The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-10-18
A Last Word on the VI. A. Degree.
rIo- Thu fTfuos

A Last Word on the VI. A. Degree.
| For The Times.l
At the risk of seeming to be afflicted with
an aggravated case OF cacoethes scribendi |
| ask the privilege of one word more on the VI.
A. degree. That word spoken. tho enemy
may pierce me with shafts OF wit or pound me
| 10 n Jelly with syll0gisms and will try hard
| 10 endure II oil IL silence aud with Christian
resignation.
| In last Sundays TrlTs Mr. James p. fiar-
| rison OF Danvlle asserts that the alumni
| generally disspprove" the change IN the re-
| quirements for the degree. | cannot agree
with this opinion. have not put the oucs-
| ton TO the vote of the alumni. but 1t IS
my belief that very large majority Of
them would vote for TIE change X
the reasons for 1t were clearly pre-
sented to their minds. Certainly It has
| been my fortune TO meet n number OF them
who rejoice at the change. For example OK
| the four masters of arts of the nverslty
| who now hold protessorships in their alma
! mater. three are ard-ntly in favor OF tile
change. and n large ma orlty of the whole
faculty are Of the same mind. Professor D..
i. Hennemsn NJ A. Unive sity Of Virginia,
and Phi. ID. Ieipsicl OF Hampden-Sldney
| College is another alumnus whose opinion
| IS worth having. and who IS heartily glad that
| the old cast-irOn sys en- mas been smashed
Il agree most thor0u hly with You as regards
! tho importance OF English and of history. he
writes me- Il can't see how any reasonab' Q
man will contradict YOU there. / am heart
! and soul with yOu IA tie belief that the trupst
and best educator is not necessarily he VINO
| makes his course the hariest-f0r any fool
| might do that-but he who is most suggestive
and can get his pupils inrereste and ia love
with their work Another Master OF Arts
land Pin. d.. of Berlin who has assured me
both orally and in writing of his Jhor0u h
Walker Bowman. formerly q pro essor at
BiacksDurg. now an ana.y teal chemist IN
Nev YORK
might give the names Of quite a number
OF Other alumni who ar r DICED that the { ui-
yersity has at last Shaken of the incubus that
oppressed her. but. for charitys sake vii
mention only two more. They are names
which ought 70 carry weight with Mr. Haul-
son. and especially with the other gentleman
who BATTLES IN last sundays IMFs lor the
old pctrihed degree The chief burden OF his
song Is Greek and when ] tell him that the
two names which shall mention are the
names Of former professors of Greek no tic
University he may perhaps re ousider his
opinion tnat. without compulsory creek.
Gllead contains no balm. ono OF them is q
master OF arts and the other though not,
strictly speaking, IN alumnus was
a professor here FOR years fine first is
Professor Thomas r.. rice: the second is
change in the degree was made talked %
kr. Price on the sub ect. and his great love
for the University led him % lament deeply
the tact that nothing had been done % save
the degree from utter Osslhcatlon and the
other day l received a lettor from we'll
known alumnus that contains these words:
Since the degree has been changed I've
talked it over with both Price and Glider
sleeve. and both say that the change was ab-
solutey necessary 10 bring the diversity
abreast in methods of the best universities ut
home and abroad
such being the opinion of these eminent
Greek scholars let my doughty antagonist be
Of good cheer. The end is not yet. All
KNOWLEDGE OF Greek will not pass away from
this world because the University Of rgina
has ceased 10 ram It down the Threats of those
who prefer q On srent diet. If the Greek
language and literature be e. excellent as
both he and hold them T. be they Will not
perish for lack of artificial support but will
attract students by their own beauty and
strength. Students thus attracted will really
appreciate them and our he len pearls Will
no longer he cast before swine f. myself,
am great admirer Of Greek / am also an
ardent d.votee af plum-pudding at Christmas
tide and It agrees with me iamOusly. Yet /
know many men who can stomach neither
Greek roots nor Virginia plum-pudding. In
Heavens name. then let them take tea and
toast.
In reply 10 the assertion that the new de-
gree seems absurdly easy compared with the
historic old degree whose nameit has stolen
! will remark that If the new degree be
thief. the present one is a burglar. since it
has stolen tie name OF the historic old de-
gree" which took ten years ago-a degree
which required history. literature an rhetoric
in addition to the subjects M the pre- ent
course But that degree. too. was a roDber
and. IN TACT. since the re lulremelt- for the VI.
A. have been several times altered. we must
acknoN sdse with bated breath that tho
University has harl bored O whole pack o.
thieves And yet we can at least he deyoutiy
thankful 20 the board OF visitors for passing
sentence OF death upon al save this young
and most vigorous h.ghwayman OF them an.
He. villain though be- be. has thus far escaped
with tho comparatively mild. though ign0mi-
NOUS punishment OF thirty-nine lashes, laid
on by my friends tho enemy.
| have already reported IN q former letter
TO Tax FMS the idea that the new degree
can be taken w th ease IN two years. and
Will now merely add the fact that between
1910 and 1861 the ante-belium degree was
taken in two years by no less than seventeen
mon. They were among tie men who have
won 50 great renown for the University, " aud
yet they did the very thing that We ere told is
to be ono OF the most dread couse uences Of
the change in the degree.
la conclus on let mo say that while regard
the new de rec IS immensely 81 erIOr to the
Cd 90 not regard it as per ect Ii viii
probably DO modified from time o. time and
] think / could suggest more than one I'M
proyement. But, tempus tug t.
r. H. DABNEY.
University Of Virginia Oct. l3, 1891.