The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-01-25

people by saying that the time has not
come for establishing unworthy or the
| first class. By connecting in one SEN
| tence and one common view common
schools and the university, 1t rebukes the
shallow judgment which fancles that
there Is Inconsistency or rivalry In FOSTER
| ing at the same time common schools
and the university.
The people of Tex's command In their
constitution, that the legislature shall
establish university OF the nrst class
| The great Democratic party, speaking
| for the entire state, embracing the wise
| and good of all political parties, in these
/ art cles of their platform, declare that
the time is now come, ami demand to es-
tablish now such university of the first
class. The means to carry their will into
effect lie idle In the treasury, and their
| cent TO the public taxes.
| The people will take no ed
ucational starveling, no institution big
/ I'm name but meagre In performance
| They demand q university to be now or
ganized in a manner and on a basis soon
| to be developed into an institution on the
high level of the foremost instltutlans oil
| knowledge In the entire world, a univer-
/ sity whose instruction, absolutely free.
/ shall offer to every child in the state, poor
| or rich, that knowledge which Is power
| to the individual, and, in the aggregate,
power inherent and indefeasiSie to the
magnificent, imperial state OF Texas.
The egents, in closing this report, beg
| to present to your excellency their sin
| cere thanks for your wise counsel and
| hearty cooperation In carrying thus far
| into effect the important trust committed
to them. ASHBEL SMITH,
| President of the Board of Regents vi the
University of Texas.
The following is the substance of
| ho r,,nranrinl of fhn raOar1tG that will
accompany the above report:
More than forty years ago the fathers of
| Texas signalized their first legislative ac-
ton by providing for the future estab-
lishment of a great university AZ essen
| tial TO an efficient system of tree public
| education. And they provided from the
public domain what was at the time mu-
| niicent endo ment for the erection and
SUI port of the institution in the coming
| future. During all these succeeding years,
| save futile attempt interrupted by the
| civil war, nothing was done towards es-
tablIshing the university until the act OF
March 30, A. d. 1881, under which We are
| now operating. During these years the
institution was represented by no one
authorized to assert its claims or defend
/ ITS rights. On more than one occasion
| has It's funds been devoted to other pur-
poses. At one time. by the constitutional
convention of 1876, over 100000 acres OF
/ land were withdrawn from Its permanent
fund. And its resources greatly dlmin-
/ ished by attaching to and including with
/ in the schools of the university the A. and
| NJ. college and the colored institute at
| Prairie View, thereby burihening the
permanent fund with their support.
For the first time the institution is rep
resented by those whose duty 1t is TO
i watch over and Fthfully administer the
\ sacred heritage bequeathed by the fathers
i al, Of hnsr CDR Nv a
have assumed this duty and earnestly de-
sire to carry on the work. OF completion;
| but this cannot be done successfully with
| out your active cooperation and support
in the manner hereinafter suggested. :.
The seventeenth legislature believing
the time had come for carrying into effect
these provisions, made by the founders
| of the republic, passed an act organizing
the university and provided for the erec-
ton OF main building at cost of $780,
900 and the expenditure of 3 ,0,OO0 for ap-
paratus, etc. The board of regents in
| conformity herewith, having on hand
| $50, 600 accrued interest, adopted plan for
a building to cost, completed, Sl5O,OOO,
| and at once began the erection of the
west wing at cost of $4,000, to be COM
| pleted In June next.
After a careful estimate of the equire-
ments of the several schools of the uni
| II VIII lCqOAlO
about 500 coo more TO finish the main
| building now In course OF erection at
| Austin; that it will require about forty
professors for the various schools at an
average salary of $500 per annum; that
500, 900 will be needed to meet all neces-
sary and contingent expenses in purchas-
| ing and supplying the necessary labora-
tories, apparatus, libraries and furniture,
we believe IL Will require at least an an
| nual income OF 1925 900 with which to
| begin our work with any assurance of
| success. With this sum annual accruing
the several schools can gradually be built
| up to the highest degree of efficiency.
OUR FUND.
1t with require but slight examination
to show your honorable body that in the
present cond ton of our funds, now
| yielding only $2l 900 annually, we can do
| but little. The entire university perma-
| nent fund consists OF $500, 900 in state
bonds. Nearly half of these bonds are
yielding no interest and are
| styled of doubtful validity. And we have
also 1892 COO acres OF land; the 81, 600
acres are situate in the older counties and
| can readily be sold. The 100000 acres
/ are in frontier lands. 1t should be re-
membered that the said bonds and land
| constitute what Is known as the perma
nent fund and in no event can any of said
fund be used for any purpose, but the in
i
BILE for university purposes, So, also,
| any donation or appropriation now made
| by your honorable body becomes at once
part Of this permanent fund and we
j must await the accrual of the interest be-
| fore 1t could aid us in any way. You
| cannot make an original appropriation
| for any specifi3 purpose connected with
| he university save by increasing the per-
| manent fund and thereby increasing the
interest - the only available source
| Whence, then. can the required Sl25, 900
be derived? We reply:
| l. That from bonds CT all kiuds, includ-
| ing those heretofore improperly styled
''of doubtful validity" we can obtain
about S35 600 rer annum.
| By the term of doubtful validity is meant
| those bonds issued by the state TO the univer-
| slty in 1860 and due in twelve years. to repay
the S1OO, 600 in United States per cent bonds
/ borrowed by the state from the university
fund IN 1856, to be repaid when needed, and
1 which with interest to date would amount to
$1,000, for which the board respectfully sug-
geSt that new bonds at twenty years bearing
| 6 per cent should now be issued. 1t Is an hon
est debt due by the state to the university
/ bonds should be at once issued, and when is
| sued, the sum OF S35OUO can be annually Sc
2. We have now an offer from a responsible
/ syndicate to purchase the millionaire block of
\ land belonging to the university at 81. per
acre net cash, which If sold and invested in
Il
viii yield at least $4,000. But it Will require
| an act OF your honorable body authorizing us
TO sell or lease the lands, and we TASK action to
that end.
B. The 80, coo acres situated as aforesaid are
now being disposed of at good prices.
4. We ask in addition to the above sources
| of revenue an endowment of S1,00JO00 to be-
come a part OF the permanent fund. This
amount invested in bonds as aforesaid, when
| supplemented by the proceeds of the 5000
acres OF land also invested in like manner,
will annually Yield us about $4,000, making
| the required Sl25,0N annually arising from
| the permanent fund,
This donation now asked for is supported by
every consideration OF equity and public JUS
| tiee Had the university been left in posses
stages of her history. this appeal would never
/ have been made, but we would be able IN the
| fullest proportions to iuaugurate this great ed
ucational enterprise. The last legislature
| was asked by the board for 200 900 acres Of
| land-part OF the very fund once belonging to
/ yersity. The request was warmly endorsed
Il by the governor. Ii was known that those
i identical lands had been by law surveyed and
/ set apart either for the payment OF the public
/ debt or the university:
| state the lands, or a portion of them, ought to
have reverted to the university, II being utter
/ ly impractical to pay of the debt-the bonds
| were not redeemable. The lands were there!
Nobody sought after them but spectators
under The fifty cent act. The senate at once
passed the bill. Ii, however, failed in the
house through conflicting interests. In few
months thereafter all this land was filed upon
by specializing syndicateS at hfty cents per
acre SO, mucn was lost to the university, and
the loss was greater than can be estimated.
acres now belonging TO the university, and the
land lust sold at fifty cents per acre Is IN no