The "hazing" affair at Trinity College, if correctly reported, does seem to have altogether overstepped the bounds of fairness, not to say of humanity. Such actions can be called nothing less than brutal; and the sooner the college press states in plain terms the character of the deed, and its opinion of such actions, the sooner will it become no longer a matter of laughter among college men for barbarous tortures, bullying, and branding of arms to be resorted to as a means of vengeance by irate upper class men. There has been a time when hazing was a harmless and good-natured diversion of college boys. But that was when college students were distinctly boys, and not, as is coming to be the case now, men, to be treated like men.

Students are always inclined to express themselves by more or less absurd pranks at some time in their college course; but usually by pranks that are harmless and good-natured. In the case at Trinity the chastisement inflicted by the seniors upon their sophomore prisoners, seems to have been absolutely barbarous and inexcusable. It is of course possible that the reports of the affair were exaggerated by the daily press; and, before a final judgment is given, the statement of the students themselves should be heard. But, if the reports be true, it is high time that college students everywhere should take the matter of hazing into their own hands, and decree a decisive and final ending to what is becoming a monstrous abase and disgrace to intelligent men. This last outbreak would seem to cap the climax of the monument of foolishness that has been heaped up so industriously this year at various colleges. Community of interest and patriotic feelings no longer demand that these actions should be palliated and excused by their fellows; rather that decisive action should be taken against a longer continuance of this epidemic. The reform must commence from within and work its work by itself; the essential necessity for its success is a change of sentiment in such matters among college men. It is the duty of every college student, and every organ of college opinion, to speak and work for this change; only thus can it be secured.