The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1920-03-26

calls It to the attention OF tnelf
president, who does he promise to
visit the dining room a. (. set time,
and why do they find an entirely DIFF
fcrent meal served at the time which
he has set for the visit!
By turning to the report again, ur:-
der the head IF "Dcinand Made W"
find that the board fully justified the
course of the president that he could
not listen to 4 ren:ons:tance from the
cadets as to tine rc!nstatemeES oi
their fellow students or relief from
punishment, because they had met On
the athletic He'll III violation OF
paragraph 245, and because the dis
cipline committee and the faculty,
under Sec. 324, could not hear any
petition except from a parent CT
guardian.
The English ancestors o. the trus-
tees, and of the president, who fur
nished these specious reasons, many
centuries ago asserted and maintain
ed successfully the right to petition
directly to those in authority for re-
dress of grievances. Why should not
/ those who know most about the JUS
tice or injustice of case of discip-
line, have right to call the injustice
to the attention Of those responsible
for it,, anywhere and 1T any time?
Why should a regulation or rule stand
! in the way of an investigation on the
merits?
Our people are willing to stand fer
military autocratic authority only in
times of war or great emergency. At
all other times it must give way 10
the true>principles of democracy and
freedom. The Bourbon spirit OF
autocracy has caused this state many
revolutions in the past, but the les
sons which have been taught by these
revolutions are too easily forgot. 1t
regulations stand in the way OF z
thorough investigation and trial on
the merits of any cadets case, then
such regulation should be- brushed
away; and failure to do so will soon
produce revolution.
But we are told in this connection
that 'sthe boards investigation ;nto
the methods of trial of the :'adets by
the discipline committee. does nc2 DIS
close miscarriage of justice, but on
the contrary shows that the cadet
trials have been conducted in spirit
of fairness and sympathy, and that
the conclusions, together with the
punishment, have been reached and
adjudged upon the same basis"
The board does not vouchsa1e to
the public the information upon which
it bases this conclusion. From whom
was the information obtained upon
which this conclusion was based? Did
the discipline committee give this in
formation to the board, or did they
ascertain it from an impartial hear
ing where the boys were who were
tried in the star chamber methods,
were heard?
The board has declared itself in
favor of a public hearing hereafter.
Does this remedy an injustice already
done? Secret trials have been for
many years contrary to the spirit of
our institutions; and to be accepted
only in autocrs.tic countries, from
which they are rapidly being eradicat-
ed by revolutionary methods. their
natural progeny.
In this connection, it is to be noted
that the authorities of the college
gave leaves of absence to about 80
"under policy agreed upon by the
authorities to grant such leave to any
cadet who claimed he was having to
leave under compulsion." And in the
provisions of the return Of the stu
dents, they are required to renounce
their real purpose and intent IN
leaving the college, or to affirm that
his actions Of that date were under
compulsion or coercion of his fellow
class men or others" This course OF
procedure, first suggested by the
authorities of the college itself, prob
ably the president, and now adopted
and indorsed by the board, is certain
" stain on the young manhood OF
the state. The offer of the leave OF
absence was itself an invitation to
cowardice, and the writer trusts that
no young man, on returning to COL
lege, will so far forget himself, and
those for whom he stands, as to take
this part of the pledge.
We are told that the upper class