The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-08-07
THE OLD, OLD STORY.
BOURBON iNcAPAclrY AND MlsAvLE
IAs Tsaalnoay ofali Cla,asa Of Clliz,ns Concern
lag tho Cssetfous Growth fn tho State Ust
'efs'sy-The nIais,sra Of tho Town on
tho Sstj.ei-Prospscia for this Fail,

1 Oh IN my last letter from here In the mid
4 Of a number Of interviews I had vii
0 prominent pelaons Of this town rela.ir
!. to the present status Of the Universlly
West Virginia and Its immediate prospect
. l find in the breasts Of all PERSONS irr,
spective Of political predictions the yer
gsavess approximations. It ia a matter
conjecture just now whether or nc
there will be filty students at til
opening Of the next term. The petition q
both the Junior and Sophomore classe
Tor the removal Of Prof. Latham wa
ignored by the Regents, aud It ia yer,
doubtful about the reappearance OF eithe
Of theso classes noxt month. ! fiud her,
quite number OF persons who hayo yer,
friendly feelings for Prof. Latham, men q
the highest personal character and stand
inH. who say they do not think that he /,
guilty Oft the charges against him, but a
the samo time they are ali Of tho on. II
opinion that bis removal from ths
University would be Of the highest benefit
to the school. 1t ia said that Mr.. Latham
IS thinking very strongly Of tending biz
resignation. He has l am reliably In.
formed even broached the subject 10 one
Or more of.his friends, but be Las not vel
transmitted the document, f1|I-'
The public should not be misled es to
the exact status Of things here. There are
other teachers who arc in IS great dieiayor
as Mr.. Latham. The came feeling extends
TO Prof.. Berkeley, Chairman OF the Fscul.
ty; to Prof. Brooke, Of the Law School; to
Dr.: Allen, Of the Medical Department, and
to Prof. Harvey. The claim is that they
form quinte.se OF Old Virginia foesils ia
every way detrimental to the procreas Of
the school. 1t Is charged that Prof. Bsrke-
icy 's incompetent, undesirable and chron-
icslly iatlgued. He reads his Latin in the
classroom with a "Shetlsnd" and his
Greek with translatoin. AZ an instructor
It Is claimed that be is failure, and es the
head Of the Faculty be docs not even riso
to that dignity.
Prof. Brooke. it is charged, is a fair the.
orist in law, but his pupils are few and bis
ideas impracticable, Against Dr.. Allen it
is urged that his.valuabe time is mouopo.
lizsd by the exsctions Of from one tothree
students the year round"
4 CEMETERY FOR BROKEN DOWN Isrg1Lrcrs.
It is apparent, painfully 80 in fact from
the paucity OF numbera that the people
not only here but all over the State feel
that the new State should not be called
upon to furnish an asylum or in other
words cemetery for the repose Of the de-
caying, giant intellects Of the old State.
This ID the germ Of all the discord. West
Virginia wants, new men, new ideas,
standard methods and not old men, eilete
ideas and .superannuated methodo. She
was conceived In q different spirit and
brought forth under opposing circum-
stances. Among the other bits OF Testimony
| have gathered against the continuance Of
the present regime are the following:
Mr.. Wm. Wagner, cashier OF the Bank,
who testified before the Regents concern.
ing the rel utation Of Mr.. Latham reiterates
bis statement and ia most pronounced in
bis opinion that unleas he is dismissed the
late Of the school ia sealed. He thinks the
peraonnel Of the faculty should be rsdi.
cally changed. :. :
The Hon. William O. cGrew, for long
time member Of the EXECUTIVE Commit.
tee Of the pniVsrsity, said: II am afraid
the institution is in bad fix. The change
from the Curriculum to the elective eys.
tenn was movement not approved OF by
either the students or anyone in thio local.
ity. II Is an old Virginia custom not &C.
ceptable to this people. We do not want
OLD Virginia customs here. The Faculty
don't pull together and that hurts the
school: The very friends OF Mr.. Latham
think he should 70. I do not think all Of
the charges against him sustained, but I
think he should resign. I know him to be
an indisc!eet, high tempered msn, and
much trouble is caused thereirom. I was
on the Executive Committee till this year
when ! positively refused to go on again. /
know that the school cannot exist under
present circumstsncea and present manage.
ment. It is bound to go down. think
the Legislature will do something next
winter looking to the displacement OF the
present Board Of Regents. Some of them
are good, but the most OF them are too
strongly partisan for the good Of the school,
me hrat thing we need ia President and
then return TO tho old curriculum. Some
teaehe15 have no care beyond the drawing
OF their salaries. We need Board OF Re-
gents interested in thesuccess OF the school.
Now who would make better Regents than
alumni ot the school? As it Is not an
alumnus is q member Of the Board. Even
II he were Democrat be would be aood
one. W. u. Brown, Of Preston county, or
the Hon. James Hrown, Of Kanawha, would
both make good men," San,
THE SPECIAL DEPARTMENTS .,I
The present law school is OF no benefit.
Both the Law and Medical departments
ehould be made efficient or abolished. II
understand there isa feeling in the Faculty
to move the school. There are too many
Republicans here"
Rev. Mr.. Crawford of the NJ. Z. Church,
said: II attended several Of the meeting
while the taking Of testimony Was going
on before the Regents. My impreesion was
that they discouraged all testimony tend.
ing to lnculpate Latham. It looked to me
as II Ga!laher, Lucas, Morrow and Thomp.
son came there to defend him. I am cot. |
ieiled Of it. think" said MI. Crawford !
most impressively, "tnat Latham ha, |
hold on the Board, or a portion Of it. Why,
It is said that Latham declared that with |
s25 worth Of whisky be procured an ad.
vance Of $500 per annum in his salary" i
Judge Berkshire, former Supreme
Judge OF this State, said: u think Berke.
Icy is not the man for the head Of the
school. I think II he stays he will kill it.
He js 3 man Of no ability. Why be teaches
his ohildred that we are Yankees up here.
He and bis family hold themselves aloof
from all the people here. The only way
out Of the difficulty ia to get Legislature
in power tha. will put them out, or to get
enoug b sensible members in who will start
them 'fTISI IN ="
At the seminary found the Rsvs. s. L.
Finney, chaplain Of the oollege, George
C..Foster, Of the Baptist Church OF Morg IL.
town, and Colonel JAMES Evans, one Of the
moat prominent citizsns and Democrats OF
West Virginia. Colonel Evans is mem.
her Of the local executive committee otthe
UnSxersity. N m