Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-04-20
Which Worst, Snob or Demagoeue?

matter before the National lawmakins
body. The recent Annapolis incident
in which a snob chose to embarrass
the escort of young lady. seems tc
have been seized upon by dema
gogue in Congress as material FOL
political play. Between the two evils
the cad or the demagogue it is hare
TO choose. but one excites our pity anC
the other our indignation. In theii
desire to gain political glory. certain
Democratic congressman appear ready
to do almost anything.
The very idea of a representative OF
the Hoosier state laying wires for ar
investigation of the United States
Naval Academy because of the snob-
berry of one officer places him on a
par with the man whose conduct he
would inquire about. He would seek
notoriety for himself by embarrassing
an innocent woman, who seems so far
dBpNt Doti the cdu ana TIE ueHld :
gogue that she should hardly be men
toned in the same paragraph. The
Indiana statesman could hardly
claim that he believes every officer of
the Naval Academy is in the same
class with the snob referred to. yet he
would carry the idea before Congress
that because of this unfortunate incl
dent il is the duty of the lawmakers to
discover how many cads there are in
the Academy.
The young lady to whom such un-
fortunate notoriety has been given is
Miss Mary II. Beers, daughter of a
professor of English literature in Yale
University. Miss Beers was employ
ed as governess in the family of
Lieutenant William T.1Tarrant, engi-
neer officer of the battleship Michigan
Lieutenant Tarrant is man of rod
crate means. but his wife is wealthy,
and Miss Beers, who was school
mate, lived with the family as much
as companion to Mrs. Tarrant as
governess to the Tarrant children. In
Other words, Miss Beers was recog-
nized in the Tarrant family as a social
equal and no one ever dreamed of re-
garding her otherwise. Long before
her name was brought into promi-
hence she had been popular with the
at Annapolis and re-
eeived as many invitations from the
young men as any other young lady in
town. 1t did not require an ill-ad-
vised suggestion of a naval officer,
not a midshipman and not representa-
tive even of his brother officers, to
make her unanimous favorte of the
corps.
The incident which has caused all
the disturbance, was at an academy
hop to which Miss Beers had been in
vited by member of the senior class
1t seems to have been a sort of gen.
eral custom to invite Miss Beers to
the hop, for she is described as a girl
Of beautiful character and attractive
The lucky escort on this
occasion was approached by naval
officer, who. for reasons of his own,
and which have been repudiated by
every one else connected with the
academy, he intimated that a young
woman of the position held by Miss
Beers was not ideal company for
naval cadet. If the fellow had re-
ceived what he justly deserved, and
would have got outside of
4 military organization where he was
the superior of the young man insult
ed he probably would have been
knocked down. AS it was, Miss
Beers escort resented, as best he
could without causing a scene, but the
story leaked out and stirred up the
entire naval academy, as well as the
INV iiop0opit vi <AfIiiu pbilS.
The name of the officer who so OBJ
viously misrepresented the spirit of
the naval academy has not been made
public. or he probably would find
things very uncomfortable for him.
The student body arose in its indigna-
ton, and Miss Beers was showered
with invitations. Everything is be-
ing done by the officers and students
to show to the young couple and the
that the United States Naval
Academy is the abode of gentlemen
and not of cads. Yet a Democratic
demagogue is attempting to carry the
impression through Congress before
the people of the country that every
officer of the academy is a snob.
Our Rtn I ,&%in n;1rla.