The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-02-01
NOT ANOTHER FAILURE.

Had the seventeenth legislature do
mated to the university two millions
acres of land, nothing more would
ever have been required for its endow-
ment, for it is reasonable to suppose
such donation would not have been
sold for less than half its value, as has
been done. As il is, the university
was denied this; amount Of land, that
spectators might make on it over
million dollars-in fact two or three
times so much, IN as many years.
Had these lands been given,
the grant would even then not
have covered what is properly due the
university under the old law regard
ing percentage of the school lands
for university endowment. But the
two million acres of land, with which
it would have been so proper and Just
to endow the university. are gone
gone for a song of one million dollars,
and the state is the loser. How just
would it be now to transfer this sum
of money to the university. bufore 1t,
too, may be squandered, he the lands
were recklessly scattered among
the spectators. The regents,
in a memorial presented to the
Legislature, ask such donation, and
it should he given. But all that
is asked by these regents is not
just, should not DO granted. Atten-
ton is called to request made 10y
them that they he authorized to sell
the lands already belonging to the uni
versity. This demand, it is hoped,
will be refused by the legislature. Let
the university be compelled to hold
what lands it has; let the wealth that
may be acquired by holding them
accrue to it and not to spectators
These lands can be leased with more
profitable returns therefrom than ii
they be sold and the money from them
invested in bonds at great premium
A few years hence these lands will bt
worth two or three times as much a:
they now are. and, il leased fol
five years, by that time
their leasing value will also be cor
respondingly enhanced. 1t is hoped
the legislature will be generous to the
university, for the purpose of its en-
dowment is generosity to the young
men and women of Texas. We want
the university to be dealt with as an
} immeasurSble public benefit deserves
and therefore we would have the re-
gents denied the power to aleniat,
any landed property of the university
There is wealth in these lands
and that is why it was de
sired that the seventeenth Legislature
create wealth for a great institution
of free learning, instead of for specu
lators. 1t is too late tn repair the in
jury done, and the only alternatiy,
now is to make the money endow
ment. When it is known this is needed
that Texas may offer free education
, by the most learned men of the worlC
to her youth, it is not in the cate
CORY of public mishaps that thi'
legislature will perpetrate a fail
ure Us great as the refusa
of its predecessor to make the uni
versity of Texas Independent. IL
this day q university to command tn
respect of the world must be LIBERAL,
endowed. To have ours otherWis
would be shame to Texas. How
grandly will Texas appear to the world
when it is told abroad that youths o
Texas have free education from sucl
professors as are employed at Harvard
and John Hopkins and the Universit,
of Virginia.