The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1883-05-16
TIE UNIVERSITY or TENNESSEE

ITS USEFULNESS
Very much depends, as regards
the wide extension of the usefulness
of the University of Tennessee,
upon the active interest taken by
State senators and representatives in
the privilege given them by law Of
appointing to the institution two or
three students, tuition fee. 1t is
true of the whole State, but especi-
ally so of East Tennessee, that it is
becoming known to the world ont
side of il, As it was never known be-
fore Railroad communications be-
tween this mountain region and 9th
err States are being built or will pro-
badly in a few years be constructed.
| This region, traversed by fertile ard
beautiful valleys and rivers, lies in
the ways between the Atlantic sea-
I board and the populous, thriving
cities on the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers and in the Northwest. Chi
cago, Cincinnati, Louisville, st. Lou
is and Memphis, on the one hand,
and Richmond, Norfolk, Charleston
and Savannah, on the other, must,
in the progress of things, have more
railway connections and closer than
they now have, and which can only
be made through East Tennessee.
With such connections, the natural
resources in coal, iron, etc, of our
mountains mast be utilized. No
doubt we shall soon enter upon an
era of material movement and pros
perity, which viii be in strong con-
trast with the isolation and repOse
of this part of the land in the past.
How are We going to meet that era?
What are the people doing in the
way of educating their sons, so that
they shall be able to stand and do a
wise, good and efficient part in the
new condition of things that is COM
ing? East Tennessee has been shut
in heretofore, as it were to itself |
Soon, it can be so no more. The ris-
ing generation will find itself sur
rounded by circumstances very diff |
ferent from those in which their an
cestors have lived and moved and |
if it is not prepared for them, it will |
have to sink into obseurity and com
parative uselessness, or to disappear.
For it is not the mere animal nature
of man, but mind, that guides and
governs society, and enables one to
bear worthy part in the conduct
of affairs And if the conduct of
our boys and young men are not
properly trained and informed, they
can net fill the places and do the
work they ought to fill and do, in
aud for the State and the country,
in the coming years.
The State University at Knox
vile is amply provided with means
of instructing the young men of
Tennessee, in all sciences and Ian
guages and for the various avoca-
tons of life. But the people of some
counties do not seem to know of the
specially valuable advantages it af-
fords for the education of their sons, u
or they neglect to improve them,
although the pecuniary cost of do
.ng so is very small. THE GAZETTE
believes that this old and meritori-
BUS institution should have the cor
hal and undivided support of the {
people of all the counties of the
State, as we'll as of all the senators
md representatives, but more espe- ,
tally of the senators and represen-
.atiyes and the people of the coun-
les of the Eastern division Of the
State. But so far it has not had :
hat support. Facts before US show /,
/ lamentable unconcern as TO utiliz- !
ng the scholastic advantages with
,ur reach. For instance: there is one |.
tudent i'm attendance in it appoint
d By the representative from Sulli-
an county; one appointed by the l
enator from Washington county; !,
me appointed from Greene county !
W its representative three from =
two by its senator and one !.
" its representative; three from !
efferson, two appointed by its rep !.
and one by its senator, ,
nd two from Sewer, one each by its .
enator aud representative. But the =
enator in each case has the privil- ?
ge by law to appoint two students, :
nj each representative three. The \
representative of Granger county
as two students ready to send at :
he beginning of the next session, =
eptember 8, 1883. From the coun- =
es of johnson, Carter, Unicoi, Y
hawkins, Cooke, Hancock and Ham "
len there is no student appointed
v senator or, representative. =. ~
The aggregate number of schol- ~
rships to which the counties above n,
AIMED are entitled by law are A.
he scholarships filled are il, feav-
10 30 vacancies. But, by the cen /,
as Of 1880, there were in those y
,nnties about 10000 white male Il
ersons between the ages of ID and
|. To fill these 30 vacancies would
nly require that one in every three o.
undred OF those persons should be y,
for and desire the superior OF
lucation which is thus placed with d.
his reach, and bS appointed by m n