The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-12-23
MONrANA's UNIVERSITY QUESTION.

night to the time Of assembling of the
legislature.
DO the people of Great Falls and OF
Montana realize the Importance Of the
coming session. and the fact that the
first and greatest question to come be.
fore it will be the one paramount qucs.
ton: Shall the state university be con.
solldatcd ia a manner to make it a blcs.
sing and a credit to the state. or shall il
be distributed in the form of a lot of
small and insignificant schools or col
leges' that will bc a nuisance and an in
cumbrance:'
All other matters that will come before
the legislature this winter pale into utter
insIgniticance when compared with this
one grand, ovcrshadowing issue.
AS usual, there will be in the lcgisla-
ture men who know no more about the
present needs of the state or its ultimate
requirements in the matter Of higher ed
u~cation than a suckingjpig5 knows about
astronomy. These men will be first.
last and all the time for separation and
emasculation because their puny intel
leCts cannot conceive of anything higher
than local self interest, and the selfish
demands of the cotcrie to whom they
owe their election. They will demand
the placing of the agricultural college
here, the school of mines there. and the
Normal college somewhere eise.aand will
work early and late to defeat the wise
designs of the people. which, have in
mind a grand state university like that
Of Michigan or Pennsylvania.
Because of these overZealOus and mis-
lighted senators and representatives to
formulate some plan of operations before
the eleventh hour to Grustrate!their mar
row-minded schemes andsto bring before
the people the facts iirst:lThat Mon
tana demands a consolidated university:
and. second, that the state scontains
location.
There can be no question that the
state will look to Helena for ID good deal
Of guidance in this matter. : Its people
have no notion Of trying to secure the
university for their " city but as they
have more leisure for Reconsideration
of such questions and fully comprehend
the need Of uniting the, state educa-
tional institutions it behoOves them to
make IA plain and clean-cut declaration
IN this point which can not be'mistaken
by anybody. The leading men of Butte
and all citizens there who have given
the subject close attention are in favor
Of consolidation. Great Falls is IA unit
for it, and cares not where the,sitc may
be so long as the interests of this great
commonwealth are subserved for all
time by a university foundation which
will be an honor to the state and an in
spiration to its children.
School men. teachers and officials Of
tie public school system should form a
united army in this cause. There is yet
time for them to prepare a petition
signed by every pupil in the schools. and
by every parent in the state in favor of
university consolidation. and THE TRIB-
UNE believes that it is not unlikely that
such IA plan is already on foot, though no
announcement Of it has been,madc. for
the educators Of Montana:are intelligent
and progressive men and women, and
there is not one among them SSwho be-
licvcs in higher education WIN is not in
favor of "A grand. consolidated state uni
versity.
Another agency that mightsaccompllsh
IA good deal is the collcge-bred men and
women who are residents of the state.
Let them form themselves into clubs or
societies in every community, wait upon
their representatives who will so soon be
required to act on this matter IN the leg
islature, and appeal to them in the name
Of the future greatness Of Montana to in
sist upon the doctrine Of consolidation
before permitting any action which looks
to the locating Of state educational in
stltutiOns.
THE TRIBUNE has always been earnest
and %Outspoken on this question because
We regard it as the most vitally import
ant Of any before the people.
BosroN has sent a corps of physicians
to Europe to investigate the cause Of