The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1899-10-04
A SCORCHER.
What the Public School Journal
thinks of Things.

Official uiteranee from the Organ Of
The Educational Interests of the state
Editor Could not Refrain any Long
er-Interesis Of One Million People
Urges Him TO take the Step.
Below we give an editorial which
recently appeared in the Public School
Journal. The editor OF that paper is
a graduate Of the University and OF
Harvard. He represents the senti-
ment Of the body of alumni of the
University and of the people of the
state. Being member Of the state
administration gives the utterance
weight. He is the head of the public
schools and in the forefront of the ed
ucational interests of the state.
All these things give the article
great weight We can endorse it as
absolutely true save in one particular
The implied criticism OF DR.. Reynolds
is unjust and is SO recognized by
every one. Mr.. Trotter was acting
on mistaken information when he
wrote that few words in reference to
the man who is in question. The
facts are well known and the criticism
can be eliminated from the article.
This does not detract in the least from
the rest that is said in the Journal.
The article which we publish by
request is as follows:
A certain normal school in Ken
lucky, it is said, will confer a degree,
particularly the degree of Doctor of
Divinity as some persons in this State
know, for song. In our own State
which is ever reluctant to be outdone
by her sister states and is always
eager to be in the forefront, the time
is soon coming unless all signs fail,
when any degree from A. B. to d. G.
L. may be had for even less than is
demanded by the aforementioned nor
NAL school. For more than quarter
Of century the president and faculty
of the West Virginia University la
bored diligently, faithfully and con
scientiously to build up that institu
ton. Their honest work was not ap-
parent in large number of students
ranging from the abecedarian TO the
graduate. That was not what they
sought. But it was apparent in eff
cheney of instruction, thoroughness of
training, and soundness of scholar
ship. The graduates were few in
number, but In most cases they were
characterized by thorough prepara-
ton. Now in but little more than a
year all is changed. Scholarship it
would seem is no longer the prerequi-
site for either instructor or student.
For the former it is graduation or at
tendance at Chicago University, for
the latter it is name whereby the
grand total of students may be made
to appear so many times charger than
any previous year,
Indeed the eagerness for students is
so apparent that some facetious per-
sons aver that it is the duty of certain
members of the faculty to count the
people who pass In front Of the Uni
yersity and to enroll them as stu
dents. Many plans for increasing the
enrolment have been adopted. Dur
ing the last year night school was
organized for the employees OF glass
factory nearby and these students,
though they were able to pursue only
the subjects taught in the elementary
department Of the public schools were
enrolled and counted in the catalogue
as University students. In some de-
partments of the school OF music no
tuition or fees of any kind are charged
and boys and girls Of almost all ages
and conditions are availing themselves
of the opportunity to get some know
ledge of music at the expense of the
State, and they, too, are counted as
University students. Upon the
ground that the attendance was in
creasing rapidly, the Board of Regents
asked for an appropriation of 1852, 600
the largest previous appropriation be-
ing $38, 900 and secured $97, 900.
Whether that appropriation has, been
used wisely or has been diverted from
its original purpose we do not care to
| discuss. Our main end is to show
that the standard of scholarship is be-
coming lower and lower in the frantic
scramble for students.
There have been heretofore but two
colleges or universities in the whole
country that have allowed students to
elect all the work for the bachelors
| degree. These are Leland Stanford
and Cornell. All other institutions
have prescribed course covering a
certain part of the four years. Some
require certain course for the entire
four years. Others require all stu
dents to take regular course through
the freshman and sophomore and even
| through the junior years. Harvard,
which for years has in great meas
ure dictated to the other institutions
| in the matter of entrance require
ments and courses of study and which
has always been considered very lib
eral in offering electives, requires
work in English throughout the first
three years of the course: yet the stu
dents in Harvard University have the
best preparation, especially in English
that can be had anywhere 1t is
| therefore almost with amazement that
we hear that under the new regulations
when student enters the freshman
class of the West Virginia University
| he may select any course or courses he
chooses and that his own sweet will
shall determine whether the most of
his work shall consist of ssnap
courses" or of the more serious studies
that go to make up thorough edu-
cation. We should not object so seri-
ously to this if the boys and girls who
enter the freshman class of our State
University were as thoroughly pre-
pared as are the students in the New
England colleges, but they are not
and cannot possibly be until we have
the high schools and academies of
| New England in which to prepare
| them.
If the president of the University
had stopped when he made the COL
| lege work elective the alumni and
friends of the University might have
remained silent. But now we have
the startling announcement that the
West Virginia University has made
all the preparatory work elective.
The mode of electing or selecting this
preparatory work is as follows: To
gain admission to the freshman class
student must have completed in an
accredited school, or must pass an
examination in, thirty-nine courses,
course being study that runs for
one term of twelve weeks with five
recitations week. Under the new
regulations he may select these thirty
nine courses out of seventy-two
courses. OF these seventy-two courses
thirty-six are in Latin, Greek, Ger
man, French and English. Conse-
quently student may elect thirty-six
courses, all but three Of the requisite
thirty nine Withnllt taking anv lam