The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1894-05-03
THE STATE UNIVERSITY.
PRESIDENT WiNSTON'S LETTER
TO THE BAPTISTS.

4O SaE batlISIS.
He Replies to Communications Insin-
uating that the University is not
Friendly to shat Denomination.
From the Biblical Recorder.]
To the Baptists of North Carolina:
Various communications have APP
peared recently in the Recorder and
other papers, suggesting either direct
ly or indirectly that the University is
not friendly to the Baptist people
and their interests. There seems to
be feeling in some quarters that the
success Of the University means the
failure OF Wake Forest College. Such
result has not been produced in
other States, nor does 1t seem likely
in North Carolina. On the contrary
all of our colleges have flourished
together. From 1868 to 1875 the Uni
versity was practically closed. But
Wake Forest did not flourish during
this period, With the re-opening of
the University in 1875 began an edu-
cational revival. Since then Wake
Forest has not decayed in proportion
as the University has grown. On the
, contrary it has doubled the number OF
students and trebled its endowment
AS an educator and citizen of
North Carolina [ rejoice that Baptist
Baptist self-sacrifice, in esta blishing
and endowing Wake Forest, have adj
ded over quarter Of million dol
lars to the educational wealth of the
State. thereby enabling some two
hundred young men annually to enjoy
the benefits of higher education. In
stead of aiming TO cripple or destroy
such college, L would rejoice to see
twenty like it in North Carolina. The
State is made richer and our people
made better by all its schools and col
legeS. There is need for every one of
them and more. l rejoice in the pros
perity of the A. & M. College, with its
TWO hundred students, of Trinity, of
Davidson, of Wake Forest, of Elon,
of Guilford, of Yadkin, of North Caro-
lima College, of CataWba, of Weaver
vile, of Rutherford, of Peace, OF
| Salem of st. Mary's, of the Greensboro
Normal and Industrial, Of the Green's
boro Female College. of the oxford
Seminary, of the Chowan Institute, in
short Of all schools from the log cabin
| up. There is need for every school Or
| college that has stuuents.
Were | a Baptist. | would rejoice in
| the success of the State University:
| wouie rejoice and De exceeding glad
| that so many Baptist boys are enjoy
| ing it's great opportunities; that the
| two best scholars in the University
are Baptist boys, devout church mem
| bers, boys in humble financial condi-
| tion, one painter the son of paint
er, now educating himself by loans
| from the Deems Fund and from pri-
| vate sources; | would rejoice that so
| many Of the leading trustees and that
| five full professors in the Faculty are
Baptists. I would thank God and
| take courage that the Baptists are
Selling and using such fine opportuni-
| ties for culture and Improvement. |
would tell my people that they needed
| not only Wake Forest College and IL
| great Baptist Female University but
also the A. & NJ. College, the Normal
| and Industrial School for women, the
| University of North Carolina, Judson
| College and as many others as we
could use for the improvement of Bap-
tist boys. / would cry out 'open
wide the doors of learning and let the
| Baptist girls and boys go in"
| l have never desired nor attempted
| to toll away students from Wake For
| est. Last summer my clerk distrib-
| uted p, 600 catalogues, circulars and
pamphlets (alI printod) in North Car
DINA, Virginia. South Carolina and
Tennessee. They were sent broad
c2:3t- 4sbout ten thousand went to
pupils in schools and colleges, among
| them Wake Forest. [ did not single
out Wake Forest nor any other school
/ or college, l ordered them sent to
| all. l neither expected nor desired to
! entice students from other colleges.
AS matter Of fact there is only one
/ student in the University, pursuing
n-professional studies, who came
from Wake Forest. Ny purpose was
| to advertise our professional schools
| and graduate courses. Were it posi-
| bib, l would put a University cata-
| logue in the hands of every man and
| woman, every boy and girl in America.
| The fact that such documents were
| sent to the son of the President of
| Wake Forest College ought to show
| their wide distribution and the en-
| tire absence Of hidden designs on my
part. l distinctly state that | have
never knowingly solicited any student
| to come from Wake Forest to the
| University. On the contrary have
| distinctly advised several not to come.
University scholarships have been
given, and loans made and students
| canVassed for without inquring as to
whether they were Baptists, Metho-
| dists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians,
| Friends, Hebrews, Moravians, church
| members or non church members
| The University has been freely offered
| to them all. The Baptists are as well
come here as anybody else. They can
not afford to turn their back on the
University, and they are not doing it.
| Should they do SO, they would deprive
| their own boys of splendid opportuni-
| ties now freely offered them.
Let Wake Forest educate all the
boys it can. Let the University edu-
cate all the boys it can. There are
| more poor boys than both can help.
| There are five thousand boys of means
waiting to be inspired with love of
| learning. There is abundant harvest
| for all the reapers. The University
will soon establish a Commons Hall
with free lodging and board at cost
for needy boys. The poor Baptist
boys will be welcomed here too. l
| shall never refuse to help poor boy
because he is a Baptist, and | shall
hail the day when Wake Forest Col
/ lege furnishes education entirely free,
with a roll of five hundred students
and an endowment of one million dol
| lars. GEORGE Il. WINSTON.
The Position of the Editor.
L