The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1878-02-16


will give him, in this, his darkest hour of
affection. their heartfelt sympathies.
Yours very truly, C.M. B.
Education i'm Observation-Disclosures
from Wv. j. H.. Cooper. Eorin-
cipal Of Cooper Institute.
Gen. A. NJ West, Chairman of Senate Com
mittee on Education:
SIRs: Is it safe to cOngregate all the edu-
cable material OF the State at one point aud
force al who would have the advantages of
free education to travel from one side of the
State to the other?
l. it safe TO the morals and the manners Of
the youth of the State to put them i'm so
large preparatory school, and to prepare
for them mess rooms at the expense of the
State, where they will b. left mainly t.
themselves and virtually cnt off from the
restraining influence of female society.
while exposed to all the demoralizing influ
ences of Il railroad town!
Can so large a bOiy of Onng men and
bows as the present aud proposed system
would necessarily congregate, aud scattered
over an area large enough to com forlably
immediate them. be restrained from pro-
family, gambling, drinking and other name
less vices, even though the present system
of drug stores, sO-called, were abolished?
Is it Just to the spirit of enterprise in the
State to crush out individual enterprise, and
render the valueless investmens made by
those laboring in the cause of education
through the dark days of our educational
struggle, by building up colossal
school at a cost to the State, greater
than individual enterprise can afford it,
seeing that the present cost, with an anprO-
priatiOn of only $4,000 for $50 students in
attendance from our own State. costs the
State sos 80 per capita for their tut ion,
oh N 70
only charge $40 90 for the same work? And
should the additional $4,000 asked for be
granted, and the average attendance be 400,
the cost to the State, will then be just 500
each for tuition, or $50 more than that d
which private and denominational enter
prise is offering it? VIII not the location o
school in a town, and in one side of a
State deprive many of the children of the
poor, who are equally worthy of classical
education, of the privileges of using the
products of the farm in payment Of board
and tuition as MANY are now doing in pri-
vate and UNCONVENTIONAL schools in the
State? When we have other chartered
schools already in the State with suitable
buildings. large and well selected libraries,
and competent faculties is it good policy to
destroy them by making appropriations for
other buildings and thus impose an
additional tax upon the poor of the
State without providing for them better
school facilities than they already have?
Then, we would ask, if it would not be bet
ter if the taxes OF the State are to be in
creased, if the interests of the masses would
not be better Subseryed by leVying that tax
tor the benefit of the common schools OF our
country, so as to lengthen the time of our
common schools, and so bring the benefits
derived from taxes in the reach of the poor
and rich alike, and thus elevate the many
and allow the few who are coming in pos
session of the means of a higher course of
instruction, to pay reasonable tuition fee
to help pay the salaries of teachers IN the
5 cate University and its preparatory school,
and let the State supplement these salaries.
keep the buildings, etc, in repair and make
such additions as would actually be neCeS-
Sary to build up great State University :;
and by SO doing offer to the young men of the
| State the incentives of industry, economy
and indomitable energy, that they may feel
| that, by the exercise OF these, and the pres :
ervaton of a sound moral charact ter, which
| is best preserved by the exercise of these,
| they have, by their own eXertion, inscribed
| the names upon thu proud roll of her hon
ored Alumni, rather than having been car
| there at the expense of the toiling poor OF
| the State?
But should it be thought best to continue
| the present system of the education of the
few at the cost of the many, and 10 give free
tuition at Oxford, would it not be well TO
select schOO! on the other side Cf the State,
>
after that school has by years of work
shown itself worthy Of the confidence Of. our
own and surrounding States, and allow a
limited number of young men and boys, say
| one hundred, more or less, to attend that
| school and draw from the State Treasury,
or from some fund set apart for the purpose
by the State, at least part of the tuition
| necessary TO support faculty il such
| school, and thus leave it OptiOnary with pa
rents whether they would send their sons to
| school in a town, or to one located IN the
country? When this works a hardship OF
none and conferS an incalculable benefit
upon a large section of the State where the
taxes are collected; and when the expense
of travel to and from the present location
would amount to half the necessary expense
of tuition at individual rates, do not right
and Justice demand that a part of the taxes
raised for this purpose be placed in the
reach OF the largest number possible?
Believing that it is not to the interest OF
the State to crush out the individual, edu-
cational enterprises within her bounds, and
that it is not the wish of the present custo-
diars of these interests so to do, we propose
in the name and in behalf OF the Faculty
and Board of Trustees of Cooper Institute,
a chartered school, located in Lauderdale
county, and near the center of the eastern
line of the State. that we viii teach one
hundred male students at a cost, TO the
State, of 81, 500, or $40 90 per capita for
| lOFly weeks anu We VIII duopI IHe Gu Iicu-
lean of the University, 50 that students
passing from our school can enter any class
in the University. We further agree, that
we will furnish them board, room, bedding,
fuel and washing at cost of $l35 for forty
weeks. We will exercise the same kind
but firm, discipline exercised over our own
private school for the past twelve years
and if they will not be controlled by our
discipline and the presence of the young
ladies of our school. we will send them home
not worse than they came. The past gov
eminent and success of the school is the
best guarantee We can give for its future
management.
/ Respectfully submitted,
j. l.. COOPER, Principal.