The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-08-15
SUMMER QUARTER

Dltts-A ne uAHAA taa4ALaA ANLANAAo VI
certain state papers upon the universally
and It's management prompt me to write
you a few words in regard TO the work
Of the current summer quarter! ! con-
not believe that the intelligent people Of
West Virginia viii accept without ques-
dion the slanderous Alsehoods OF these
scurrIious sheets. Probably their clrcu-
latlon Is 50 limited thai the articles re-
ferred to Will come 20 the attention Of
only a small portion Of our people. How
ever. hcs. like pernicious bacteria, have
such a tremendous fertility In propa-
cation and such facility Of seIG-diftuslon
that II Is necessary 70 make very liberal
use Of the. prophyiatica Of truth.
The editor who admits TO his columns
such unfounded railing accusations
must pre-suppUse among our people a
spIrit OF narrow minded. unreaspnlng.
proscripave prejudice against every
thing and everybody originating out
side OF the borders OF the state. Surely,
such editors must he mistaken In their
estimate OF the extent OF this unworthy
sentlment. At any rate, there must be
many West VirglnIans who are loyal to
the university, wh1 have faith In It's
mission, and who are In sympathy with
the present progressive movement look
ing toward Its development into uni
yerslty, in fact as well as In name.
The decrepit, old political Idea, that
nil positions in the institution are
'plums' to be distributed According to
their respective 'puil" among needy ma
tive pedagogues, is too medieval for a
progressive state and people. 1t must
give place to the sounder sentiment that
our young people deserve and ought to
have instruction from the very best and
foremost talent obtalnable, regardless
OF the narrow, imaginary boundary lines
of political geography. In the great.
worldwide democracy OF intellectual
achievement such lines have no place.
Among the many desirable changes
inaucurated by the board OF regents
during the new administration, the sum-
mer quarter seems to me to be frauSht
with The highest possibilities of good In
its relation to the educational interests
OF ,he state at large. Even In this ini-
tiaI ard experimental stage, 1t is doing
a noble and important work. A consid-
cradle proportion Of its students are sue
cessful, progressive teachers who eager
~ seize this opportunity to add some
thing to their intellectual equipment. In
every one OF the scores OF classrooms
over the state now represented here,
there will be felt. with the opening OF
the next term, the beneficent influence
OF Increased knowledge, broader culture,
fuller Inspiration and higher ideals. The
wave-circles OF such an influence In the
stream Of life are ever widening.
Not the least remarkable thing in con-
nectlon With the work OF this quarter Is
the success of the administration In
bringing together IN the force OF in-
structnrs and lecturers so many men OF
marked ability and highly specialized
knowledge from different parts OF the
country. No large amount OF money
was available for this purpose, and only
the wide personal Acquaintance Of Pres
ident Raymond, the high esteem in
which he is held by eminent educators
all over the land could have accom-
p!ishsd such result. hl
1t Is not my purpose TO speak in detail
OF the excellent work that Is being done
by the various instructors In all the reg
ular departments OF the university. 1t
Is busy hive of Intellectual activity,
and the very head-center Of this strenu-
GUS delving after the .treasures OF
knowledge is the newly reorganized and
efficiently differed library. This change
in the library management has been the
subject NJ hostile criticism, but surely
the need OF specialized knowledge and
highly trained ability in this important
line OF college work must be evident to
every one. No intelligent person who
compares the library Of to-day with that
Of one year ago can question the i'm
p0rtance OF this change In the aValla-
bility Of the material which forms the
very basis Of university life and work.
Let me add word In regard TO one
important course of lectures OF the sum-
mer quarter, partly because It was this
particular course which attracted me tn
the university, and partly becduse GER
tain OF the lectures have been the sub
ject OF ignorant and lll-natured criticism.
] refer TO the course in Pure and APP
piled Sociology by DR.. Lester F. Ward,
Of the Smithsonian Institution. The
vast and growing interest in the discus
sion OF social questions has poured a
throng OF eager Investigations Into this
new field of study and speculation.
Many Of them have the radically wrong
and confused Idea that sociology Is SIM
ply set Of schemes ia reform the world.
They have no conception Of the subject
as a science dealing with cold facts,
with real natural forces. and with laws
as lnyarlable as the law Of gravitation.
They conceive of the sociOlugist as In
terested in propagOing and promulga-
ting this or that doctrine, In attacking
or tearing down this or that social insti-
tuition. 1t would be Just as absurd to
speak OF chemist as "favoring" car
bon di-oxide and attacking" hydro
chloric acid. 1t is true that DR.. Ward
bases the presentation OF his treatment
" the principles OF his particular science
upon the evolutionary hypothesis, but
50 does also every teacher OF Geology,
Biology, Authropology Philulogy. Psy-
Ch0logy, In every higher Institution OF
learning worthy Of the name throughout
Chrstendom. No other theory than the
genetlc or devel0pmenial Is now tenable
in any Of the subjects. It would be Just
as useless to try to teach these sciences
upon the old creationlst hypothesis as to
teach Astronomy on the basis OF a geo
centric theory Of the universe.
DR., Ward has not attacked religion or
marriage; nor has he said In any of his
lectures the absurd and foolish things
attributed TO him by ignorant and SEN
fadonal correspondents. Earnest Chris
taus. exemplary church members, faith
Ill ministers Of the gospel are members
Of Or. Wmd'e class and the closest lis
teHers and most indefadgabIe note
takers at these lectures. have not
heard OF any one OF them who feels that
The foundations Of his faith have been
undermined or that The superstructure
Of his Christian character has been I'M
periled. DR.. Wards lectures are an ad-
InIrnble presentation ~. the rlpet.t