The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-09-11
simple spectacle and mutter genius
under our BREATH

The above was all suggested by the
unfortunate occurrences of last week
at the Agricultural and Mechanical
College, through which Senior class
composed of over forty of the best
young men of the State has been re-
duced to four and a blow delivered,
to the prestige and usefulness Of tle
college which, repaired as it will be
as far as surface conditions are con-
cerned, will be far-renching in its
'moral effect.
And what, think you, was the un-
DERIVING cause of the trouble 2 1t id
admitted that the students were I'M
wise in the stand that they took, tho
blood runs fast at eighteen and TWEEN
ty years of age. 1t is admitted that
they were stubborn-youth is too in
experienced in independence to weigh
values accurately. Was it not the lack
in DR.. Winston of the subjective
sense? His failure to give to the stu.
dents under his charge the proper eX-
ercise of opinion? Did 1t not happen
that, secure in his own idea of tho
correctness of the rules imposed, he
argued the matter as he might have
done with a man of his own experience
and mental perception-and there are
few such-rather than as with a lot
OF young men who, recognizing their
inability to logically reply yet feeling
that they had a side" lacking the
gentle rein. resented the harsher bit
and took it between their teeth? The
people of the State. this writer in
cluded, will say unhesitatingly that.
the issue raised, the faculty had moth
ing left to do but to hold their
ground. But. was there any need for
the issue? Could not those young
men, thrown rather upon their own
responsibilities, their own pride of
their college. have been lead to that
to which they could not be driven,
even as-I mean no odious compari-
son-Miss Folger lead the small fry
of the room in the public schools?
the average college student and I am
sure that / know a good deal about
DR.. Winston. L fought him at the
University and afterwards and i have
watched him work at many things.
l do not believe that there is a more
brilliant or more reSourceful man. or
q harder worker. [ have now moth
ing but kindly feelings for him and
l want to see him continue at the A.
& M. College. He has made of it a
great institution from a small and in
significant educational force. But. as
he has lecturcd me, so / want to lee
ture him, | trust not impudently, I
know honestly.
DR.. Winston, you are too much
objective mind. You rely too much
on your ability to tear down opposi-
ton. You do not often enough put
yourself accurately in the other fell
lows place. Easily could you con-
vince an audience that the boys were
wrong and you were right. What do
you gain by that? You have lost
your Senior Glass. Their places will
be filed, you say? True. but what
about the boys who have gone? Are
they to suffer because. in the natural
rashness of youth. they did some
thing that could not be logically de-
Tended, and because you permitted
them to raise an issue which you
knew would not hold water? The
college boy is not n man. but he is
| mighty near it. For the very reason
| that he is not quite n man. he is the
more jealous of the quality of man
! hood that he feels within his heart.
And they say that you treated them
| as babies" that you Laid down the
| law as you saw it-as it doubtless
was-and stopped there. The very
fact that. faced with the disastrous
! effects of their own foolishness. those
| seniors had the manhood to take
| their medicine from the spoon of
| their own impetuosity, shows that
| they are men you can't afford to lose.
| Get those seniors back. DR.. Winston,
| those who were expelled and those
who left because they had come to a
! point from which they saw no re-
| treat with honor. You are a brainy
man, full of eXDedients. In one re-
| spect only like Sentimental Tom
N.Y." you can find a way" Point
| it out to those Seniors and let them
| come back with the knowledge of
| their folly upon them, but their self
respect preserved!
And when you get them back, re-
| member this: that the objective
mind can tunnel mountain. can
build college buildings, can systema-
tise and develop and construct-but
| it can, also, of it's own weight, tear
down. The human species loves to
argue and the best way to win a col
lege boy is to let him win himself. 1t
would have been a simple matter for
| YOU to have talked their difficulties
| over to the Seniors as man to man
and in that way you might have won
| them over. But when a man has
made up his mind-or even if he is
| on the point of making it up-cold
! logic, striking and brilliant applica-
| tons, reductiO ad absurdum, are
I mighty poor weapons with which to
change his views. You need to Gull
tivate the subjective sense, DR.. Win
StOn.