The weekly clarion., 1877-09-12
Answer 20 William as 40 Ihe
University of Mississippi.

! ALARION II our COIIcS pohoCHAN
William" says some clever things about
/ the educational system la Mississippi with
which l agree, but | write now 10 answer
/ some ideas which he advances in regard to
| the University. " william" says, AT first
! thought one congratulates himself that the
advantages of college training are placed
within the reach of every one in the state"
/ but he adds, 4 little indulgence in sober
second thought suggests serious doubts upon
the subject" Permit ne to say that the
action Of the Trustees was not had without
| "a little indulgence in sober second thought
and much consultation of public opinions
and deliberate consideration, all which re-
suited in the UNANIMOUS action OF the
Board of Trustees as to the matter "Wil-
liam" complains of to-wit: making the
University free.
The Trustees did right.
lst. The University was but following a
precedent set by the University of Alabama
and many other universities in making tut
tio1 free.
ID Tee small amount of revenue derived
from these little fees amounted TO nothing,
comparatively, to the State, whilst it amoun-
ted to great deal to each individual stu
dent and enabled many to go to the Univer-
| sity who otherwise would not.
| 81. With this abolition of fees and a re-
! duction OF expenses generally the State
! University has been PoPULARIZED and the
inestimable privilege of first-class Uui-
yersity education has been placed within
the reach Of almost every boy in the coun-
try-rich and poor alike.
Ith. All this costs the taxpayers of the
State nothing.
9Th. 1t is carrying out the beneficent in
! tention of Congress in its donation to create
and perpetuate this University, and it is a
| splendid benefaction TO the hundreds o poor
| boys of this impoverished country. But is
this all true? Let us see. civilian" says
L" He must, for his expenses as set forth in
| the annual announcement, have about 5000
for the first year. He must have that for
| four years, amounting to $500. His cloth
ing and incidental outlays will increase his
necessary expenditures TO about 81 ,40O-say
$3.50 per annum.'' Now / have the annual
| announcement of this University before M
as | write and it reads as follows: THE
| University is now entirely free to all stu
dents except SO to law students.
| Expenses per session of nine months:
Nine months board at $I2. .......... sos 90
Fael fee Observation-Disclosures. 10 90
Washing at 81 80 ................. l3 50
Lights at 80 cents s................... 80
Total Expenses s.................$l $l3G 90
This estimate Is reliable and includes
everything but books and clothing" One
would suppose from this statement and the
statement Of " William" that boys did not
wearEny ''clothing" at home or anywhere
except at the University OF Mississippi, or
that - incidentals outlays" are immense, be-
cause the above shows that $l36 per session
is sufficient exclusive OF books and clothing.
Yet " William says, add to this. clothing
and incidental outlays and it will cost boy
$3.50 per session which at once places this
University out of reach of the poor boy
which is not true. l suppose " William
could find fOppish .spendthrifts and send
them here who could, II allowed, spend
twice that sum on clothing and treble tnat
sum on incidental outlays and make his eX-
penSes twice that SUN here, or at any other
University or school. Some bows squauder
money anyhow whether at school or at
home, but what is meant, is this: The act
ual NECESSARY expenses per session at the
University OF Mississippi now need not eX-
ceed $l36 to $3.50 per session, exclusive of
books and clothing, and this does place
university education in the reach OF any
poor boy of industry, sobriety and ordinary
health aud circum stances, and / can to-day
name several alumni of the University of
and who stand we'll i'm the world to day
who made and paid their own expenses
tn roIgh the University when the eX penses
were considerably higher than they are now.
The University Is FREE. boy would have
to wear clothes any where: he would not
Iced tp wear any better or finer ones here |
than he would ut home or anywhere else. |
The books he buys when he enters the fresh |
man class would cost but few dollars and |
when lie finishes them he could sell them
aud buy books for the next class, and 50 on. |
He can get good board in the country near |
the University for $40, or in town at from |
$l2 to Sl5; his lights a. 80 cents his wash |
ing 81 80; his fuel at $I-or in other words |
at about the same it would cost his parents |
if he staid at home, and as cheap as II he |
went anywhere else, while he has no fee at |
all to pay the University. Thus il is cheap |
er than any country boading school, much |
less than any other university or college |
1t places ell Ication in the grasp of nearly |
every boy who has got the nerve and the |
will to have it.
And all this il not donation from the |
pockets of the taxpayers either. Why? I'll
you will refer to journals of Congress, 1919, |
HutchinsOn's Mississippi code and messages |
of Gov. John j. McRae, February g. 1856, |
YOU will find that OnFebruurV 20, 1919. Com
gress donated township of land TO the |
State of Mississippi :or the purpose of es-
tabishing "A seminary of learning; that the |
State was made TRUSTEE; that the land was |
selected. The State LEASED the same ill |
"a
sale Of the same on one, two and three years |
credit, the notes payable November l. 1884 |
1885 and 1896 respectively. Then the Leg
islature under " A n act for the collection |
and investment OF the seminary fund" re-
quired 1.-The State Treasurer to credit the |
university fund with interest at the rate OF |
five per cent. per annum upon all moneys /
heretofore paid into the treasury, from the /
time when so paid to the passage of this /
act; and thereafter TO credit said iupd with |
interest at the rate of eight per cent. per
annum upon all moneys due from the State /
to said fund" Gov. McRae then I'm his /
message to the Mississippi Legislature SAYS
By applying the rule laid down in this /
law To the ascertainment of the condition of /
the fund Oh January !, 1856. it is discovered
that the SUN due from the State to the Uni-
versity fund was at that time 81 I,077,7aO on.
DR.. LaudOn {. Garland, now ChnncelIor
of the Vanderbilt University, a few wears
ago while professor in the University Of
Mississippi, made an accurate calculation of
the Indebtedness due the University by the
State, and he made the debt, alter deductin0
all appropriations over one million and
half of dollars still due the University
In connection with the above allow me 10
caA special attention to the fact that many
years ago the Legislature recognized and
a part of this debt and ac-
knowlcdged to owe the University an an
nual interest of $ll,500. Not cent of this
was paid during the five years of war, and
in fact at no other time, unless the annual
appropriations are considered as being in
part payment. Therefore it will be seen
that the " dear people, the taxpayers"
are doling out the Legislature a very small
part of the interest on what they hold sa-
credly in trust from Congress for the Uni
verstty, and that these small unnual appro
prlatlons are not so many donations from
the State-from the taxpayers TO the Uni-
Verslty-but are part payment of a debt.
The Jesuit of making the University free.
Is, that the University has already entered
upon new sphere Of usefulness and bids
fair to have double her usual numb of
students and be the nride and lrlnrrr -