The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-04-15
THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.

THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.
DR.. Waggener, of the faculty of thu
university of Texas, handles Professor
Dinwiddie without gloves in the Apri
number of the Texas Review.
In the March number of the same Re
view, Professor Dinwiddie has an article
in which he deplores the proposed measure
to put the Agricultural and Mechanical
college of Texas under the control of the
regents of the university of Texas, and
declares that all such colleges with one
or two exceptions, which have been united
with a state university, have not proved
success. He says: "The pub.
lie sentiment of Kentucky has
recently forced a separation of the
Agricultural college of that state from the
university, ETC.
DIR. Waggener proceeds to cut his stand
ing ground from under him, by first de-
claring that the same illustration has
been made to do him service before, and
adding the simple fact, that Kentucky
never had state university. Transyl-
vania university at Lexington, Kentucky,
has been called the university of Ken
lucky" but, in fact, it has always been
under denominational control, and, on
account of religious disputes, the legisla-
ture declared by enactment a severance of
a state institution, the Agricultural
and Mechanical college of the state,
from the UNCONVENTIONAL university,
which was state institution only in
name.
The doctor then proceeds to trace the
organic law of both of these Texas institu-
tons, showing that the university of Texas
had an existence on the statute books of
this state ever since the 26th of January,
1889, and that during the intermediate
time of thirty two years, the university of
Texas was the frequent subject of legis-
lation. But as the general government
in 1862 gave certain amount of the pub
lie domain to each state for the endowment
of an Agricultural and Mechanical college,
and limited the acceptance of the gift to
July 23d, 1871, it became necessary to Or
ganize the college, which was done in
April, 1871, and on that day it legally out
dated the university, which was fully es-
tablished by the constitutional convention
of 1875. DR.. Waggener here remarks
that "a man sometimes finds it convenient
to build an l. before he is ready to erect
the main editice," as is we'll illustrated
by the present university building.
He farther shows that the agricultural
college of Texas has received $4,000,
a part of the university appropriations,
through the regents of the university
and he very reasonably thinks that the
regents ought to have the power to follow
the appropriation, and see how it is ex-
pended.
He also charges that the agricultural
college is sailing under the colors of the
university, as it has right to do, as
THE technical branch of the university
of Texas" which it really is, and which it
uses on all its letter heads. DR.. Wag-
goner claims that sit is one of the
branches of the university, and, as such,
should be supported to certain extent in
The same way that other branches must
De when established" and he claims that
he intrusion of any other board not sub
ect to the regents is an absurdity. He
hen says:
THE university regents will meet on
he 1lth of next June. A statement from
he comptroller will be laid before them,
giving an estimate of the income from
funds for the scholastic year. |
1857. Upon this estimate the regents
will make their appropriations, limiting |
hem only by the amount of the income |
The Legislature will meet in January of |
lext year. The directors of the Agricul-
ural and Mechanical college, an indie
pendent board, will come forward with a
laim on the university fund. Who knows
low much this claim will be? At the last
ession of the Legislature it was one-third
# the uniyersity's annual income Who
5 to decide what it should be? What
fleet will any appropriation the legis-
ature may see fit to make have on the ac-
ion already taken six months before by
he regents? 1t is evident that a posi-
ility of such an interference introduces
II element of uncertainty into the
management of the university that will
'ork mischief in the future. Professors
annot be employed, work cannot be be-
un, contracts cannot be made when. M q
very two years, changes are liable that
ill put it out of the power of the parties G
the first part to comply with their OBJ j
cations.
The only remedy, in my opinion, things