Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-08-29

took care not to break any rules. even
in the slightest degree" was asked.
NO such plebe ever existed" was the
reply. 1T would be impossible. In
the first place, it takes the cadet at
least year to learn all the rules He
cannot master them in less time. while
the older cadets know them and are
ready to pounce upon every violation
by the mar they have il in for"
The officer described many instances
of petty tyranny, impossible of detec-
ton unless the victim 'peached." For
such victim, the conspiracy for plllng
up demerits was "A sure result; there
fore, of course, the plebe dared not
tell
IF an upper classman was not vim
dictive enough TO desire a pebe to get
INTO serious trouble, but merely wished
10 worry him." explained the officer
these were some of the methods:
According to custom existing as
lar back as memory goes, a West Point
plepe' When he asks Il question of an
upper clasSman, must say: If Won
please, sir may ] ask n question:
should he forget to begin thus, the
upper classman either would fail TO an
swer or would administer a rebuke
such as, 'Coniine yourself to conversa.
ton with your equals Another op-
portunity for verbal insults was offered
-" ait'ii nun Whcn tue pleDe was re-
CURED to take a bath Approaching
the proper cadet officer he had 10
say: If you please. sir. / am going
to take bath Having done this
when he turned away, he was required
to salute and deliver himself thus: 4
wish TO report my departure most re-
spectfully.'
There were innumerable such unof-
icial rules for the plebe In the days of
no hazing There was, OF course. con-
tinuai teasing. A new man, passing an
old one ON the parade ground or any
where else out of earshot of an officer
was plagued with such questions as
HOW many days Will IT BE- before you
are aliVe| This meant How far off
is the end of your plebe ycar?' IL the
answer. exact 10 the day, was not given
Instantly there was a scornful repri-
mand and an order to brace
Every week there were dances for
the cadets-'hops.' they are called at
West Point Though theoretically these
entertainments We're for all the corps.
no plebe dared enter the ballroom. He
learned to know that he would not be
introduced to any of the girls. If he
took a young woman Of his own ac-
qualntance, the politeness Of the upper
classman rose to the occasion. and the
slrl was not permitted 10 know that
she was unfortunate enough to be Il
plebe's friend; but the fact that tho
youngster had presumed even TO know
girl was held up against him there
after and he atoned heavily for his
presumption.
when I first entered the academy, It
was understood that no plebe might ait
on the iron benches outside the sum
mercamp. In this respect his lot was
bettered under Gen. Mills, and the
ngrl11iaginn Ia al thnra ttgft hi frI 10
was one Of the relaxatlons he got
under the reform superintendent
strict orders The upper classnon
could not help themselves In matter
of that sort where disObedlence would
have been necessarily in the open.
AS soon aH the first year an West
Point came to AN end. at commence
ment the upper Classmen made u habit
Of ostentatiously shaking hands with
the plebes, recognizing them as human
beings, Then the plebes became the
tormentors Of the next class, II must
be said that great majority of tho
oppressed did not object 10 their bond
age, but looked forward to the day
when they could lord il over some
body else AS the Mills period adyanc-
ed. however, the proportion of those
who froWned upon ha2ing increased.
and by the time he left the academy "A
real feeling against It was developed,
at least among a considerable minority
While not one cadet would have cN-
pressed objections ten years before,
1t was easy at that time To ma men
who were glad the old custom was dis
appearing.
But hazing I'm tho strlctest sense OF
the word was never entirely abolished,
continued the officer, Though II seemed
In fair way 20 disappear To Kill it,
you see, ls going 10 take many years.
Thut Is shown by the fac that u could
survive those eight years Of MINIS ana
his continuous opposition
That tho difficulty of the task was
appreciated By Minis was shown In "A
statement he made Just before leaving
the academy Even then he was not
sure all the evil had been uprooted.
ana was Sill looking upon II US u force