Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-01-19

We publish elsewhere some extracts
from the annual report of the late Princi-
pal of the D.. D. & B. Institution here
The report seers to have been written
when DIR. Vaughan had had only few
weeks perhaps-but months at farthest.
experience in the position, but he speaks
with all the confidence Of an expert when
he says the Institution had not enjoyed the
patronage its friends had reason to expect
because lit has not in some Of the depart
ments kept abreast of many Of the schools
in other States of the Union," and while
progress has been seen in most of the edu
cational institutions of our country this
has evidently been behind in the race"
Such decided opinions by fresh Principal
make Us curious to see what will be in
Principal Rollers report when he makes
it. We think DR.. Vaughan's report
which was written early, must be attribu-
ted to that enthusiasm which is always
to be found in the mind of the new broom.
As matter of fact we question whether
any institution In the country, on which
Uu0 c1lAO 0AOuuU VI uOuOy Woo opOuu ouu
which had labored under the same fnanci-
al difficulties as this one had in late years.
has been as well managed. Doubtless
there are better institutions in America,
but they are those upon which money is
lavishly spent by wealthy States. If there
is anything in the recognized standing of
this institution among its fellows in the
United States. then that standing as we
have read it, is directly opposed to DIR.
Vaughan'S superstition That it mas been
''left behind" in the race. Every year
such "Funder" Principals as Charles ID.
Mccoy and Thos. s. Doyle. while filing
filling their posts visited the institutions
of other States and by intelligent observa-
ton secured to their own such improve
ments as were within reach of its means.
The idea that has been SO persistently
forced on the public mind that the public
charities of the Commonwealth were at
stand still in the matter of progress before
they got into new hands is as uDiu as it
is unfounded. No progress! Why when
the political change came the first step
taken in the State institutions was the re-
moval of DR.. A. NJ. Fauntleroy. one of the
boldest and most persistent explorers and
experimenters in the field of progress in
ascertaining the cause and cure of insan-
ity that has presided over an Asylum for
the insane. If when Mr.. Doyle was re-
moved from the principalship of the Insti-
tnfinn fhoro c.pnnocfinn tbof he
was supplanted for anything save his diff
ference in politics with the dominant
party. we have not heard it. Ga the con-
trary we inferred from the utterances of
the delf-mute journals in the country that
the D. D. & b. had stood as high as an
authority in that speciality as any in the
Union. And such a position is not gener-
ally accorded to one that is behind in the
race. In the prime of life with vigorous
mental and physical health, trained for
years in the speciality over which he pre-
sided, Mr.. Doyle had one fault which out
weighed all his quslifications-he was
Democrat. He had fallen bshind" in not
being an advocate of the Coalition. How
much DR.. Vaughan would have raised the
standard uf the Institution, had he been
permitted to remain, we cannot say. nor
how high Prof. Roller will yet raise it.
should he. in the providence of Gov. Cam
eron, be permitted friendly board; but
we think if the future of the Institution
stands even with its past no one will CON-
plain of its being behind the race. 1t is
lime we were all learning that the asperi-
ties of political difference are too long ago
passed for The position to be accepted by
The thinking men of either party that po-
litical views affect professional capacity,
and that Democratic incumbent was OF
necessity behind the times. and Coali-
zionist appointee is of the same necessity
wholly incompetent.