The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-02-17
The University of Texas.
AUSTIN, February Is.

. |
terday presented to the House fol
concurrence, deserves the careful
consideration of the committed
which will have TO report on it, al
well as from our representatives
. because of the Stubs amendment
which requires that a branch of the
institution may be located at Calves
ton. Now, ii Galveston have a Dor.
ton OF it, why not Dallas, for in,
stance, have another portion o.
it? If the bird is to be
plucked, one party getting the
wings, another the tail, another
the legs, then give to others q show.
) ing for the pulling bone. or the
''pOpes nose?" If south Texas and
west Texas and central Texas are to
have respectively section, the one
the medical and the other the agri-
cultural, the other the carcass rem
nant, then why not further subdi-
vide and give to north Texas the
legal department, and to east Texas
the theological? Let's have a fair
divide-or none Arguments can be
advanced just as strong, quite as
spacious for the claims of each, as
those Galveston has seen proper
to presnt in her interest. We re-
| GREETED to see the amendment pass
the Senate, because this magnificent
institution ought to be located in one
place, and thus in its entirety and
integrity be made a pride to the
great state which so literally en-
dows it, and not be dismembered
and split up into insignificant
segments. And, in our judgment,
the Capital is the place, place at ali
times healtbful for professors and
students, free from epidemics, storms,
etc., accessible by rail, central in its
locality, wonderfully beautiful and
picturesque. in its unsurpassed sur
roundings, and especially advan-
tageous by reason of its being the
seat of government, That other
states have seen proper to locate the
medical branches of their uni
versities at other points than the
head-centre is true, and for
excellent reasons. Boston is a city
of nearly three hundred thousand
inhabitants, New York has million,
Philadelphia eight hundred thou
sand, New Orleans over two hun
dred thousand; these are truly sea-
port cities Offering extraordinary
facilities to the medical student in
the immensely of their population,
beside which that of their univer-
sity sites, and indeed of all their in
terror cities, fade into insignificance.
This is not at all true of Galveston,
which in a population of $4,000,
barely exceeds Houston and San
Antonio, and is not boastfully in ex-
cess of Dallas, Waco or Austin.
Furthermore their fate as the sea-
ports, par excellence, of their
states, is fixed, because of their
actual facilities in the way of deep
water, improbability of unhappy
contest with neighbOring ports, etc,
In our Partially for Galveston,
herself a credit and a pride for us
all, we should like to see her obtain
all the benefits which the legislatures
and the people can bestow. She is
now here asking aid for her harbor.
Let us give it to her; though the
method now preferred to the Legis-
lature is, we suspect, scarcely con-
stitutional. She asks for the ware
hnnse REGENT svstam uaru- desiI-
largely so, too, for all her interior
patrons, and this certainly ought to
be granted. for it is due to her if she
wishes it, and safe and really advan-
tageous to the whole state. Let us
do all we constitutionally can,to pro-
mote her prosperity, but let not the
university be divided. Indeed we
are not apprised that her people, be-
yond the physicians there, ask it.
In the distribution of Legislative ia
vors or grants, we question if they
would not, on reflection. regard it as
prejudicing the chances of larger
interests and for more important
requests.
For the rest, there appears to us a
fatal objection to the Senate amend
ment, one which we did not hear
pressed or even presented by Sena-
tors when the bill was under discus
sion, we mean the constitutionality
Of the ACKNOWLEDGMENT. Section 10,
article Z, recite, viz; "A univer-
sity is to be located by avote of the
people of this State" Now, we
apprehend that the intent of the
constitutional clause, "a university"
is toward consolidarity, and especi-
ally SO when the said article goes on
to particularize the fact that "the
Agricultural and Mechanical Col
lege, located elsewhere, viz:) in the
county of Brazos, is hereby made
and constituted part or branch Of
the University of Texas for instruc-
ton in agriculture, the mechanic
arts,o etc. IncIusio units est ercIusjo
alteriuS. Would the wording which
should prescribe that ":the Supreme
Court is to be located by a vote
of the people of this State"
be construed to mean that the
Court of Appeals, and the other
sections of the Supreme Court,
might be located in different parts
of this large State? And indeed by
parity and extra refinement of rea-
soning might we not as legitimately
and logically reason into separate
locality, existencies, the legislative,
the executive and other branches of
the government, etc. Why not To-
cate the Land Office at, say, Hunts
vile, where so many land agents
are now congregated?
No, Texas must have the .univer-
sity of Texas, and at as early a mo-
ment as possible, so let US take no
chances of legislation that will not
hold, of blunders that will set, back
the good work for even two years.
Like the State itself, now, and let
us hope, forever, let the university
be one and inseparable.
NORTH Texas.
The New Bible.