Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1901-01-09
WASHINGTON AND LEE
A Plea For A Larger Endowment For
This Famous Institution.

II Il Il
The New York Evening Post pub
llisAes a strong plea from Mr.. Herbert
| WEIGH. Of Philadelphia. in behalf OF the
effort on foot 10 raise az endowment
fund of 100000 for Washington aud
Lice University. Mr.. Welch says: "Thif
should be considered rather begin
ming than an end, for on endowment Of
81 100000 would be Rone TOO much tc
enable this old and most interesting
Scuthein institution OF learning to
equip men on Inc far side of Mason
and Dixon's line for the work OF life, as
that wolk must be done under the eT-
acting demands Of present day COM
petition"
Among those who strongly approve
the endowment project are eT-Presl-
dent Cleveland, Horace White, DIR. H
B. Frjssell, Of Hampton; r. Fulton
Cutting and William E. Dodge, VINO
have subscribed $1,000 each condi-
tional on $4,000 being raised; Oswald
Garrison Willard, and John 81. Con-
verse, of Philadelphia, who subscribe
81 600. conditional on 100000 being
raised.
Mr.. Welch says: "1he university is
already doing a noble work for the zoe
st. dents who gather under lis roof
It's spirit is pure and high; its moral
tone unusually excellent. Its corps q
professors, many of whom I bad the
pleasure of meeting personally, are
gentlemen and scho in the truest
secse of Il e term, an. ,Lelr society Is
M inspiration that must be FELT by these
whom they instruct, as it is by chance
visitor. Any WHO had the priv
lege of knowing the late President
wilson can easily under stand the spirit
Of Washington end Lee. The lofty
character of Washington, its virtual
founder, and Of Robert E. Lee, its re-
cent president, was fully sustained by
the gentle, brave man, the modest
scholar, Who has so recently, to the
regret of all, gone to hi rest. What
President Wilson was individually thai
Washington and Lee is collectively
arrest, thorough, broadm'nded, nour-
ishlng the best American traditions
whether in the realm of political, per-
scnal, or professional life. 1t is the
nj rapable spirit, after all, which fixes
the character of institutions even more
than the material wealth which gives
them their needed equipment. Wash
ington and Lee has the former, but il
needs more of the latter. It has these
fine trad lions; it stands in the midst Of
great naturhl beauty; here young man
can i've without unusual economy at al
annual expenditure Of about S4OO-a
tiA,ng sum compared wi h that needed
at one of our Northern colleges. The
university is educating vigorous, earn
e;l young men, Economically inclin-
ed-lhe bone and sinew of the South
Will not a spirit + practical patriotism
prompt wealthy Lien and women of the
! North to assist in developing this in
stitution?-if or no o her reason tkar
that it is increasing the volume OF in
rellectual and moral force in the South
still exhausted by the losses OF the
civil war, stands in so great need The
Gift to Washington and Lee OF com
paratively a few THOUSAND dollars, while
our Northern universe les are being
rightly enough, enriched by millions
will tend to preserve an educational
balance between the two sections q
our country. The need for such help
is especially found in the scientific
department and in the chair OF eco
n mics. Washington and Lee ought
to have a great technical school which
would make it the great center and ie'
generator of industrial life in the
South"