The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1883-06-21
THE COLLEGE QUESTION.

Next week the trustees Of New
berry College will be called upon to
decide some important matters af-
fecting the welfare of that institu-
ton, and it is to be hoped that, in
their wisdom, they may devise some
plan by which new life and greater
success will result to the College.
The college building is one. of the
best in the South; it is well equip
ed and is practically unencumbered.
But, in common with most of our
denominational institutions, New
berry College is in need of prompt
relief. And, as the subject presents
itself to our mind, one of three
plans must be adopted, all of which
we commend to the earnest consider
alton Of the trustees,
The first plan. Something might
be accomplished by opening the
College for the admission Of girls.
Co-education has been tried in manv
of the best institutions OF learning
in this country and Europe. with
uniformly satisfactory results. And
it is now a success rather than an
experiment. Owing to causes which
we have neither the time nor the
inclination to discuss; we have been
more conservative than the North
ern educators. on this subject; but
the barriers OF prejudice are gra-
dually giving way, and the subject
is growing in popular favor. If, as
is confidently believed by many,
co-edueation would double the num-
berof students in Newberry College,
it would also double the revenue Of
the institution, leaving the number
of instructors unchanged, and
would thus do much to place it on
asurer footing. The subject should
at least engage the attention of the
trustees. before the next meeting of
Syned.
Il second plan. We should pre-
fer to see the College maintained
on it's present basis, the number of
instructors unchanged. But in the
light of experience, it is hard to
see how this can be done success
fully. 1t is in the power Of the
church to make this plan success
ful, beyond question, by exciting
greater activity and liberality
among the congregations, and by
keeping an efficient agent in the
field. here and at the North, for the
purpose of, endowing the College;
but we do not look for any very
marked success while the College
struggles along the plane on which
it now labors. The trustees may
see the subject in a different and
more favorable light.
Ahird pIan. Whatever course
may be adopted, the people of New
berry are entitled to good pre-
paratory school. They have given
the very best evidence of their
interest in the College by closing
the male academy and patronizing
the boys school in the College.
Owing to the frequent changes Of
instructors, this department has
not been as efficient as it would
otherwise have been. and it has
naturally failed to give complete
satisfaction. We suggest that two
capable men, a principal and an
assistant, should be placed in this
department, and kept there, without
any expectation of speedy promo
ton, Let them receive the entire
income of the school, and they will
make it q success. This would soon
build up fourishing preparatory
school, which, being feeder to the
college classes, would, in a few
years. swell the catalogue Of the
College proper.
In the collegiate department, the
number of students being small, let
instructions be given by three
capable teachers who are devoted
to their profession. The income Of
the College will, for several years,
be insufficient to support them, but
the Synod can give them reasonable
salaries by making an annual ap-
preparation OF. say, eight hundred
dollars, and thus supplementing the
fund accruing from tuition. Of
course the financial agent should be
kept in thefeld, whatever plan may
he adopted.
The Lutheran Church and the
people of Newberry County cannot
afford to let the College go down,