The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-02-14

APPROPRIATIONS from Fepruary,
1884. to February. 1897 80. ESQ, $780, OF
Sam Houston Normal School
Appropriations from February.
1885, to February, 1897 S55.2s1 OF
| Agricultural and Mechanical
College
Appropriations from February.
1884. to February. 1897 ... 426.617.91
fOf this amount 1000 was
| from university fund.-.
University OF Texas
Appropriations to medical de.
partment from February,
1891, to February, 1897 49,. 24o, 900. OF
Appropriations to main branch
from February. 1889. to
February, 1897 ............ 163, SOC. OF
Total appropriations to uni
| verslty .............. $4O4, 400. 90
The foregoing summary discloses the fact
! that for an average period OF ten years the
State has expended in actual appropria-
tons of money from the public treasury
the immense sum of $7920,21S 81 for the
maintenance and Improvement of its vari.
Gus institutions of charity. education and
penal reformation, exclusive of the general
system OF free common schools and eXclu-
sivc of the landed endowment of the several
State asylums. This is II practical demAn
stration of the high and humane policy Of
/
proud. II tells in no doubtful language
the plain truth that this State Is not be-
hind any other in the liberal support of
every recognized method OF ameiorating
the Affections, diminishing the crimes ele-
waiting the intelligence. and mnistering to
the necessities Of its rapidly increasing
population, without regard TO race OF color.
and with an exact equity in the 1istribu-
ton of its bounty.
At the same time there are some other
facts apparent from the inspection of this
roll of bancfaction that should challenge
our attention Tor moment. OF the enor-
nous sum of nearly IS ,00o, 900 thus ixpsnd-
ed by the State, three fourths OF the amount
has been devoted to purposes that can pos
sibly bring hack no return to the State or
IT'S pcol-e in the way OF productive wealth
available resources or improved citi ,enship.
Only the sum OF $i,437 ,0iS.9l has been
pent in a way TO promise with any GER
tGinty that 1t will produce for the COM
monwealth reasonable return for the out.
/ lay. Whatever may be said Of public char.
tiles and penal establishments on the score
of humanity ard neccssity-and | would
lot for moment disparage the most lib
eral provisions in that direction the cold
fact vet remains that all sums thus ex-
pended are for the most part a dead loss
to the State from business point of view
The afflicted. the degenerate and the Grim.
inal classes OF society have been rightly
the wastes and burdens of social life" At
best we can only hope to make their at
hiciions tolerable and their viciousness
harmless. Instances of reformation or of
restoration to usefulness are exceptional
as hardly to be taken into account in the
general estimate of practical results.
What. then. should be the aim and policy
OF an enlightened government towards such
inevitable public chargest Clearly, to pro-
vide Tor them. since necessity and civiliza.
ton alike demand it: but obviously the ul.
Innate purpose should be to diminish the
burden and the expense by reducing the
number of those who swell the ranks of
the unfortunate or the lawless elements of
society.
What ! maintain. and wish to emphasize
today. is the indisputable fact that proper.
tionately the State is spending far more
money on the institutions that bring. and
can bring, no actual return for the OUTLAY
than she does upon those institutions that
are not only productive in themselves OF the
best fruits of civilized life, but whose i'm.
provement and influence are the most DO.
tent means of decreasing the waste and
burden of the charitable and penal estab.
lishments
II there be one need more than another
IN the present state Of society In this coun-
irV. IL is some method by which the capac.
itles ana aspirations OF the young men and
women OF our land can find healthy and
productive employment In departments az
INDUSTRY and enterprise that will relieve
'helh from the rigors and reverses OF com
pclltion IN an overcrowded market of aver
age age cuiture IN the arts and aspirations of
ny, an ehlclent system of public free
schools raises the general level of ponuIar
Intelligence and capacity and tberebv nro.
,lotes the highest ends Of human yocisty.
but at the same time II tends to plut the
general supply Of educated men and women
non ,"e sa,ne pane OF intellectual attain
,',u n ana TO lower the efficiency of the
average individual as a productive unit In
society In some respects there il not a
eat ulherehce In practical results between
great number of persons all alike and
,,oo numerous for successful sffort on
n,pn piano of intelligence, and the same
iectual culture. VI '"'e''
IT. rs precisely this defect or resu,, =, o,r
;nuucatlohal system that the uniyer,itv H.a',
,,,5"u.' 10 remedy. II Is the corroctiys
,,o;, t .ne complement Of tho educational
va gwen In orr public schools If
tbo ,n'eh'cd to furnish the ambitious and
moan N"ha"ie Youths Of the State with the
and VI "eVeioping their special talents
amu tas,es IN the direction Of usefui ,nd
pI"'netiVe branches of ,earnin, l., ~ go
""u soreness. IL vas mover n,nsrt =. ~,
",ele school for classical finish or nroras
framing. Whatever NAV he soi5 os
"u learned Professions" so-caIIoJ law
ducti,.n wv theology, they are not pro
avatiab, 'IIihgs' They add nothing TO the
, nna'ia , wealth and resources Of q coun-
10 lney are preseryative aud conserya-
Of sooi nhG ,,t their function. in the economy
VI s",iai mo Will rrobs bN neve- ba s,,per
nuuel or dispensed with. But II "a not
i nnt Sa TO descend to the place OF preya.
n ,v"' ,, neiiasoGy to pronounce that they are
deyaIon rouai factors In the real growth and
ueneiopment of states civilization and
e "a ,N curriculum should be EXPAND
vso :" include the departments OF actual and
,h,i INDUSTRY The higher branches of
hnEsles' chemistry and applied science tho
,",'iasIes OF electrical and mechanical on
peo,or me secrets and discoveries Of
soo,ngg and mineralogy, the wonders of
scientific research in every minute and
81 sn dotail--all these things are part
un, ,,@ symmetrical conception Of great
u uu,VeIslty and the University of Texas viii
not reach the ideal of its founders until il |
:, nave realized that conception. When
bora aus uOne 50 there will be fewer idle
T, empty heads and vicious hearts In
ieNhs' there will be fewer unfortunate AND