The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-06-25
OUR STATE UNIVERSITY.

'plTANIi-. REPLIES To THE BAPTIST RECORD.
EDrroRs CLARION Permit me again to do
what have frequently done before-use your
valuable columns in defense Of the University
Of Mi--is-ippi-this time in reply to an article
in the Baptist Record with the ominous caption
"The Destructive Policy Of the State Universi-
ty.' That article appeared as an editorial in
the organ. OF the Baptist Church Of Mississippi.
The editor is a Baptist preacher and editor.
That Baptist preacher and that Baptist paper
are located in Clinton. The Mississippi
baptist College is located in Clinton. Some
may say that this Baptist College, by this
Baptist editor, through this Baptist organ
rp,aketh, and that Tor a purpose against an
other lu-ltution-the University Of Missis-
-ppi-but we ray not So. We know the editor,
Brother Gambrel, and he is an honorable man,
Il christian and q gentleman. Another may
say, Well, he is unconsciously led of and in
lueurcd by the circumstances and his sur
rounding we say no--he II too smart for that,
but wc prefer To say that he is honestly mista-
ken. We propose 10 answer him, therefore,
c1urtcou-y and in candor and fairness. The
gentleman begins what he has to say by
asserting that he j. friend TO the University
and then adducing arguments to prove it.
wc think such arguments were quite necessa-
rive are glad he told Ms he was a friend to
the University, Tor otherwise we would never
have known it; We certainly should never have
guessed it from his article that followed. But
ina reply to this part of his argument We
simply say, "saye us from our friends
The writer proceeds under FIVE subdivisions
60 show that tie policy OF the Trustees with
reference To the Preparatory Department il a
destructive policy. We wish the gentleman
had not expended all his luminous re-
marks and intelligent inquiries in pointing
out the criL without showing any remedies: We
wish that he had given Us some disintcrested
practical views as to what ought to be done,
instead of complaints as to what ought not to
bee done. 1t is hard to tell what i best to do
1t Is easy enough to find fault with what is
done. We will examine his complaints in
the order ne arranges them.
lst. He says: at is destructive of the
morals OF the youth Of the State. Does any
one believe that it il good to bring together
hundreds of boys in their teens removed from
home influences and those restraints necessary
10 YOUTH We ask is this true? Let Bro
Gaubrgl answer. He says 1t Is unjust for the
State To be taxed, To afford free tuition to the
town of Oxford" We are therefore to pre-
sumo from this remark of his that the boys
are not removed from home Influences but
that they live with their parents in Oxford.
Again il it real bad to have young BOYS
gathered together at the University Of Missis-
sippi2 Is it bad to have them at the Prepara-
tory Department at Clinton? would il be bad
10 have them gathered together lat suitable
centcrS where high schools might be establish
cd2' The gentleman seems To think 1t would be
bad to have them together at Oxford, but all
right to have them congregated At high schools
elsewhere. Consistency, thou art jewel ="
Bro. Gambrel, thou art certainly the tniver-
sity's friend. He SAYS: A University is a
place Tor men that is true so far as the
Trustees and Faculty are concerned, but so far
as students are concerned, we thought 1t was
the place To make men. 1t Is true however, that
little children are not invited, wanted adj
mIttcd either in the University r Prepar-
atory Department
ID. He SAYS: The free preparatory school
breaks down competition and discourages
teachers from attempting to found high schools
in the State. No one can compete with the
free Academy at Oxford" Now, really, that
sounds like the Record truly friend to
the University, for this is certainly big adj
vertiSement for it. Ii is certainly a very high
compliment whether Intentional or not, to the
University OF Mississippi 10 say that mo one
can we'll compete with the free Academy at
Oxford. II Its morals were very bad, then
compensation would be easv-therefore, its
morals must be good. We are certainly very
proud to know that the inducements TO go to
the University OF Mississippi are SO great-it
IL certainly not due alone TO finances, to the
fact the Preparatory Department has free tu-
ition. because what ia saved in the item OF free
tuition is certainly lost in the item of railroad
fare and the difference in cost of boarding al
home and expenses at home and expenses
abroad SO, therefore. there must be some
other cause besides free tuition-more causes
than one that induce students to go to our
State University, 50 that no one can compete
with the free Academy AT Oxford"
lie SAYS Sd: This policy Is breaking down
all the other schools OF high grade in the
State We do not know OF any high school
that the University has broken down We have
never heard OF but one, and when the facts OF
that case were investigated it was found TO
have collapsed from widely different cause.
If the University is breaking down all the
high schools in the State, don't know what
j. becoming of their pupils they assuredly are
not going all to the University, for there are
less than 200 in all in the Preparatory De
partment NJ Oxford some OF these are men.
Nerv few of the balance were ever ut high
school most of them are from counties or
places where there never was high school.
Ii the Jew who are AT Oxford from high schools
breaking up all the high schools IN the
State, then they deserve to- be broken up and
the sooner the better but We deny that such Is
the fact We viii not so reflect upon the high
schools OF Mississippi on the contrary there
are many thinly settled communities and many
counties where there are no high schools boys
must therefore leave home to prepare for the
University then since they must leave home,
there il no place SO good to prepare them for
the University rs the Preparatory Department
of the University; but Is our boys are generally
too poor to incur much expense the tuition
was made free in order TO enable poor boys to
get an education. In those places where there
are good high schools, boys generally remain
nj them from interest and choice and then
when prepared 90 TO the University al Oxford
this is the better course and is the course We
think the University authorities recommend
and adYise.
The Preparatory Department of the Univer-
sity of Mississippi is a necessity to prepare
such boys for the University couldn't be
prepared at home, and to supply the place OF
high schools in such places rs they do not
exist and it will be necessary to continue the
Preparatory Department until public spirit,
enterprise, energy and thrift shall have caused
these destitute places 10 be supplied with home
high schools.
4th, He says "a University is built upon
high schools, in destroying high schools it Is
DESTROYING itself" This is "petitio priReipii."
We saV she University is not destroying
nor diseouFsging high schools, but supplying
BOYS with Preparatory Department where they
have none at home aud would otherwise have
TO abandon their homes anyhow Tor an e0ucA-
ton, and the University wants high schools
established everywhere all over the State -
feeders to the University. But if the PFepaF-
atory Department be now suddenly abolished,
What viii become of the boys In those remote
rarts of the State where there are no high
schools. If they are to wait long years until
progress and sn4l rhoos 4 an
focal tiles. then indeed we will have for stu
dents A the University when these Get there,
Hsn, nnd Old men % that