Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1875-04-09
THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.
Letter from President Davis.

proceedings ot the Board Of Trustees of the
Maryland Agricultural College ! now feel at
liberty TO answer your letter Of the 22d OF
February
As s,ockholder aud graduate Of the Col
lege, apart from your position as editor OF AN
agricultural journal, your solicitude upon the
subject is quite natural, and you are entitled
10 all the Information you desire You write
me that you have been Informed, "that !, as
President Of the Board, declined 10 notify the
professors who were in effect removed by the
resolution adopted on the 22d Of January,
because Of the exclusion of the State Board OF
| Education from The proceedings of the meet
ing" Much MS | regretted and dissented, AS
a matter of policy as well AS of right, 1.-THE
| College depending upon the breath Of the
State for its very existence) to the objection
raised to the participation Of the State Board
Of Education in the proceedings OF the Board
of T:ustees-as had been the case without ques-
ton or objection ever since my connection
| with the Board for The last seven years, and,
| believe berore-yet this was not the ground
Ipon which declined 10 notify the professors,
us you justly say, who were in effect re-
moved, " or sought TO be removed, by the Eeso-
luton then adopted, or thought 10 have been
adopted. My reason was because the resolu-
ton though passed by large majority os the
Board, five 10 Two Mr.. Mcllenry and myself
in the minority was not passed in conformity
| with the terms Of a bylaw of the College
which says that six votes shall be necessary
to elect or remove an officer of the College
| The resolution, it is true. does not use the
word "remove lit was doubtless intended
BY those who voted for it to mitigate the sting
Of removal by substituting therefor a request
to resign the intent and effect, however, is
the same. Stripped Of highsoundiug words
about ''the determination of the Board TO
make the Agricultural College school Of
| high scientific instruction, Be- &C., it reads,
!" that with view Of bringing the expenses
| of the College within its means,
The Board requests The resignation, at the ex-
praton Of sixty days from date, Of the pro-
fessors Of languages, chemistry and agricul-
lure, naming each of the gentlemen to whom
the resolution was intended to apply. When
called upon subsequently, to the adjournment
| officially to communicate the resolution to the
professors TO whom il was 70 apply, (the
Board having adjourned without giving di-
rection as TO the manner Of lis communion
ton | felt it my duty critically TO examine
/ the terms ofthe resolution and compare it with
the bylaws on the subject. In addition 10
the bylaw already referred TO, there is ano;h-
er requiring sixty days notice for the removal
Of professor or officer of the College. Com
pairing he language of the resolution with this
sixty days notce-reqnired by the bylaw
ard remembering that it proceeded from the
! superior to the inferior, from the power of APP
4
could bal come to The conclusion that the lat
Ter was entitled to the full protection Of the
/ bylaws, one OF which, as already quoted, en-
phatically declared that six votes were neces-
Sary TO remove professor from office. To
| have given different Interpretation TO the
resolution would have been to place my hon
orable colleagues in The Board, with whom
1 had The misfortune to ditfer, in the position of
having sought to accomplish by indirection
a purpose which they had not the power to
| do by direct aeIon-a position as unjust to
/ them, as it would have been impossible for
me to place them in.
This answer | hope will be sufficiently full
and satisfactory to you upon the points Of
your inquiry. But as you State in the last
number of the Eariaer that the matter has pro-
duced considerable excitement and comment,
both with the public and stockholders of the
| College avail myself of this opportunity to
add few remarks under the present condi-
ton and probable future management OF the
| College. do this, it is probably the last
time shall ever write speak upon the affairs
| of the College-advancing years and failing
health admonishing me that it is time for me
to give way 10 you and such AS yourself, who
| | hope will now come 10 the front. and manage
the College more effectively for the great agri-
cultural and industrial interests Of the State
] for which ii was founded aud chartered and
endowed by the Legislature. ! feel reluctant
ly bound to say that these interests and the
question of industrial and agricultural educa-
ton, ut least so far as our State is concerned
are in great peril The new programme sub
ordinates these Interests to the naval and mill
larry organizations Of the United Sates-in
my judgment-in derogation of the rights of
the stockholders, and of The State of Mary land
| as Joint and equal owner of the property of
the College In proof of this, need only cite
| you, "a The effort made without fault or
/ oh in1iratin0 ar onl,e
tute, other than from the military, 10 remove
| the three professors-of which have spoken
| in the first part of this letter; (2) the issuing
| of a circular announcing the establishment of
| a Nautical School at the Maryland Agricultu-
raj College; and (3( the Inauguration Of two
| classes ofstudents, one for the agricultural and
| industrial department Mt twenty dollars per
month-without an agricultural or industrial
teacher or professor when the present iucum-
bents shall he removed, the other for the
naval and military department at forty dollars
per month ! ask Who in the nature of
| things, is likely to receive the most benefit
and attention under this arrangement--the
student who pays hut twenty dollars per
month or The SUDDEN; who pays forty dollars
per month? Does not common sense and all
experience answer the question against the
student who pays the lowest sum II this be
| so, then we have the anomaly in Maryland of
a school founded especially for he sons of the
| farmers and mechanics of the State, and e.-
| dowed by il, converted into preparatory
| school for West Point (which is already over
run with students and applicants, aud for the
| reduction of which motion is now pending
| in the Senate and the Naval Academy al
| Annapolis, In proof of this, look al the cir
cular which send you. You am sure will
smile at the idea of the ice-pond which you
helped TO build and which is scarcely large
enough to turn an Indians dug-out in being
converted into bay in which to teach 'snavi-
cation and marine enginery, and all matters
| pertaining to the proper construction, equip
ment and sailing of vessels There being no
other sheet Of water at the college
| The thing, to a common mind, unfamiliar
| with such subjects appears TO be supremacy
ridiculous, Again, especial attention"
/ cording 10 the circular, sis TO be given to
preparing candidates for admission 10 the U
S. Military and Naval Academies, the Presi-
| dent of the College being graduate of West
N.Y. ] must do these gentlemen the justice
| to say that they are men of learning and of
culture, and, doubtless well qualified for the
branch of instruction they propose to inaugu
| rate. The long list of eminent military and
1 naval gentlemen, as well the present and
late Governor of the Stafe--to whom they re-
| fer-give assurance of this. But the question
arises, is this for what the Maryland Agrieul-
| tural College was founded and endowed?
Both the charter and the law of Congress
granting the proceeds of the sale of land scrip.
donated to agricultural colleges for the benefit
OF the industrial class negatives the idea.
The especial attention" which these gem