Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-07-06
POLITICS IN EDUCATIONAL INsTI-
TIjTIONS.

and Humphries from the Fairmorl
Normal school is not defended on any
other ground than that these men
both of them in high standing as edu-
Gators and OF exceptional ability-were
Democrats.
No other charge was made against
them. No Other charge could be made
against then, because they were ac-
ka6wledged two OF the bsst teachers Of
~ i~nstitu.:sa. 1t uas a partisan
6-ltical move tc get two mint ones
taat ought not to be connected with
.ulltics, and /; IL not rstei.e1 that
It Is anything else.
che Republican politicians ard or
GINS are p rtctls open and above
b. ard about IL. They do not attempt
otherwise to defend these removals.
which may result in seriously handicap
ping and possibly wrecking the Fair
mont Normal school. The chief Re-
publican organ, our neighbor, the In
te~lligencer, doesn't attempt to deny this
application of the spoi1s system to one
of the most important and heretofore
prosperous educational institutions in
the State. 1t merely makes the puerile
plea that the Democrats when in power
in the State did the same thing" The
organ doesn't attempt to be specific, but
even If it could prove that "the DEM
ocrats were just as bad" is that a valid
plea? The Intelllgencer adds:
IN thefight of those facts why do Pro-
lessor Barnes and his friends keep howl
ing aApdt partisan action? Or do they
D say it is all right for us to play
5 but you (meaning the Republi-
of course) must not do it. Why will
Democrats persist in being so everlast-
ny picayunish about these matters? II
worse than childish"
Here's a frank confession! The organ
proclaims that it is worse than child
Ajsh'' TO complain because the State Nor,
AL school may be sacrificed on thf
cl..I OF partisan politics. THE othsl
scllowe did it when they mad the
chance" declares the Intelligencer
without offering any proof OF the asser'
ton, so we've got a right to do the
same thing, or worse"
Under this sort of reasoning. a suf-
f~iciently bad precedent is all that /!
necessary to warrant any sort of in
gny.
Dne of the early effects of this poll
al looting is the d~eclination of Prof
g. Fleming, appointed as prireipa
lhe Normal School, 70 accept tia
{ anAgAhe RESPONSIBILITIES it Cd
kfhe school IS to be conduc+ei OF
lines. Says the Fairmon. In
Prof. Fleming. the only man in the Stat
who could come here with any sort OF 10
cal sentiment in his favor and with reas
enable prospects of making the school
success next year. is so disguised wit
! the board.s action that he declines I
take thef principaiship. The board hasn'
ANher competent man in view any wher
id the result will be in all probabilit.
hat the Fairmont Normal School, whicl
in the year ending last month was one o
the leading and most successful education
al institutions in the State, will practi
cally drop out as a school worthy OF pat
ronage or support. The people are ooige'
TO pay a big price for the benefits OF tn
rule of a gang of partisan incompetents
whether in State or municipal control
and Fairmont, it appears, Is to pay he
full share in the distribution of the evil
that come through such ~mismanagemen
N both places.