The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-02-04
TRANSIENT RATES.
TUESDAY. FEBRUARY 4, 1902.
Weather forecast for Fred
erickSburg and Vicinity:
Clear and colder Tuesday.
AN uNsOLvED MYSTERY

AN JNSOLN I'D MlSIEkl.
1t is hard TO understand why the
State OF Virginia should pay out OF
her Treasury, annually, such large
sums OF money for the maintenance
of the Medical College of Virginia.
The FREE LANCE does not speak
thus because ofany animosity toward
this institution; on the contrary it
has the highest regard fOrevery mem-
Der OF it's Faculty, but there is prin-
ciple at stake for which We have
always contended, to-wit Equal
rights and privileges to all tax-pay-
ers. Under the present system OF leg
islative appropriations the Medical
College Of Virginia has received during
the last fifty-eight years the sum Of
| 1913, 900, of which $44, 600 was paid
to that institution during the last
decade What have the taxpayers
1.-THE real givers of this large amount)
received in return?
In 1894 the Faculty of the College
agreed TO educate ten State students
annually free ofcharge, except matric-
ulation and diplomafees and in 1897
the number of free students was
increased to nineteen, with the under
standing that these nineteen recip-
tents of free schooling were TO be
selected by the State Senator's.
These are the only visible returns
that the tax-ridden people of this
Commonwealth have thus far received
for this immense amount of money
The proposition which we make is
plain and practical one, to-wit 1t
is unfair and unjust TO burden all the
taxpayers Of the Old Dominion in
order to annually enable nineteen
young men to practice medicine.
But some may say the Medical
College OF Virginia is State institu-
ton. Admitting that, we ask: Why
should the State run an institution
at an annual outlay of So, 600 (see
appropriation for 1901, and free
from city and State taxation amount
ing to $3.50 per annum, in order to
educate nineteen young doctors?
1t will be seen at a glance that the
cost to the State per student is
$313.22, while the actual value OF
one of these scholarships Tin equally
as good schools) is but S53.6S.
If it is necessary to spend over
$500 to prepare young man for the
practice of medicine in our own
school, would it not be much cheaper
and more business-like to purchase
nineteen scholarships from some
other equally as good institution
when they can be secured for less than
$50 apiece.
This is not a mere sentiment, it Is
q business principle. No parent
would pay $500 tuition for his sons
education when he could get inst as
good for $50. Ought the State do
otherwise?
1t is also wrong and exceedingly
unfair to expect all the people to
educate a few.
Thousands OF parents in this Com
monwealth are practicing great econ
omy in order to educate their sons
and daughters. Should they be com
PEELED to pay an annual tax also for
the education OF these selected nine
teen? 1t certainly seems unjust.
As we view the subject, the proper
thing for the Constitutional Conven-
ton to do is to provide literally for
our public school system and close
up every State school that can
not be run without an annual APP
preparation, unless that school will
give to the child of every taxpayer
equal opportunities for securing an
education.