazed. COnse-
quentiy, Academy tradition happens
to be on the side Of the Academy au-
fhorifies.
In other words, the situation seems
10 be ..up to the first class" OF
course, the authorities Of the Academy
do not intend TO tolerate any Tecnr-
renee of hazing no matter what action
the midshipmen or any part Of them
may take, but the present first class
Is undoubtedly in situation where
IL could deal bazing such blow that
IL would exist only as a memory al
the Naval Academy. Hazing cannot
exist y fthouf the cOnniyance Of the
first class. which furnishes the cadet
officers who are on duty At dormitOries
formations and In quarters. Both
C,nor and student traditions nov
unite 10 prevent any revival Of the
practice Of hazing. n the first class
does It's duty this year and stands by
the authorities, there will be an end
10 the constant feeling at the Academy
that there is always a chance for the
haziug beast 10 which. strangely
enough, 50 many in the Navy seem
attached. 10 lift up its head again.
While determined 10 prevent any
unlawful and unwarranted assnmp-
tion Of authority On the part u upper
eIassuen, the Academy authorities
are not opposed. iG fact. they enc01r-
ace the members Of the first class ~
aIi times ~ supervising the bearing
and behaviour " the under classmen,
partfcularIy the members Of the
fourth or lowest class. At meals. IN
pubIfc places and ~ other times. the
first cIassn1eD are at penect Liberty
70 exercise right and proper restraint
upon the members ~ the under
classes. This Is the duty u officers
of the serslee and, IL - recognized
that the members ~ the first Class
are Just = step removed from that
and should be trusted with the same
functions