Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-12-18
ALFALEs YOUNG. EDITol
THE UNIVERSITY OF DEsERET.

This institution of learning has come
prominently before the public in the last
few days on account of the structures OF
the News on the Governors report and
the defense of the report by the Tribune.
We firmly believe that the institution has
been thoroughly misunderstood, and that
through such misunderstanding it has
been much wronged Governor Murray
vetoed a bill appropriating some thou
sands of dollars to the institution on the
ground that it was a purely sectarian
school. 1t is within our knowledge
that some of the members of
the Legislature which passed the
appropriation that the Governor
vetoed objected TO granting any money
TO the Univerity because it was an infidel
school, This clearly shows that there is
great misrepresentation as to the charac-
ter of the University. 1t is aninstitution
that has had to fight many prejudices,
and it has lived through its merits and
not through favor. Strong Mormons and
strong anti-Mormons have both con-
demned it. 1t is safe to presume that
this has been the case because it has not
made propaganda OF Mormonism or of
i-Mormonism, but has pursued the
even tenor Of its way as place of learn
ing. 1t is not the place OF the University
to teach the doctrine of any sect nor to
teach against such doctrines. In the lee
lures upon the growth and development
of Christianity it is necessary to show
what the doctrines of various churches
have been, and what has been their in
fluence upon the course of history. The
lectures upon the growth and develop
ment of religion are of much the same
nature as those upon the history of phil
osophy, but in all this there is no neces-
sity to be pro-Catholic or anti-Catholic,
pro-Protestant or anti-Protestant, espec-
tally in an institution that does not pre-
tend to be theological. The University
OF Deseret has avoided this SO far as our
experience and knowledge go.
1t is an institution worthy ofsupport and
encouragement, and it should be made
universal and Territorial The Uni
versity is not in the true sense OF the
word university, and cannot be
for many years, as Utah does not supply
students to maintain university,
but it is doing much towards that pre-.
paratory work which is absolutely neces-
sary before higher education can become
general. The University has been too
exclusively under the control OF the Coun-
Gil and House, and this has been an in
jury to it. We understand that bill
will be introduced into the Legislature
this winter to create the University of
Utah, and that this bill provides for the
transfer of all property belonging to the
University of Deseret to this new institu-
ton of learning. This bill provides that
the Governor OF the Territory shall be eT-
offcio Chancellor of the University, and
that the Territorial Superintendent of
Schools shall be e.r-oficio a regent. 1t
also expressly provides that the new in
stitution shall be non-sectarian. This is
as it should be, and will tend to make |
the new University far more popular than
the University OF Deseret ever was, for
that institution has had the reputation of
being sectarian whether justly deserved
or not. We hope this contemplated
change will be effected, and that the bill
proposing it will take into consideration
the peculiar condition of things in Utah
and make provision to harmonic these
conditions so far as the University is con-