New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-08-09
EDUCATION.
ARE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES A FAILURE

VIEWS OF DR.. VI GOSH.
EImRA. Aug 8-Dr McCosh in his address last
Tuesday evening before the National Educational
Association took ground decidedly in opposition 10
bestowng public lands upon the so-called agicutu-
raj colleges and in favor of applying them instead
to the maintenance Of upper schools" The por-
tons of his address bearing directly this import
ant subject follows:
At this point venture, az the risk Of raising Q
discussion, which know will be conducted 10 the right
spirit and may do much good to start the question;
What should be done with those ninety millions worth
Of unappropriaed land belonging TO the general gov
ernmenti We all know that proposal made Ia
session OF Congress 10 devote the whole the half
of the to be realized by the sale Of these lands TO
what were called agricultural schools The agricul urai
schools and the schools OF science which expected TO
receive share OF the funds, employed for months
in preparing and promoting this measure. Members OF
the Senate and Of the House were anxious 70
be able TO go back to their constituents with
the assurance that they brought down with
them to their State half million OF money
$50 900 year. Friends Of education glad 20 get
the alocaed to some good educational end. were t
only prevent 1t from being wasted political Jobbng
But some of us when learned that such q measure
quietly passing the House aud Senate couragcousy
set ourselves against the ALLEGATION Of large SUN Of
money 10 so and sectional purpose. We argued
that far these schools we're simply Agricultural
ones they were not accomplishing great good
entte them TO large endowment. / hold very
resolutely that before large sum be hyished
theu there shonld be special inquiry into what they
what they doing into the number bona hds
agricultural pupils specially aso the number OF those
trained who have thought it worth their while to
farming. could show that no country In the world
has agriculture been much benefited by sgricul
tural schools In Scotland where the farming is so
excellent agriculture ia promoted by farmers assoca-
tons with magazines and lectures, but not by special
! In All thpro Dufy six
colleges and testify from personal visitation that
very Feeble institutions II ayouih is
bent being scientific Agricultural, let him 20 to an
institution general science with chair OF agriculture
attached and let him learn the art on the farm We ara
entitled insist that before agricultural schools receive
the last gift Of land which the General Government has
to bestow that they be examined and reported on By
competent commission
But then it urged that many Of the schools to be
benefited were more than agricultural schools
they schools Of science and schools OF technology
But this only raises other and perhaps more formidable
objection First there is evidence that some OF these
schools of science has produced a single agricultural
student. Secondly, and particularly by alOtlng
grants scientific institutions and not to Others
there is introduced principle Of Partially and there
fore OF positive justice. The ALLEGATIONS 70 be
reserved for those institutions which lucky To
get previous grant in 1862. 1 prepared 70 show
that these ALLEGATIONS OF 1862 not always made
the best institutions of the country, aud that ai-
ditional grant them would be additional injustice
IL will in every way turn out 70 be the pest for the
country and for education to put all our competing
scientific schools the footing. The excelences
OF Cornell University have been widely proclaimed. and
are well known find that IL graduated two agricultural
students June last and ask why should receive hall
million (after having got 100000 before. while the
other colleges in ewYOr State, not so well known but
striving to give as high education Cornell, 81.
nothingi The Senate OF NewYork State decided that
question when brought before them In the Spring
by vote of % Why should the Agricultural School
at Amherst get large sum- and Amherst college
! and Harvard College have encouragement We
! all know that Sheffield School 10 doing much
| good, though certainly not in the way OF
| rearing agricultural pupils; but why should
it all and the other institutions OF Conueecut be
left to struggle without State add Why should the
collent college at New-Brunswicf, managed by few
Dutchmen, get $4,000 year, and Princeton College,
with its new school Of science, receive nothngi We
wish nothing in Princeton from the State or General
Government 1 rocaim this publicly. But ARE Gu
titled to demand in this country fair field and no
favor We are ready contend with all who are on the
same footing but object TO being obliged to contend
with subsidized Institution. When you pamper one
such institution in State, you are as much as within
you weakening all other institutions and thus indl'
recty but powerfully hinderinS the cause WAlch you
meant TO benefit.
hold chat so large a that at the disposal
Of the Government should be allotted fairly NOS TO de-
nomlnatonal colleges, and just as little to those when
are as sectarian "a any, as they exclude all roigon
that they should be allotted to institutions open TO all
and giving instruction IN branches In which not mere
sections Of the people, such farmers engineers or
Mariners Qfthese, why carpenters ALSO
but all the people may receive profit Another principle
will hope, be attended am IL will be SO by
an educational association. hold, with all the enight
ened educatiOuiss Of the world that when public grants
are gwen for education above what IS given IN eemen
tary schools they should encourage the highest and also
the lowest branches
don't propose that any portion OF this $4,000 90
should be given colleges We cannot aid all, and 10
select few would be injurious. In regard to ele-
mentary education. the Northern the Middle, and the
Western states able and willing TO do their duty
venture to propose that in these the unapproprated
lands be devoted the encouragement OF secondary
schools Let each State obtain Its share and the money
be handed over it under certain rigid rules and re-
strctons TO prevent the abuse of the public money In
| particular TO secure that upper schools be en-
dowed only where needed. l suggest that money
| be- aocated only when district or 1t may DO
! combination OF two more districts, MS
raised a certain portion, say one-hali' oi tnS
| necessary funds. BY this means the money may Dc
made to stimulate the erection OF high schools al over
America These schools would aid colleges FAR more
powerfully than direct grant TO them, as in fact the
grand difficulty which colleges have to contend against
arises from there being schools fitted prepare
young for them with their rising standard o excel
leuee. But plead for these schools not merely IS
means OF feeding colleges but competent TO give
high education varied branches literary and scen
uic to far greater number who do not TO any
thing higher. These schools, like the elementary
schools, should he open to all children, q tho
poor "a well as the rich. They should be set up like
the German gymnasium in convenient localities that
| all the population may have access 70 them. They