The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-04-13
NO. 81

realizing an annual available fund
for the support of the university
than accruing interest on the bonds.
A lease of the lands, if found prac-
ticable, may obviate the difficulty
by allowing the rents TO be paid
directly to the regents for defray-
ing the expenses of establishing and
carrying on the institu lion.
The price of the land should al
once be fixed at least at dollar per
acre.
In furtherance of the same object.
respectfully recommend that an act
be passed recognizing the validity
of the bonds issued in 1867, with the
investment of the interest that would
belong to the permanent fund, and
the appropriation of the interest that
would belong to the available fund,
as suggested and recommended by
the comptroller In his report, that
was laid before the board of re-
gents, to which reference has already
been made.
THE BOARD OF REGENTS
would also respectfully recon-
mend that the board of directors of
the agricultural and mechanical
branch of the university be dis
pensed with, and the number OF re-
gents be enlarged, so as TO incor-
porate in the same body the direc-
tors as regents. There is no use for
two boards. A positive disadvan-
tage might often result from q want
of harmony between them. With
a common control by the board
of regents over all of the branches
and a provision of ample means
to support them all and build them
up gradually together, according to
the relative Importance of each one,
all strife, for the advancement Of
one to the prejudice of others,
would not be allowed to exist, and
each one could have its due share of
promotion, according to the means
at command, and as would best for
ward the educational interests of
the country.
Your attention is invited to the institu-
tions of learning already established, and
IN part sustained by appropriations from
the university fund, to-wit:
THE AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL
COLLEGE, AND THE PRAIRIE VIEW
NORMAL SCHOOL.
The donation of lands by the United
States to induce the establishment Of an
agricultural and Mechanical college was
accepted by the state and was converted
into Texas state bonds, which bring an
interest now amounting annually to
$14 ,280. 1t was provided In the act of
donation that none OF this money sheuld
be expended for buildings or repairs, but
should be applied to the maintenance of
the school. The state of Texas bad ap-
propriated Qbcluding the appropriation
OF $4,000 in 1876 about $1S0,000 in the
erection of the buildings and for other
improvements of the said college. In
1915 law was passed organizing said
college and providing that the interest
of the special fund donated by the
United States should be applied TO pay the
directors, professors and officers of the
college. and 1t has been used exclusively
for that purpose. The annual interest
now is about S2200 in excess of the
amount necessary 10 pay the professors
AID officers. At the last session of the
legislature an act was passed limiting the
pay of the directors to their actual ex-
penses incurred in attending the meet
ings of the board to be paid out OF the
interest of the university fund. BY the
constitution, that went into effect on the
18th of April, 1875, the A. a. NJ. college
was made branch of the university OF
u,
the mechanic arts, and the natural sci
ences connected Herewith" L respect
fully refer you to "the report of the agri-
cultural and mechanical college," here
with submitted, to show you that it is
now an institution especially devoted to
those objects The facts that l have here
stated will suffice to show that the re-
sources from which 1t is to be maintained
and improved are the special fund do
mated by the United States, the univer-
sity fund, the tuition of the pay students
and the profits of that which may be
produced in the agricultural and me-
chanical operations at the college. At
the last session of the legislature an APP
preparation was made out of the univer-
sity fund OF $500 for two years to main
tain and instruct three students
from each one of the senatorial districts
In the state, making ninety-three in all.
The report submitted to you shows the
amount required to be appropriated to
carry on the school to the end OF this ap-
preparation year will be 1890.
This school is an experiment, the pol
Icy OF which was inaugurated by the
United States, by the donation of lands
to aid the state in establishing and main
tanning 1t. Its object is TO afford facili-
ties for species Of education that will
secure skilled labor in our own country,
instead OF importing IL from other states
not heretofore entered into the habits OF
the people of Texas, and consequently
has not been properly appreciated by
them as an element of material develop
ment. Hence the legislature made the
appropriation to maintain q number Of
students free of charge, drawn from dill
ferent parts of the state, whose educa-
ton and training at that school would
exhibit all over the state the great i'm
portance Of that species of education.
The success of the institution depends
largely upon continuing this appropria-
tion, and making it adequate, so long as
it may be necessary to give the expert
ment fair trial.
In view of the vast material interests In
Texas. now awaiting development, there
certainly can be no branch OF education
above that of the common schools, more
important, than that whic would enable
the sons of Texas to fill the positions of
skilled labor, that must and will be filed
by others, IL not by them, in building up
the future prosperity OF the state.
In the organization of this collage there
was no provision for the admission OF
colored youths, although the donation
made by the United States to maintain 1t,
may well be presumed to have been IN
tended for all classes of citizens within
the state. To make some corresponding
provision for the colored people an effort
was made IN the fifteenth legislature
1S76) to establish a branch of the A. and
NJ. college for colored youths, which re-
suited 10 the passage of law, "to estab-
lish an Agricultural and Mechanical col
lege for the benefit of the colOred
youths" appropriating $4,000 "to To-
cate, erect, furnish and operate said col
lege," and placing 1t under the control
of the board of directors Of the A. and
NJ. college. Instead of the buildings be-
ing erected, the lands and buildings at
Alta Vista near Hampstead were pur-
chased, and the school organized,
and was kept up with few
scholars for short time, but
was entirely without scholars before
the first OF January 1879. The said ap-
preparation covered the said purchase,
and the operating Of said school while IL
was kept up in the shape in which IL was
first iDaugurated. This appropriation
was made and paid out Of the general
revenue, and not out OF the university
fund. Considering that the legislature
had acted under a constitution that had
gone into effect only few months, it is
more reasonable that this was an mad
vertance than that they intended to aban-
don the evident intention of making an
addition to the Agricultural ana Mechan-
lcal college for the benefit of the colored
people Of the state, compensating them,
to some extent, for their not being
allowed TO enter the college already es-
tabllshed-mixed schools of white and
colored students being against the policy
OF the state.
1t is evident also that this was not in
tended by the legislature to be the " col
lege or branch university" referred to in
section IA, article 8, of the constitution.
For in the same section providing for
that branch IL is expressly provided that
its location shall be determined bya vote
- fha hal IN al haI a
levied, and no money appropriated out