The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1906-07-31
FULTON'S SUCCESSOR;
UNIVERSITY MATTERS GENERALLY
Staff Correspondent The New Orleans mesDemocra Hits the Bulls Eye Regarding
Mssissppf Greatest Educational Institution

students frequently lacks the di-
vine character. 1t is essentially
human and owns all the frailties
of humanity.
| HAS SPLENDID RECORD
The University of Mississippi
has a splendid record. 1t gave
President Barnard tn Columbia
| College, New York, and his por-
trait, the gift of the latter institu-
ton, hangs conspicuously upon
| its walls. It gave Chancellor Gar
land to Vanderbilt University.
| 1t has given Senators, legislators,
judges. lawyers, merchants, far
mers-men of every honorable
occupation-to the State which
created and has cherished it. In
war it gave almost the entire stu
dent body to the Confederate
cause. There was no lack of
sympathy with Mississippi then;
there has really been none since.
iSons and daughters sometimes
frepudiate the breasts that sucked
them, but institutions never do.
They came from the abundant
intellectual strength of the State,
they live its life, they die its
death. To maintain a high cur
riculum, TO impose entrance re-
quirements more or less difficult,
to recognize the distinction be-
tween public school and a uni
yersity-to realize it's own impor-
tance, in a words to be in SYM
pathy with the State, to be true
to its high mission, TO strive to
discharge its duty. 1t should be
SO good there would be no need
of canvassing, even indirectly
| for students. Patriotism and
self-interest should combine to
induce young Mississippians to
attend its sessions. Above all,
! there can not be in reason the
slightest antagonism between the
university and the Industrial in
| stitutions of the State. They
came to fill a want and not to
supplant any existing institution.
Ii any other idea was in the mind
of the Legislature that establish
ed them, then that Legislature
aid foolish thing. If students
flocked in great numbers to them,
that simply indicates those stu
dents desire the special training
they afford. IL others go to the
university it simply means that
lfor the present. at least, those
students donot care for a differ
ent kind of instruction. The
argument from mere numbers is
seldom convincing under any
circumstances.
Still it can not be denied that
of late years there has been much
criticism of the institution. Some
of this has come from it's friends,
anxious to improve it in every
possible way; much from those
who could not be classed as it's
ardent supporters. The result
of which is the idea has somehow
got abroad that there is some
thing wrong with it. The up
holders of the present regime
point out the fact that the attend
ance has steadily increased, and
this without any lowering of
standards as bid for patronage;
it still maintains the decent rank
among the institutions of the
South, which it had as a legacy
from its early days. They also,
with some show of reason, refer
to the majority reports of the va
rious legislative committees sent
to investigate, all of which were
, favorable. 1t is true neither they
nor anyone else, for that matter,
regards Legislative report made
by flying committee as docu-
ment of extraordinary value.
Still it counts for whatever it may
be worth. On the other hand
there are those who insist that
the institution is out OF sympathy
with the State, whatever that
may mean; that it has not knit
itself as closely with the high
schools and common schools it
should have done; that there are
determinations among the stu
dents, due to the Greek letter
fraternities.
p0IICED MOST CPTTTCsICM