The clarion., 1885-11-25
FoK THE cLAKIoS.l
The Attack Upon the Girls College


l would make some suggestions rela-
tive to the article of Justice" i'm the
last issue of TaE CLARION The writer
has high claims to intelligence philan-
thropy and patriotism, and he has made
I o remark inconsistent with the best OF
motives on his part. | wish only TO con-
slider his views upon their merits with
out desiring to discuss the various ques-
tions that naturally call for consideration,
The simple meaning of the article Is,
that all of our public Institutions should
be brought down to the level of eIemen-
tary education only-that the State
University, the A. & NJ. College. the
Girls College, the Alcorn and the Tuga
loo Institutions, should be abandoned
by the State, and the funds annually
appropriated to their support, be with
drawn and aprlied simply TO training
in the rudiments of education.
| cannot believe that G, ,ntleman of
the writer's intelligence would become
the companion of such an onslaught
upon these institutions, but on the con
trary, feel assured that he would be
the first % arrest the iconocasIic hand
that would attempt to shatter the eduea
tional temples OF our State, which have
been reared by the hest people of the
age and who look with pride and graft
tude upon the great work which the
patriotism and the wisdom of our pre-
decessors have established and sustained
Be this as it may. the people of Mis-
| sissippi understand too well THEN inter
est and their duty to the present and
| future generations of youth to tolerate
exploded and left behind in the rubbish
of the past
The e, tablishment of public schools
| to teach the masses in the rudiments o.
| learning, points to the necessity oi
schools and colleges of higher order foi
the training of any and all who can Of
who will embrace the opportunity, anC
organizations are being for ed an,
will continue to multiply in the Stat,
to sustain such girls in the College, a
have not the d cans to- acquire tn
facilities for literary training as well a
for livelihood aehich no other school Il
he State affords.
Many lose sight of the fact that on
leading object is TO give the girls sue
training in variety of pursuits as vii
make them self-sustaining. If this boo
IS given to one sex, why not to tn
other2 Justice" for years past look,
On with complacency upon the establish
ment of the other institutions in OF
State. Why should he now open hi
batteries when an effort is made to Civ
our girls helping hand in the pathwa
nf lifef
Blu, "Justice" makes the complain
| a he h afl
yes" are afforded now by the State i
, propose to remedy this wei! known evil
1t is by destroying the University an
} Colleges of the State. Has he eve
reflected that while his policy wOul
strike to the dust these noble Institl
tlons whi"h are the pride of the Stat
and blessing to generations of you'll
he offers in his plan no substitute fC
them and no appreciable benefit to ii
public elementary schools?
The State of Mississippi now pays I
public schools, in proportion to popul
tion, more than any other State an
more in the aggregate THAI eth,
! Georgia, Alabama or Louisiana, whiC
C States are in like circumstances wit
e our own. The immense sum, amountir
> to nearly one million of dollors, is ann
e ally appropriated to the Free Schrols
! and yet hundreds of thousands of you
! have but the scantiest conceivable adva
G tages." Does he writer of the anicle su
4 pose that the few thousand dollars appr
e priated to the Colleges would make ii
a least Impression upon the enormous eS
3 in question:
D There are about 6000 public schools
' the State, supplied in the main wi
z teachers Inadequate to the intelectu
e demands of the children, because Il
$ meagre salaries aud the short time
= session do not command efficient teacher
j The means 10 secure teachers
, higher grade are not furnished, whic
Il with other potent causes, hold down Il
r system to the lowest standard A,
:. yet this writer imagines or pr
r poses to make things better by proce
y that destroys our best facilities al
r adds no appreciable benefits to Il
T. elementary schools. To raise Il
Il free schools of the State to Il
ideal standard that the writer pr
e poses, or that would make them VIII
d they should be, would require an i
s crease of taxation that would improve
e ish the State. The impos,ibility of il
d posing such a burden upon our people
s fatal to the gentleman's theories.
Y His quoting Mr. jefferson was qui
J. unfortunate for his argument, for NJ
o Jefferson is the houorcd founder of tn
y splendid Institution, the University
u Virginia. and there was no man in his d;
n who more spIendidly illustrated in h
e own chai acter and life, the superior exec
e ence of the higher Institutions tha
:, Edward Everett, to whose authority, I'll
b writer also appealed.
n The CLARION very properly remark
!, The public educational system is fault
in the extreme, mainly, we think for Il
e for the lack of money. The ma
), who will suggest a remedy II
r present evils, will immortalize himsel
: Bat it cannot be improved by attac
D ing the higher schools which are by f,
the better part of our system"
We have no fears in regard to IL
Z final conclusions of men like Justice
: whose judgment and action will be COZ
J trolled by facts and arguments. Sue
5 men will eventually yield heart
a support to the Girls Industrial Co
lege. 1t is to the men of Mario
e maintain a stubborn resistance to a
. appeals of patriotism or of duty. Sue
men when called to vote, will decid
! not by convictions of public interes
I but by their conception of the influence
5 at home, and how far such vote ma
! effect their next county election. Bl
. there is silent influence that will ou
live the dmands OF prejudice or selfsl
! ness. There are noble women who's
agency in originating and sustaiEin
; this enterprise, will be felt in til
private walks OF life, in the halls {
J Legislatures, and in every official station
! These noble women do not vote, bu
they think. They do not vote, but the
! Weld the pen of ready writers. The
do not vote, hut they pray and tai
and the politician, ere this controvers
closes, who panders to what he suppose
to be the popular breeze, will beg G
these noble women one small favor, an
that is, ''the charity of their silence"
TAXPAYER.
Col. W. III. MCCARDLE has been a,