The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-11-06

and therefore the duty of the General
Assembly is to provide that the bene
fits of the University shall be extended
as far as practicable to the youth of the
State free of expense for tuition; that
is, that State provision shall be
ample to pay the expenses of the Uni
versity so as to extend the benefits to
all who may likely attend, by lower
ing the tuition to all and by giving free
tuition to the deserving poor and az
aicted. This has been the uniform
construction put upon these articles of
our Constitution by the General AS
sembly from 1879 to the present time,
and it has been ratified three different
times by d direct vote of the people of
the State, viz. in 1868, 1928 and 1875.
Now thiB is all old, as old as the State,
and the persons ~contending for any
other construction are running after
novelties.
Again, the management Of the asy-
lums for the insane, the blind, the deaf
and dumb, is given by the Constitution
to the General Assembly. Why7 An
swer, because the Sta.e maintains
these institutions. The management
and control of the common schools and
of the University is by the same in
strument vested in the General As
sembly. Why's Because the State is
to maintain them. This much as to
the power and duty of the State to
maintain the University.
There are two objections generally
urged to the State maintaining the
University. We will notice one of
these now and if your patience is not
too severely taxed We may, at some
future time, call your attention to the
other.
First, "It is maintained by the many
for the benefit of the few" Il is
frankly admitted that it is impractic-
able for every young man to attend
the University-some must be ex-
cluded but what is the principle Of
exclusion so far as the University is
concerned9 Is it poverty or difference
in fortune9 Are the rich admitted and
the poor excluded because of Univer-
sity policy9 Who will dare say 500
The only question the University asks
is, can the candidate pass the necessary
examinations he prepared to enter
upon it's studies9 All who answe
these questions in the affirmative are
admitted whether poor or rich. The
free schools may not be able to prepare
a youth for the University and neither
he MOI his friends may have sufficient
money to pay for his board and
clothes, and therefore he cannot come.
Yet he is excluded not because of his
poverty but for want of preparation;
and because he must have food and
clothes. 'All that a be said is, that
Providence has cut him off from a
liberal education. He is not in a o
dition to reap the advantages of per-
sonal residence within its walls" If
the University was an absolutely free
college, so far as tuition is concerned
still many could not come, for want of
the means with which to purchase
clothing and board. The University
is doing all it can to educate the very
poor, by scholarships, loans, and tax
ing the individual notes of young men,
SO that it is very rare that a young
man if prepared is turned from it's
doors. In fact, so liberal has the man
agement of the University been that
it has been charged with admitting
too many of the poor youths of the
State to it's halls, and this has been
made a ground of attack. Again, We
must remember that our Constitution
| gives the reason why the University
should be maintained, to wit, "Relig-
ion, morality and knowledge being
necessary to good government and the
happiness of mankind, schools and the
means of education shall forever be
encouraged"
1t is therefore for the benefit of the
few who attend the University, but to
promote good government and the
happiness of mankind, that is, for the
benefit of the whole community, the
University is to be sustained. "Those
who are educated are educated not for
themselves, but for the advantage of
the commonwealth as a whole" 1.-The
many are not taxed for the few, but
the few are trained for exalted useful
ness and extensive good to the many"
Educated men are the leaders in all
progressive movements; they are in