The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-08-08
TUCKER AND MINOR.
THE GREAT LAW PROFESSORS OF
THE UNIVERSITY CONTRAsTED.
How and Where the Honor system i" Ia
aminations Was Begun In American
Colleges - Princeton's Base
less Pretense Exposed.
To the Editor Of The Times:

lessor Henry ST. George Tucker, ana II Is
attempted to yindicate certain ulheiShe'9
in the complexion OF the courses me- -,
by this distinguished jurist ana ms 'uS
cessor IN the PROFESSIONAL once. nave
been since informed by an eminent stdu-
uate under Judge Tucker that ihlS ielei-
ence appears 10 him misleading anu un
fair; that II seems TO imply an "a
thoroughness IN the instruction oitItu,
and a want Of Just balance In the courses
given. / feel IL my duty 10 9lseiaIin ~
the clearest and most enphder ~ i ''I'
any purpose TO produce TINS linpi. SS'y'i
TO say In the frankcst manner thd' -
Ieye IL 10 be erroneous, ana heteny -
cancel any phrases IN the sktlch va. -
justly susceptible OF this lnteigic.au,oii.
/ trust that this statement II tNpHDit
enough to sweep aside all lalse lilie.ei l.''
dcducible from a paragraph when hee''S
10 have been unhappily Wordel. ,
Having SAID so much IN admission u
an alleged error, which thoue" eI
signed Is none the less regretted itci
that | may explain the circumstances UNI
der which the sketch was prepared, anu
Indicate somewhat more fuzzy the mean
ing which l desired 10 convey. ,..-..
As 10 the first the paper was written
in compliance with a Geographic fequest
from vrurself. ana completed IN sinsie
evening when Prof. Minors death We
hourly imminent, and az date 100 la'c
L. permit such personal cOl-eiehtca 40
might have corrected the lmpfeasio"s =, ~ ~
documents were the annual cdt@lvsrcS
OF the university, containing '"v ~
uouncentnts OF the courses "htlt', 10
the feculty records. IL was rom r ITS
announcements that ! drew the inieIen,s
contained IN the sentence 10 WIN" "D-
lection has been made. .,e...
Professor fuckers interests mhhli'sl-
~ centred In the then burning lu,stons
Of government and cousuiullolai .a".
and his course took color from TINS iact.
The following passage. added by fro-
fessor Tucker to the announcement pun
lished by his predecessor. anu vi'll,sN
afterwards by Professor Minor, was 'he
basis of my Inference.
POLITICAL INSTRUCTION.
'In th- arrangement oS the political
part Of this course, the professor vDJc,t
has been 20 lay before Inc stuuth, W.
most able dissertations on poth fireS
OF the great constitutional que@tioA9
which have arisen in our country. 10 ihi-
press upon has mind the inestimahle Ea.ue
OF the Union on the one Haiit anu '.-'
vital IT. portance OF preserving INC 49,
of the States ON The other thda hHd4"-
ing MIN against lautudinarian cohsuuc-
tons. and the invasion OF the iesclfeN
rights OF the States while the iisDis ~
izing principles which lead 10 conN ll-io9
ana disunlOn are earnestly qlscarueH "'n
industriOusly cOntiONclicl.
