The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-11-25
Cetters tc tbe Gdftcr
THE SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY.
areensboro's Side of the Question is
 Argued.


 Tor some time published utterances of some of Montgomery's citizens, laymen and preachers seeking to build up a sent iment and to inaugurate movement looking toward the removal of the South ern University from Greensboro to Mont- gomery. At first, the citizens of thls place were inclined to pay no attention whatever to those utterances, taking It Tor granted that with tomorrow the ef- fort would be abandoned. the ideal for gotten, and some other enterprise would nave right Of way in your paper. Such seems not to be the case, however. Near " every day we have been furnished with utterances of citizens of your city, all having In view the removal of the Soutn- ern University to Montgomery. So 1t is, the people of Greensboro, who have been giving of their money and substance to the support and maintenance of this in- stitution. while others away from here gave to it nothing more substantial than their best wishes, have grown restive un- der the continued efforts on the part of some of the citizens of Montgomery, to foment dissatisfaction with the progress of the institution at this place.
 Our people are not inclined to sit idly by and permit this movement to be con- summated without a protest from them. It is true. only too true, that Greensboro is a small town, with not over 2.5Oo ln- habitants, but every one of them IS loyal supporter of the Southern Univer- sity. having given to 1t largely of their
 
 friends, who have by virtue of their works and deeds a right to be heard tn the councils of the church, are deter mined that Greensboro shall not De ron- bed of an institution that owes It's very existence at this time to their labor and continued contributions.
 The Southern University was not built in a day. nor shall it be torn, down in may be introduced in the approaching ses- sion of the Alabama Conference of the Methodist Church, South, in the interest of removal agitators. We are somewhat surprised that, at this late day, Mont gomery should show such consuming love for the Southern University, when so many years have elapsed in which that city could have done so much in substantial way to tighten the burdens of those who have engaged their time, their talents and their money in sustain ing 1t. The people of Greensboro have done more to equip and maintain this ln- stitution. during the past forty-fve years of its existence, than forty-fve cities like Montgomery, and doing for 1t what Mont gomery has done. The fact is, Mont gomery has shown less interest in, and has done less for, the Southern University the State of Alabama The truth is that Montgomery, within the past twenty-five years, has never at any one time, fur nished more than three or four boys to the University, and the money given by have supported a half dozen humming birds. I know these facts are not pleas ant to the ears, but the truth is what we want. In considering Montgomery $ future toward the University, it is not only we'll, but absolutely right to con- slider her past record toward that same institution. So much of an alien has Montgomery been to this institution, dur ing the entire period of its existence, that we were inclined. at first, to laugh at her pretendad desire to have the University within her borders. Not until 1t was stat ed in the columns of The Advertiser, with show of authority, that, for certain amount. the church would move this in stitution to Montgomery, and that Bishou Candler had endorsed the movement and would lend it his aid, that we were il- clined to give any serious attention to the matter whatever. Here we would like to ask the question, What man, or set of men. has or have the authority to fix an amount that would secure the removal of the University to Montgomery? The peo- who that man Is that has been clothed with such authority. Cecrtainly the Bish- op has no such authority. and certainty the few preachers and laymen whose names have appeared in The Advertiser in connection with this movement, have no such authority Yet the statement is made that, for $6O.OO0, the removal Wi be secured. We would like to know upon whose authority such statement has been made. and would appreciate it if The Advertiser would exert itself to give u: that information. That paTtieulsr man personality and identity would be inter esting to our people here in Greensboro. The Southern University, if it repre- sents anything, stands for the religion! and r1oral training of the boys, as wei as the education of the head. Therefore we can not bring ourselves to believe tha the Methodist Church, in this State, ha. permitted itself to be drawn into the mar ket places and has agreed or consented t. sell out for a few pieces of silver-siStJ thousand dollars. The property here + tainly must be given credit for having some business sense and judgment. Th' Methodists of this State know that Mont gomery has never shown any love for thu Southern University. and that they neeC expect no great display of love in th' l future In the past. the University hal I been given nothing but cold shoulder | by Montgomery, and we know that sucl | will in short while if the University fl removed, be all that Montgomery will show it in the future. Let Montgomer! | once get the University, and that will enC | the matter, for the outlying district wil have to support 1t. As Montgomery hal done nothing for 1t in the years that art gone, why need expect any other treat | ment in the future? During the man! years that the Southern University hal been in existence, if it had been throwl l upon the generosity of such friends a | Montgomery, there would not be now ; boy in school here, not a desk or a chair
 and the campus would be covered witt
 pine bushes and overgrown with broom straw.
 Besides all this, there are other con alterations of the highest moment that should be considered when the question o1 removal comes up; I refer to that that Pro p TO which guarantees to the mothers ant | fathers, who send boys here, that nc vinous, spirituous or malt liquors, ol other intoxicating drinks, shall be solo or given away within five miles of tho corporate limits of the town of Greens boro. No one can doubt for momen the wisdom of that legislative provision which was written in the charter of tho Southern University in the year 1856 That provision is strictly in line witt the object and purposes of the institution The record and history of the Southern University are an open book. The i'm press of the institution is stamped upor the life and character of every graduate That fact has been the institutions greatest friend and best advertisement Without the aid of a prohibition law University could not have been so sue cessful. Can and will Montgomery promise absolute prohibition of the liquor traffic within five miles of her corporate limits? If so. what man, or set of men has or have, the right to make that promise? What man, or set of men, can promise the Alabama Conference that the g1ded saloon in Montgomery shall be closed, if the conference votes for re- moval of the University? No. such man can be found. Then, can 1t be possible that the Alabama Conference would. or could be prevailed up to, take the insti- tuition from Greensboro where there are no saloons and dump it down in Mont gomery, or in any other place where there are such houses. Boys, when their minds are in the formative PeriodS: S. should Urpsn of tba sa1onD kaaDer We want