The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-01-26


Martin, McLeary, McCulloch, Moore, {
Piner, Ripetoe, Stephens, Storey, !
Terrell, Thompson and Workman,
and against it Ball. These facts ]
exhibit the unanimity with which {
the legislature acted in the effort to
do some measure of Justice to the
colored race. This act authorized
the governor to appoint three COM
to select a suitable place
for the location of said institution,
and have buildings erected for it,
and when completed it was provided
that it should be "under the super
vision and control of the board of
the Agricultural and Mechanical
college, as established by an act of
the legislature passed April IL,
1871" In the said act an appropria-
ton of twenty thousand dollars was
made "to locate, erect, furnish and
operate said college," The commits
sioners, instead of erecting build
ings, purchased the land and build
ings at Alta Vista, near Hampstead,
for less than the amount appropri-
ated, leaving a balance to be other
wise applied. Had the place been
selected and buildings erected with
in five miles, instead of within fifty |
of the A. 81 NJ. college, its relation
to and connection Herewith, as evil
IDENTIFY intended by the great major
ity of the legislature, would never
have been misunderstood by any
one.
The board of the A. II NJ. ollege
procured the president of that col
lege, Prof. GathriNht, to take the
charge and direction in the fitting
up and organization of said school,
and have it carried on under his
supervision, which he did by pre-
pairing tor farming operations and
the employment of teacher. After
| its organization a few scholars
entered it and remained in it for
time, but for want of pecumary
ability to pay their way, they gradu-
ally disappeared from the school,
so that at the meeting of the 10th
legislature, the institution had q
competent teacher under pay with
out any students, of all which the
legislature was duly informed by
a report from President Gathright.
1t was then obvious that some adj
dition or change must be made in
that school, in order to make it any
benefit to the colored race, as it was
intended to be. AS the establish
ment of a normal school for white
students was being considered, it &C.
Cured to those who were unwilling
to abandon the endeavor to benefit
the colored race, to add to that
school the normal feature, leaving
in it still its quality of labor school,
and still retaining its connection
with the A. and NJ. college through
its directory. This resulted in the
passage of a law, entitled "an act to
provide for the organization and
support of anormal school at Prairie
View formerly called Alta Vista),
Waller county, for the preparation
and training of colored teachers y
approved April 10Th, 1879. This act
does not appoint the board of the A
and NJ. college to take charge Of
said school; but being already in
charge of it, the directors of said
board are authorized to organize
said school. and, in addition to othel
things, to regulate the course o.
| SIuuy, anu InC LudHHCI VI pOl
forming labor and the kind
!. of labor to be performed by thu
: students" In the said act there wa
r set apart out of the interest accru
ing from the university fund an
: nually the sum of six thousand dol
: lars for the support of said school
to be "drawn by the board of direct
y ors on vouchers audited by thu
board or approved by the governo
e and attested by the secretary
7 This bill passed the senate by
-o-----L -"J-~-|---s-.c- e~r--ss~.-A- ia
o voting for it were Burnett, Burton
!; Davenport, Duncan, Edwards
{ Gooch, Gay, Hobby, Holman, Hous
Z ton, Lane, Ledbetter, Martin
Mccormick, McCulloch, Moore
Ripetoe, Stewart, Shannon, Swain
: Tilson, and against it Brown, Lair
a Patton, Story and Terrell. In tn,
l house of representatives the bill
passed by vote of forty-one 70
/, and twenty-five against it.
My object in giving the names o
those who voted for this bill is t.
/, raise the presumption from thei
number, character and ability, a
: lawyers and statesmen, that they
did not and would not vote thi
appropriation out of the university
fund for the support of that school
!; as simply and only normal school
! and not connected with the A. Il M
1 college as part of, and an addition
4 to, it. Nor are we left to presump
ton to establish it. The same legis
lature, composed of the same mem
j bers, at the special session, convened
on the tenth of June, 1879, passed
Il supplemental and amendatOry &C
of appropriation, in which they give
, said school very different designa
ton from that given in the caption
of the act at the regular session, anC
one characteristic of the status d
that school as they regarded it. The
clause i'll said appropriation bill
reads as follows:
"PRAIRIE VIEW AGRICULTURAL COL
LEGE."
: additional for the branch agricul.
: "tural college for colored youths
"at Prairie View, to be taken from
"the university fund, 1900"
Approved July 9th, 1879.
Much more might be added from
the proceedings of the legislature
to show that, while they were not
critical or uniform in the words
used to designate this school
and its objects, the great
body of its members evidently
understood that it was an adjunct
an addition to the A. and M. college
for the benefit of the colored race,
with the normal feature added,
which was in nowise inconsistent
with its being in substance part and
parcel of the A. and M. college.
And so the board of directors of the
A. and M. college organized and
carried it on with President Gath
right continuing in its supervision
and direction as long as he was
connected with the college. The
farm and garden was put under
tillage. A farmer was employed to
instruct and aid in the work at
a salary of $3.50 and board
per annum. The young men.
students, were detailed regularly to
work under his direction, and they
made good crops and an abundance
Of garden vegetables. Three good
teachers two male and one female.
were elected by the board, and a
a most remarkable progress in
education has been attained ever
since the normal school fea-
ture was added to it. 1t had
thirty-five state students the first