Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-01-24
THE GOVERNOR AND THE OREGONlAN.

Inan editoriali in the Oregonian of
the 21st inst, under the caption Of
"Another Pointof Law, ,'roeodrs the
following a"The goVernoTuV HOVE
ever, thinks that,since the William
etae University has Established a
school of medicine in Portland it is
neither just nor poIitic' for the
State university TO establish a rival
school, But is a denominational
institution to have a privilege that
is denied to an institution of the
state ?n' This last sentence of the
two quoted, is utterly a non sequitur,
and distinctly lodges the question
which the governor raises. He had
Just discussed the question of the
legality of locating branch schools
of the State university at Portland,
and had passed to another question
totally distinct. Read in full it re-
veals at once the evasion of the Ore
gonian's reply. The governor says 4:
"It is suggested in the report (meaD-
ing the report of the president of
the board of regents of the State
university, that the state should
provide funds for the support of a
school of medicine in Portland.
There is now in that city college
Of medicine built by the generosity
of private individuals at cost of
S25, 900, and it would not be either
just or polite for the state to estab-
lish a rival school in opposition
thereto in a city hardly large enough
to give good support to one such in
stitution.n - Now there either is or is
not demand for two medical col
leges in Portland, but it may safely
be affirmed that not two intelligent
physicians in the state would assert
that there is such demand, and
many incline to believe that the
time is hardly ripe for one. Gov
ernor Pennoyer simply calls atten'
tion to certain facts that medical
college is already in successful opera
ton with a handsome property, the
generous gift of public spirited citi-
zens, in a community so limited that
another is entirely uhcalled for, and
declares that under such circum-
stances it is neither just nor polite
for the state to waste public funds
by attempting to sustain another
And the one answer the Oregonian
can give is: rs a denominatiOnal
institution to have privilege that
is denied to an institution of the
state?' Nonsense Besides, the
term "denominatiOnaP' is apparent
ly dragged in to give the impression
that the aim and scope of the insti-
tuition is narrowed and debased by
that circumstance. Denomina-
tlonal, forsooth! Is the horse that
Bishop Morris may happen to drive
denominational because the good
bishop happens to be an Episcopa.
Ian or is the horse of different
fibre because of the denominatiOnal
bias of it's owner? The medical de.
partment of Willamette University
rejoices in an honorable history run.
ming through nearly quarter of a
century, and in a present prosperity
exceeding all its past. The high
quality of its work is indicated by
the success of its alumni scattered
all over the North Pacific coast. II
aims solely at the incubation of q
broad and sound medical learning
to be united in the student with q
sound moral character. A denomi.
national spirit has never entered its
hall except when fOOlishly brought
there by those hostile to the denomi
nation in ultimate control. 1t asks
no subsidy from the state and needs
none. 1t is the child OF ~ benevo-
lent public spirit, and its friends be
lieve that such public spirit and such
private benevolent enterprise are SC
freighted with blessing to the com
mOnwealth that the state may we'll
pause to consider whether the recent
utterance of Governor PennOyer as
heEein quoted, was not the utterance
of Truth and wisdom
ALPHA.