The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-10-28
THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
Improvements Suggested BY An AIumnus-A
President Advocated Educ alton Rec
ommended With Other Reforms.

N""NANNus WIN OAUSf kCIOrfnS.
To THE FREE Lance.
The editorial of the Free Lance of recent
date In reference To- the University of Yir-
sinia was eminently timely and proper.
The niversity OF Virginia il dear to the
heart of every true Niryinian. Its com
parative decadence for the past fifteen
years has been source of sorrow and
modification toa large number of people
who once felt acOmmendable pride in this
great institution. Ii is not meant now
10 state that II Is not "A great school. for
IN many respects IL is and il really de-
serves far greater patronage than il re.
ceives. IL Is far and away the cheapest
institution IN its class in North America
No one however. can state that il occn-
pies the high position which il formerly
held. nor has II progressed in a manner
that the public had the right to eNpect
IL becomes necessary to enquire in a calm
and deliberate manner the cause. Invee-
tigate II as you viii and there is one m.
swer and that is the narrowness of some
but not all, ofits Professors There seems
TO have grown up in the precincts of that
venerable institution "a wall of prejudice
and narrow mindedness which has oper-
ated To prevent any large accumulation
Oi students. Ancient rules and regula-
tions which are far more Ito be honored
IN the breach than the observance" have
been held TO with "A pertinacity worthy
ol better cause. and barnacles of preiu-
dice have clung TO il SO long that they
have become hOary with age. Nepotism
has run rampant until il is expected that
PrOiessorehips shall 20 from father TO
son. and any attempt to stop this bv an
independent Board arOuses the ire OF the
entire Faculty Again. il the relationship
Is not so near il is yet great factor in
many appointments.
6ut there is still greater fault: The
Faculty does not il seem keep abreast of
the times. It will perhaps never be fullv
known what a serious blow they gave
20 that institution when in 1896
they entered upon the arena of
politics, and their discussions of DO
htical economy and finance eyinced
such want of knowledge of
great principles that it proved to the
world the imperious necessity of "A com
plete reorganization both of the Faculty.
and the mode OF government. il il was
intended that the institution should 90
forward instead of backward The fact
Is apparent that the University lacks life
and vigor, though it contains today
among its Faculty the flower of the in
tellect OF North America. 1t ought to ad-
scholarships; it ought to offer higher re-
wards to ambitions young men; it ought
10 make great effort to bring about a
proper esprit du corps among its alumni
which would make them rally to its sup
port. Its Professors ought to be paid in
proportion to the number of scholars in
each department so as to arouse them to
greater energy. The Chair of Astronomy
should be an exception to this rule.
Above all things it should have "a Presi-
dent TO manage and control it's affairs
The writer does not think that in the
present state of the law this can be done
but Il Is certain that it will be easy to
get the proper legislation. As to the recent
discussion relative to the claims OF Mr.
George Miles to the chair of Economies.
while know him but slightly, am not
In sympathy with the savage attack
made upon him by the Faculty. 1t was
not only undignified and in bad taste
out IL was both unjust and untrue, and
may bring about the very thing that
they desired to avoid. The assault upon
his character was uncalled for; indeed it
was monstrous. 1t is perhaps true that
Mr. Miles does not possess the proper lit
erary qualifications to enable him to fiji
with satisfaction the chair of Economics.
admit this to be true land am by no
means certain that he does not posess