The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-27
CASE Of CADETS
IS NOW SETTLED.
Acknowledgement Andcrson's po-
sition in the Lexington Holiday
Indiscrction and Mischief.
MISTAKEN IMPRESSION
Fad Character, SO Far as Disci.
piine Goes Is Legitimate
Military Phrase.

The recent troublg NJ the virginia Mill
iary institute, ct I.oainlstou. growing on
Of tia aonduct OF rertajn cadets in vic.
s,ing the rules aud orders of the institu-
ton during the Christmas holidays. has
attracted great deal OF attention. Ar
a result OF this holiday mdiscrotioa a
whole class vas dismissed. ana very nat
urally g. great deal If correspondence be-
tween friends and relatives of the ca
dots and State officials followed.
Many letters cano 10 Acknowledgement
Charles j. Anderson ond he replied TO all
Of thcm In courteous language, always
maintaining and standing up for the dig
nifty of the constituted authorities Of tho
institute and of tho State.
In a number of such letters written by
The Adjutant-Gencral tho following Ian
guase IL used:
II think the time has como when
cadets, neither Individually nor as a
class. can longer wilfully assault the
constituted authorities of tho Virginia
Military Institute. The pride of this
school and cornerstone of it's discipline
and efficiency Is obedience to orders
and truth. and both OF these are vio-
lated after n man subscifhes. as all
cadets do to tho regulation and then
deliberately and without reason vio-
lates them. The present third class,
particularly, had Hll of the experience
and observation Of the folly OF the
last third class when 1t worked so
much Injustice to the school and to
The fair name Of the State which sup
ports 1t. feel perfectly competent to
give fair decision in this matter at
Issue when both sides of the question
ara laid before the board. etc"
In a special letter. written later. the
Adjutant- General quotes the above and
adds:
Since writing the above letter on the
18th of January, the board has held it's
semi annual meeting and has decided
not to dismiss this class, but to give
1t as severe penalty as we We're able;
to put 1t upon probation and direct the
superintendent to dismiss any man, or
men upon the slightest infraction of
the rules violated or of any others.
There is absolutely no justification
whatever in the silly action of this
class; but the board found that n few
ringleaders, naturally deficient in
study, and somewhat in character. so
far as discipline goes had instigated
this disregard of the regulations, and
unfortunately were backed up by that
led them all to stand together; there
fore, as We could not separate the
tcchnically guilty from the ringlcaders.
We pursued the course as above
stated
An afternoon papey, in 1uotiRs the
above letters OF the Acknowledgement,
sets tile story Oft with atller sensational
headlines, which naturally leads tho hasty
reader 10 the conclusion that the officer
charges the leaders in the Christmas es
capade with being young men of bad |
character personally The language of |
tho letter is very plain, and admits of |
no such construction
Happily, however this whole matter
has been settled. tho cadets have re-
turned TO their studies, and it is believed
that there vii! be no more indiscrctions
that will subject them to the criticism
that they are deficient in character, 80
far as discipline goes"