Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-02-24

To the tditOr Of the COhneTeiot
In your issue of Friday, the 10Th, there is
communication subscribed "Anti Subsidy" in
reference to Delaware College, which some of
your numerous readers of this locality have
attributed to me- wish to say that am not
the author of the article referred to but that
heartily endorse it,. Aud would further ask If
it is right and Just for our Legislature to sppro
pirate funds wrung, by taxation, from the indus
tlious and hard laboring mechanic and farmer,
and until recently from the indebted, for hpe-
ciiic purpose i. e. the payment OF the state debt,
and appropriate it to subsidiZng fat salaiied
officials and to the education of sons and daugh-
ters of men abundantly able to educate them
selves Yea, as / am creditably Informed, to the
education of young ladies and gentlemen from
without the State +?
There is no necessity of Delaware College dy-
ing, if her resources be husbanded and the
Faculty would have patience to build up good
reputation for themselves and the institution by
the character of her graduates--and If the Legs-
ature would release us from the bad bargain
made two years ago by the Faculty, and con-
scented to by the Trustees, Of educating thirty
additional free students for all time to come,
for the pittance of six Thousand dollars, (S30O0
a year for two years); and if Senators and
Representatives would issue scholarships from
their respective hundreds, to sons and daught-
ers whose parents are not able to bear the ex-
pense 1t ID desirable that the good influence
of the College should be felt in all parts of the
State. d. j. MURPHEY.
Newark, Del, Feb. %.
REJoINDER FROM ANTI SUBSIDY
To the Editor OF the Commercial:
When | sent you a few lines last week ON the
proposed grant to Delaware College, had no in
ntion to refer to the subject again, my design
being merely to call attention to what seemed to
me an improper use of the peoples money An
answer in your issue OF yesterday calls, perhaps,
for few words.
/ made no reference whatever to the excellent
President of the College, either in his
| ..Ol 1..faa ,.al al, y,F.n
to any member Of the Faculty-and, Of course
wuuld expect no nstice of my article from him.
The opposition to the subsidy was not based
upon any objectionto the character of the in
strnction given, or to the general discipline ana
management of the College, by The Faculty, but
upon the fact that the State does not give the
College patronage sufficient to justify such an
appropriation, without great injustice to the
mass of the youth of the state g In the fourth
| year of its existence" with the aid OF the land
| grant and an annual subsidy of $4,000 for two
| years." the College had about 40 students, and
nearly one half ofNem from tte torn Of Neu-
ark and with this showing, if g at Doper the
| leading men of the state who have the inter-
est and honor of Delaware at heart warmly
| favor the continuance of state aid, then l re-
spectfully decline to follow their leading"
| frankly confess that am 20 ignora as to
not know that it requires six regular Professors
| to instruct this number of students "scattered
| through the College classes" well wisher'
thinks the College has done well to have so
many students in its fourth year, and asks to be
| informed of ga College in like circumstances
which has done better" will inform him that
| there is no college III similar circumstances in
the East, where, as he says, % there are 30 many
large and fonrishing institutions, that it must
| be no easy matter to start new College sue
| cessflly or to revive an old one." That is the
trouble. These 'eading men, at Dover" have
heard of these flourishing institutions, and send
their sons to them, and warmly favor the contin-
nance of State aid to this College, because they
| 4 ll,a,, nf Iala of hao
| They are ready and willing to vote the peoples
| money for the honor of the State. They remind
me of Artemus Ward who was 80 patriotic dur
| ing the war that he was willing to sacrifice al
most any ting-even his wife's relations.
| / am we'll -wisher to the cause OF education
| and to Delaware Csllege but under the present
circumstances very honestly remain
| ANTI SUBSIDY