The Daily clarion., 1886-02-24
Higher Education in Mississippi

Ale uEA GNNAAAANl Ia NlAobAoeAHHi.
EDITOR CLARION; | have read with
interest the four articles in Tug CHA
RioN Shy Wool Hat on "Our State
Financerand our School System They
have had the effect of starting inquiry.
inquired of quite number Of well-to-
do citizens farmers, merchants, ,meehan-
les and physicians Are you in favor OF
sustaining the State Colleges, male aud
female, by public taxationF lobtained
but one answer no! Some said II wasun-
Just, Others, that il was an outrage 20
tax he people for these institutions. l
remarked that the doors Of these iusti
tutious were open 20 all the boys aud
girls OF the State rich aud poor. To
this il was replied, In my county are
two hundred boys and about the same
number of girls that would like TO go
to these State Colleges, but they are not
able to pay the expenses for board,
books and railroad fare. If, OF this
number one boy goes 10 the University;
one t. the A. & NJ College, aud one
girl goes to the Girls Industrial lnsti'
tute, the three hundred and ninety
seven that do not 30, must pay their
pro rata OF the State expenses OF tho
three that can go, aud not only they,
but the poorest boy and girl in Missis-
sippi must he'p TO keep up these schools.
1t is unjust" The talk, that these
schools are free to all, msy tickle the
fancy of some good people, but in
fact, ii is II tantalizing sophism. Many
a boy would ike 10 20 into the show on
a half-ticket, hut even the tempting
offer is out of his reach. But IN respect
to our Free Colleges, every boy aud girl
that cannot 20, must help to pay for
the ticket Of him or her that can 60, A
physician said, that higher education
should be placed upon the same basis
AS the know ledge Of his profession. Let
him or her that wantsit, pay for 1t.
VIII not these State Institutions, 40
msgnGcantly equipped, prove u great
blessing TO the poor2 The poorl MOI
They have no money TO pay their board
bill while there. The few that go to
these schools can get the same advan
tage at any Of the Colleges Of Mississippi
Colleges that do not cost tho tax pay.
ers cent This talk about these Grand
Institutions, so nobly planned, so ele.
gautly furnished with all the modern
appliances and convenences at the er-
pense Of the poyertystlicken and lien
ridden people, being a blessing 10 The
poor, is wretched delusion. should
wise man utter vain knowledge, and fiji
his belly with the east windF' Shoulda
man Of common sense proclaim aschool,
blessing to the poor, when be knows
il TO be tn rich mans school and poor
mans burden?
II these State Colleges had to be sup
ported by private subscription, they
would hardly live a month. Blessings
TO the poor would soon be numbered
with the things that were, and aTgu-
ments in their favor would wear the
sickly hue OF death.
IN looking over the report on educa-
tion, by the Commissioner of Education,
at Washington, for 1882 SO, ! find the
educational condition quite cheering in
Mississippi. There were then, and are
now, two male Colleges, with 39l siu-
dents; nine institutions for the superior
instruction Of women, with ll05 girls,
and thirtyseven institutions for second
ary instruction, with 1854 boys and 1929
girls. This makes total OF 4679 stu
dents attending private and denomi-
national institutions that do not cost
the State of Mississippi one cent. Does
any man doubt the character Of instruc-
ton at these schools? or does any man
suppose that the deserving poor Of these
schools could be brought together In any
State school?
If the 4679 students in private schools
should attend State schools. and taking
the figures by Wool dat as accurate,
viz: that every girl al the Industrial
College at Columbus costs the parent
Sl462 per month, or Sl46.20 for the
school year, and she costs the State
1910 per month, or sl9l for the school
year, then the expense to the parents
for 4679 students would be SGs4, ,069.S0,
and the expense to the State would be
$S93, ,6S900. Yet they cost the State Of
Mississippi not one dime, and they are ss
dear to the parents as the girls at Co
lumbus, or the boys at Starkville or Or
ford.
No trumpet sounds the praise OF theee
institutions that have worked 20 silent
ly, 50 n0bly in all that can enrich the
mind. Two institutions, the oldest in
the State, and within ten miles OF Jack
son, with about $50 students, are per
haps unknown TO those who advocate
higher education at the States expense.
refer to Mississippi College and Cen
tral Female institute, institutions which
in accuracy Of instruction impaired,
and in breadth Of scholarship, are the
peers Of the proudest in the land.
How utterly imprscticable it is to pro
vide higher education at the States ex-
pense for this army Of 4679 students,
that TO day do not cost the State cent.
JUETUa