Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1898-08-25
THE UNIVERSITY.


interest during the past month or more
a discussion of the affairs of the West
Virginia University. There has been
a vast deal of unfriendly comment
upon this institution, and it appears
to us that some of the newspapers
have been very unfair and illogical IN
their attack upon it aud its president.
The less some Of them appear to have
known about the matter the more
violent they have been. A little mat
ter started the criticism. A young
LADY who had been Librarian was dis
placed by friend Of the president
DR.. Raymond. Immediately a howl
went up that West Virginian had
been unjustly discharged and a Chi
cago person given her place. The
truth of the matter, we are reliably
informed, is that a person not well
fitted for the position was succeeded,
very properly, by lady who had
peculiar qualifications, especially for
some new and important work that
had to be done.
There was no occasion whatever for
newspaper war over this small mat
ter, and it should never have gotten
beyond gossiping circles in Morgan
town.
The most important matter Of COM
ment, however, has been the alleged
utterances of DR.. Lester Ward, Of the
Smithsonian Institute at Washington,
who was engaged to lecture at the sum
mer school of the University. DR..
Ward is conceded to be one of the fore
most students in the country in his line,
and his lectures on Sociology are re-
garded as standard. DR.. Ward is
charged with having advanced theo-
ries tending to immortality and hold
ing in light esteem the sacredness OF
the marriage tie, some critics going so
far as to maintain that his views were
directly antagonistic to the teachings
of Scripture.
The discussion was started with an
anonymous letter in one Of the Nor
gantown papers, and the newspapers
over the State took the matter up.
The first article, it appears to us, was
guilty of the mean device Of taking
isolated sentences in DR.. Wards lee
lures and quoting them out of their
proper connection, thus comforting
them to suit its purpose and placing
the lecturer in false position. With
out investigating for themselves, and
without further facts before them, a
number Of editors promptly swallowed
the yarn of this anonymous scribbler
and have been most Incorporate IN
their comments on the management OF
the University. 1t may be worth
while to state that Hon. George C..
Sturgiss, president of the board of re-
gents, over his own signature, de-
uounood tho allegations as untrue,
and such men as Judge Okey John
son also denied that DR.. Ward had
used the language or expressed the
sentiments attributed to him. As a
further refutation of the charges, ev-
cry member of DR.. Ward s class, in
Guiding some Of our most prominent
educators, signed testimonial ex-
pressing their appreciation Of his work.
Much of the criticism referred to
above, while apparently called out by
DR.. Ward, has in reality been intend
ed as shots at DR.. Raymond, the pres
ident of the University, and here is
where the greatest unfairness is shown.
DR.. Raymond secured leading lee
turer in his line in perfect good faith.
He should hardly be held accountable
for all that that lecturer should say
certainly he should not be blamed for
what he didn't say, DR.. Raymond is,
in our Judgment, splendid man for
the important place he holds. He is
not perfect, certainly, but for so young
a man he has carried himself with
great dignity and good judgment,
His work has shown that he is able
and progressive, and he ought to have
fair chance instead Of being unjustly
bounded. He has taken the trouble
to show up number of lies, and this
ought to cause unprejudiced persons
to think little before they believe
all they hear.
So far as the idea that there is too
much Chicago-ism in the University is
concerned, We think the main trouble
is that there is too much Morgantown-
ism.