Sentence:  We ask her [the government] to <WSD>patronize</WSD> scholars as she does her law makers. We ask her to <WSD>patronize</WSD> pioneers in science as she does pioneers in the woods. We ask her to support the officers of colleges as she does the officers of state, her governor, her secretary, and her judges; and then the college hall may be thrown open as it should be to every "poor" youth in the community free of expense. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To act as a patron of; to defend, protect, or support.