The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-17

time by that splendid man and patriot Isham w. Garrott, who gave up lis life for the State in the great war for Southern independence. as the ooliest and most unheard of robbery that had ever occurred. Was It a settle ment? Let us see what /subsequent legislation has done. In 1859 or 60 another act was passed. There was still a controversy between the State and it's University. The University still con tended that the State owed it money, and in 1859 or 1860 (and I have the acts here) another act was passed in which the State of Alabama by the solemn enactment of its Legislature dec.eed that 1t owed the University $300,DO0 and would pay eight per cent. per anlum on that amount so long as the military discipline was maintained there. If the settlement of 1S43 was fair, why did the State in 1859 :aIse It's debt from $250 1000 to $500, ,0G0?
 Let us go further. In 1896, lot of gentlemen interested In the University came to the Legislature. They came with the appeal of the alumni of that institution. which was proposed by that old Roman, James H. Fitts, and asked the Legislature of Alabama to right the wrongs of her great institution. MT. Fitts, In that appeal, demonstrated the fact that the State of Alabama in all justice and all equity and all right. owed the University more than 900. IA bill was passed by the House of Representatives, by a vote of 50 to S1, which acknowledged that debt and agreed to pay the University three per cent. upo nthat amount. That bill was killed in the Legislature by execu- tive interference, and the miserable ptttance of ten thousand dollars a year was put in the appropriation bill by reason of the defeat of that measure. Then commission was ap- pointed. The legislature. the agent of the State. which had made two settle ments already with the University. ana which. by their own action, they ac- knowledged to be wrong, appointed a commission to investigate affairs. That commission met. A majority and a minority report were made from it. do not question the integrity or the purpose of the gentlemen who com posed the majority of that commission They believed they were right. but they acted upon the principle that the State of Alabama was not the trustee of this fund. but that the University was one arm of the government of the State. and that any losses that might
 
 deposited in the State treasury, could not be charged against the State, be- cause she was not trustee. And up- on the theory that the University was an arm of the State government, the majority of that commission decided that no debt was due. Call an insti- tuition an arm of the State government when for seventy years the State gov ernment has crippled and injured and impaired the usefulness of that arm by strapping 1t down and holding it fast by meagre appropriations? But the minority of that Committee, a that ever lived In Alabama, pr. Flu gene A. Smith of the University of Alabama. reported and demonstrated by his figures, that. taking the report of the majority of this commission as true. and upon their own figures. the State of Alabama then was indebted to the University In the sum of more than eight hundred thousand dollars. Those reports went to the legislature; they were printed and laid upon the desk of every member and were refer red to the Committe on Education of the Senate and House. and those Com mittees reported to the Senate and House as follows:
 Your Committee on Education to which was referred the majority and minority reports of the Commissioners appointed in pursuance to the joint resolution of the two houses of the General Assembly approved Feb. 18th. 1s91 beg to
 Report that they have had the same under consideration in connection with the reply to the majority report, which was filed with the Committee by the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of the University and repre- sentatives of the Society of the Alumni. which accompanies the report. Ard your Committee further
 Report, that, owing to other duties, 1t .has not had time to investigate the matters of law and facts contained in said reports and reply sufficiently to come to any conclusion that is satis- factory to your Committee.
 Your Committee Ohe Committee on Education of the Senate concurring) recommend that the said majority and minority reports and reply, be spread upon the journal of the house for the informa tion and consideration of any future legislature"
 90 that legislature, following what hau been done. admitted that the ques- ton of the indebtedness oi the State to the CHlNeIblly Was sun all OpcH question. The friends of the Univer- slty contend that the State owes that vast amount of money, but we do not ask you, gentlemen Of this Con- Vention to acknowledge that debt. We asK you simply to put us in position where we will be removed from poli- ties; where We will not have to come every two or four years to the legis Iature and beg tor ten thousand dollars to prevent three chairs of the UniVer- sity from being overturned and de- stroyed. I know men have said that the University is nothing more than hlgh school. It Is no more a high school now than it was in the past. You must judge an institution by it's results. Look at the men who have come from 1t; Clement C. Clay and Jerry Clemens, and Governor RoSArts of Texas, and Herbert of the present day. Look upon the floor of this Con- vention. and leaving myself out of the calculation, there sit upon the floor Of this Convention thirty graduates of the University of Alabama, and l say to you, without fear Of contradiction, thas in all the clements that go to make up a perfect mani cod, they measure man for man with any thirty delegates up on this floor In all the walks of life, In Congress. at the bar, in the pulpit in commercial and business and agri- cultural life. the sons of the Univer- sity are the prominent men of their section and their counties. An insti- tution that has done so mach good work will do good work in the future.
 Now. it has been said that 1t is un-