The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1903-07-29
KILOGRAMS LAMENT
"Jacky is bad, bad man." its
Refrain.
A. j. wilkinson gets a Playing For
Sentiments Recently Expressed at
MOrgant0wn Meeting Scrapping
Started at Conference Liable to Con-
tInue.

The Clarksburg Telegram didn't
like one of the remarks made by Prof
A. J. Wilkinson at the recent educa
tional conference here and goes aftel
him in the following vigorous edi
torial:
Prof. A. J. Wilkinson, who is moi
very much of a school man any more,
although he is very much interested
in the sale OF school books IL they b.
certain kinds, got at his old tricks Id
the educational meeting at Morgan.
town. He seemed to be against the
dull student, and wanted to put him
to driving nails.
The eminent professor forgets
that some Of the greatest men of the
country were dull students, but wher
they learned thing they knew it. II
is not the bright student that always
makes the scholar; to the contrary, il
is usually the fellow who ponders long
and hard over his books.
The person who learns easily, quick
ly forgets. The fellow who spends
time in grasping thing never forget:
it. Again, because a man has ability
to drive nails that is no sign that be
cannot learn books. Wilkinson has
very erroneous idea about this mat.
ter. He says men who cannot learn
Latin and law ought to be farmers,
and yet there are thousands OF farm.
ers who could teach him both in Lat
in and in the law. The logical con-
clusion from his own argument is
these farmers ought to be educators
and lawyers and he himself a farmer.
Be this as it may, there is no ex-
cuse for man protesting to be an ed
ucator to refer to the present farmer
In such light way, and it is to be
hoped that no West Virginia educator
will again ask where the brains come
in, when he makes reference to a
farmer. AS highly educated as some
profess to be. it is an evident fact that
these same educators have not brains
enough to conduct farm successfully.
''Prof, Wilkinson has evidently over
looked the fact that many Of the best
educated men Of the country are farm
ers, carpenters and mechanics. The
professions are not at premium in
America, and the sooner some of the
educational makeshIfts get out OF that
notion the better. The "Prof." should
not assume that he is better and wiser
than some of those who attended the
same schools he did, learned as much,
and received the same diploma, be-
cause they settle down to farming or
driving nails. In all probability they
could today tell him better who was
fitted to enter college than he himself
knows.
Mr.. Wilkinson needs to improve his
conception of intelligence. The bright
student has no more business in col
lege than the dull stndent. II it
takes the former ten minutes to learn
a lesson and the latter half an hour
and so much time is allotted to the les
son, why should not the latter be adj
mitted to the class, il he has the les
son learned in the required time?
Again, If only brightness, natural wit
we might say, is to be recognized by
the educational institutions Of the
country, what is the object of educa-
ton? Surely education is not intend
ed to confine itself to the few? A
man who makes such an absurd state
ment as the "Prof." ought to be driv-
ing nails himself, if he means to be
consistent and really believes in his
declaration. 1t is by far the widest
and most absurd statement we have
ever heard of before an educational
body.