The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-02-08
APOPULAR PLEDGE.

The Democratic platform speaks in
nowise equivocally upon the subject
of endowing the state university. 1t
says:
q. We declare that a liberal provis-
ion should be made to endow with the
public lands set apart for the payment
of the public debtor the proceeds or
the sales of the Same--the state uni
versity and its branches, but in no
case should any portion OF the COM
mon school lands or fund be used for
that purpose. We further declare
that the debts due the university and
common school funds of Texas, de-
nominated as of doubtful validity,
should be recognized and paid, with
the interest due thereon.
Here we have the direct pledge
in behalf Of endowing this
great institution Of learning. which
must. if properly endowed. be
come one of the grandest in America
The constitutional provision for uni
versity is that ii shall be f-rc insti'
tuition of learning for tho t'Ith oil
! Texas: that az its fountains vi learn
ing not only the rich hut the poor may
drink, and drink freely, of that
which elevates and ennObleS man
that the Texas boy. who Graves higher
learning. shall not have schools of sci
ence and philosophy closed against
him. but that in bis own state ne may
find them open and able u aic
in his search after knowledge
Tho constitution makers made
this pledge. and the Democrats
OF Texas. seeing this copstitu'
tional promise ignored, entered the
breach between wsvering legislatures
and the people and solemuly pledged
the power of the Democracy Of Texas
10 the accomplishment Of the end
aimed at. This one act of the Democ-
racv entities il 10 the lasting
gratitude of people. and now il be-
/ hoveS the agents selected by these
people. on pledges made by them, to
provide for the university--make II
what the constitution declares il shall
he. To raise the university tn what il
should he, to give it standing among
the institutions of the world, ii is
necessary that il at once be endowed
with an annuity of at least Si2o,OOO
To make the endowment less would
be TO say to the regents that they
shall not employ first class professors,
that they shall not start with
men in charge OF the
schools Of the university with
capacity to place il alongside the uni.
versity of Virginia. beside John Hop
kins and Harvard, and Yale. and the
other great educational institutions
but that they shall employ ordi-
nary men. that they shall have or
binary appliances, and thereby make
that which should he first second, a
third, or even fourth or fifth rate in
stitution under the false name of uni
versity. The reasons for the plank in
the Democratic platform are obvious.
From the beginning of the creation
of a constitution for Texas the ne
cessity for a state university has been
recognized by our constitution makers,
and the people have ut successive
elections ratified what was so promised.
Now the Democracy has promised
to make good the oft repeated doc
trine, and it remains for the governor
and the legislature, the chosen agents
for the execution of this pledge, to act.
Delay has been heretofore most
dangerous. and hence the move
should be made at once. That it will
be we do not doubt. Gov. Ireland and
majority of the legislature are not
made of such stuff as ruthlessly to
break the pledges upon which they
have been chosen to Office.