The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-04-07
THE STATE UNIVERSITY.

y Professor llogg and the Post have
been carrying on 3 discussion upon
the subject of establishin. and or
| ganiZing a state university. They
differ widely, and the Post evidently
acknowledgements what is meant by
university It, believes III Il hinge
| pile medieval and colossal-but
appears TO misapprehend entirely,
questions of practical operation, ap-
plying To such an institution. Some
of the states have made failures with
their universities, but il is because
they have done, as the Post would
uo-apply collegium in place of uni
versitas to their rule of action. They
have treated every thing figuraiively
without figures, and hence every
thing has failed with them, rs the
Post would cause failure, by the exc
cution of tigurativc, fancy, falla-
cious plans. The dormitory and
bursary plan is borrowed alone
from the system cOllcgium
and can not and is not applied to
the system universities, in any sense,
as understood by theiniormed. These
systems, as known in colleges for
generations, belong, when the uni
versity is considered, to more than
II fossilized age. They might be-
long to the archaeological studies.
The caliber of the Post oil this SUBJ
iect may be understood when it
treats these systems by referring
to "raw, impulsive, mischief loving
boys. Colleges are made for boys.
universities should be made for
men; and wherever they have
been successfully conducted, it is
upon the assumption that matricu-
lants have passed that stage, when
they must be locked up in dormito-
rIes and looked after by a ianitor.
In the college the "raw boy" may
seek tuition in academical branches,
but the university proper is where
young men, and often older ones
seek elevation in professional as
well as academical studies. The
educational editor of the Post was
evidently turned out of boys in
stitution, where he was etcrnally
watched byprying tutors, and locked
in and driven 20 extremes by some
relentless janitor, more terrible in
his dreams, to-day, than Il legion of
Turkish ianizaries. The college APP
plies itself seriously to the at
tempted reformation of bad boys,
often failing, while good and studi-
Gus boys, if opportunity offer, go up
into tho university, rs men, and are
there treated rs such. The legisla-
ture did not coincide with the views
entertained by the Post, so much as
il did with those OF Professor nogg,
who certainly knows what univer-
sity should be. The university bill
was passed, and the work of making
IA great state institution is before the
people. Let us not drift into the
college system, installing it FOR n
university, and thus meeting fail
,ure i'll advance. Let us have
here in Texas grand uni
versity system, an electric plan
for the advancement of our young
men into the higher planes of such
learning as they may choose to pur-
sue. We want no dormitory sys-
tenn, no bursary system, but a grand
educational system, in which young
men, fitted for higher learning, may
pursue studies and listen to the
teaching of master intellects in
academical,. professional and scicn-
tiiic studies. There should be no
narrow-minded policy in preparing
for such results. We want no colos-
Oil W SldIl Will. uCl
will come, if need be, in the course
of time. The best professors of the
world are wanted, from whom young
men may imbibe wisdom in the lee
turc-room, and the services of such
men can be secured only by Offering
them such pay rs they receive at the
great universities of the, world.
Whether the state rears un univer-
sity hill building worth $4,000 or
$500, 900 is not the question in winch
success is to be involved. If the
state were TO maintain here q
corps of professors, such as it
should have, with only such
recitation and lecture rooms rs might
be rented for use, the result.would
be more satisfactory than were
it to erect on College Hill a million
dollar edifice, in which to employ
men, who are forced to accept posi-
ton at the head of many of these
little high schools, where more
energy is displayed in drumming
for pupils than is shown in their in
tellectual advancement.