The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1883-07-07
Determined 10 Rule or Ruin.

Ell, by our Republican contemporaries
in justification of their seeming pur.
pose to wreck the State University.
The one is partisanship in the
Faculty, and the other partisanship
in the Board of Regents.
AS now constituted the members of
the Faculty are divided; some are
Republicans and some are Demo
Gratis. A majority ofthem are Demo
Gratis. They have never been exclu.
sively of one party since the Demo
Gratis came into power, though previ-
GUS to that they were all Republi-
cans, as we understand, and the in
stitution never had but one Demo
crat for President until a year ago
when Hon. w. L. Wilson was elected.
The ground Of complaint Of our Re
publican critics must therefore be, so
far as the Faculty is concerned either
that majority Of them are not now
Republicans, or that any member of
the Faculty should have any politics
or party preferences at all.
Since it is a fair inference to make
that any man who is so indifferent,
oblivious to, or ignorant of the affairs
of his country as to have no prefer
ences or predictions in favor of any
political party, or that he is such
nincompoop as to lack the courage to
own or express his preferences, it is,
we say, fair to assume that such
creature would not be man enough to
occupy a chair in the University.
Therefore, since our Republican
friends do not complain because some
members Of the Faculty have political
convictions, provided they are Re
publicans; the only reasonable con-
clusion is that they are not offended
by the fact Of craftsmanship in the
Faculty, but offended because it is
not exclusively, or at least predomin
antly Republican partisanship.
We suggest, therefore, to our Repub-
lican friends that they amend their
indictment SO far as it is expressed
in the terms, ''partisanship in the
Faculty" and make it read "a lack
Of Republican partisanship in the
Faculty"
In regard to partisanship in the
Board of Regents, we presume also
that we would hear not word of
complaint from the Republican side
if it was made as exclusively partisan
in Republican sense as it is now in
a Democratic sense. We think they
were extremely serene and silent when
every member of the Board was Re-
publican in politics. Were they not?
Where is the Republican paper in
West Virginia that chirped a single
note in dissent when the State Uni
versity was utterly and outrageously
Republican organization from pit to
dome? Who speaks?
Would they even now be satisfied
with fair party representation on
the Board? Would they be satisfied
with less than a partisan majority?
Says the Huntington Adcertiser:
Gov. jackson kept one or more Re-
publican members on the Board of
Regents of this institution for some
time after his induction into office,
but they would not attend the meet
ings of the Board, SO that their being
members was q hindrance to it's man
agement. Why they thus acted was
not in anywise explained or account
ed for, unless, as surmised, they re-
Trained from attendance in pursuance
of a well organized plan to use every
method of making its management a
failure and bringing it into disrepute.
The Republican press have apparently
seconded this policy by a constant fusil-
lade Of abuse of the men and methods
employed or used in the business of
carrying on the University. We do
not hesitate to assert that the Board
of Regents have exercised their very
best Judgment in the conduct of that
institution, and that they have been
controlled by sincere desire for its
success and prosperity. Their en-
deavors have met nothing but brutal
abuse and outrageous criticism from
the opposition press. That this
criticism has not been induced by
sincere men for the good Of the Uni
versity, seems apparent. The Board
have become fully impressed with
the idea that no matter how well its
affairs may be ordered, the same
criticism will be met with. Under
these circumstances the Board feel
warranted in disregarding the I'M
seemly and unnatural cries of the
wrcckers and the Governor finds, in
the estimation Of every sincere
friend Of education in this State
abundant warrant for comforting its
management upon its friends.