The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-09-12
@eekIp Statesman,
THE UNIVERSITY.
AUSTIN. TEXAS.

The University opens on the 10Th
inst, and it is expected will have an
attendance of over three hundred stu
dents this session. The regents are
to meet in Galveston on the 18th for
the purpose of accepting from the
city the site for the medical branch to
be established there, and taking steps
to put it into operation as soon as pos
sible. While in session at that place,
or at an adjourned meeting here, they
are expected to fill the chair Of Latin,
vacated by the resignation of Prof.
Fontaine, for which position Prof.
Cooper is strongly urged from all Sec
tons of the state, and in deferense to
that generally expressed desire, as well
as on account of his fitness for the
position and the prestige the appoint
ment would give by reason of his pop
ularity, he will probably be elected.
Indeed, his appointment would seem
to be just acknowledgment, without
any concession, of the reasonable de-
mands of the people, that preference
be given to their own hNorite-a
native of the state, whom they
are won't to honor-and whose cleo
ton will certainly promote the
University's interest more than the
selection of any other of the promi-
nent and accomplished gentlemen
who are candidates for the position
The popularity of any public institu-
ton largely depends upon proper def
erence to the expressed wishes of the
people, and no better opportunity for
making such acknowledgment has
ever offered in the history of the Uni
vetsity. Still, while THE STATESMAN,
in common with all the Texas papers,
would prefer Prof. Cooper, it will not
complain of any other selection which
the regents, in the exercise of just
discrimination, may make, provided
no mistake is made in the character
and qualifications of the appointee.
The University, in the face of much
opposition from rival institutions, is
emerging from the embarrassments
which this opposition has thrown
around it, and its rivals are realizing
at last the folly of their opposition,
and that the University is bound to |
be a great success, and that its glory |
reflects their glory in one glow of as
ISOLATED factorage as state institu-
tions. Even the farmers are realizing
and acknowledging that the Univer-
sity is as much a farmers university
as the Agricultural and Mechanical
college is farmers college, while
withal a far better state of
feeling exists between the di-
rectors of the college and the regents
of the University. The election of SO
popular q gentleman as Prof. Cooper
to the chair of Latin and making it
full professorship will go a long way
farther towards eementing the general
good will.
The finishing of the grand center
building adds largely to the accommo-
dations of the institution as well as to
the elegance of the imposing struct-
ures which constitute the main Univer-
sity at Austin, and with the Agricult-
ural and Mechanical college at Bryan
and the medical branch soon to be es- !
tablished at Galveston, it is fairly an !
ticipated that our home educational ad- {
vantages will shortly stay the tide of |
Texas students and Texas money that i
s spent abroad by them at institutions q
tut OF the state amounting annually 2
% hundreds of thousands of dollars.
All that is needed to do this is friendly q
egislation and the kindly considera- 1
ion of the public, and to make our I
'wn University as attractive to stu r
ents as any University in the United
tateS