The Van Buren press., 1875-11-16
The A. I. u.

Herald, Of the 9th. We cannot agree
with all the structures of the Herald, but
we cannot see the justice of the State
being soaked for sic, 900 to pay the in
terest on the bonds of Washington
county:
Gov. Garland, in his message to " the
extraordinary" presents memorial of
the county court Of Washington county
to the general assembly asking the State
to refund to that county $4,000 paid for
interest on Washington county bonds
donated to the A. / U which letters
stand for the great Arkansas Industrial
| University y--and the Governor recon-
mends that such bill do pass. Let us see
how this thing is. On the Cd day of July,
1862, the Congress of the United States
made certain appropriations of land scrip
in aid of agricultural and normal schools
in the sevaral States. AT that time Ar
kansas was not on friendly terms with
the United States, and failed TO accept
the offer. After while the surrender
came. and the legislature of 1866 7,
thinking it best to accept the donation OF
congress, whether it would ever come to
anything or not, passed an act to that eff.
fact, January 3lst 1867. A short time
thereafter that legislature was recon
structed, and the A. l.. Z. slumbered.
The radicals went into power, and on
July Odd, 1868, another act of the gene
raj assembly was passed to the same ef-
feet as that of January, 1867. On March
1871, the same party being in power, sew
eral acts relating to it were passed. The
act of March 9th, 1875, section 3, pro-
vided for the election of board of trus
tees to locate, organize and maintain the
A. |. IT,, Hon.Thos. Smith,ex of1icio pres
ident. The Legislature elected John f
Bennett, NJ. A. Cohn, Z. II. Young, A.
S. Prather, H. C. c Botetuhr, j. NJ Sar-
Der, A. w Bishop, E. j. Searle, H. A.
Millen, and John NJ, Clayton, trustees.
September 18th, 1871, and sweeter and
a lovelier set were never framed in the
prodigality of nature, and n sealier set
could rot have been picked up in the
State. Bat there was job in it, and
how could they spare such precious gems
as Bennett, Young, Sarber and the 9th
ers who know just as much about schools
as they do about honesty. However,
they were elected. This board had the
right to locate the A. |. L., and they ad-
vertised for bids. Independence county
put in sly bid, through parson Gillian,
but Washington county outstripped eve
.ything Old Liberty Bartlett was left in
~ a c,,l, and r,l y Pnh;ooants littla
town ap there. Jared no better Washing
ton county offered one hundred thousand
dollars in thirty year eight per cent
bonds; the town oil Fayetteville, thirty
thousand Of the same bonds, and many
citizens gave land and money
Bennett, Cohn Il Co, took the bids,
and soon, thereafter started a school at
Fayetteville, dubbed with the magnificent
initials, A. L. T., with farm and normal
school attached This was October 18th,
1871 The bonds were called for, and
the erection Of a university building
commenced. The memorial sets out that
Washington county has paid $1,000 in
tefest on these bonds, and the county
court of that county asks the State to
refund this amount, because they say the
act Of March 9th, 1871, section 10, en-
liilos Them to 81 rcfnnd- We have not
seen the memorial, and we write only of
the law as we find it. Section 10, act
March 27lh, 1871, provides that the board
Of trustees shall cree. suitable buildings,
with al! practicable speed, Of a value
equal TO The county subscription, and that
the county shall not be required 10 peg
interest on The bonds Hat may be issued
By ii more than one year until said build
ings are erected, and a school organized
therein and should such county be requir-
ed to pay more than one years interest
on such bonds before such school is or
sanized, the amount SO paid shall be re
funded to it by the State" We presume
this is all of the memorial Now, it is
very clear that the county court of Wash
ington county was not compelled to pay
but one years interest on her bonds un
til the school was organized. If more
was paid, it was voluntary and entities
the county TO no relief whatever. Wash
ington county has never been "required'
to pay the sum she asks the State to re-
fund to her on this occount, and it will
be an outrage upon the tax payers OF the
State for Washington county to impose
the payment of her bonds, issued to a
worthless institution, upon the people of
the State We have but little respect for
the A. l. u. We don't think the concern
worth the mortar put in the unfinished
walls of the building. and we protest
against paying Washington county bonds
for such shabby glory. Washington
county bid for, and got the thing she
wanted, now let her keep it.
The people OF the State should not be
made to pay for the adventures of indi-
viduals Our taxes are high enough now
and if we arc required to pay for such
things as the A, l. u, we had better set
tie and quit.
The bleak winds of Winter