Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-01-05

Pertinent suxrsssions ON an Import
ant Matter.

ant Matter.
Ave read the communication Of Mr.. 3.
Turner. Published in the REoIsrss, in
Which be makes the peculiar md novel sug-
gestion that our State University be stripped
Gifts University features and relegated to the
grade Of an academic school.
Mr.. Turner is.s man Of education and
culture and therefore presumed to have
some appreciation of the work Of higher ed
ucation, and If such men as he have no
higher ambition for the first educational in
stitution ofthe State than indicated in his
proposition, We may truly begin to despair
of our intellectual standing and progress as
q State.
The chief criticisms that have been made
upon our University are that it has not been
advancing fast enough toward university.
Mr.. Turner proposes to cure this by having
it advance backward toward an academic
school. Because, forsooth, it is not Har-
ward or an Oxford in age and reputation, it
is Of no value and can confer no ben
e6ts.
The prime object in the establishment Of
q State University was that West Virginia
might educate her youth at home. If we
fail in this, our University is failure and
has no excuse Tor its existence. But Mr..
Turner would say to our young men that
"a diploma from Jour State University is OF
no value" at never will be" at can
never have the reputation ofHarvard, Ok
ford, or the German Universities" Go to
your State University and ge! an academic
education, and then emigrate to Germany
or England, or some New England State
and get you University education"
But we do not despair of the Republic
nor Of that little mountain section OF it
called West Virginia. We have echpsed q
majority OF the older States in our common
school system, and we can do it in our Uni
versity. In fact, we have it from the lips
of young man who went from the Uniyer-
sity Of West Virginia to Harvard to "6nish
his education" that he learned more and
had more thorough drill in the former than
the latter"
The whole people Of West Virginia, Mr..
Editor, pay taxes for the support OF the
State University. They have right to de-
mand that it furnish their sons an education
for every vocation in life. 1t is not just or
equitable to the taxpayers that 1t should
efer opportunities for only certain few OF
the vacations. 1t is not just or polite that
it 90 no further than the academic branches
and exclude the legal, the medical, the
scientific and the mechanical. We have
academic schools enough. There are six
normal schools and any number of high
schools and academies IN the State. The
University, as University, was established
TO eli the one yoid-thst Of University
and as such it should be maintained. 1t
should offer a universal education and to
the universal youth-not excepting the
f males.
Mr.. Turner is a professional man, too,
but is disposed to frown upon the profes
siops. II the young men of West Virginia
want to prepare themselves for the profess
sions they ought to have the opportunity of
doing so. There is no crime in that. The
State cannot prevent it. And if they will
have a professional education the university
ought TO furnish it-they ought not to be
compelled to go to Harvard or Germany
for It. The fact is that there is no young
man, whether he expects to practice pro-
fession or not, who will not be benefited by
being drilled in the professional schools.
He wiz get more discipline and benefit from
the principles Of law, or the outlines Of
anatomy. physiology and hygiene than
from an infinite amount of Greek or other
dead language.
We take Mr. Turner, himself, as shining
example of this Eaet. He does not practice
law, but he has nevertheless studied law
and mastered its principles. If we put him
on the stand we venture that he will testify
without hesitation that his knowledge of the
law has been of more, practical advantage
to him, and bIWf line it required OF
more akeft, than all the
Greek or tas learned:
every University and first class college. No
modern institution ventures to ignore them.
A college or university is no longer COM
plete without them, and if there is any
leading defect in our own university it IS
that Of giving less prominence to its pro-
fessional schools than they ought to have.
Finally, Mr.. Editor. if the State Of West
Virginia cannot afford to give creditable
support to one university on Grst-class
basis, she had better retire from the business
of educating her youth altogether and take
Mr.. Turner's advice-send them to Ger
many or England. Our sister State, Ohio,
supports forty odd colleges-cannot West
Virginia support one2 Psrsimony, Mr..
Editor, is What's the matter with HANNAH"
E. PLuRBUs UYUN.
Moroanfowr w Vn