Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-03-02

| Is there no protection to the citizens
and taxpayers from this sort OF thing:
Why should such an insignificant
number of people, an indetermlnate
fraction of Richmond which, in It's
entirety, is only one-fourteenth OF
! Virginia, be treated with such consld-
Grafton? Are we democracy or an
oligarchy? There are some very hard
! things for a plain citizen like myself
5: to understand One of them Is why
the Legislature has contributed the
peoples money for so many years to
privately-owned medical college IN
Richmond and thereby created leal-
Gus rival to the commonwealth's own
| institution at Charlottesville. Will
they continue to do this? am told
that one of the legislators who recently
visited the University stated that
when the vote was taken this matter
would be settled for all time. When
the vote was taken this gentleman
voted to remove the college to Rich
mond. Presumably this was his no.
tion of settling it for all time.
In view of all these things, hasn't
this "historic city" made some very
unfortunate history? it is somewhat
unusual for me to summon the Times
Dispatch as witness, but l. believe
her editorial on Washington's Birth
day confirms the fact that Richmond
has incurred the hatred of the rest of
the State, even though she did not
reach her goal. The writer has been
told number of times by Richmond
boosters. and also BY others. that "shr
generally gets what she goes after"
The Times Disn:1ch thinks she got
this time what she did not go after
The people of Virginia have right
to be proud of the defenders OF the
University, including Senator'S Early,
Goodrich, Woodson, Leedy. Oliver,
Holt an dothers They made splendid
fight and deserve the warmest praise.
1t would be hard to find words ade-
quate to commend the president OF the
University and the dean of the Medical
College Dr. knerman-s speech be-
fore the committee will he treasured
by all lovers of the University and
will be found in the future among
both public and private archivI;.
while it is we'll known that DR..
Hough's work has scarcely a parallel.
The fight Of the friends of the Uni
vcrsitv was made on Il high plane,
and this famous institution energies
from the fight with flying colors, UNI
sullied skirts, justified and glorified
and with every prospect of enlarge
mcnt and greater influence than ever
before.
One more word. The writer has DEM
onstrated beyond the shadow of a
doubt that the people at large as well
as the alumni are proud OF their Uni
versity. This is not reflected IN the
scanty support which has been given
to it in comparison with that given to
other State universities. believe /
can give both the reason and the rem
edy. The reason is that we have al
ways waited until the Legislature IS
elected and then ask for the approprl-
alton. The funds are all absorbed by
the claims of other institutions and
State appropriations long before the
LEGISLATURE meets, and hence it would
be almost Impossible lOI LIllS Do"! W
do better if it wished. But even il 1t
could, the various members would
hesitate to act without instruction
from their constituents. Now the
remedy:
From "a university Club" or
"Highcr Education Society which
will place it's past history and pros.
pective benefits BEFORE the people OF
every county in the State by periodical
meetings, public discussions and in
every feasible way. Let the people
know what the institution is and
what their sons and daughters have to
look forward to, and they will instruct
their candidates, when they are nom
mated for the Legislature, to vote for
a law which will, with small tax.
automatically provide an income each
year. For example, LIE on each
500 of property will provide S25O,ooO
per annum. This is done in other
States where the people vote much
larger amounts and do it gladly:
Nrn0n