Year: 1867

parative strangers been ignored. Rev
erend J. w. SCOTT, ID. d., has been
chosen Vice President, and Professor of
Languages. We know Of no gentleman
who could assume tho responsibilities
of such position with ripper exPerince,
rarer scholarship, or purer devotion to
the duties of the educational profess
sion than belongs to the late and hon
ored President of Washington College.


As we have intimated, we cannot
commend some other features in the or
ganization of the College. While we
understand that religious differences
have been ignored in the choice OF its
officers, il is clear that the strictest po-
litical ostracism has been manifested.
| The powers that be seem to have acted
in the appointment of the Board OF Nls-
itors rs though they were organizing tue
faithful for political campaign. OF
the eleven Visitors, who constitute the
Board, eight have acquired notoriety as
Radical politicians, and the other three
are equally active in their loyalty"
though perhaps not so well-known rs
their colleagues. The result is, the
Board has not been able to find any
educational merit outside of the Rcdi-
cal party. Their appointecs, so far,
have been of their own political stripe,
and it is fair to'infer that as far as they
can control the institution, its benefits
will be limited in the proscriptive
style usual with Radlealism.' 80


We are not making these remarks for
the purpose of fault finding, but rather
from desire to benefit an institution
in which we feel deep interest. We
would like to see the College become
an advantage ard an ornament to the
State, and this it can never be as par
tizan establishment. A large majority
of the whole people of West Virginia
are politically opposed to all of the men
who are running the Agricultural Col
lege. Rebels or not, they have children
to educate, and money to pay for that
education; but they will never patron
ize an institution whose management
is unanimously of partizan character
and politically opposed to themselves.


Speaking of the necessities ofthe Col
lege, Doctor MARTIN says: "FOr much
of what we are in absolute and immedi-
ate need we have to look to private lib
erality and State assistance" What
the estate assistance" may amount to
we cannot say. Certainly not to much
in the present condition Of our finances
and taxation. If"priyate liberality" is
to aid the College it must be the liber-
ality of Radicalism, unless more lib
eral basis be giveI the organization of
the College. Had the sams liberation
in politics been displayed that has been
shown in regard to the religion of the
officers, a much more general interest
in the welfare of the College would
have been felt. Everybody would
have regarded it as State institu-
tion and would have patrOnized it
accordingly. AS it is, fully one half of
our citizens will consider it Radical
affair exclusively and will permit it to
find its patrons where it finds its
managers.


For the suk e of the College we deplore
the situation. We would gladly have
seen ii prosper, and had its establish
ment been. marked by liberaGty and
liberation we would have done our
humble best to forward its interests.
AS it has been organized upon the basis
of political prescription, it will find
great difficulty in obtaining the hearty
and general support of the people of
West Virginia. ......