Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-09

is that moderate hazing is an excellent
corrective for vanity. selfishness, ind1f-
ference to the rights of others. and many
minor faults which are found among
young men: but, on the other hand. any
form of personal violence or persecution
cannot be punished too severely. Many
a young man has been improved In m1no.
manners and morals by harmless mn so, raai.
out of a boy SO thoroughly as a gentle
form Of haZing.
Some of the hazing stories told at West
Point are very amusing. ulysses ..
Grant, Sd, for example. when he was
'plebe. was required to stand on a box
or barrel, or any other kind or plat
form, and holding his arms outstretched
before him, had to repeat the famous
dispatch of his grandfather: Will ngnt
it out on this line If 1t takes all summer.
, After he had gone through that perform
ance several hundred times there was
no danger of his pride of ancestry getting
the better of him.
Young Phil Sheridan had a similar ex-
perience During his first year at the
academy he was compelled to recite Bu-
chanan Reeds poem, .'Sheridan's Ride.
until his tongue refused to utter the
words any longer.
position to glorify themselves on account
Of their parentage, and neither had shown
any sense of superiority on that account
but schoolboys and college men are no
respecterS.
Childish Cruelty of Cadets.
Several years ago cadet, appointed
from small town in western state.
had been captain of the high school
cadets, and from childhood had shown
a military spirit His favorlte DOCKS
were the biographies of great generals
and histories of wars, and he became
xkrtt1
When he had passed his examination and
was starting for West Point. the ne1gh-
! bors gave him send-off. The mayor OF
the town delivered speech. In which ne
compared the young chap to Alexander
the Great and Napoleon. and others. and
advised him to take Grant, Sherman and
other American military heroes as his
example He predicted great fame Tor
the lad i'm the future. and was conrdent
that his neighbors would live to see him
commanding general of the United States
army.
Unfortunately, some fool friends sent
comics of the local paper containing an &C
count of the exercises and the report or
the mayors speech to West Point. to
impress the officers and instructors OF the
academy of the Importance OF the young
man who was about to join them, ana
they could not have done him more
cruel injury. Before he had been In his
uniform ten days the cadets had pasted
an account of that farewell meeting on
board and hung it in public place
They made him commit it to memory
and compelled him to recite 1t TO
audiences of cadets every chance they
got They called him Alexander the
Great. and the name stuck to him as
long as he remained in the academy.
No one can comprehend the mortlf1catlon
he suffered.
There was a similar case when fond
mother, insisting upon accompanying her
son to the academy when he entered,
was so indiscreet as to tell some or the
cadets whom she met at the hoteI OF
his surprising intelligence and the evil
dences of military genius he had de-
yeloped. Before she returned to her nome
the evil was accomplished. and her ldoi
was subjected to the most eXcruciating
torture by having her affeetionate WORDS
repeated to him hour after hour. day
after day. by half the cadets he met.
Teaching a Plebe His Place.
Sometimes hazing takes form that is
not SO cruel Several years ago ''plebe'
complained of fellow-cadet, who. he
said. had grossly insulted him. The COM
plainant was the son of multi-million-
aire, who considered himself very much
the superior of his classmates and every
body else connected with the academy
and did not hesitate to make that fact
known Hence, like all such foolish
youngsters, he became the target for the
gibes and ridicule of his comrades. Be
coming exasperated, he reported one OF
his prosecutors, and was called before
the board. When questioned he stated
he met a second classman on the walk,
who stopped him, ordered him to salute,
asked his name. age, station In life, the
social position of his family. the income
of his father and various other personal
questions which were exceedingly often
sive. Finally his prosecutor ordered him
to stand at attention, and then. in tone
of command, said:
Go to the sergeant of your company
and tell him that when you die you want
him to have engraved upon your tomb
stone the following epitaph:
Here lies the body OF
A miserable plebe,
Who thought be had the world by the tail;
But, letting go to get better hold,
Lost his grip forever -
The members of the board had become
quite sympathetic and were inclined to
act upon the complaint and report the
second classman for hazing. but when
they heard the epitaph they dismissed
the case.