The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-12-08

Captain Camm Patte.on Makes an Earnest
Appeal for Legislative Aid.


The people of Virginia are confront
cd with a most important condition Of
is made to the Legislature of Virginia,
The recent burning Of the rotunda and
the anneXt was not only a state but
national calamity. This appeal for aid
IS made TO the Legislature of Virginia
not from sentiment or sympathy, but
purely on business principles.
1t has now been mere than three-quar-
ters OF a century since Tho. jefferson first
originated the idea Of a State University
in America. il is true mat Harvard
and Yale were partly based on the same
idea prior 10 that time. and the farmers
Of Massachusetts and Connecticut con-
tributed by a tax I'm Kind 10 the support
of these famous institutions, for which
they have been repaid more than
thousana-fold, but Sc remained for the
great intellect of Mr. jefferson 10 clab-
crate the idea, until Mr.. Bryce, in ms
celebrated work, The American Com
monwealth." abiding TO the principle
states that il is not unlikely that the
State university in the West would be-
come the leading educational force. IL
is true, as an educational force" that
il is every day becoming stronger. i
lay IL down as a principle OF intelligent
government that State universities should
be- supported by taxation. This prn-
ciplc IS admitted in Virginia by the enor-
nous tax We pay FOR primary schools,
which furnish only the rud.ments OF
education. \ stronger reason exists for
the support of the University of Viz
ginia The protection of property IS by
no means the chief and only purpose
Of taxation. Even, however if this
should be true. still the tax would be
cmiuenuy wise judiclous. ana proper,
because IL IS now well settled that the
advancement Of education undoubtedly
prevents crime
In the appendix 10 prehistoric Times,
by Sir John Lubbock. viii be found
statement showing that of four thousand
four hundred persons incarcerated for
crime, only seventy-one were well-edu-
Gated men, and the vast majority were
people Of practically no education. RMS
teaches q great and salutary lesson and
justifes taxation for the promotion OF
education. The University OF Virginia
as an educational institution has, per-
haps, in many respects been the greatest
success on the American continent. As
far as the State of Virginia is concerned,
ii has repaid more than one hundred
fold every doNar which has been spent
upon it, For many years. il has given
in its academic departments tuition abSo-
Iutely free TO all Virginia students, the
value of which is far in excess of the
annual Appropriation. ! can point 10
numbers OF instances where the free tut
ton has made eminent scholars in both
classical literature and science. The
success has become so signal that the
principle has been adopted by many
other States Of this Union. Four years
ago the University OF Wisconsin voted
So 900 year to the support of that In
stitution, with only one dissenting vote,
and the present year IL voted an addi-
tional sum Of $4,000 a year, again with
only one dissenting vote. This is an
example which the Legislature of Viz
gina well may emulate, for the Jnivcr-
sity Of Virginia is not only State but
"a national institution. II Is a fact that
all OF the great universities of Europe
are under State control. and those on the
continent OF Europe are supported by
public taxation. The University OF Nir-
ginia embOdies the great principle OF
an union OF the Church and State. II
is not school for Methodists, for Epis-
copalians. for Baptists. or Presbyterians
or Roman Catholics. il is the institution
for all: for here all can meet upon
an equal footing. This was sublime
conception Of the immortal Jefferson
whosel name will forever live IN the
pantheon CT history" Il cut al one fell
swoop the Gordian knot which had
hitherto bafned the world. II Is en-
phatically not a political institution. No
professor is ever asked his political
opinions, either before or after hts cleo
ton. 1t Is conducted on a plane high
above the political arena
1t almost always has number Of stu