The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1889-10-24
I'D MGW5
ARE WE sr1NGY pr POOR:

+ The recent discussion in the Lu-
t4eran Synod at orasgeburg, Of the
prospects of New berry College, and the
proposal to put financial agent for
She college in the field, have set US to
thinking about the financial condition
of our Southern colleges, both state
and UNCONVENTIONAL.
There is no doubt about it, our col
leges are poor, much poorer than they
ought to be.
While many Northern institutions
are rolling in wealth, and count tneir
endowment by millions, hardly a
Southern college can be found with an
income from permanent investments
sufficient to support three professors
and many of them have no endowment
worth c.untlng. :,
Where any endowment exists at all
it is the aggregation of hundreds OF
small subscriptions, wrung from tne
people by the urgent personal appeals
of financial agents.
Erskine College, founded i'll 1889, ano
doing good work for the State ana Ine
world ever since, after a half century
of existence is struggling along with q
pitiful endowment Of about elgney
thousand dollars.
Furman University, founded in 1884,
or earlier, and Wottord College,
founded in 1851, the institutions OF the
two strongest denominations III sou1n
Carolina, are not much better on, ano
Newberry College much worse of:
The only college in the State that has
ar, endowment that amounts to any
thing is the College of Charleston, with
three hundred thousand dollars, more
t,,an half of which it owes to the mu'
nifieence of Ephraim NJ. Baynard, a
wealthy planter who in 1885, gave tc
the college one hundred and Sixty
eight thousand dollars.
Now why is this? Were we' before
tho war. and are We now So much
rsaorer than our Northern friends? Ii
IS true that we lost heavily by the war
but many men in our midst have naoe
money, and numbers have accumu
lated large wealth, yet for nearly thirty
years. with the exception OF Mr.. Glenn
son's beouest, there has been no git
donation or bequest to any educatlona
institution, Of sufficient amount u
merit public mention.
We dislike to ascribe this fact te
sfin9iness and it seems Incompatible
with Southern character, but W.
hardly know where else to look for she
cause. -.
Fhe- men who have more wealth
than they know what to do with can
not surely be ignorant of the pressing
I needs of our educational institutions
Their wants are being constantly pre-
sented to the people, and most piteous
Zzad hunailiating appeals made to th@
Generosity or the claFiea5iiee, tshei'
behalf. Whatever the cause, the fac
still remains that our rich men do no
and will not give to schools ane
colleges.
There is certainly no nobler or more
profitable use to which large wealth
could be devoted. In no other way
can man so surely and permanently
benefit large numbers of his fellowmen
and bless his State and Country.
Stephen Girard, Johns Hopkins
Leland Stanford, and hosts Of other
3 have erected monuments to themselVe'
more enduring than brass, and which
viii continue to add new lustre to theil
names and sacredness to their memo
ries. ..... ...
Though their gifts do not approach
the regal magnifcence of some, thf
names of our Clemson and Baynard ar
worthy to be mentioned with any
for they were actuated by the same
noble ambition which has built st
many grand Colleges and Univers'tie'
& Gathe North and in the West.
We hope that the time Will sooI
--eome when the example cf these noble
men will have its effect, and South
I Carolina and the South need no longel
blush for the poverty of her colleges.