SCHOOL ETHICS. 365 



of his " law of equal freedom," finds recognition in civilized so- 

 cieties a violation of it being with ns considered a criminal 

 offense. But in the management of schools and colleges, where 

 one expects to meet with complete recognition of the fundamental 

 laws governing societies, there is but little recognition of that 

 which forbids violation of person. Happily, in America, the sys- 

 tem of " fagging " does not exist, at least not in that gross form 

 which disgraces the schools of Great Britain and Ireland, where, 

 contrary to their wishes and without remuneration, small boys are 

 compelled to perform menial work for big bullies, who beat them 

 brutally when the work is not satisfactorily accomplished, or 

 sometimes for amusement, as I have myself witnessed where 

 the analogy between a "fag" and a slave is almost perfect, 

 each doing under compulsion unremunerated labor and being 

 liable to the lash. Happily, I repeat, "fagging" in this form 

 finds little favor in American schools; but, unhappily, hazing 

 does find favor. And nearly every form of "practical joke" 

 practiced in schools and colleges necessitates a violation either 

 of person or property. Newcomers are expected to bear with 

 good humor at the hands of strangers assaults upon their persons 

 and destruction of their property to smile blandly upon young 

 criminals. 



Nor are the crimes of schoolboys which pass as practical jokes 

 confined to crimes against schoolfellows; there are statesmen who, 

 over the walnuts and the wine, tell tales of their " orchard-robbing 

 days." 



A significant example of school ethics is the method of settling 

 " difficulties " spontaneously adopted by most schoolboys namely, 

 the method of physical encounter. He who declines to submit 

 his case to the pugilistic test is branded a coward. The man who 

 covers a crime is regarded as a criminal by society, but the school- 

 boy who discloses a crime is regarded as a criminal, if not by so- 

 ciety at large, at least by his fellows. 



Turning from schoolboys to schoolmasters, we find that, even 

 if they do not openly countenance the conduct here condemned, 

 they certainly do not sufficiently oppose it. Moreover, in many 

 schools it is customary to punish the whole school, or a whole 

 class, for offenses presumably committed by one or more of their 

 number whenever the offender or offenders escape detection by 

 the faculty. It is difficult to say which is the more barbarous, 

 the boys' method of deciding questions of justice, or the masters' 

 method of securing the punishment of undetected offenders. 



One more example, of school ethics may be given. I am in- 

 formed that in a few boys' schools and in many girls' schools the 

 head masters or mistresses are authorized, or take it upon them- 

 selves, to open letters belonging to their pupils. This is done, as 



