Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-04-24
Towards a Fund Of 100000
for Moving Delaware Col
leSG From Newark TO
Wilmington.
OFFER MADE BY VIM. P. BANCROFT
tits Contingent U pom the Entire
Amount Being Raised--Be-
lieves the College Could
Do Much More Work
in Wilmih gton
Than in Newark.

lowing Interesting letter:
wilmington, Dell, Fourth Month. 18th,
1902 Prof. Eugene W. Manning, Delaware
College, Newark, Del.-Dcar Friend: While
feeling little confidence in my Judgment IN
the matter and my other engagements do
not admit Of my giving much thought TO il
II ann Of the opinion that IL Delaware Col
lege could be moved to Wilmington and put
in u strong position here it. would be able
to do very much more work than al Newark.
suppose the trustees could not properly
look toward moving thu college without
assurance Of Il litrge amount Of assistance.
| have Thought thlit perhaps the minimum
amount of Silch assistance which would be
requisite may be stutod a5 follows;
FiSt. Sufficient land in Il good location
for buildings.
Second. 4 farm within two or three miles
OF the college, buildings, on a trolley road
which will make convenient connection be-
tween such buildings ana The frl1n.
Third. contribution ot, say S5%a,0W.
portion Of that amount TO he put into build
iIlps and equipment and the rest invested as
endowment
| cannot properly devote tiHle TO the
matter, but II competent persons who cnh
give itatientioM allouid uttempi such Il move
meit,l will he willing to give $4,000 as part
of such contributions. This offer is Of
course. contingent on the whole amount
being raised.
am writing with the Understanding that
no one is shut out OF the college because Of
unwilingness, ON account of considerations
seruples, 10 take nilitarS training. | shull
not be willing to be Il contributor if snch
should not he the case =
If the college should be brought to Will
minRtoA, il may perhaps properly, outside
of and in addition 10 the above, receive
some assistance from the city. As an adj
junct or supplement 10 the public school
system, il woukl certainly be worth Il few
fnnuspnR flpilaI4a n paSt,nntft1itt
Willium r. Bancroft.
1t is understood that Il formal move
ment will soon be inaugurated, with
the object of securing the removal of
the college to Wilmington.
The renewed effort to have Delaware
College moved from Newark to vii.
mington has caused the question to be
raised as to whether military in
| struction at the institution is COM
pulsory.
While it is generally accepted that
military training is one of the features
| of the institution, an army officer being
assigned regularly to that work, It
would seem that it is not compulsory
| upon the students to take such train
| ing, should they have conscientious
scruples or be physically disqualified
from taking such instruction, Judging
| from the following paragraph in the
printed catalogue: MILITARY Science
and Tactics All students, not in the
senior class, arc required to take mill
tary instruction. Exemption is granted
by the faculty, only for physical dis
ability or conscientious scruples. The
| great benefit of the exercise thus taken,
and the fact that it Touches habits Of
| promptness and obedience, aside from
the better fitting OF young men for
patriotic duty in time of eneed, gives
the subject peculiar Importance and
value. Members of tho senior class
may, at their option, take the military
course, but they must signify their
intention to do so at the beginning of
the collegiate year, and, must for that
year, unless excused by the faculty,
remain IN the military department,
subject to its rules and regulations
Three hours per week, throughout the
year, are given to this course. y
This official announcement would
seem to settle the NATTER although the
first act of Congress granting an appro-
priation to tho institution, known ~
the first Morrill, act, passed in 1862,
contemplated making military in
struction u feature of the work at the
college. This act, which granted to
each State 30, 600 acres of land, or it's
value in land scrip, for each Senator
and Representatives in Congress, as an
endowment fund, the interest-not less
\ than > per cent to be used, provided
that 'all moneys derived from the sale
of the lands aforesaid by the States ia
which the lands are upportioned, and
from the sales of land scrip herein-
before provided for, shall he invested
in stocks of the United States, or Of
the States, or some other safe stocks,
yielding not less than five per centum
upon tho par value of said stdcks, and
that the moneys SO invested shall con
stitute perpetual fund, The capital
Of which shall remain forever un.
diminished Except so far as may bs
provided in section fifth Of this act
and the interest of which shall lie in.
yiolably appropriated by each State
which may take and claim the benefit
of this act, to the endowment, support
and maintenance of at least one college
where the leading object shall he, with
out excluding other scientific anC
classical studies, and including military
tactics, to teach such branches o.
learning as are related to the agricul
ture and the mcch9nic arts, in sucf
manner as the Legislatures of thu
4
:. States may respectively prescribe, il
, order to promote the liberal and practj
.. cal education of the industrial CLASSES
in the several pursuits and profession
in life. -
The military provision in this section
Y may be construed, some persons think
? as being incidental, while others are d
! the opinion that it is an express pro
, vision making military instruction il
n a general sense compulsory. Senate
Morrill, of Vermont was the author d
o this act, his object being to propiG
!, collegiate education for persons in tn
, industrial, as well as professional
$ walks Of life. Delaware's share Of thi
& land grant was 10000 acres, one fo
0 each Senator and Representative i
y Congress, which yields an annua
q income of about IS, COO, which is pai
y to the institution semi annually by th
e State, the custodian vi the fund. Th
Q State treasurer looks after this mattel
n and, while the money comes from hi
' department is is really from th
o Federal government.
n An act passed. ny tho General Assem-
IS bly,, February 18th, 1869, reincol
% porating che college, provides tbs
% ''IhC leading object of said colleg
% shall be, without excluding otht
h scientific and classical studies, an
vs. Including military tactics, to teach sue
II branches of learning as are related [
" agriculture and the mechanic arts,
. order to promote the liberal and pract
cal education Of the industrial classI