United States Military Academy West Point - Howitzer Yearbook (West Point, NY)

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tional, or even bizarre. Theoretically, at least, Shelleyivvas- f in place at Oxford University. Wliistler and Poe 3 ,i have been in place at Harvard, although We could 'notfkeep , them here. I ffl it Our Methods.-The methods of the Military Academy are 5 totally different from those- of the college, because its ypnoln-,fl lem is entirely unlike. Individuality is as important i1i:,fi?tl1e5f.,f'li-Q4 army as in civil life, but it is more 'important still that 1a11n15Qffl officers-each and every one of them-shall have' simple and practical virtues. It is indispensable that 'E shall be scrupulously honest in their moneyg methods are in vogue here by'Whiclir4. l?oi11esf57'Ii? -.ns taught very much as infantry tactics taught.-. They must be prompt, obedient, co-operativeg I'1ilCfl1l'1OdS, 'L .efflii-.fig I inculcate these virtues, and .compulsions -have ' li . fp to insist upon them all. I wish to point we insist on and encourage in our but an intelligent conformity' to stailelardsg fbeeii developed after long experience and, again.'l'iSQ' 'We desire to graduate each year at each it one of whom is letter-perfect in minor and almost mechanical virtues 5 firmly groundledliin certain excels 1 lencies of prime importance to the service of the stateig ' rooted in habits that will keep him loyal, co-operative ,and -r efficient under any stress. We claim that so much as this is done for an overwhelming proportion of our graduatedi . cadets. In all of them certain habits are fixed once and for e 1., . r . ll ii PRESENT ARMS !

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Academic' briefly school W1 Wxth Ins Jewell so- that it has rcom fbr 'every talent, no matter how excep-

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all. Character is nothing but the sum of moral habitudes. Here we create and assure the ofiicial, and to a great degree, the personal character of our alumni. They are not all alike at graduation, but each and every one resembles a prototype, and possesses certain official virtues upon which the country and his comrades can count. It is a matter of just pride that we are able to do so much as this for all our pupils. For the very best much more is done. Examples.-Let us see how the minor virtue of prompt- ness, for example, is taught at the Academy, and made an element of character. During the cadet's course of four years he has Qin my time he had, at least,j about eighteen thousand opportunities to be late at roll-call and forma- tion. Every single fault of the sort is noted and a demerit mark is assigned to the fault. If he is charged with about one hundred demerits during any six months he is dis- charged. For the single fault of tardiness he might, con- ceivably, accumulate over two thousand demerits in that period. Virtues such as precision, obedience, efficiency, are created and fostered in the same manner. At the end of four years the cadet has had thousands of single instances of the enforced practice of the selected virtues chieliy in- sisted on by our curriculum. He becomes perfect in many points of official conduct, proficient and serviceable in all. livery failure has been immediately noticed and punished. Official Character.-The habits learned here are not shaken off in later life. It is a safe wager that, in certain essential respects, each officer resembles his fellows. Hon- esty and official honor are taught by example and by a com- plex series of compulsions. lt is a fundamental principle of the institution, accepted without reserve by all its members, that one must always speak the exact truth. The following statement- is correct is always supposed to be followed by the words, On my honor as a cadet and a,gentleman, and no one, cadet or officer, thinks of questioning it. In very rare cases it has happened that unworthy members of the institution have betrayed the confidence of their fellows: in all such cases they have been at once eliminated either by a dismissal by their oflicers, or by a resignation forced by their comrades. This is a place where truth is spoken, where a comrade's word and honesty can be depended upon. The statistics of disbursements by army officers for a hundred years show a bright record of integrity and faithfulness not equaled by any similar organization anywhere, at any time. Few persons have considered how absolutely the forma- tion of character is in the hands of the governors of this school. The cadet sees only what we show to him, hears only what we choose, does what we prescribe. The respon- sibility is immense. It has been faithfully and intelligently organized and administered. The quality of our under- graduates and of our graduates is superb, we believe they will stand any stress, they have never yet failed in any test to which they have been subjected. After reciting some of the important works done by grad- uates, Professor Davies says zf All these results are due to flaogic of Mathematics, p. 384. Q