The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-04-03
THE STATE UNIVERSITY.
Benefits Derived From the State n
priation-- Advantages and
Disadvantages.
GUILFORD COLLEGE, N G.

LUIGI oppTOpElaS1On OF SSO,UOO TO the
State University. A discussion of this
appropriation will necessarily involve
those also made to support the A. and
M. College for boys and the Normal
and Industrial School for girls. The
whole question can be summed up in
making the issue upon the justice in
any State appropriation to institutions
of learning OF higher grade than the
public schools" a topic which should
command the careful consideration of
our best citizens regardless of profes-
sional, political or affili
ations; from which standpoint the
The revenue of a State are presumed
TO be derived from a uniform system
of taxation levied upon the poll and
property of it's citizens, hence in a
strict sense of justice no appropriation
can fairly be made from this fund
which does not carry pro rata benefit
to the taxpayers There are two ways
by which benefits can be conferred, /
e., directly or indirectly. By the
former the benefit must be contributed
direct from the treasury of the State
20 the individual recipient in tangible
or traceable way, while by the latter
it's course may be 80 circuitous as to be
almost, if not altogether, impercepti
ble No statesman will for q moment
question the validity and equity en-
braced in the direct system of appro-
priRtiOns, but Is sorely puzzled as to
right and wrong IN the indirect sys
tenn. And in no case will a true states
man resort to the latter system when
the ends can be as fully reached by the
former. The advocates of State sppro-
priRtions to the institutions of learn
ing before mentioned can only base
their claims for the same upon the in
indirect system. Hence if it can be
shown that it is practicable to make
these appropriations from the State
Treasury reach each child OF school
age in the State in a direct way. it will
be not only unjust but crime not to
make our educational system conform
thereto. To the writer it is unaccount-
ably strange that statesmen should fail
to.apply to any department of govern
ment the same principles they see so
successfully Incorporated into other
organizations. Take for example a
cotton factory for spinning. In mill
of this description the scat OF power Is
the engine of which the driving wheel
is the exponent. Now the problem is
to make q direct distribution of this
power to every piece of machinery
necessary in such a mill, extending to
the smallest spindle in the most remote
part of the building While it would
not be feasible to run belt from the
big driving wheel direct to each spin
die, yet by a system of shafts, pulleys
and belts this connection is effected In
a most satisfactory manner. Our sys-
tenn of public education should be con
structed upon the same principle. The
object sought for is to make positive
connection between the seat of knOwl-
edge and every boy and girl of school
age in the State. for the purpose of be
slowing upon each one of them an
equitable share of knowledge. This, as
in the cotton mill, can only be accom-
plished by a system Of shafts, pulleys
and belts. The shafts are the schools,
the pulleys the pupils, and the belts are
the funds to support the pupils which
bind them to the source from which
they are derived.
The seat of knowledge (pOwer) Is the
faculty of the State college which,
metaphorically, represents the master
wheel which is belted onto shaft No. 1,
the State college. On this shaft (No.
u there ia at least one pulley (pupID
from each county. The belt that con
meets each pulley with its county is the
contract on the part of the pupil to re-
pav the loan made by his county for
his support at the college, by giving a
stimulated amount of his or her service
as teacher in he county academy.
These academies are for instruct1ng
teachers for the district schools and
represent shafts No. 2, on which are
pulleys (puoils) from each school dis
trict, which pupils are supported at
the county academies under cOntracG
to repay the same by teaching In tne
district schools, which schools repre-
sent shapt No, 8, Cthe spindle frame) to
which is geared each spindle or child
in said school, and the belt that Olnds
the child is the implied contract to
| ,,o-eo,,,,, o,,oI, d,1ties in the sChOOlrOOm,