The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1875-07-19

LIZ HE BUcKIIASNoS INSTITUTE
4Wr. Editor:I noticed, in the issue o.
the Buckhannon Delta of tho Sth inst.
under the head Of Contributed" ar
article protesting to be an account, or
rather review, Of tho State Examina.
ton which was held at that place on
the 2Sth anil 10Th ult. With your
permission, | wish to venture bricl
reply to this masked Contributor" -
The learned critic,-as he has not ia.
vOred the public with his signature we
must apply to him splendid cpithets-
gives vent to his feelings in terms of
strong indignation and reproach, main
tanning that the examination was un-
fair, and concludes, in bis own rhctor-
ical style, by expressing his belief tha.
had Prof. Kenney "been mado to
change places with them Qho appli-
cauts) he would have been convicted OF
as many errors as he charged them
with" Perchance, if Contributor"
had been made to change places with
them, he, too, would have been con-
victed of q few slight mistakes. At
all events, l would like very much to
see the experiment tried. 1t is not
my province, in tho present instance,
to offer anything in cxtenuation of tho
course pursued by the Examiner on
tho occasion referred to; as I am con-
WINGED that he, in bis proper person, |
and at the proper time, is fully able
to viudicato himself. I would merely
ask in passing, as tho writer in the
Delta was so much displeasd with the
examination, and considered it so uu-
fair, why he did not there and then
make known his dissatisfaction ? Had
lie done so. hc would have rendered
himself doudy useful-would havc
cted the part ola phianthropist on
mall scale, and would have merised
he esteem Of both tho Examiner and i
xamined. tits simply in relation to /
myself that | would take tho writer in +
no Delta to task. As tho third mem. /
YER Of the State Board of Examiners y
he Rev. Lepps-was ABSENT was +
Cquested by the others to assist 10 +
the Examination. In do q
ar so, | chose to frame and propose n
10 questions for solution, both in AL .
ebra and Arithmetic. Referring to 5
his portion Of the Examination, "Con. y
tibuIor' thus acquits himself 1.-THE /
to be solved, were very fair, \
Owevcr, with one exception, and that !
ne belongs to another and higher \
ranch. aud no rule can be found for q
diving it in either Of Rays's Arithme. n
cs." Now because DR.. Ray forgot q
omitted to give rule for tue solu. n
on Of similar examples to the ono 10 r,
lcstlen, it follows, as q matter Of n,
ufse, that it is unfair. that it be- n a
ngs to another branch than Arithme- N
etlc, and that it is not susceptible of VI
Arlthmctical solution. So reasons 70
writer in the Delta. A most pro- n
und logician, truly, is this Buckhan. h;
n correspondent. Permit me, new t;r
theless, to assure him that most ar
'pha'ically and uncquivocally deny sol
conclusion, in toto, and as plainly mi
'ert that | am prepared, at any mo. tic
mt, to furnish two solutions for this az
nc problem, by as many different at
thors on the science of Arithmetic. me
Iced, if the writer Of the Delta will bo
descend to raise the curtain, behind fol
ich he makes so strange figure, vol
no out in bis truo colors, and be sor
ibid enough to acknowledge his ina. oy,
lsy. l shall take pleasure in furnish. tho
him with both solutions, either Sc
Vately Or through the press. | ad- pla
that the problem under consid era. en-,
!, like all others which come un. nor
what is called Mensuration in our 80 !
is founded upon Geome. ma
There arc numerous examples
Rays Arithmetic which are derived
lircctly from Geometry as this one,
will my friend in tho Delta -o,
ntain that any Of them is unfair, ,;cc
belongs to another and higher nLi
1ch :" Certainly not. Now to At
1T that one problem which Is de- F,i
ed from Geometry. and for the SO. In,
N of which Ray gives rule, be- r,s
8 to arithmetic ) and to maintain , tho
another, similarly derived, does f f1
belong TO Arithmetic, because Ray bor
no rule for it, while other Arith. inf; I
clans have. is what logicians de- lion
ate Reducto ad absnrdum. tTJn
Respectfully, JSo. MURRAY. Frol
Veston, July 10. dee