Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1878-01-12
THE STATE UNIVERSITY.

~ ~ I" wac 49,
l:shed by al Act of the Legislature
i'll 1889. upon al end,w ment of Con-
gresS known as the SEMINARY
Lands" This endowment had in
creased to about 500. 200, which. with
the extraordinarily generous contri-
button of Boone county of SllI,5n
more. gave the institution over 800
600 with which to begiu. We are
unable TO lay our hands upon any
official statement of the present per-
mament endowment, but are sure
that il reaches the sun OF one million
OF dollars. This seems muniiicent;
but, when We remember that the
Leading schools OF the east have
greatly III excess of this;
that the auuual income of Harvard
University, for example, is $500. 900
We see that We are still behind in our
equipments for q first class instltu-
ton.
The faculty consists of nearly thirty
teachers, lecturers and professors:
embracing, as we have before stated,
beside the regular college of Sciences,
departments of Agriculture, Mimi.
and Engineering, Law, Medicine AMI
professional Teaching. These are 81!
looted at Columbia, except the
School of Mines. which is at Rolla.
No better location than that of Co.
lumbia exists in the state for such All
Institution. The town itself is one
OF the most beautiful in al tie land.
While accessible by railroad commu-
Rication twice q day, it is, at the same
III .retiied and free from the excite
mrnt of a commercial Ih~0roughfarc.
The population is unusually i%nteili-
leading denominations of the state
have well-cstaulished churches there.
So that the social advantages are 81
that could be wished.
The faculty is not only numerous.
but is also composed of teachers OF
recognized sbility. Norwood. Swai-
low. Ficklin, Fisher, krekel and
Kelly are distinguished III their special
departments. Having had personal
experience of the excellence of DR..
Fisher, the professor of Latin, We
have no hesitation i'll saying that,
barring his adoption of the English
system of pronunciation, we consider |
LIN one of the very bet teachers of
Latin now living. Tie head of the
faculty, both real and nominal. is the
President, :. 5. Laws, IL. ID. He
too Is an old teacher Of ours. 1t as
been our good fortune to come iuto
contact with some of the first minds
of America, and we confidently de-
clare that. among them all, we have
not found the man. who has so i'm
pressed us with tie vigor of his intel
let. the accuracy aud comprehensive
range of hi. scholarship as has the
Fr,>cui head Of our State University.
He = Il graduate i'll theology, i'll met
i:inc aud III law; and there is to-day
10 del ariinent i'll the University, i
which he Is net competent to ill with
distinguished credit. He is no SIN t
terer. >kimming specifically over
the fields of knowledge. His scholar
suii lis exact and profound, as well
as varied. We may well congratulate
ourselves that he is the leader of the
eCurational forces of Missouri.
We have criticisms to off, up
or the present arrangements ut the
University. We object to making
tuition practically free. DIR. Wayiand
SAYS that a public fund for general
education "should never defray moIe
than u portion of the expense, for no
man values highly what he gets for
nothing. The provision should be 81
made, as to benefit merely the indi-
gent, and not reduce the price oil
tuition TO the WHOLE 1t is best for
our young men that they should not
he educated as paupers: that they |
should not feel that they receive their
education as Il chlrity from the state.
1t is best for their feelings OF manli-
ntss. 1t Is best as stimulus to active
and ~persevering industry. More
over, there Is au element OF Partially
in it which amuu"ts to practical ill.,
Justice. There are 600, 900 children III
Missouri of school age. OF these,
100000 are of the age suitable to at
tend the University. How many
actually do attend? How nan can
possibly do so? Not more than about
one in five hundred. The wealthier
and independent classes are those
who pstronIze the University. With
exception i cases this is strictly true.
Would it not be best, therefore, to
charge the regular college fees of. at
least, fifty dol rs a year, for tuition,
and make ON special provision for
those who are unable to pay? AS it
l., 499 of the poor men of the state
are taxed for the special benefit OF
the remaining rich one of the 500.
Again we object TO this arrangements
because it is unfair TO the other col
reyes Oi the STATE, WHICH are SUSTAINED
by private enterprise. Every Pres
byierian, every Baptist, every Meth
odist, every Reformer, every Catholic
contributes HIS pro rata TO sustain the
University. This he is hound t. do.
In addition to this, he contributes to
sustain his denominational college al
Fulton, Liberty, Faye,tc, Lagrange,
or ST. Louis. Now, is it exactly fair,
when we all agree to endow our Uni
versity with a million of dollars, Tor
it 10 turn around and lower the price
of tuition with the manifest tend, ncy.
we will not say design, of breaking
down the private institutions of the
state. Is it magnaniInous? Is it
right?
We make serious objection to an
other feature in the present plan OF
conducting the University. We refer
to the admission of rOmon to the
regular classes of the college for men.