Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-01-17
OUR LETTER BOX.
WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH OUR
UNIVERSITY?
Editor State Herald.

Editor State Herald.
The above heading to article of well
Wisher," in your issue of today, is quite
pertinent. Many things in the article
meet my hearty concurrence, many
things in 1t are wide of the mark, but
'"Tis better to have said and missed.
Than never to have said at all.
The crisis is on. Now is the time to
speak Gov. Johnston has invited atten-
ton to the small attendance and drawn
comparisons with other institutions in
our state. Mr.. Fits, as the mouthpiece
of the university, has appeared before
the legislature and invited inspection.
The committee of investigation appoint
ed by the legislature has spent this week
at the university. 1t will probably make
| a report next week. The general as
sembly will no doubt take some action
| looking to the advancement of the uni
| versitys interests. We shall be disap-
pointed If something is not accomplished.
The world has lost respect for stagna-
ton. Whatever evil has gathered about
the university to thwart its designs or
impede its usefulness should by all means
be ferreted out and eradicated. Moth
ing conduces so much to this as thorough
investigation and discussion. Adverse
criticisms are sometimes most helpful.
Some of the brightest intellects we have
ever known, have waned and wasted be-
cause, petted and pampered, they lost
the spring of energized endeavor. Oppo-
sition and unfavorable criticism would
have brought into action all the proud
energies of their being, and would have
presented to the world the splendid
fruits of intellectual activities. AS with
individuals, so with institutions is there
good to be derived from adverse criti-
ciSms g.
To my mind the causes that have sub
tracted from the large attendance so
graphically pictured by "Well Wisher,"
are more complex than he seems to con-
slider. l do not believe he has more than
touched the most insignificant. Deep
down in the educational fibre of our peo-
pleN is latent cause. AS suggested the
fathers of the children in Alabama are
not wealthy class. and the true college
spirit engrosses comparatively few of
them. Business, make money, get
through with school as quick as possible;
these thoughts are generally uppermost
with our fathers of families. What is
the consequence? The high schools are
the pinnacles to our educational sys-
tenn. The young men rarely have any
purposes beyond them. This is lamenta-
BILE, but it is true. There Is a feverish
impatience abroad in the land that mill
tates continuously against the higher
courses of our colleges and universities.
This | believe the real cause of small
numbers. not only in our state university,
but in many other colleges in the state.
Our denomination schools are not ex-
strong forces of personal acquaintance
and denominat ional5 pride and influence.
Take the Baptists and Methodists of our
state for example. Each denomination
lays claim to membership of about 100,-
600. The two representative colleges feel
proud to enroll two hundred students,
an average of one student to every five
hundred members. Take Sewanee, and
with all it's intelligent support, with the
Episcopal bishops of all the southern
wi q Inr-at tn tn,
viting as can be found in the south, with
some twenty-five or thirty most able
cultured, enthusiastic professors, and
we find register of some two hundred
students. We could multiply examples,
but these are enough to show that the
University of Alabama stands not soil
tary and alone as the mother of a small
family of sons. They are enough to show
that the true college spirit is not so pro-
ductive of members as we all. in common
with "Well Wisher" would desire.
Take the graduates of our high schools
and note how many annually go on to
college. From our largest city schools
you can count on your fingers the aver
age number that go on to college, and in
most cities you can make the count on
one hand. Subtract from these the
spirits that go to college under the en-
thusasm of the novelty in the matter
who have no aim beyond the going and
who soon tire and quit, and you can see
the truth of my claim. -
Another cause against the university
one that has driven many noble young
men to other colleges, is the military I
do not intend to combat the military I
hardly see how the university with
rooms for boyd so arranged as now could
dispense with 1t. There must be some
check on boys at the age they usually at
tend the university. But just here comes
the point. Many young men are ambi-
tious for college privileges. They work
and save until they have means to graft
fly this ambition. Sometimes they are
nearing rs years of age, have acquired
manly habits dignity and earnestness of
purpose. To attend the university en-