Evening journal., 1912-07-25
RIGHTING A WRONG.


q ENAToR HENRY A. DUPONT who has been making
- determined hght in the United States Senate
in behalf Of four West Point cadets who expelled
for drinking sherry and blackberry wine. signal
victory in the Senate yesterday In the face Of oppos
on he obtained the adoption of Senate Joint resolution
directing that the court martial which convicted the
cadets and recommended their dismissal be reconvened
and that they be granted trial if they apply for
IT, That resolution now must go to the House Of Re
presenatves for and if favorable action
be taken there II must be passed upon by President
Taft Relatives and friends Of the cadets express
opinion that there will be little opposition IT in the
House and that President Taft who has evnced much
interest in the case viii not hesitate to approve the
resolution They unstned in their praise of sena
tor DUPONT for the great interest he is taking in the
effort right what they regard gross injustice to the
four young
The cadets we're expelled from the United States
Military Academy at West Point on October s. 1911.
They are Corporal Ralph sasse of this CITY, Corporal
Ellioott VI Freeand Of Jacksonville Fla; Tatnsn d.
simpkins of Albany. Ga. and James d. Christian, OF
Lynchburg Va II was when they practice
march and seventeen miles from West Point that they
drank the sherry and blackberry wine which had been
purchased at waysde store Technically it drunk
when the cadets were duty Actually. they we're
not on duty. but outside the camp lines at night,
on leave
When the four cadets were accused Of having par
taken Of vine they refused to testify the ground
that what they said might be ncrimnating The court
martial then was held and the cadets we're called to
swear against each other When thus put honor
they admitted the drinking their conviction and ex-
pusion followed Up to that time the four cadets had
had splendid records. II brought out that they
we're not drunk tipsy result of the drink
ing and that it had not been done in public place
where 1t would bring reproach TO the service.
The relatives and friends Of the expelled students
we're furious They insisted that the sentence too
in Wit he
been committed Reply made that Paragraph 1872
of the regulations of the Academy provided that the
penalty for the use Of intoxicating liquors should be
dismissed II was insisted that that provision of the
regulations was mandatory and that slishter penalty
mght be indicted under II That denied by friends
of the cadets It pointed out that other cadets
had done the thing and that their expulsion did
not follow
When the alleged injustice called 70 the aten-
ton of President Taft he said that IL officers who
had composed that martial would certify that they
inflicted the penalty Of expulsion because they thought
It mandatory under the regulation he would be willing
to have the court martial reconvened and new trial
held Those court-martal officers admitted that they
thought expulsion sentence obligatory upon them un-
der the regulation
Senator dupont who is chairman Of the Committee
on Military Affairs of the Senate. became intensely
Interested in the Last spring he offered Joint
resolution providing for the reconvenns of the court
martial and the retrial Of the cadets If they desired IT,
The resolution was up in the senate several times. It
came up once when Senator Root who had opposed it,
was absent in Chicago attending the Republican Nation
al Convention Out Of courtesy to him action on the
resolution deferred
When came up again Yesterday however the Senate
adopted IT, and the news the victory by Senator
DUPONT in behalf Of the cadets flashed over the
country The effect Of the resolution II it be adopted
by the House and approved by the President, will b
10 give to the cadets trial If they apply for IT,
That second court martial will be held with the dis
tinot understanding that expulsion is nor the only
punishment that can be meted for drinking ntox-
icating liquors fact " is expected confidently by
the relatives and friends of the four cadets that the
Congressional action initiated by Colonel DUPONT will
result IN their reinstatement
II Is regarded sisnihcent that since the cadets were
tried under Paragraph 1872 OF the Regulations, that
paragraph has been superseded by Paragraph l42 il
which is left clearly discretionary with oourtmartia
10 dismiss or infct any lighter punishment upon
cadet who drinks intoxicating liquor. That is consider
ed 10 he practical admission by the Government that
the expulsion Of the four cadets under the old para
graph uniustned exercise Of disciplinary power
Senator dupont has become interested IN the fight
for the cadets that the influence of himself and his
friends will follow the Joint resolution 10 the House
and thence to the White House