Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1911-12-08

o"cA, besihning only such new
activities as are called for by definite
demand OF our constituency
PRESIDENT Hodges made strong ap-
peal for the establishment of a grad.
uate school in the university for re-
search work and investigation. He
said:
The university In making better
provision for such advanced work
would not only raise its rank among
universities. but would do a better
thing-open the door of opportunity to
many who long to become scientists
and scholars.
"A university must have great teach
ers; that is. allimportant But these
teachers must also be great scholars.
great thinkers, original investigators.
They must be men who can not only
present to their students in an attrac-
tive way something of the great body
OF truth already discovered and ac-
cepted, but men who can bring into
their work that stimulus to which
there is no other stimulus comparable,
the Joy of new discovery of value to
their fellowmen.
Grant that the university may be-
come center from which shall spring
TO every section of the state the stim-
illus Of real, intellectual efforts.
The warm sympathy that President
Hodges has with student life was
evinced in the close of his address,
which shows his clear insight into
modern educational problems:
Il have had much to do with college
students in my life and have seen a
great many of them with whom have
not had so much to do. In entire
calmness of mind and weighing my
words carefully want to express my
opinion that there could not be
brought together an equal number of
young men from any other vocation
or employment in which young people
of that age may be found in which
that standard of general behavior, Of
individual morality and of personal
character would be so high.
Some timid souls also have feared
or imagined a sort of danger to the
morals of young men who come to the
university because it is, as they have
characterized it, goddess. This is a
great and, l may say, objectionable
mistake. Because an educational in.
stitution is supported by the state and
therefore can not devote itself partic.
ularly to the teaching of any form Of
religion, 1t does not follow that 1t
must be goddess. Religion is not a
thing merely Of opinions and beliefs,
but 1t is vitality question of life.
Irreligious men can very rarely meas
ure up to the standard of efficient
service in educational work The
spirit OF a man to be really forceful
should be vitalized and energized by
the religious impulse, and few men
without this vitalizing and energizing
impulse have great power. For this
reason, If no other, no state institu-
ton of learning is likely to become
goddess. l need not take time to state
how large an influence is now exerted
by the positive efforts of the Young
Mems Christian association in the uni
versity, the active interest of local
pastors and their congregations, and,
best of all, by the splendid example OF
righteous lives of Christian men and
women in our faculty. faculty, l am
glad to say, that contains as large a
proportion of men and women en-
gagged in active religious work as can
be shown by the average of the de-
nominational colleges.
A good word was said for the time
honored college yells. After dra
matte portrayal of the student body
passing through the streets at night
with their yells for "West Virginia"
he asked:
what is this? Is it spirit of dis.
order, of lawlessness, of defiance or
rebellion? No! A thousand times,
MOI How should we characterize it?
l know nothing better by which to
characterize it than to call it the spirit
of loyalty. 1t is the same that char
acterized the patriots Of '76, who fol.
lowed the indomitable Washington,
suffered untold hardships and fought
to the death to found nation where
men might be free. And it is the same
spirit that, asserting itself in public
official and public citizen, whether in
Pacific city, Atlantic metropolis, ma
tional capital or in less prominent
communities near at home, daring to
face stupendous graft, political CHI
canery, vested interests, unlawful cor
porate power, with stern fact and
heroic heart, sends the malefactor to
prison, whether he be the chief CRATER
or the millionaire who plays his game
behind the scenes. And this spirit OF
loyalty is the same with these college
men in the less conspicuous. ordinary
routine of the class room as it is
among the exciting scenes of the ath.
letic field And when cemented to-
gether by this spirit of common loyal;
tv to a loved institution they can
make comon cause for it even in the
lesser matters, there is promise of its
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