St. Landry democrat., 1886-07-03
The State University.

In Thursdays issue of the Capltoliau-
Advocate we find the following:
After hearing the addresses of Messrs.
Sntherlin, Strickland, Caffery. Ran
dolph, Boyd, Robertson, Strong and
Hunter, composing the alumni Of the
committee reported favorably on the
bill re establishing the beneficiary cadet
system and appropriating $4,000 for
the same. Each country parish is to
furnish one cadet, and Orleans twelve
and $50 toward his maintenance.
We confess to some curiosity to know
what arguments the gentlemen ad-
vanced in order to convince the COM
mittee that it would be right for them
to recommend this appropriation.
Many thousands of dollars have been
taken from the pockets of taxpayers
of Louisiana since the war to sustain
regular appropriation OF $4,000 wear;
and it appears to us that this would he
sufficient to satisfy the most exactlng,
but the everlasting cry tor more Is
heard at every session of the l-eglSla-
ture If our public schools were III It
fiourishing condition if the State was
free from debt; if Il majority of our
people were in prosperous clrcumstau-
ces we would make no objection to-
reasonable aid being extended the
University. But it is notorious that
this is not the case. In addition to the
taxes levied to pay interest Oh the
public debt and for carrying on the
government, many of our cltlzeIs III
various portions of the State are sub
lect TO levee taxes, and others scattered
in all parts of the State have barely
the necessarieS of life. Excepting
those schools which are aided 10y pll-
vate contributions or where the school
fund is increased by a special tax, our
public schools are little better than It
farce Forty dollars il month is the
highest salary paid teachers, and the
schools are kept open only three months
III the year.
/ Under this state of affairs, we sub
init that it will be simply a shame and
an outrage for the Legislature to pass
/ this beneficiary bill. The children OF
the republic should receive good En-
elish ducation-enough to make them
/ intelligent citizens and to enable them
| to pursue the ordinary avocatlons OF
f. life Beyond this, the government has
no right to go. There is no justice i'll
taxing the toiling masses to sustain
universities which their children will
never be able to enter. 1t young
man without the necessary means
wants a college euucatlOD, let nlHl cdIH
/ the money to pay his way, as hundreds
of the worlds greatest and Doblest
men have done.
Should the bill under consideration
become law and the parishes appro-
pirate $50 additional for each cadet,
grand total of S34,5 OF public money
will be going annually into the treas
ury of a university which has from
its foundation been an oppressive ana
unprofitahle burden on an impoverished
and tax-ridden people.
We have but little patience With
this beneficiary business We fail to
see the utility of spending the peoples
money in any such manner. The
average beneficiary, after teaching
two years for salary, quits just as
he begins to learn how, and then con-
tinues to repay the debt he owes the
State by filling lucrative and honor
able office-if he can get one. Al
most any of us would do as much.
and if beneticiaries are in the habit OF
doing more we would like to know
it.
Our educational system is top-heavy.
Instead of removing the University to
Alexandria, let the proper steps be
taken to abolish it IN toto, and put the
money thus saved where it will DO
most good-in the school-houses OF
the people.