The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-12-19

One hundred and ten years ago death
claimed a man whose hearts desire was
the foundation in the city Of Washing
ton Of q great national university,
broad. liberal institution which should
be a fitting capstone Of the American
educational system, and when that
mans viii was read it was found that
he had left a legacy which he hoped
would form the nucleus Of fund for the
establishment Of sucn an institution.
That man was George Washington, and
yet, after the lapse Of more than
/ century his desire is not fulfilled.
But if plans now in process OF exc
cution do not miscaFrys before anOtner
Washington's birthday is celebrated
/ provisions viii be made for the cree
/ ton OF a great memorial hail, which,
/ if it does not prove an entire substitute
| for the university. will at least accom-
plish many Of the ends that Washington
/ believed would be accomplished by
national university. 1t will take the
/ shape Of a great two illion-doilar
I hall to be devoted to the uses Of all
scientific, patriotic, educational, liter
airy and art organizations throughout
I the country, They all will be invited
/ to make headquarters in the hall, ana
/ an endowment fund Of half a million
/ dollars viii be asked to support IT, Thus
/ will WashingtOns hope that great
/ foundation be laid for the promotion Of
/ science and literature and the diffusion
! Of knowledge be realized.
/ The finances Of the enterprise will
/ be managed in fashion that will
/ claim the interest Of the child with the
l dime as well as the man Of wealth with
/ the thousand-dOllar bill Every con-
/ tributor of a dime will be given a but
/ ton which declares his ownership Of one
! Of the bricks in the proposed building.
! 1t is expected that children everywhere
| viii wish to express their patriotic de-
votion to the Father Of His Country by
possessing themselves Of a deed to one
| brick in a great memorial to his MEM
I DRY. If the movement succeeds, and
the names Of those connected with il
| give earnest that it will, Washington
viii become the scientific capital Of the
nation, even as II is now the national
seat of government. It is expected that
the learned societies Of the country viii
be the largest contributors, since the
nall will be an inestimable sboon to
them in their work.
This question Of a great national in
stitutiOn to lead and give direction to
the thought Of the country is as old as
the constitution itself. In fact, some
advocated making sure Of the estab-
lishment Of a university Of the United
States by inserting a clause in the con-
stitutiOn creating such an institution
, BY 1885 1t had reached that degree OF
dXedness in the minds Of the people
that they were willing to give freely
toward its establishment. In 1895 Sam
b uel BlOdgett, author Of the first Ameri-
can work on political economy, report
ed to congress that he had 1900 sub
scribers to a fund for the esta Enlistment
of the University Of the United States
{ and that $4,000 had already beer
Z paid in.
! What became Of that $4,000 no on,
d seems to know. It may have beer
5 | turned into the federal treasury, or
i / may have been used up in administer
|. ing the fund-this often happens. Bu
4 the fact remains that If that $4,000 Ia,
|, been managed as a trust fund, at 8 pc
10 cent compound interest, without cost o
administration, it would today amour
t. to the munificent sum Of 1880. 600. On
Il Of the indications that there was dissat
3 IsfactiOn with the work 81 that time 1
T. the fact that in he succeeding yea
t / congress refused, by a majority Of Onl
Il one, to authorize the association to re
II ceive and hold funds.
10 There has been a wide misunderstood
1. ing of the $4,000 bequest left by Georg
Is Washington for the founding Of the ma
A. tional university at Washington.
Il was not a gift from his estate at al
is but indirectly from the state Of VII
.e ginia, and was in the shape Of stock
Sc that afterward proved to be WORTHLESS,
be It happened in this way: Virginia IN
dertook to aid private enterprises
Il constructing inland waterways In tn
ID issuance of stock for this purpose tn
$. state asked Washington to accept as
il gift a certain amount Of stocks of tn
y James River company, and anothe
he block of stock from the Potomac com
h pany He replied that while he appre
J. ciated the great honor, yet he coul
10 accept no gifts for himself, but that
he they wished him to accept them as
k trustee to convey them to some educs
tional Institution at his death he woul
ne do so. The James River stock wei
E. to what is now Washington and LIE
I'D university, and the Potomac compan
&c stock was bequeathed for the foundin
lie of a national university. But the latt,
Of stock was worthless. II was based c
%, the prospective navigabiIity Of II
IS Shenandoah and Potomac rivers aboV
ie Georgetown, which was never realize
D. although a few attempts were made
W send fiat-bOttomed boats UP these riI
RI ers. The circumstances relating to Il
n requests, and the real facts as to Il
e value OF the stock bequeathed, hay
~ been overlooked in every report made
ne congress giving the history Of the lei
l' isiative course Of bills and recommel
re- :