Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-08-24
SATURDAY EVENING. AUG. "a, 1895.
THE PETERSBURG MdeS-Appeal
agrees with the GAZETTE in its protest

agrees with the GAZETTE In us proIost
against the action of the S%uperinten-
dent of the Virginia Military Institute,
and the committee Of the Board of
Visitors, in ignoring the graduates of
that institution in the selection OF q
commandant. No one will deny that
the action of "the authorities Of the in
stitute" was a great reflection upon the
alumni of that school, and one that
should be resented by them. The order
relieving Lieut.. Rockenbach of the
army, who is not q West Pointer, but a
recent alumnus of the V. NJ. l., came
while the board of visitors was in ses-
sion at the institute in the latter part
of June. The board, it is understood,
did not consider any applications at
that time, but appointed a committee,
composed of Gen. ]. G. Anderson, Col.
Henry Fairfax and Gen. Ship, to look
into the matter and report to the full
board at a meeting to be called during
the month of August. After the ad-
journment of the board in June, Gen.
Ship went to Washington with q view
of getting an army detail for the posi-
ton, and a number of names of army
officers we're given him to select from.
The committee of the board met in
Covington the early part of August, and
it was determined by the committee to
leave the whole matter absolutely in
the hands of the superintendent.
There has never, so it is stated,
been a full meeting of the board of
visitors since June. The names of a
number of graduates of the V. M. 1.
were prominently mentioned as quail,
fed for the position, but it is not known
whether they were ever considered by
the board or the committee. 1t seems
to have been PREDETERMINED to get an
army detail, and this prevented any
graduates of the v. M. I. from applying,
even if they 'were not men specially
distinguished while at college," nor
was any opportunity given to ascertain
whether they possessed those essential
qualifications with which no man can
successfully command Others" 1t may
very pertinently be asked was the
present Superintendent of the V. NJ. l.
Especially distinguished while at col
lege?" Had he demonstrated his "6t-
ness for the work" OF commandapt
until he was put or trial? Why could
not he have given some n of his own
graduates the same opportunity to
show his "ftness for the work." in
preference to Lieut.. Price Of Iowa
whose "ftness" for the position he
has had no opportunity to test ?
The War Department, evidently en-
barrassed to provide for a large num-
Der of superiuous young officers. most
ly Northern or Western men, has
adopted a policy of supplying the
schools with young professors, who will
h rdly be in sympathy with their pu-
pills in Southern institutions. We have
gotten rid of the Northern school books
defamatory of our section, and we do
not want our teachers, educated among
us, supplanted by persons who hold
entirely different views. Every Vir-
ginian will endorse the sentiment of
the hder-Appeal in saying: "If we
have young men in our own State who
can fill the position, we should be glad
60 employ them, and not promote over
their heads other aspirants who are
perhaps no better qualified, though
they may have had the advantage of
West Point training"