The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1870-03-08
CORRESPONDENTS
CoIrMBus. Ono. March l

large amount Of new business before it,
and not small amount Of business that
has been presented to every Legislature
for years past, aud no doubt will be pre-
sented for years to come. If legislators
could be convinced that they could do
the amount of good by local legislation
that hangers on try to make them believe
they can, no doubt but there would be
great reforms in all parts of the State.
The Lest plan for member when ap-
preached on these LEGAL claims is to in.
quire, How often have you presented
this question to the Legislature before ?
Why did you fail to get it through? In
many instances it would be not imperti-
nent Though to outsiders seemingly So
to ask this question, How many subse-
quent Legislatures do you propose to
bore with this matter?
There is a class of men, and may
add women also, that are always wanting
public favor, and they do not confine
their application to the General Assem-
bly,, but Commissioners and Township
Trustees are subject to their periodical
assaults; some of them, even of late,
have been known to have the impudence
to expect fayors from the General Coy.
ernment, and are turning their thoughts
in that direction. leave them here and
turn them over to the tender mercies of
"Mack' and "Donn Piatt," it not being
safe to give them up to Congressional
protection.
The Legislature during the last two
weeks have had under consideration the
Agricultural College Fund. This fund
now amounts to $3.50, 600, and is the pro-
cecos of $4,000 acres of land granted
by Congress to the State for the estab.
lishment of an Agricultural College be-
fore the year 1872. The Legislature of
1866 sacrificed that land and sold it at an
average price of about ffty-three cents
per acre. The proceeds with the inter,
est amounts to the above sum. The
real value Of the land at the present time
is several millions of dollars. New
York instead. of selling her land had it
located, and the value of her endowment
to her Agricultural College from this
land now amounts to aboufs11 II ,ooo, 900 ;
her college is now in operation and con-
tains 1000 students who are educated
free of charge. There are many propo-
sitions. for settling the question in this
State, some of which will refer to with
the objections to them.
First, to divide it equally between the
Ohio and Miami Universities. These in
stitutions are almost strictly classical in
their course. They each have small
income from lands donated to the State
by the Ohio Company, which the State
accepted as trust for their use. 1t has
never done any thing further. They are
both feeble institutions and present
rather poor inducements one being on
the southern the other on the western
border of the State is another objection.
A second plan is to buy farm and
build college in which will be taught
the classics, agriculture, medicines, min.
ing and engineering, together with a
model farm, on which will be kept fine
stock; and improved seeds and gram
shall be raised for distribution. An OBJ
lection to this is, boys do not go to
school to learn to plow or dig potatoes
or breed sheep. Experience must teach
this. Theory must be put into practice
Agricultural chemistry will only be ap.
piled by the actual farmer and not by the
boy who is driven to use both. Besides
this will cost tbe State annually not less
than 100000.
A third plan is to allow Cincinnati tc
consolidate her various e1ucationa
funds, which she is about to do, and
which produces an income of about $685.
600 annually, and to unite the State fund
with this endowment. The objection to
this plan is, first, the location; second
Cincinnati having much the largest pro
portion of the fund would claim tht
right to control the Institution.
A fourth plan is to transfer this fund
to the irreducible school fund, and LEI
the interest of it be applied to education
in the same manner that the proceeds o.
section 16 fund is now applied. This nc
doubt is better than either of the fore
going plans but before it could be put
into effect will require an act of Con
gress,
A fifth plan is to establish an Agricul.
tural College at some central point where
agricultural, mining and mechanical sci
ence in all its forms shall be taught, to
gether with the regular scientific course
of study. This is no doubt the object
of the grant and the best application that
can be made Of it, unless it be the plar
of transferring to the school fund. Sew
eral towns have proposed to furnish the
necessary grounds and buildings if they
can get the college located within taeil
limits, but thus far the Legislature have
failed to agree upon location, and il
looks as if this disagreement would con
tinue.
A plan now proposed is to appoint
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