The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-11-20
EetterS tc tl)e Gdftor
The College Question.
The Advertiser:

Editor The Advertiser:
 1 notice in your issue of the 1Tth inst. that MT. E. de Graffenreid of Greensboro, protests strongly against the proposal to remove the Southern University from that place to Montgomery. For this he Is not to be blamed. As citizen of that pleas ant little city he has had opportunity to know the value of the institution to the town in which he lives, and most natur- ally he desires to have 1t remain there. This is very commendable in him as a citizen of Greensboro.
 But the reasons he offers for his posi- tion are not as forcible as his motives are praiseWorthy.
 He says that the fathers of the church located the college there a generation ago and that 1t is almost sacrilege to talk of moving it. The important thing is not what the fathers did years ago, but what they would do now if they were living. Things have changed in SAlabama since then, and supposinG that they would, if living now, be as wise as they were then, We are bound to believe they would wish the institution to be where 1t could do the most good Can anybody doubt that 1t would have twice as great power in Montgomery as it can possibly have in Greensboro? It would be more accessible. In Montgomery it could have departments of law and medicine which it can not have in Greensboro. Other advantages 1t would have here which 1t can not have there, which the slightest reflection will bring to mind.
 We must not let local Sel1SnneSS Dllnd us to what Is best for the welfare of the whole State. It is a time when we must think of the interests of all the white people in Alabama, and put our personal prejudices and local interests aside. The school of Booker Washington has more endowment than any three schools for white boys in the entire State. We must use what We have for the whites to the greatest advantage without regard to any other consideration than the benefit of all our people.
 Again, your correspondent says that if Montgomery wants a college she ought to build it outright. But it is not another college that is needed It is the enlarge ment and improvement of what we have. A new college would lack the power that is found in an alumni roll. This Is much. A college with an honorable history can do what no new institution is able to accomplish. Again, a college must have the backing of some civil or ecclesiastical authority to give it an effective constit- uency. The State schools are now all io- cated so that we can not hope to bring any of them here. It is a church school, or nothing, for the capital of our State. And the Methodists can give the support it needs. Their numbers and influence fits them for this. Moreover, what school, with history, can we hope to get If not the Southern University?
 If we built another college here it would compete with schools already existing. the Southern University among the rest and to that extent weaken them. We do not wish to diminish. but to increase. the ed ucational forces for whites in the States. The combination of Montgomery's funds with the assets Of the Southern Univer- sity, in an institution located at the cap ital. would make another strong college in the State. To start a new college would be to make two weak institutions when one strong college would do better.
 It would help Montgomery, help the Southern University, and above all hclp Alabama to make this move. Why not make it?
 While feeling kindly towards your wor- thy correspondent, l dislike to give hlm the comfort of the fear 1 am about to express. fear Montgomery will do as she has often done before in matters of public benefit-that is, nothing. There is evidently a general desire upon the part of our people to get the University, but they move too sluggishly. If We do not wake up we will lose this chance to help ourselves and to do a service to the State. When will we have another as good? We must act. Talk is cheap, and it is also nearly worthless.
 Greensboro need not fear Montgomery unless we do something more than talk. The kind of talking that we need now is that sort of which the proverb says, money talks" We want not the small whisper of a few hundreds but the com manding tones of thousands.
 Do the rich men of the city. who have made their money here, care nothing for the town beyond what they can make out of it? If this is the extent of their interest let the people of small means rise up and show opulent selhshness that the people of moderate means can and will take care of the situation. Courage ous benevolence is more powerful than cowardly covetousness anyhow.
 But we have some noble men of wealth in our city. Let them lead off, and the rest of us will follow. Let us send to the Methodist Conference, soon to meet d bona fide proposition to give grounds and buildings better than those at Greens ooro. and challenge the body to accept the offer. If the offer Is declined we will have lost nothing. If 1t is accepted we will inaugurate a new era in the history of the city and the State.
 Montgomery Citizen.