Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1908-03-20

proolem ana one which the average
thinker overlooks, is that of the loss
to the State through students going
elsewhere. 1t has been conserva-
tiveley estimated that two hundred of
the brainiest and most helpful young
men and women in the state Of Ore.
Ron are going each and every year to
the Univt rsity OF Washington and the
University of California where they
believe they can better fit themselves
TO play misterlv part in life than
they can in the University of Oregon.
The cost too. each of these students
for travel, tuition. and living is not
less than $500 per year and in many
cases $1,000. So that We see from a
money standpoint alone, Oregon is
losing 500, 600 every single year at
conservative estimte to say nothing
of the talent. the power of leadership
and brave initiative which is going
toward the upbuilding of other states
than our own. Can we afford this
drain upon our own social. industrial
and political resources? The time is
past when the bsckswoodsmsn, the
illiterate aud grossly incompetent in
di9idusl who prides himself upon his
lack of education can manage the
affairs Of this great commonwealth.
Every line of activity, from stateman-
ship to the newer of wood and the
carrier of water is becoming special
ized and individualistic. The man
who would hope to succeed today in
politics, in business, in the profess
sions or In the sciences must have the
best possible training. he must un-
derstsnd the laws of cause and effect,
he must understand human nature aud
he must understand now to conserve
energy and utilize it to its highest
advsntage. This broad tolerant and
understanding character and develop
ment can be brought about only by the
greatest measure possible of special
lied education aud training aud this
education and training can be OBJ
taiued only in our institutions OF
b CHER education. What better place
tan in the State University? Here
tuition is free, expenses are low. So
cietyl makes no great demand upon
the student and statistics show that
IS per cent of the students are work
ing their own way through the Uni
versitv. Higher education pays and
he great majority Of the people
who do things in the world believe in
it. The people of Oregon should
patronize every rational effort to en-
courage schools, colleges aud univer-
sites, not only for their benign ill.,
fluence upon the happiness of life in
all its stages and classes and Of society
in all its manifestations but because
it is the only means Of preserving our
political life from the degenerating
influences of sophistry, partesanshiI
and corruption. We have the closest
approach toward purely democratic
form of government in Oregon than in
any state in the Union and we are
proud of the fact. II our institutions
and government are to be kept pure,
wholesome and serviceable and the
people are to gain the highest possible
service from them. education and in
telligence must actusts the body poll
, tics in all its actions. The people
must thoroughly understand tn,
q measures and politics upon which
r they are to vote and thus keep tn,
elections free. fair and virtuous
Z How can the people who are the law
T makers in very truth under our ini
r tiative and referendum laws legislat
a wisely. sanely and safely unless the,
q are we'll posted and advised concern
= ing the problems before them ant
what better means for bringing abou
r broader. more comprehensive intelli
r gence in the whole body polite thai
the support Of higher education.
The objection is raised by a pre-
I vious correspondent in one of tn
r local papers that the increased appro
. priation which the state can afford t.
a give to education should bo given t.
n the public schools system rather thai
A the University, but this writer /
either bopelessly ignorant or not
% keen observer or he would know tina
we must have young men and wome
of superior training and education t
teach our public schools and that thes
teachers can only be Obtained fror
our institptions of higher education
Also that the University is nothin
more nor less than the head Of ou
public schools and the efficiency c
their work is doubled by the cooper
tion OF the University. The Univel
sity OF Oregon has eIerted stron
influence over the public school syi
tenn OF our state. More than 1875 {
-. z.dcat>. ara taa cb inc In tho mr.