The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-09-25
NO HAZING AT CLEMSON.
President Riggs Astonishcd at Reports
Key. MIR. Jones Finds Discipline
Excellent.

most quiet and order prevailed at
Clemson college, Notwithstanding the
presence of 300 new recruits. The
cadets are drilling twice a day and
the strictest military discipline is in
force, as usual. President Riggs
seemed greatly surprised when in
formed that there was a published
sto"y that hazing had been rampant.
that number of men had been
expelled and that a genural commo-
tion existed.
Only one cadet has been charged
with hazing this year, and he was
dismissed.
Dr. Howard Lee Jones, pasto- Of
the Citadel Square Baptist church of
Charleston, has been spending a week
at the college living with the cadets
and voluntarily gave out the follow
ing signed statement:
Since last Monday l have been
at Clemson conducting service in the
college chapel under the auspices of
the Y. NJ. c. A. l have been living
in the barracks with the boys, taking
my meals in the mess hall and have
been in constant touch with the cadets
day and night l desire to state. in
view of reports relative to hazing at
Clemson, and the certainty that much
apprehension will be created in the
minds Of parents all over the State.
that with exceptional opportunity to
know the truth, l have no hesitation
in asserting that such conditions as
those described do not exist. 1 am
assured by both members of the fac
ulty and corps of cadets that the mill
tary discipline is stricter than ever
before and everything that 1 have
seen and heard convinces me that
EaZing, If not entirely eliminated. has
been reduced to a minimum Only
one man has been dismissed for haz-
Ing and if any criticism found a place
in my mind after hearing the facts
ing had promptly met the extreme of
college discipline. Not only the atti-
tide o; the faculty but the comments
which / have heard from the cadets
assure me that there is unusual and
commendable spirit, of cooperation
among the corps. There is absolutely
no commotion or confusion of any
kind and the work Of the session has
begun with Smoothness and orderli-
ness which is impressive
President Riggs gave out the fol-
lowing: II regret exceedingly the
newspaper article which appeared to-
day based upon misinformation from
an unknown quarter and respecting
which the truth of which no informa-
ton was obtained from this Office.
Never before in the history Of the.
college have we been so free from
hazing and upon this fact we were
congratulating ourselves. Naturally
we feel disappointed that suddenly
and through no fault of ours these
bright prospects should be clouded by
even discussion OF so serious a mat
ter as hazing. We have had before
us only one case of hazing this session.
a cadet from Orangeburg county was
accused of striking with a trunk strap
three boys from his home town and
although they stated that they had
not been hurt and begged that he be
not punished. yet the discipline COM
mittee thought it wise not to show
any leniency, even with the most in
nocent form of haZing, and dismissed
the accused cadet. Not a single other
case has come to the knowledge of
the commandant or myself and the
old students tell us that there is prac-
ideally no hazing. Once in whole.
no doubt an old student will paddle
a new man and escape detection. but
this. Unfortunately, it is sometimes
the case that homesick boys, whose
parents allow them to return home
and others who fail on their exami-
nations or are dismissed in order to-
give some excuse for their return
more creditable than the facts them
selves, pretend that they have been
unable to stay at the college on ac-
count Of hazing. Not a single boy has
left the college this session who did
not assure me that he had not been
Ill treated or in any way injured. 1t
is unfortunate that at this time when
the public mind is distressed over the
unfortunate incident at the Univer-
sty Of North Carolina that = news