The news & observer., 1897-01-28

4
gloomiest hour OF the American Revolu-
ton. 1t was revived when our fathers
| were taking up the task Of finding bread
to eat after the Civil Conflict and it
should be strengthened now when we are
searching amid dins and clamors for the
right clew to a changed social order. 1t
| is moor political economy to knock the
brains out of a community to save
| money. for brains is money We can
not wait to get rich to educate. We
must educate in order to get rich. Learn
this lesson from the great States west
of the Mississippi. They give annually
to their Universities as follows: Illinois,
$3330O0 Ohio, $250,000; Wisconsin,
| S273 900: Michigan, $4,000; Kansas,
| S100,000; California, $4,000; Indiana,
$4,000; Iowa, $4,000; North Dakota,
$37 900.
How can we hold pace with that civili-
zation unless we adopt it's method ?
Their creed is that brain creates wealth
and power.
Shall we hold another creed
The University does not intend to ask
for what ii wants nor even for what it
needs for broadest equipment, but for
what it absolutely needs for growth
As mere matter of meterial neces-
sity it needs;
GD. An adequate water supply for
health and protection from fire.
(2). Such a remodelling Of its library
as to make it a safe and worthy home for
its noble collection of books.
(3l. A small annual appropriation for
the care, repair and insurance Of its
buildings and grounds.
In its inner life it needs:
q. A Chair OF Political and Social
Science for the adequate study Of the
great problems Of society which must
be dealt with in the near future, finance,
labor and capital
(2). A Chair OF Pharmacy at small
cost to equip the youth Of the State in
that vital art.
81 A strengthening OF our Summer
School for teachers.
The University has not received a cent
of permanent appropriation from the
State in sixteen years though its num-
bers have increased two-fold in that
time Can the State make better in
vestment anywhere than in the care and
development OF this institution Can
the man OF means find better place to
hood of this University =? There is
socialism which Kisses at all wealth. |
This, of course, is the "red fool fury" of
the time. But wealth is a trust, for |
wealth is power and power can not be |
used whimsically. A man invests $240 |
in four years here and his dividend Is |
trained citizen who thinks and weighs |
things. A trained dog would come high |
er. Such giving is alike the highest wis |
dom and the truest immortality to the |
giver. 1t ennobles him and dignifies and |
decorates his posterity. 1t is the Repub- |
lican patent OF nobility.
The Deems Fund has already enabled |
$50 men to obtain an education. 1t will |
immortalize it's founder when every |
friend he ever knew and every sentence |
that ever came from his eloquent lips |
have faded from earth. The wonderful /
Columbian Exposition has toppled over |
like the structures of a dream, the regal |
wealth Of John ID. Rockefeller will scat |
ter with the years but the University OF |
Chicago, founded by John d. Rockefeller, |
will be working away at Western life as |
as the great Lake rolls at its feet.
The question is sometimes asked how /
does University serve a State ? and |
one sometimes hears doubts expressed as |
to the value Of the higher education. The /
question is usually heard in young COM
munities where such pride is felt in the /
self-made man. 1t might as well be con-
fessed that some college graduates are /
still fools, and it is surely true that col
lege cannot provide brains or monOpolize |
genius, but the fallacy is quite evident
Washington and Lincoln were not col
lege-bred, and they were surprisingly |
great Would Madison and Hamilton
have been better and greater men, If
they, too, had been unframed? Because
the genius of Shakespeare and Herbert |
Spencer and Thomas A. Edison asked |
nothing of the schools shall the schools
be closed? Because Walter Scott was
idle and dull at school shall a man per-
ceive with delight that his son is lazy and
stupid? The truth is that the creative
movements and the greatest men have
come out of the colleges. Religious lib
erty was born in a University. Isaac
Newton and Adam Smith and Lord Kel-
vim thought in the still air OF a Univer-
sity The influence of universities guild
cd the controlling emigration to this
country. its sons fostered the desire for
nationality, and supplied the leadership
for independence.
Forty-two out of the fifty signers of |
the Declaration of Independence were
college men. Three of the FIVE who draft
ed the Declaration were graduates
Thirty-six of the fifty-fve who wrote
the Constitution came out OF colleges.
Fifteen Of our Presidents, one-half of the
Senate and one-third Of the House have
been college men. When England wants
a Premier she goes to Oxford or to Cam
bridge. When God wants greater
preacher he goes to the college Men Of
genius and great force of will rise by |
their might everywhere but they achieve
their ends by supplying out of their own
force the defects of training. Every
man thinks higher education is a good
thing for him or his child and that set
ties the question.
Danish from your midst all that repre-
sents culture and learning; remove from
your pulpits the men of liberal education