The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-02-19
The E1trn,"ssnce of TAXATION for FRO
GrASIOnal Education. .t.laa

where ilproperly belongs. "a q
i-.H
The EItrn,ngance Of Taxation for FRO.
IrASiOnal Education. t.lHa
tits lillicuIt to speak in moderate terms
about appropriations that 20 to sustain in
comfortable Iivings number Of probes.
.ional gentlemen without seeming to
them at least to BE- making a personal tilt
sainst their interests. But public ikstitu.
tons that are not prOfesedly charities
ought to be viewed from a purely economi-
raI standpoint, anil no one has a better
right to speak on such a subject thar the
tax payer, ont Of whose earnings the cost
ofeycry public institution must come. See.
ng ghoW, from year 10 year, our public
buhhens are increasing, till the expendi-
lures on these accounts leave but little
balance to the producers Of OUR national
wealth, We have been constrained
10 look into the grounds on which
the prctext for these ruinous ievics
rest and we are forced TO decide
that they are subversive OF the most ele-
mentary principles Of personal rights.
We hold this 10 be cmphatlcally so US 10
Institutions Of learning that are provided,
aa for the people in common, but for thG
few. How can it be just thatthe many,
shall betaxe'l to sustain, us n costly luxu.
~ torthe few, u University into which not
one in two thousand Of the peoples chill!
dpn ran ever hope. to enter? -''Hs
Hut We do not propose, in this brief al
lusiOn, to discuss the principle SO much as
to call the attention OF taxpayers to
The eXtravaganre Of the management by
which Our University is carried on. The
impleannounrement Of the item Of s., 900
hr contingent expense alone, for the fiscal
year ending September 30, 1870, and re-
peatCl for TINT ending September 80, 1880,
ought 10 startle every economist in the
State. .--.' !,
This and other similar extravagant al.
lowanccs lead Us to ask what arc the pro.
portions Ofthis University aud what vast
work is i! accomplishing for our State aud
people? And we have turned to its last
catalogue and the report OF its regents to
see What ilstiiying answer they can give,
Toour surprise VIC discover that its rolls
reveal only forty students in college class.
ts,and that twenty-five Of these arc only
taking contingent courses. But twenty
Se in the course Of graduating and only
lEoare seniors for the current year. The
law provides for free education, so fur as
looks and tuition 60, for four cadets from
zach Senatorial district, but the "ros.
ter shows only twenty nine in ac.
'aal attendance, so that the large annual
expenses OF the University may be regard.
I'd as inrarrel mainly for these. True,
There AT" rigllty.nine primary boys, but
lac'e might be, and perhaps ought to be,
in our SIX normal schools. The specific
work OF the University IL with the strict.
" college rlas'es, and there are not an
average Of over three to the Pro.
lesSoE Twenty'oNe Of these, too, arc
nom MorgantOwn, or tho county Of
NoRonSalia, Nnd the remainder, in mum.
leNySrying from one to four, come from
len or eleven other counties, leaving tho
SFeat map of the State utterly unrepre.
sented. This is proportionateIy true Of
aeprimary classes, fitty-two OF whom arc
also home students. as
VI the twenty-ninc ca,lets-tle special
wards Of the State-tllirteen arc boys In
'as primary SchooI-and sixteen only in
'oIIeSe courses; and for these what did
'ne State pay last year? We look to tile
NpoT Of the Regents, aud the answer Ia,
0aJ' the Iriiing little SUN Of Sl7 ,5O3 0G, or
about , $Go3Oo pr cnpiid. Why is this?
Whose sous are these that we should be
SAe' to &rp them in College? The
question answers itself. We notice that
@@e few Alumni that have been Gradu.
SedslRcc the formation OF the University
,e'e are nineteen lawyers. and in all but