The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-21
INDIANA UNIVERSITY.
A Second Chapter experimenting the
Statement of Mr.. dickinson.

To the Editor of the indianapolis Journal:
The people of Indiana cannot be too
thankful to Hon. Isaac Jenkinson for his
brief and accurate history of our Indiana
University as 1t goes. Government gave
township of land, the State accepted it,
chartered a seminary and gave the whole
township to it, and, under different char
tiers, it has been doing business at the old
stand seventy-eight years, in the exclusive
enjoyment of that land and its proceeds.
That is chapter one Chapter two contains
this additional information. There was
nothing in the grant or in its acceptance
that required the state to supplement its
proceeds with state aid, and there was new
err word of promise in either of the three
charters that the state might. could, would
or should so supplement them, and, as
matter of fact, it never appropriated a dol
lar towards it for forty-seven years. Chap
ter two further shows that though the Con-
stitution of 1916 required the Legislature TO
provide for "a system of education ascend
ing by regular graduation from township
schools to a state university" nothing had
been done by the state for the higher edu-
cation further than to provide for county
seminaries and to see that the school at
Bloomington received the entire proceeds of
that government grant, not dollar was
ever appropriated to it or promised it.
Chapter two further shows that in the later
forties the trustees of that school made fire.
Quent unavailing appeals to the Legislatur
for appropriations, such as the Legislature
of Michigan was making to her Ann Arbor
school, and that such an appeal was before
the Legislature in session simultaneously
with the convention of 1851, and that, to for
ever put an end to such appeals, Hon. T. A.
Hendricks offered resolution in the con-
lon, rc1n faTr.1G
from making any class of schools above
the common schools "a charge upon the
State and that few days later Hon.
Joseph Ristine offered one to abolish the
county seminary system and the State Uni
versity also" and that, in answer to these
instructions all that related to regular
graduation up to state university was
eliminated from the Constitution. and as
showing what was implied in this elimina-
ton, as then understood. the county semi
naries were all sold and the university new
er applied for a dollar until 1853, not even
when suffering from loss by fire, but went
to selling scholarships and TO otherwise
hustling just like other private corpora
tions. Chapter two further shows why the
appeal for aid in 1868 failed, showing that
the State Board of Education, composed of
such men Morton, Brett. Athon, Rugg,
Hord and the identical Ristine who had Of
fered the resolution in the convention Ito
abolish the State University Also would
not indorse it. and it shows that in conse-
quence at the instigation of the university
the. state board was reconstructed in 1865
and made to consist principally of those
who were to be benefited by appropria-
tions, and II further shows that at the very
next Legislature after the reconstruction,
the university. that had not, in its forty
seven years, ever received dollar, got an
appropriation, and that In the years follow
ing ii has received more than two millions,
including the state endowment fund, and
is now receiving from the State about $780,
000 a year, not to mention the quarter OF
million now pressing need for plant
and an indefinite sum for additional camp
us and notice served in the report OF 1896