The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1892-06-25

The Protestant Episcopal Church
has indicated to the Board Of Regents.
through Bishop Petcrkin. purpose
on the part of that denomination 10
the State, to build a Dormiforv at
the University for the aeconmods-
ton OF students Of that faith who
NAV desire to enter and have the adj
vantages Of the University.
The idea is to segregate the stu
dents of that denomination in sin
gle building, and thus to have them,
to certain extent, under the care
and supervision of the authorities of
the church. 1t is in no sense intend
ed to ally the University with any
purely denominational enterprise, or
to give it any distinct orispecial priv
ileges, but simply TO have the as
sent of the University authorities to
such grouping Of their students in
body outside the institution as will
enable the church to make for them
a church home and give them church
supervision at the University.
1t is well understood that the Uni
versity is a State institution excln-
sively under the support and the con
troll of the State. and that therefore
it would be improper for it to give
any special recognition or preferences
to one religious denomination over
another All mnst stand on an equal
footing and no religious forms, cere-
monies, or requirements can be i'm
posed upon the students that would
offend the UNCONVENTIONAL predilec-
tions of any class. The proposition
made by Bishop Peterkin distinctly
recognizes this condition. But his
church prefers that instead of estab-
fishing II distinctly denominational
institution for the special benefits of
its students in this State, it will avail
itself of the educational advantages
which the University offers to all,
and will only ask that outside of the
University and so far as its rules and
regulations may permit, the students
of that faith may be cared for and to
a certain extent supervised and aid
ed by the church.
We regard this as one of the most
significant and promising movements
that has been made since the organ
ization of the University. 1t promi-
ses to broaden and extend the use
fulness of the University beyond any
thing that has yet been undertaken.
A State institution by the very rea-
son Of its undenominational and neu-
trail religious attitude fails to attract
or secure the attachment and patron
age to any large degree, of any relig-
ious denomination. Nevertheless it
is from the churches-from the relig-
ious part of population-that every
educational institution receives it's
principal patronage. Christian par
ents chiefly, are interested in the
education of their children, and they
are most concerned about the relig-
ious influences that surround their
children where they are being educa-
ted. Hence denominational institu-
tions draw more largely even when
offering less advantages than State
institution like the University. This
is illustrated in the Methodist Semi
nary at Buckhannon, which although
only two years old has larger en-
rollment than the University. More
over the inevitable tendency of an
undenominational institution in its
attempt to maintain neutral atti-
tude in religious matters, is toward
an unreligious and stocal attitude.
There may be no such purpose or de-
sire in the administration, but the
very necessity of maintaining neu-
trality forces the religious concerns
of the students into secondary place
and into the background.
The only corrective of such ten
dency, and the only substitute for
the direct religious care which the
State must perforce abrogate in its
administration, is in just such pro-
vision as Bishop Peterkin now pro-
poses to inaugurate. 1t is move
ment of like character with what has
already taken place in and about
other State Universities. At the
great Michigan University, nearly
every religious denomination has
built its dormitory, and some of them
their chapels where the students are
gathered in for religious worship and
religious instruction, and where the
churches thus take care of their
young during the educational period
and see that the men who are des-
tined to become the leaders of men
are not weaned away either to the
devil or to other denominations than
those to which they belong by inner
itance. 1t has come TO be recognized
not only as matter of policy, but
rather matter of life and death
with the several denominations that
they thus preserve and retain the
young men who are being trained in
our institutions of learning, and who
as matter of course, will be the
chief factors in moulding the future
of the churches and the world.
We predict that the movement
about to be inaugurated by Bishop
Peterkin will be only the beginning of
a great competition in this direction.
1t will compel other denominations