Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1885-06-20

system Of common schools and school
of higher grade. embracing normal, pre-
paratory, collegiate and university de
partments," and in another section re
quires the establishment of State Uni
versity, "for the promotion of literature
and arts and science"
It is noticeable, too, that these thret
constitutions indicate q growing senti
ment in favor of public education, tina
of 1853 embodying far more definite ant
mandatory requirements than the ont
framed in 1855, and that of 1859 beins
even more specific, exacting and pre-
emptory than the constitution of 1858
The educational article of the Topeks
Constitution includes four sections, anC
occupies only fifteen lines in the Gan
nals;;" the same article in the Leaven
worth Constitution embraces nine Sec
tions, occupying thirty-three lines; and
in the Wyandotte Constitution the ed.
ucational article includes nine sections
occupying forty-seven lines.
On the other hand, the article on ed.
ucation in the Lecompton Constitution
the only organic law framed by the
advocates of slavery-is ambiguous in
language and feeble in direction. It is
permission rather than mandatory. Its
five sections occupy but seventeen lines,
and require only that schools and the
means of education" shall be encour-
aged by the State" and that the Legis-
lature shall establish zone common
school in each township"-that is, one
for every 23,240 acres of land. This
would give the county of Douglas four.
teen schools. It now has nearly one
hundred. No requirement for schools
of higher grade, nor for University, is
embodied in the article.
1t is not strange that the contest be-
tween these two civilizations resulted as
it did. Although the one was sustained
by all the power and authority of the
National government, the other had ed
ucation as its ally, and made intelligence
the most important stone in the founda-
ton of the State. The men who brought
freedom to Kansas brought in her train
the school and printing press. Fighting
slavery, they fought ignorance also; up
holding liberty, they upheld her true
friend and ally, learning.
The browning glory of Kansas. from
that day to this, has been her schools,
embracing those of every grade, from
the rude dug-out on the lonely frontier
to the stately buildings on Mount Dread.
These bright children of the State are
her jewels, and she can point to them
with pride equaling that Of the Roman
mother-for they are worthy of her as
she is Of them-worthy of her love and
fostering care, as well as of her pride.
There is, occasionally, complaint that
tho Stoto 10 not 1ihorol ~ ho
tons made for the University. But the
figures, think, will not justify this as
sertion. In 1866 they amounted to
$1,000; in 1876 they aggregated $22,519,
while for the year 1886 they reach a to-
tai of $63 900. Kansas is young, and has
not yet accumulated vast wealth. But
surely such allo wances as these do not
indicate Indifference to the welfare
of her child. It is not
yet nineteen years since the first build
ing for the University was completed,
and the institution at that time had only
four students enrolled. Less than thir-
teen years ago the present main building
was occupied, and 239 students were in
attendance. During the year just closed
521 students were enrolled. The growth
of the University, it will thus be seen,
has kept pace with that of the State.
So it will continue in the future. And as
Kansas is destined to be the greatest of
American States, the University, her
child, will, in time, rank first among the
American institutions of learning.
1 can fairly and truly say, too, that
this child Of the State has pretty large
family of bright, intelligent children
young men and women who proudly
hail it as their dina Mater. One meets
them now in nearly every section of the
State, engaged in almost every honorable
law, journalism, medicine,
education. One of the grad
yates of the University is, for the
first time, member of it's Board of Re-
gents. During an extended tour l made
through the State last year, found
them scattered far and wide, and 1 am
glad to say that wherever l met them,
[ heard good reports of their conduct.
The air on Mount Dread is pure; the
winds here are strong and free; and the
young Kansans who have marched down
from these heights to engage in the bat
tie of life, are active, stirring citizens, not
only doing honor to their Alma Mater
but contributing their full share to the
good work of making Kansas a strong,
pure, liberty-loving, law-respecting, and
prominently intelligent American COM
If this good record is maintained as
the years 60 by, no friend of
the University need fear that
It will not continue to grow in
he helpful esteem and confidence of a
generous people. For after all, the rank
and value of this institution will be
measured, not by the size of its build
ngs, nor by its collections of books and
nor even by the eminence of
is faculty, but by the conduct ard Ca
GERS of those whose intellects and char
lcters have been trained and formed I'M
Ter its direction and discipline. And if
Zach year adds to the number of young
men and women who. going from those
halls into the everyday walks and ways
If human endeavor and duty, win for
honorable and respected
names, the reflected luster of their use
illness and exultatio1 will shine upon
his stately building as does the sun in
lis daily journey-the glad morning of
heir triumphs bathing it with bright
less, the full noontide of their worth
md renown flooding it with warmth and
plendor, and the majesty of their de-
lining years shedding upon it the graft