The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-02-04
TO BE Or NOT TO BE.
The Bloomington University Criticised
by a Caustic Pen.
Objects of Public ApPropriations-BIoo
ington Held to Be an Ineligible Site
advantages One-sfded and
in Favor Chiefly of Mon
roe County.

task for paragraph in his sketch of few
days before. As Rob Roy has not answered,
Will, with your permission, comment
briefly on the question whether the State is
getting adequate returns from her Bloom
tngton investment.
Granting it to be the duty of the State to
the expenditure therefor should be for the
greatest number.
The beneficiary college of public appropri-
atoms should be by location as nearly CEN
trail as possible, that no one border of the
State shall be nesdlesslY further from it than
the opposite border. 1t would, manifestly,
be unfair to the lake counties to have State
university on the OHIO, aud vice versa
When all the counties are taxed for its sup
port they should, as nearly as possible, en-
Joy equal accessibility. 1t is not the policy
of any county to have it's Courthouse stuck
away in a remote corner, nor of q town or
city to have its postsffice Ocated in a sub.
urb. And though the location may have
been eligible when the place was small, if
increased population and extent create
another center, the postofice will be re-
moved to it.
About seventy years ago, when the total
taxes collected in Indiana amounted to
about 81, 600 and when three .fourths of the
Territory was occupied by Indians, Bloom
ington was near the center of population
and an important town. 1t was then that
the Territorial Legislature at Corydon, the
seat OF government, selected Bloomington
as the site of a State University. The Seat
of Government has been removed from Cory
don, the center OF population has shifted,
but Bloomington sits Just where she sat then
But believe ii may, without economizng
on the truth be added that BIoomington's
streets are no worse nor her population less
when the University pupils are present than
when Corydon was the Capital.
Let us discuss the eligibility of Bloc ming
ton as Stats University sits by the latest
published report of the Board of Trustees
that of 1884. The attendance numbered
l43 pupils, of whom Is were from other
States, leaving 12S to Indiana or the 90
counties in the State 10 less tn an one-half
were represented in the attendance. OF
these 43 counties 30 are located south and IL
north of the middle of the State. The 80
southern counties send liz pupils to the Uni
versity, while the IL northern counties send
hat 16. The southern half of the State en-
Joys, therefore, something more than so per
cent OF the benefits of the University, and
there are 40 counties of the 80 deriving no
benefits whatever.
But of these 128 Indiana pupils. SO are
from Monroe County, of which Bloomington
is the county seat. So it follows that the
single county of Monroe is receiving over %
Der cent. OF the appropriation for which the
81 counties are taxed to support the . nj
veIsity at Bloomington. OF the S23 900 ap-
propriated by the State, Monroe County gets
the benefit OF So 440, leaving sic $50 for the
tt
would give less than $lS2 to each. II, new,
is added the benefit Bloomington hotels,
boarding houses and stores receive from the
presence OF the students, and the collateral
benefits Monroe County farmers and
gardeners enjoy, who can wonder that the
county and town plead for the University.
Why has the State University at Bloom
ington 112 pupils from the southern half of
the State and but sixteen from the northern
half? The reason is obvious: The UNIVERSE
ty is inconvenient of access TO the northern
half of the State. Bloomington is now, too
remote from the center-the postoffice 10 left
il. q suburb.
Is it fair, is it Just, that ninety.two coun.
ties in the State should be taxed to furnish
high grade education for pupils of forty
three counties? Neither Vigo nor Tippeca-
noe sends pupils to Bloomington, yet Vigo
pays S42 So State schoolitax, and Tippecsnos
S3hll5. Marion County, paying Sl23 205
State school tax, has three pupils al tue Uni
veTsity.
The truth is each populous locality has a
school OF Its own whose curric alum is not
enough inferior to that of the Bloomington
University to justify the paving of con.
siderable railroad fares and board bills to
send pupils to Bloomington. 1t is also ap-
parent that the people of the State do not
look upon that University as a necessity to
adequate education. The High Schools of
the Common School system are esteemed as
providing all the instruction required by
the young.
The University at Bloomington is really
maintained for the benefit of the more
favored OF fortune. The poor in ether Sec
tons OF the State can not take advantage of
its instruction. Only those who can afford
several hundred dollars per annum for
board, railroad fares etc. can attend the
Universliy. The free tuition is not available
except to those who do not need the gratu-
lty. 1t occurs to me, also, that the extern
sion Of free university course 70 citizens of
other States as is done by Bloomington
university at the expense Of Indiana tax
payers, is straining generosity.
The great American idea in education as
well as politics is THE PEOPLE. The establish
ment OF schools for q class smacks of Euro
pean royalty, We have no nobility here.
Appropriations should look to benefting all
conditions Of school children alike. Nor
does il appear that the high grade colleges
are essential to the turning out of statesmen,
scholars and heroes. The greatest men the
Nation has produced have not boasted of a
'sheepskin" from the University at Bloom
iDgton. While fsvoriDg public schools l
would have them public in reality as in
name. look upon universities maintained
by States as class institutions for only the
wealthy.
Still if wiser opinions insist on supporting
State University, the question of more
central location should be considered now.
before the payment OF another dollar. III
the State really wants TO extend university
privileges to the young of the State, AID tax
All the counties for doing so, then let the
University be located in some attractive
town ia the central part of the State. And
let il be q live town, infusiVe of energy,
cheerfulness and progressiveness in the
students. n. II. n.