Birmingham state herald., 1897-05-19
OUR LETTER BOX.
No communications will be published un- der this head unless signed by the author Editor.
THE sTAlIE UNIVERSITY.

To the State Herald.
 So much has been said and written on this subject, that it may seem unneces- sary to add anything, but so much of a character unfavorable to the university is being said that silence on the part of the friends of the institution seems to embolden its enemies. Many things in the annals of the university undoubtedly deserve wholesome criticism, and in some instances censure, but there are those who in all seriousness are asking if the state ought to undertake to maintain university and are supporting the most savage attacks on an institution which has seen so many years of usefulness.
 Shall we break down and demolish this educa tional structure because, forsooth, the vandalism of politics and personal ambition has made blemishes and imper- factions, and the beauty of the institu- tion is thereby marred, or because the state supports it by the payment of money from the public treasury? As we'll may we think of raging the capi- tul, and discharging the executive de- partment from the further performance of it's duties to the commonwealth, be- cause, perchanee, some servant or ssr- wants have been guilty of misfeasance or malfeasance.
 The remedy is not in breaking down, but in repairing the breaks already made. Any fool may demolish, but an architect and an artist only can design and pre- side over the building of structure, which shall combine strength, symmetry and beauty.
 To estimate the usefulness of the uni versity we have only to inspect the roll of the alumni. Sixty-six years ago the university opened it's first session and thirty-five students were matriculated. Since that time many men of character and ability, and consequence in every walk of life, have gone forth from It's halls as living monuments to the great ness of the institution. Many men prom inert in affairs of church, state, ana education owe their greatness In large measure to the training received at this old school.
 What are the sources of dissatisfaction with cur university? One of the most prominent is the denominational school; we have also the demagogue There are other sources, but every one seems to be utilized by the denomira tiona. &ohooi on the one hand and the demagogue on the other. The denominational school is not the willing ally of the demagogue, but it's attack is readily utilized by the demagogue for personal gam, ana the attack becomes reactiorary in it's eHect.
 The averment that the denominations have schools with curricula equal if not superior, to that of the university should not be seriously considered. An lnspec- tion of the grounds, buildings, barracks class rooms, libraries. laboratorles, pp- servatory, and apparatus must appear to the sensible man that, with all these cor trivances and appliances the currlculOm of the university must be much more thorough than a curriculum CT eq1dl Eoii- inal grade at a school where tnsse dpplI- IT. ances are not to be found. Does eltner of the denominations schools CT AlS- bama claim to have as good an equlpihel'e as the university?
 If is argued that the faculty is not wE,at it ought to be-that the university is in this respect a hotbed of inildellty and atheism. Has it ever been asserted and maintained that infidellty or atheism has been taught at the university! IS if not dsmonstra ted by the laws and reg ulations of the institution that 1t recogo nizes God and the Christian rehgtons Does it not require the student to W@ol @ . . shin at a church of his own choosing The commonwealth recognizes God ana religion, but knows no sect. II sne members of the faculty do not comm 2 their teaching in proper oouhas, P,eLsa It charges to the trustees ana demahu tIie removal of the offenders. If they are morally unfit to instruct the youth or tbe state, make charges and specllca- lions, and cease abusing the university ir a. general way
 r1he most misleading and demago ogicaI reason urged against the maintenance or Inc unsveTsi4y is that it is supported by the taxes of the many to educate the sons of the few, when eff right sald taxes should tia used for the support of com mon schools and academies Can the sta te take away the support Of the uni versJity without bringing dishonor and liscredit on itself? What is the nature of the claim of the university for support from the, state? The endowment Of the university was accomplished by the do- nation, in trust, of certain lands by the state of Georgia. to the federal govern ment, and by said government to the state eff Afatarna. The acceptance of this trust by the state fer the benefit Of the university was made one of the cond!- tions eff AlaFa mas admission to tfe union, ard the stslte of Alabama is in- debted, justly and legally. to the universi- ty in the sum of seven or eight hundred thousand dollars, but from 1859 to the bast general assembly, the state has been paving only enough to cansel the interest on $500, 900 at per eentum per annum. or 1 if this rate is. excessive, say, the inter | est on $780, ,000 at 5 per centum per an- | num- The last legislature appropriated an additional sum for two fiscal years, | but declined to assume a. permanent obli- gation. Can the state cancel it's indebt- 1 edness by refusing to recognize it? Would not such refusal be not only dis