The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-02-02

Ito nut out pecuniary bait TO draw Oft their
stndep;s.. The people who land their fathefs)
| have endowed these institutions are 10 be
] taxed TO enable the University TO drau ascdy
an important part OF their support. BESIDES,
this is to be done without advantage TO Inc
cause of education. The colleges can Go the
kind of work needed, for the reasons above
suggested, as well or better than the UniVer-
| sity.
3. The State is not paying full interest to
| its bondholders. Is this the time 10 oraW on
the Treasury to pay for work for Wnch
abundant means are already provided? This
bill would indeed provide bait to draw
students of the proper age from the institute
and the Agricultural and Mechanical Gel
lege, for the only requisite it provides
for admission is age. Thus the State
uoutd pay for a trork to be done NJ
the University which it bad already
provided to be done at Lexington and Blacks
burg. With on Overlooking treasury and
light taxes this might still, for reasons above
gwen, be wrong. AS 1t Is, 1t would be
wanton waste Of money.
| 4. The distinction against students from
other States will tend to diminish their pa
tropage. In most of these States institutions
have been re0-gaDized or founded since the
war, and are now 10 operation. There are
nine, of which three are established on the
plan Of universities. In all these young men
can, as in our colleges, be prepared Tor
postgraduate course in university, such rs
MIR. Jefferson's plans contemplated. For ten
years since the war these new opportunities
| have been presented. How much more may
| be done in the next ten years: Shall we,
then, let this noble institution decline and
all our past expenditures be sunk: No,
hundred times No.
l. Provide for gradual payment Of its debt,
understood to be nearly 100000.
| .. Forbid the contraction OF another cent
| of debt. Nothing is more Injurious to lite
rary institution than debt
| ;. Instead Of Il limitation Of age, provide
! one OF 1ttGinmentS. Let the privilege Of en-
/ tering the University be restricted to those
! who, on q successful examination before 4
proper tribunal, shal. have proved them
selves prepared for post graduate lin Ba-
cbelor Of Arts course. AS this varies in
different colleges, enact z specific Standard
say require an applicant to present certiti'
cate OF proficiency from his college or high.
schooi--in the most important parts CT the
course of liberal education. Il deemed best,
t the scientific schools might lie excepted; but
still let there be required such evidence Of
! utDpSS 10 cnlpl lESlu dl 3ISuc ul5lel tIiiu
| that provided by the colleges.
| (. Then provide means to sustain iibe-
rally n corps Of professors competent to con-
| duct students in their postgraduate courses
as far as they desired Many more would
reach the highest donors than noW do.
). Then open the doors to all who can en-
ter and are oil good moral character, whether
sixteen. twenty, or thirty years, and from
every State and cOuOtrV.
The advantages of this plan would be: l.
TO make the University what Dir. Jefferson
/, designed, not q rial TO the colleges, but
their head and leader, their foster.mother
and aid, in the great work of education in
our dear old State.
Mr.. JefferSon's model was that of the Ger.
man institutions for higher education. In
Germany the gymnasia correspond substan
tally to our colleges, and students must be
profcients in these, tested by rigid examina-
tons. before they can enter the University.
We might hope, under d similar plan,
soon to see our University taking the highest
position in the land. 1t is said there are
now 1000 students from the United States
attending European institutions. With the
proposed plan in operation our University
might soon provide for many of them what
they ind in Europe. Setting out with an
organization providing an able head to each
school, rs the institution might prosper adj
ditionai instructors and funds for their sup
port might be provided.
,. The colleges would derive benefit by
having their students longer under training
would gain in reputation, and increase in
numbers.
8. Thus, in both grades of the higher edll
cation, the State would stand among the
highest in our country. The increase of stu
dents from other States would bring money
into Virginia, which so long was depicted to
build up northern Institutions. Ere long
Virginia might become the mother Of schol.
arS and scholarship, Us well as of statesmen
and States. So nav il be. ,. NJ. S.