The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1889-06-15
The Way to Co. Education.

Ouc vi Tue queStlUHS Will WHICH
the Board of Regents will, doubtless,
deal at it's present session, is that of
the admission Of women to the Uni
yersity. 1t is one of the questions
that will not down. 1t has it's an
nual agitation before the Board, and
its intermediate agitation before the
people, and it's biennial agitation be-
fore the Legislature And it will
continue to be agitated until the
doors are opened. 1t is one of the
things, that will not be put aside, be-
cause it ought not to be put aside.
Co-education is coming like destiny.
1t is right and the voice of the peo-
pie will not be silenced until their
demand is heard and granted.
To those who do not favor the Co
education of the sexes, the difficult
ties in the way of admitting women
to the University seems to be very
great, but to those who are willing
the way seems very clear and easy.
1t is not to be expected that the
Boards could perfect the provisions
for accommodating both sexes in a
few moments or during a single ses-
sion of the Board. But every thing
must have beginning. What the
advocates Of Co education ask is that
there may be beginning, however
incomplete and inadequate the be-
ginning may be- They may not be
able to provide Immediately for the
accommodation Of a thousand young
ladies next year, but that is no rea-
son why they might not accommo-
date hundred, or fifty or twenty
five or ten, or even five. There would
be nothing hazardous, for instance,
in the Board declaring in formal
manner, that from and after the first
Wednesday in September next, the
privileges of the University shall be
open, to young ladies so far, and to
the extent only, that they can find
suitable accommodations for board
ing and lodging and under such con
ditions as shall be approved by the
Faculty.
That would be a beginning That
would settle the principle. That
would satisfy a reasonable public
sentiment.
What then, would follow? The
Board would, during summer vaca-
ton, make such arrangement for suit
able privacy of the young ladies
while at the University as necessary
for their convenience and comfort.
This could be done at a trifing
expense and without any serious
difficulty whatever. There is alb
solutely no difficulty about it.
The next step would be for the
President to ascertain how many
young ladies could be suitably quar-
tered among the boarding houses
in town, and publish notice of that
fact; at the same time directing
those who desired to come from a
distance to first correspond with the
President. This they would do, how
ever, in any event. A number of
young ladies who have homes in the
vicinity of the University would en-
ter and these in connection with
such number from abroad as could
find accommodations would consti-
tute fair beginning for the first
year. Nobody would be inconven-
fenced. Nobody would be seriously
disturbed, and there would be alb
solutely no hazard to the reputation
of the University, or the welfare of
anybody concerned. In the mean
time committee of the Board or the
Executive Committee could be study
ing and maturing such questions as
might present themselves in connec-
ton with the subject of co-education,
and at the next annual meeting of
the Board could be able to make
such suggestions as would indicate
the needs of the situation, and en-
able the Boards to make any further
provision OF ask for any appropria-
ton that the necessities of the case
might require.
We submit that such action as we
have above outlined would be not
conservative but absolutely safe and
without undue hazard Of any kind
and would moreover satisfy any rea-
sonable demand that the public
could make in this behalf, 1t is as
little as the Board can afford to do
at this session and it is much less
than might be done in this direction
with entire safety.
Here are a few expressions from