The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-10
Voice of the People
Tho Coordinate Coilere.


venturing to write you to express my
opposition to tho establishment OF 4
senp iba ni E0lsfs for f.,
plan Is advocated by O small group of
women who assume to speak Tor sthe
sought. by tho liberal use of the presy.
personal appeals and the sway Of per-
s soma ~ ifph nnsr amounting nc to mild
port organizations OF men and women
In Virginia, and individuals in and out
ored to make It appear that tho women
of Virginia not only want a State uni
versity for women, but want It located
every particular with the university
for mon at that place. beg you to
ert% Of tho e WOMEN me of our states have S
not been heard on this subject. and
that they have neither tho means. the
selves heard. am satisfied that II the
public school mothers.--nnd when I
them e of fSs tho Of
Virginia, teachers. church women
and social workcrs--could be heard,
thoy would BIO found in opposition to
this plan. because they know that thore
! Is an immediate and crying need for
tho EDUCATION of the masses. and they
want all the financial assistance which
! the state can give to the cause OF edu-
cation. to be devoted TO the primary
!ishment and maintenance of univer-
| sity for women. Less than . per cent
of The boys and girls Of the state go
receive all the education they Will over
| get in the primary schools. IF 1t is
great ptp 9oed 10 the the srea Great numbsr
/ there can be no question that thc
I states resources should be concentrated
ton or her elementary schools; There
AFRO 100000 white children In Virginia
OF school age ~, without any ny schoois
dents enrolled in the public schools OF
I the state; and OF these as5.59? AFRO pr.
mary and grammar grade children. OF
those who go to school. sixty and
| eighty and ninety, and even ono hun
dren. arc often crowded together in
/ class rooms, subjected to bad air.
crowded curriculum. and are taught
by underpaid and overworl<cd teachers.
children any individual care or atten-
! ton. DO you believe that tho mothers
of the 100000 children of school age
who arc entirely without any schools.
| and the mothers or the children in
school under the conditions have
r ',S,e TO go 20 to the building Id and
maintenance OF Il university for the
sake of the per cent OF the girls who
may wish 10 take degree? To ask
| the question is TO answer IT. There
/ is an imperative duty on the state 10
put within the reach Of every child
| the boon OF an elementary education.
and all of It's resources should be de-
voted 10 this end, and to the Improve
mcnt and betterinent OF the conditions
under which primary instruction Is now
given. Few OF the promoters of this
movement for Statc-supportcd uni
vcrsity for women know the history
or the needs OF tho public schools OF
zonl and energy would be exerted In
| building up, extending ana improving
the system. rather than in depririns
, ii of the means necessary for this lur-
pose in order that small percentage
OF women may enjoy the 'atmosphere'
| OF the University OF Virginia ana tho
~, hpur
it's stamp.
1t is said, however, that We must
| have a university for women just az
We have ono for men. even rs to the
/ kind ana the place. in order TO Keep
at home and money which Is spent
l 10y tho women who go TO institutions
outside OF Virginia. How do we know
that the few women who go North
or West for special training would
attend such Il university If We had IL?
/ Moreover. could not the state better
afford 10 dcfray their expenses At
other institutions rather than assume
| the enormous financial burden involved
III this project
[ 1t is also said that sit was Thomas
! Jcffcrsons desire that tho University
OF Virginia should be tho capstonc OF
the public school system OF the state"
and that this dream cannot DO
J realized until the university Is open 10
women as we'll AS TO men. lerersons
name is n good name 10 conjure with,
and it seems to he iashionhnlc nov
| to use il in support Of cvcry fad mat
liz puts forward. There was no need
for Jefferson to indulge IN Il dream
or desire for. the education OF wo.
| men at the University OF Virginia.; II
| he had intended women to be edu.
Gated there why didn't he say so and
say tho least of il. that this desire
! Of Jcifcrson'S for tho education OF wo-
men at the university was not discov-
cred until nearly a century after his
| death. But be that as II may, IL must
! lie true that we do not need cap
| stone until the foundation and snpcr-
I str are COmplctcU. and can
! we'll postpone consideration OF the
question OF the ''capstone' unti INC
| state has done what II should do 10
extend and perfect its system or elc-
mcntary education.
When the state is ready TO give our
women higher education TO better fiit
/ them for the work OF teaching, by all
! means let this Ice done through our
normal schools that IL TO say. through
| tho worio now being done by the nor
NAL schools III the preparation OF tech
partment OF the states educational
/! work When the state can spare the
money to provide Il college course FOR
women it should unqucstiona!Iy be
f, done within these schools, which are
| already established 10 equip women
as teachers, WHO are pleas Wln ,G 'n more
| than this should not expect the state
, 10 pay for ii.
School at Farmviilc, and spent NJ
! teen years teaching In the public
| schools. and / am = public school moth
err feel, therefore. that | know
what | am talking about: | know all
the work, the struggle. the pity and
wrong involved in our public school
/ instructions: ! know the needs or tho
system and ! know the needs of the
women who teach, and it is in the
light of this knowledge that earnest
~ protest against the expenditure OF
! tho public funds to establish and main
tain n university for women such as
is proposed by those who arc advocat-
ipig and earnestly none tnat the
| state will concentrate it's efforts in
building up and extending It's system
of primary education and it's normal
! schools for the training of teachers.
also realize that there are many
moral. social and ethical reasons against
lego at or near the University of Nir-
ginia but these have been ably put
before the public by DR.. 4. il. Dabney,
! OF the university faculty, and many
of the distinguish cd alumni of that in
| siitut ION. and | VIII not prOlonG this