The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1889-04-27

West Virginia School Journal

ladies to the State University was
defeated by bare majority in the
House Of Delegates, and a similar
bill has just been defeated by a
small majority in the Senate. In
both these cases we may safely say
the defeat was due in part to the
lack of well concerted action on the
part of the friends of co-education
and in part to the lack of anything
like accurate and careful informa-
tion as to the operation and success
Of co-education generally, and espe-
fcially in institutions similar in char
acter and scope to the West Virginia
University.
The advocates and friends of open
ing the doors Of the University to
the young women of the State should
pursue different course in the fu-
ture from that heretofore pursued
The co-education of the sexes under
proper aud suitable arrangements
has been demonstrated to be sue
cess, and the statements of some of
the ablest and wisest educators of
this country can be adduced to
prove it. Now, either co-education
at the State University at the pres
ent time is practicable and wise or
else it is not. There should be no
division of opinion upon this ques-
ton among the members of the Fac
ulty of the University. If certain
arrangements must be made by the
State before the University can re-
ceive and properly care for young
ladies, this fact should be perfectly
well understood, and the matter
should be properly presented. There
should at least be no division among
the friends on this point.
just what arrangements are nee
essary to be made should be clearly
settled and also their approximate
cost determined. There should be
no difference of opinion or confusion
about this matter in the future
The opponents of co-education avail
themselves of every division, and
even the slightest disagreement
among the friends of the movement.
The friends of this work should pre-
sent solid front.
The argument heretofore relied
upon by the opposition is this: The
West Virginia University was estab
lished in accordance with certain
conditions required by the National
Government, and the most important
Of these were that the principles of
agriculture, military science, and the
mechanical arts should be taught in
the University, and that it would be
violation of the Federal require
ments to open the doors of an insti-
tuition thus established to the young
women of the State because these are
not suitable departments of knowl-
edge to be pursued by young ladies.
The friends of co-education claim
that the conditions demanded by the
Federal Government are met and
complied with when provision has
been made for the several depart
ments named in the condition, and
that other departments may be add
ed. Evidently this is the under.
standing of those who have been
charged by the State with the man
agement of the University for other
departments have been added from
time to time. Again, no one of
these departments is compulsory
upon any student, but each student
is left to choose for himself that
course or department of study which
he prefers, whether agriculture, me
chanical arts, military science, law,
the ancient languages, the modern
languages, or the sciences. The
truth is there is no law compelling
the young men who now attend the
University to pursue any particular
department of knowledge, and the
same would be true if the advan-
tages of the University were extend
ed to the young ladies Of the State.
Fortunately we have more than one
institution that received aid from
land grants of the Federal Govern
ment as West Virginia did. They
have complied with all the condi-
tions required, and yet allow young
ladies all the educational privileges
granted to the young men.
We refer the opponents Of co-edu-
cation to Cornell University, at It'll
lea, N. Y, established in 1878. The
State of New York transferred to
this institution its agricultural land
scrip granted by Congress, amount
ing to 100000 acres, and in this in
stitution there are at least eleven
departments or courses of study
They are: az Agriculture, ~ Ar
chitecture, (3) Chemistry, (4) Civil
Engineering, (5) History and Politi-
cal science, (6) Languages (three
schools), (7) Mathematics and As
tronomy, (8) Mechanical Arts, (9)
Military Science, (lO) Natural His
tory, (11) Philosophy and Letters.
Here is an institution that com
prises much more in its curriculum
than the West Virginia University,
and yet in 1872, women were admit
ted to the University on the same
terms and conditions as the men,
education has been an unques-
toned success at Cornell from the
first. Now here is an institution
that teaches agriculture, the me-
chanical arts, and military science,
and they are not regarded as the
slightest reason why women should
not be admitted. The friends of CO.
education must now go to work in
real earnest, and by the time the
next regular session of the Legisla-
ture is convened, be able to present
this question in its true light.
There is more Catarrh in this Sec
ton of the country than all other
diseases put together, and until the
last few years was supposed to be
incurable. Foi great many years
Doctors pronounced it local dis
ease and prescribe for it local rene
dies, and by constantly failing to
cure with local treatment, pronounc-
ed it incurable. Science has proven
catarrh to be a constitutional dis