The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-06-18
The West Virginia University.

! several states, by ACT congress
passed July 2, 1862. BY an act pass
ed February Z, 1867, the College was
ordered TO be established at Morgan
town, and the appointment of Board
of Eleven Visitors provided for, one
from each Senatorial District in the
State. The College was accordingly
founded in April, 1867, and in the
June following the inaugural cere-
monies were held in Morgantown. By
an Act passed December A, 1868, the
name and title of the agricultural
College" was changed to "West Vir-
ginia University, and name of sBoard
of Visitors was changed to "Board
of REGENTS" The nation and the
State have expended upon it in va
rious ways sums aggregating nearly
one-half million dollars. 1t possess
es beautiful location, magnificent
buildings, fine apparatus, and an ex-
tensive cabinet and museum, a we'll
selected and growing library, a broad
and thorough curriculum, a compe-
tent and studious Faculty-in short
many of the elements indispensable
to n great seat of learning. What
does it lack? Or, how can its use
fulness be augmented, its existence
rendered sure, its benefits extended
over the entire State?
!. Tuition must be made free to
all students from West Virginia. 1t
is illogical to tax a citizen of the
State for the maintenance of Uni
versity, and then charge tuition fees
to the sons Of those citizens when
they present themselves at the Uni
versity. We should emulate and i'm
itate the generous spirit of Virginia,
and throw wide open the doors of the
State University to all West Virgin
ians ambitious of securiang liberal
education.
II. The University must be brought
within the reach of the people of the
State by means of a railroad.
III. AS in the past, so in the fu-
ture, high and severe standard Of
scholarship must be maintained. In
dolent, immature, caprieious students
must not he permitted to degrade
the school by having the studies or
the instruction lessened or weakened
to suit their whims Or conceit. 1t
must not be school of shams, but
of scholars. The high quality Of the
work done must determine its right,
yea, its necessity to exist rs q State
University.
". While it may not be demon
national school, it must be rclig-
ious school. The people of West Viz
ginia are not skcptics. They not on
ly believe in the existence of an
Intelligent First Cause, but they
heartily accept the fundamental doc
trincs of the Christian religion. The
influence Of the school must be de-
cidcdly religious md Christian, or it
cannot exist in this Christian State
The parents Of this State justly in
sist that their children must be edu-
Gated in the midst of religious inhu-
enccs.
v. Politics, in the American sense
of the word, must be vigorously eX-
Guided from it's halls and manage
ment. Private citizsns of character
and culture should compose its gov
erning Board. Active, aspiring pol
iticians should be appointed to other
State boards, for the University, at
least, must be kept from the detiling
and concentrating touch of trafiicing
politicians. No position or measure
connected with the school must be
filled or decided from any political
considerations whatever If It be
suspected even of being managed in
the interests of politicians, it will
and ought to be destroyed.
vi. The University must be utter
ly and forever divorced from local
dictation and control. The citizens
of Morgantown have as much right
(and no more), as the citizens of
| Clark sburg, of Parkersburg, or of
Charleston, to control the University
and dictate the policy of its manage
ment. The University must BE an
Institution of itself, and not an APP
pendage to Morgantown. The mem
bers of the faculty must be perfectly
free to buy their goods where they
please, to invest their morey where
they please, to attend what church
they please, to read what books they
please-to be free men, in short, and
not to be overawed by local clamor.
1t must be constantly. borne in mind
that the University lisa State, not a
local institution, and that to localizc
it is to ruin it.
VII. The University spirit must
decisively prevail AMONG the stu
dents. They must feel that their life
is school, or student-life, that they
are at the University to become in
tellectual men, that their first and
constant duty is to the University,