The Daily telegraph., 1886-06-23
LOUISIANA UNIVERSITY.


other states, the funds TO establish an
Institution for Military Literary, and
Industrial Education. This endow-
mont came direct from the general
government: The amount Of these
funds was fixed and recognized by the
Constitution OF 1879, and, Of course,
such funds can never be despoiled or
diverted from the purposes for which
they were granted unless one state for.
feits her most solemn trust and repu.
dates her most sacred obligation. Yet
there are dvocates-Heaven save the
work--of such spoilation
The funds given by Congress are
SUFFICIENT to pay the tuition, to furnish
ample facilities for the highest educa-
tion to all who are able to pay the ex.
penses OF board and lodging. Thanks
to the munificence of the Government,
Louisiana, without expense to her
own citizens, has fully equipped and
furnished University. But unfoltus
nateIy most of our young and aspiring
men are unable to avail themselves OF
this splendid opportunity to obtain
high education. The University stands
with open arms but they are unable
to fly to her embrace. The facilities
are furnished--ths professors are paid
out of this Congressional fnnd-the
apparatus is all bought, and no tuition
Is required of any one. But all these
advantages are fruitless unless young
men can attend, and the intent and
object of the donor will be defeated il
students from the common people,
from the poorest classes, cannot attend.
It is from these classes that Louisiana
and Congress want to gather bright and
ambitious boys. 1t is from the COM
mon people that the best students
have come in the past aud we cannot
appreciate or comprehend the spirit of
meanness that holds higher education
to be too good for the Common People.
Ia view of these facts, the question
presents itself to our Legislature
whether or not ii is for the best inter-
ests of one State to provide means for
enabling 4 reasonable number of de-
serving and INDECENT young men to
reap the advantages offered them by
the Slate University and Agricultural
and Mechanical College Could the
States money be directed to nobler
and more profitable purposes :? Do
we not owe it to Congress to see that
its donation shall not fail of its fall oh.
ject for want of an adequate number
OF students /? Do we not owe it to the
common people-the poor people who
cannot send their children to this
University out Of their own funds,
no matter how bright they may be, TO
enable them 10 send, at least, one
bright but poor boy from each parish
in the State to share In the benefits of
the Governments bounty
We are rejoiced to see that these
considerations have had their proper
weight with the Committee on Educa~
ton of the House of Representatives
and that they have favorably reported
a bill TO appropriate $4,000 to restore
the Beneficiary Cadet system. This
appropriation will come out Of the
General Fund and will in no way
trench upon the school fund for public
schools. It will simply save that
much of the General Fund from mis-
cellaneous and probably unnecessary
and unwise expenditures. In the past,
this Beneficiary Cadet system has
enabled poor boys, who never could
0the rw ise have obtained an education,
to attain to the highest pinnacles Of
intellectual culture. This Beneficiary
system showered all its blessings upon
the Common People. A class that
embraces four.Afths Of the virtue and
natural talent In this country: Any
citizens of Louisiana who derides or op-
poses this system must be an enemy