The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-11-25
MONTANA's STATE UNIVERSITY.

1t is to be hoped that no small or petty
policy will be adopted by the legislature
in locating the public institutions of the
state. There should be 10 bartering or
trading over this matter, and the first
move in that direction should be frowned
down at once by every public spirited
and patriotic member of the legislature.
1t is known already that Il ere are a few
men who will seek only the private or
sectional ends of their constituents with
out any regard to the eternal welfare of
the state as a whole.
The proposition is a very simple one.
The university should be removed en-
tirely from the field of %wrangling. IL it
is scattered about the state, as some men
propose, with the school of mines one
place, the agricultural college at another
and SO on, it will never amount to a hill
of beans and will not be heard of out
side the state.
In "A paper read before the Trainers of
the constitution at their recent meeting,
A.. j. Craven brought the subject for
ward in an impressive way, and proved
to the satisfaction of all who heard him
that the state university ought to be
made a grand institution with all its
branches concentrated at one place,
practically upon one foundation. Sep
arated it will never be a university at all.
but only a lot of scattered colleges of
little or no Importance. Consolidated it
will become in a few years one of the
great institutions of learning of the
country, the Harvard or Yale of the
west.
There would really seem to be no need
of an argument to prove the Importance,
the absolute necessity, indeed. of decid-
ing for consolidation. but it is a fact that
the enlightened friends of the univers
ty will have to combat the organized OPP
position of a lot of men who do not seem
to be able to see beyond the ends of
their noses. Some such men find their
way into every legislature. but we arc
thankful to cay that we believe they will
be in a decided minority in the coming
legislature of this state.
Great Falls offers many advantages as
a location for a great institution Of
learning. The sites it could present are
unsurpassed with its two magnificent
rivers. But the question of site must be
made subservicnt to the settlement and
consolidation Of the university at one
place, and the TRIBUNE believes that it
would be better if the petty rivalries of
cities could not be overcome to select a
site on the public lands far removed
from any city now in existence rather
than permit these miserable and unwOr-
thy motives to cause the division Of the
state university.
Missoula, and perhaps other places
also possess advantages which cannot he
questioned, and Great Falls declares
without qualification that she would
rather have the state university on the
tlathead lake, down on the Yellowstone.
on Lake st. Mary. or in the Yellowstone
park. and know that it was to be u com
pact and creditable institution than TO
secure two or more Of its branches for
location here with the consciousness
that the cause of higher education in
Montana was to be sacrificed 10y scatter
ing the Others about the state.
1t might not be "A bad idea for the leg
~islature to pass a resolution inviting
three prominent college presidents of
the country to come out and examine al!
the sites offered with the understanding
that the selection made by them should
be adopted by the state. and the uni
verify with all its component part finally
located thereon. II brhoOvrs the press
Of Montana to keep this SUI! ut before
the people SO that "a bungiiog mistake
may be avoided. 70 split the university
up will cause the state many years Of
humiliation and c~ilagrin and an endless
Train upon its treasury.