The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-04-13

| IL may Uc SuOsllluJeu. by an act OF
the sixteenth legislature there were
lands, estimated to amount to over
eleven million acres, reserved to pay
the public debt and for common
schools, the proceeds of which to
be equally divided. Most of them
are situated in the Panhandle, and
IN the Texas and Pacific railroad
reservation. They were offered for
sale at fifty cents per acre. There
were, by an act of the last session of
the legislature, three hundred
leagues of land 1,328,40 acres) set
apart and reserved for the unor-
9aniZed counties for common
schools, which were allowed to be
taken out of this reservation, and is
now being surveyed in it. These
lands being entirely for common
schools, a corresponding amount
might be surveyed in the reserva-
tion for the university, without con-
Meeting alternate school lands with
the surveys. Some of the reserved
lands have been sold, and more have
been and will be surveyed for sale,
before any action can be taken by
the legislature. There will still be
left an amount sufficient for liberal
endowment, if the legislature acts
promptly at this session.
Another consideration is, that the
bonded debt, which the money de-
rived from these lands is
designed to pay, has been
largely reduced from other sources,
and the bondsnave greatly increased
in price in the market. Our seven
per cent. bonds, due in 1905, rate at
$40 to the 800. The six per cent.
bonds rate not much less, if any, and
the five per cent. bonds rate at S115.
One acre of these reserved lands
sold for fifty cents, would diminish
the amount of our bonded debt,
little over thirty-five cents. And if
the price of the lands were raised to
one dollar per acre, then an acre
would pay but little over seventy
cents besides the premium on our
seven per cent. bonds. If our bonds
should continue to enhance in price
in the market, as they have done
during the three years past, they
will simply be beyond the reach of
any reasonable investment, and will
therefore be substantially out of the
market.
The payment of the interest will
require a small appropriation, and
the sinking fund need be no more
than 100000, and Will gradual
| ly decrease until the bond
ed debt is discharged. Under
these circumstances the lands can
well be spared to increase the en-
dUwment of the university, and its
branches, 80 as to make it, what it
is required LU be by the constitution
"a UNI 7ersity of the firstclass; and
thereby provide for all OF the higher
grades of education, corespondingly
with the magnificent provisions
already make for common. schools.
1t can be done now safely in refer
ence to the public interests. This 1s
the last chance to do it by an appro-
priation of public lands. 1t must
be done soon, or never without a
resort to taxation, by a change of
the constitution. Without it is done
" the University of Texas" instead
of being the first class, will drag
along in comparative insignificance
for many years to come, until state
pride, self-interest and patriotism
will conspire to demand that the
means shall be furnished, by taxa
ton or otherwise, to raise it to a
high standard commensurate with
the intelligence, wealth and future
greatness of this empire state of the
southwest.
1t is possible that we are going to
continue to send off our young men
| onH fn nfhnr of aud
countries to receive an education in
the higher branches; or what is no
better if not worse, to perpetually
import from other states and coun-
tries, that have universities of the
first class, learned men, statesmen,
lawyers, judges, preachers, teachers,
scientists, geoligists, architects, ar
tisans, engineers, skilled miners, me-
chanics and agriculturists to take
the lead in making and administer
ing the laws, in elevating our civil
ization and generally to develop the
vast and varied capacities of this
beautiful and grand country of
ours? 1t is hoped not, for these are
the classes of men who must, by
their cultivated intellects, and by
their skill in their employments,
shape and execute the laws, give
tone to the social standard, and di-
rect the labor of the masses in mate
rial development. The whole ques-
ton about the establishment of a
first class university and its branches
is, shall Texas give her own native
born sons and daughters the facili-
ties for fitting themselves to occupy
these higher walks of life, so neces-
sary in the proper direction of her
future destiny, or will she have her
own sons and daughters to be kept
in lower sphere Of life, and be
there directed by the learning and
skill of strangers, sons and daughters
of other states and countries, who
will come here and fill the places
which her own SONS and daughters
ought to occupy, and will occupy, if
they are given fair opportunity
to do it.
Every great state should rear its
own men in every stature of man.
hood, of Intelligence and of culture,
according to their capabilities, upon
its own soil, aud thereby engender
and preserve an intense homegen-
eousness in the character of its pop
ulation, which must result in the
concentrated power and elevated
prosperity of the whole body polite
in association. This full result can
be attained only by promoting all
of the grades of education, from the
lowest to the highest in harmonious
cooperation, adapted to the diver
sified wants of every class of peo-
pie, whatever may be their pursuits
in life.
Nor will the benefits of the uni
versity and its branches be confined
to the SONS of the wealthy few. By
no means will that be so. Place the
facilities of higher education before
the people OF this state, make it a re-
ality, make it complete and cheap by
splendid endowment, and youths
all over this broad land, who catch
the inspiration ofhigh native talent
in our common schools, will, if nec-
essary, struggle up through poverty,
and through adversely, by labor and
by perseverance,, until they will
stand in the front ranks of the most
gifted and favored in the halls of
learning, and afterwards will adorn
every sphere of life with their bril-
liant accomplishments and practical
usefulness. So it has been in other
countries, and SO it will be here.
By adding two millions of acres
of land to the one million of acres
heretofore set apart for the uni