The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1883-07-25
The state university.

radical press on the State Uniyer-
city, following the lead Of the cal
low youth who runs the Wheeling
Itclligsncr. We have examined
their articles, as also the more pre-.
tentious ones'writlen by some an
onymous scribbler in Che Stale jour.
nal, who is clearly a fellow with a
grievance, and can find nothing
but IN temper, and the usual cry
Of "Bourbon," with which impo.
tent rage vents a spite for which IL
can give no reason. Mr.. G. Bur.
det.e Hart, Che Iatelligeneer youth,
visited Morgantown, and having
consulted with q few Of It's local
statesmen, raised the cry that the
management Of the University Is
partisan, its instructor Bourbon.
iced. and it,,s~fonage declining.
p-s-proof partisanahtpBec1tes
The fact that the Board of Regentsis
Democratic. Now, this is a beau.
tiful charge to come from a party,
which, as long rs it had the power,
filed not only the Board Of Regents
with its partisans, but every other
position connected with the Uni.
vcrsity, and made the school such
n hot-bed Of Radical intolerance,
that few Democratic and no south.
ern atudens could venture TO at.
tend. But why should not the
Board be Democratic2 The Demo.
cratic party governs the State, in
all its departments, and is respon.
sible for the management Of all
public institutions. The Regents
have no share in teaching, do not
come into contact with students,
meet but once a year, for a few
days, and then chiefly for auditing
accounts, passing vouchers, and
like business. No one ever makes
inquiry about the Regency of a
school, in deciding whether to pat.
rouize. But have the Regents re.
taliated on the Republicans and
filled the University with Demo,
cra'sF On thu contrary, Of the ten
instructors in the University prop.
per, four are out and out Republi.
cans. The Democratic Board re.
moved no Republican professor,
but appointed all four of these.
So much for tho falsn charge Of
partisanship. But say Hart and
the local statesmen: "There arc
BonJons in the Faculty" Bour.
bon is an indefinite term and gen.
orally means, in West Virginia,
ono who carries conscience and
study into politics, but we inter.
pref it here to mean ex.confcder.
ate. Well, really! since the up.
hcaval Of 1870, we thoughtwc were
done with prescription in this
State, and that our hundreds Of
thousands Of cx.confcderates and
confederate sympathisers stood up.
IN u plane Of equality with all
other citizens. But these Morgan.
town statesmen cannot forget their
brief saturnalia Of power, when
through the outlawry Of half the
people, they were enabled to clutch
many Of The State Offices, and ex.
act tribute from the DISTINGUISHED.
Since the revolution they have
been without occupation, aud nat.
urally long for the old days of reg.
istration and test oaths. II was a
great day for them when they could
whisper their woes into the sym.
pathetic ear Of the young noodle of
the htelLigcnccr, and fire him with
the grim resolve to drive the Bour.
bons out Of the State, and especial.
ly from its University. For any.
thing more disgraceful we must 60
buck TO the dark ages Of Boreman
and Stephenson.
The simple truth is, these DOsr.
bons have taken some genuine
scholarship into the University
an element conspicuously lacking
in former history. They are earn
estly and laboriously working to
make it college worthy the sup.
port Of the entire State. To do
this they are obliged to life it out.
Offormer rUts, to exact harder work,
prescribe higher standards and
fuller courses. In 1882, the Re.
gents at the request Of the Faculty,
made through a Republican psesi.
dent, substituted an elective school
system in place Of the old hide
bound and unintelligent curricu.
lum. This was an important step
forward, and put the University
abreast of the best eastern colleges,
II is no longer right to compel our
~. A.. ,,,,,,,,o n Rvn1 courso oFI