Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-02-21

tenCe Suspen0eQ curing EOOu OcAAfAO-- @-~
STU student - privately di,missed for gross
drunkenness.
having intoxicating iiquo' IN their room. sol'
tence suspended curing good behavior anu
ls90-I. Student - dismissed privately for
cheating in examinations aHd being untruIH4ui
is9s-s Two Students indefinitely suspended
for enticing and persuadtnE q fellow student 10
drunk, ana making him drink.
This is the exact record, The editor of
the NeUs says lover one hundred BOYS ana
young men have been expelled for some
real or fancied offense.n | present the
aoyve official record and challenge the edi-
tor OF the Noes 10 present the interesting
/ series of figuresn which he says he has re-
ceived upon this subject. ! further call
upon him 70 give mis- authority, II ne nus
am. for the statement ne has made or
stand convicted among all honest men as
wilful. deliberate and malicious falsfier.
He has 10 such figures. He has no author
ity. No man who has any regard Tor ms
own reputation for veracity would make
such a statement. Nor would any man,
excep from malice, pu0lsh sucn stale
ment knowing il 10 be false.
As TO the individual cases he singles out
and seeks % parade for public sympathy,
| forbear 50 into the particulars FUR
tner. for 90 not be ong TO the class OF
people who seek to build up their own rep
utations by destroying tbat of some one
else. | am heartily glad that these young
men have redeemed themselves, and l shall
not throw straw in their way. have
only 10 say that their cases were judged oy
a full faculty after thorough investigation,
and so far as / now remember, by absolute
unanimity of opinion. Not one Of these
Young men was debarred from returning
10 the University, if he so desired, and
finishing his course Ia fact, one of them
returned the next year, confessed his fault
like a man, finished his course and gradu-
ated. and in so doing won back the ground
he had lost in the estimation OF those who
knew him.
The malice OF the editor of the NetCs is
further shown in what he said about the
cases he has particularized. He was HIM
self student here when these young men
were suspended, and knew the reason for
their suspension, and was very active
among the students in seeking TO excite re-
bellion against the action OF the faculty
and thus intimidate them. He did not sue
coed. Hence these tears"
s As TO the personal war that has for
two years been waged upon me By this man
and those who are aididg and abetting him,
| have this TO say: If | had allowed my
self to oe used as a tool by him and those
who stand with him, sdould now be bask-
ing in their smiles instead Of t cling their
animosity. If had consented to see this
university made a house OF refuge for any
body who might seek asylum here, and
could log-roll enough members of the
Board of Regents 10 secure his election,
there would have been no complaint from
this quarter of any official incompetency.
The editor of the NetCS speaks of my hav-
ing obtained the presidency Through in
fiuence" Let me say TO him that my cleo
ton was absolutely uns0ught, and no
friend of mine, so far as / know, used any
Influence to secure my election. l came
here at The Geographic summons of the
president of the board of regents, asking !
me if | would accept the presidency Of the |
State University TO which l had been |
unanimously elected. / did not carry on a |
six months campaign TO secure my cleo |
ton. I wrote no letters 10 members Of |
the faculty who, / thought, might want |
something, and offer 10 trade nv |
friends on the board for their
friends on the board, If they would con-
sent to log roll with me. l was not ''on
the ground" when my election occurred,
intriguing and planning and trying TO set
up lob by which l could secure my
election.
l came here under no obligation except
the obligation which every honest han
owes to himself first of all, to do my duty
to those who had placed me in the position.
That duty | have honestly and faithfully
tried to do, with what measure of success
| leave to the intelligent and consistent
Judgment of honorable men. l have
sought TO put this insti-
tuition upon a higher plane of use
fitness for the people of this State,
|
AS long as | remain here | shall endeavor
to carry forward this work along these
lines, seeking TO secure the best men we
can command for positions here, seeking to
maintain aud advance the standard OF
and above all, seeking to make
honest sober, manly men of those who come
here for instruction. For, above all othor
earthly possessions, is the possession OF an
honest honorable, manly character, with
out which all other education is as delu
sion and failure. Whenever the policy Of
this institution shall abandon these lines /
shall step down and out.
In conclusion, | beg to say that
have hitherto pursued the policy OF
silence, because have felt that while
might vlndicate myself, any controversy
would be injurious to the institution. /
should not now have departed from this
rule but for the outrageous falsehOods con-
tanned in the article I have quoted, Calcu-
lated as they are, to do irreparable injury
to the institution.
The editor of the NelCs boasts himself Of
his interest in the University as one of its
graduates, but right thinking people will
safely Judge as TO the sincerity of man
who to serve his personal malice will thus
"befoul his own nest" and, in order TO
build up his own family and friends, will
not stop short Of fasehood and detraction.
Very respectfully,
E. M. TURNER.
Jloro1ntoiun ". Va, Feb. IS, 1898.