| WAS. and am still unable 10 cohlrc-
turc any probable reason Tor thl- "hN;
tion to the programme OF ne law .tip"i'
except a purpose 10 expand tAe 4hotth'-
ton given I'm the political part or Inc
course. But / am now able 70 adui upon
the authority OF Judge william ). i,op-
ertsOu, who was graduated uHueI To-
fessor Tucke. I'm 1872 that the extension
a.iveu TO the political division OF his Worh
was not excessive. and that the law
course as then taught was an adniilanie
Introduction 10 the practice or the pi9lta-
sion in Virginia. | still incline TO believe,
"
gave more emphasis 10 the political as
cussions, Professor Minor taught WIN
peculiar affection tho historical basis OF
our jurisprudence as found IN the COM
mon law. The contrast TO my mlnl car
ries no condemnation Of either
No one who has been teacher or
obscrvant OF the work Of teachers coulu
fail TO recognize the fact tnat the per-
sonai predictions OF the instructor NH
inevitably give color 10 his course, one
professor OF mathematics viii teach the
geometrical aspects OF MS subject Win
especial force and pleasure, because re
is by nature Seomcter, another VIII
lay stress on the algebraical side OF ms
theme one professor OF Latin VIII
arouse in his hearers enthusiastic love lof
the literature OF the Romans, ahothef
will make Latin philolosy the pivot 81
his Instructions N here "A reasonable nal-
auce is maintained, only ignorance or
dullness could object 10 this infusion oI
the personal element into the teacher
work. SO. when ] say that ftoits0vL
fuckers interests centred in questions OF
government and constitutional law. 1
may be right or wrong as TO the .aci,
ana am ready TO admit my possible ~
ror But the inference That ne lnduly mes
lectcd the other aspects OF Ais WORK Is
illogical and unfair.
In another paragraph OF the same
sketch IL is stated that Professor lucArI
lowered that standard OF examination ia
ed by his predecessor, Whlch Ifyl-ssJI
cod md
is matter OF fact not matter OF inference.
and the truth Of the statement is mus
putable In his ten years OF servl.e. Ilo-
fessOr Davis graduated - our OF "iJ NlA-
triculates, or IA per cent IN TOUR years
Professor Tucker graduated - out OF lb',
or 80 per cent: I'm the following ten years
Professor Minor graduated ~ out OF 49,
or per cent. Here again II Is nasty "hu
wrong 10 infer reduced thorOuBhteSs lh
instruction from the lowered standard 81
graduation. We have abundant reason tc
know that the teachlns under both mon
was sound and good. But access 10 non
ors was assuredly lar easier under the
one than under the other with al dGe
reverence for both OF these great teach
crs. with all ailectiOnatc ndeiity 10 thc
honOred memories OF men VINO ana iucn
noble service Tor my Alma Mater, am
constrained 20 believe that IN lhls one
noint both were wrong that professor
Tucker was unduly lax in his require
ments. and Professor Minor az tnat unle
unduly severe. OF the two extremes, the
second is the less harmful, the less inju-
rlous 10 dull or slOthful or indifferent
pupils. The crack men OF every class
viii learn under any system
THE HONOR SYSTEM.
may be able to make some atonement
Tor this tedious burden upon your col
umns by giving in brief outline the ms
tory OF one contribution made by Proies-
sOr Tucker TO the system OF this UniNer-
sity, for which alone he would deserve
our perpetual and loving homage. Inc
minutes OF the faculty meeting of atm
July. lSi.. contain the following entry:
ION motion OF Judge Tucker,
Resolved That I'm all future written tA-
aminatiOns for distinction or other hon
ors OF the university each candidate thal
attach to the written answers presented
ty him on such examination, = certificate
in the following words: /, y b., 10 mere
by certify on honor that ] have derived
no assistance during the time OF this *
animation from any source Whatever
whether oral or written or IN print, IN
giving the above answers.
the honor system" which has become
the most Venerated tradition OF TINS
school. the basis OF our discipline and TIE
guarantee Of our scholarship, was the
natural 0ffsPring OF Jeuersoh's universe
u ideal but its birth was delayed.
Frauds OF various sorts. IN the examinn-
tiCns, h. the relations OF the students TO
each other and 10 the college officials.
were not unknown. The terfors OF iacul-
~ discipline had been unable 10 suppress
them, and even the resolution offered 1T
the end Of the previous Session by Or.
Gessner HarrisOa-the Wisest and most
e NAL chairman ever given 10 the school
denying university hOnOrs 10 any btu
dent convicted even Of attempted fraud
in examination, proved ineHeetual Pro-