The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1854-08-30
Western Reserve College.
Published by request.

]
poets of the College as "quite encouraging. >
The article signed "Western Reserve i.
evidently designed to convey the impression
that the College is in condition which
should inspire its friends with confidence and
nope Were this the truth, no man would
rejoice in it more heartily than the writer
But to those who know the actual condition
OF this institution, the policy of these repre-
sentations, or, rather presentations, is
transparent. 1t is no new thing to attempt
to galvanize PROSTATE corporations by sys.
temutic putting. @ -"
II the columns of influential papers are to
be opened to this last desperate expedient of
the oligarchy by whom this institution is now
controlled, in the defiance of the known
wishes ofninety-nine one hundredths oc these
by whom the College has been sustained,
and without whose cooperation it never can
be sustained, it is certainly just that they
should also be open to an exposure ofthis at
tempt to manufacture false opinion. and de-
lude the friends of the college who reside at
distance ....r. .. ...
1t is no part of my purpose to give his
tory of the difficulties by which this institu-
ton has been prostrated. All that propose
is to submit certain facts in relation to the
six following particulars: ... .....
! First. Facts relating to .. .... ...,..
..- |. THE COMMENCEMENT. .....
As to the interest in the College, evinced
at the recent commencement, the following
facts are significant: a.. 70 .. ..
l. That while large audience welcomed
Mr.. Douglass on Wednesday, an audience
one-third smaller attended the exercises of
the graduating class and Tie Inaugural of
Prof. Hosford, on Thursday. At all previ-
| Gus commandments, the attendance upon
the second day has been three or four times as
large as upon the first. The aauHitude came
TO hear DOuytaS. .,-. ~
2, Upon the second day (Which is proper
ly commencement day. there was smaller
attendance of alumni, ministers, and the scell
hnopn friends of the College, than there has
been foo fourteen years before. g . ..r
g. Of the five who received the degree of
A. b., onlJ three have been members of the
class during the year, and most of the time,
but tp0. ,.... ....-f. .,t wis. ...
4. The whole number of students in the
college department. Sustained during the
year at an expense Of nearly $4,000 has
been twenty-three. .s -a ...t .....
B.. Only four candidates presented them
selves for admission into the Freshman
class. ... .-E ,... -....... ........
The contrast in all these particulars, be-
tween this and former commencements, was
most painful and ominous. . .,...
Consider, ....
II. ITS FINANCIAL CONDITION.
Between Jan. l, l845, and JAM /, 1850,
there was subscribed to the funds of the col
lege, over $l25,000, Zone hundred and twen-
ty-ive thousand dollars. of which all but
about 1927 900 (wenty- thousand) was II
subscribed upon the Western Reserve. And
yet this College is to-day living largely be-
yond its income, that is, the income actually
received in cash. This and other facts will
appear from the following statements:
The assets of the college, aside from its
fixed capital, buildings, etc.) may be divi-
ded, for convenience into two classes,
namely, the Permanent Fund, Consisting
originally of subscrip iption-notes to the
amount of $4,000, eighty five thousand,)
and given upon condition that the principal
should never be expended nor liable for the
debts of the College, and the General Fund,
Consisting of all other assets.) r
Notice the following facts: ..ar ...
l. July lst, 1850, the General fund cx-
ceeded the liabilities of the College about
$4,000 0en thousand "E
2. July lst, 1854, the General Fund was
over $4,000 (eight thousand) less than the
liabilities: showing a falling off, in four
years, of over $4,000, eighteen thousandD
"Encouraging!" .r-' tH.a. ta.se H..s-n /
8. July lst, 1853, the difference between
these assets and liabiliti was about $4,000,
(six thousand0 from which it appears that
the deficit has increased over $4,000 (two
thcusond) during the past year; and this
while the theological department has been
suspended and no salary has been paid in
that department. H'..t.. g5r' '=H
a. OF the Permanent Fund, about one
half or over s42, 900 (Gorty two thousand
consists Of unpaid subscription notes, the
greater part of which are long past due.
Upon the principal Of this large amount,
(upon which there is due some seven thou-
sand dollars o. unpaid interest the faithful
labors Of the Treasurer, aided by The siren
uoUs erertions Of The President, have availed
to colleetduring the year ending July lst,
1854, less than 5000, (nine hundred.) all told!
And it is notorious that hundreds who never
suffered their business paper to be protested,
and who would pay cheerfUlly ifthe College
were as it was when they Subscribed, con- +
slider themselves under no moral obligations
to pay subscriptions, so long as the college
is controlled by those in whose hands it has
sank toits present degradation. Atthe rate
of $500 year, when will this collection be
completed! ~
8. The estimated expenses Of the College