St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-10-18
VOLUME 42---NUMBER 2l5I.

bers to the support of theil interests,
and the union was accomplished.
At first some slight demonstrations
were made of purpose to give practi-
cal instruction in industrial branches,
but nothing was really accomplished.
No practical professorships were estab-
lished; No efforts made to procure a
farm and soon, not much notice being
apparently taken by the people of what
was going on, the University subsided
into its old routine, with no change ex-
cept fuller faculty with better and
more promptly paid salaries, and no
more work.
When the bill, uniting the colleges
was framed, change, and very i'm
portant change, was made in provision
which, as it stood in the first charter,
secured the future control of the fund
to the Legislature with the provisO that,
if fmisapprOpriated, it might at any time
be withdrawn. This was altered, so as
to put the matter under the charge of
the supreme court, but without any di-
rectiOn or provision as to how it should
be brought to the notice of the court
This was another evidence of the as
, teness of the University's lobby, and
iTewed in the light of subsequent events
1t raises strong presumption that IL
misuse of the fund, such as has actually
taken place, was intended from the be-
ginning.
A year or two passed, and it became
increasingly manifest that nothing prac-
tIcal was to arise out of the business for
the benefit of agriculture. The first man
to call public attention to the matter was
u. E. Jameson, Esq, of Irasburgh, who
represents that town in the House now
in session. Mr.. Jameson, in letter to
the Newport Express, called attention
to the inactivity-the apparent mori-
bund conditioner the agricultural col
lege, as it lay in the embrace of the
University. President Angel made
some slight reply, and the matter passed
along.
Shortly afterwards the State Board
Of Agriculture was established, and as
it held its meetings about the state, the
feeling of the people in this matter be-
gan to find expression. Mr.. Jameson
was member of the Board, and other
members soon became interested in the
subject. AS it was thought over and
examined, the feeling grew that the
trust was being maladministered, and
some freedom of speech was INDUCED
in regarding it.
AT the next session of the legislature
The people were astonished to find that
Governor Peck had appointed an entire
new board, and it soon leaked out tha
this was done under the influence of
the University lobby, which still main
tanned its activity at the seat of gov
ernment. Two of the new appointees
were so distasteful that they were re-
jected by the legislature, and new and
unObjectiOnable names were afterwards
sent in and confirmed.
But the trouble did not end there.
The new Board were as critical of the
college as the old, though perhaps IL
little more cautious; and worse than
all, the Secretary, Professor Collier, be-
gan to be suspected of sympathy with
the dissatisfaction of the farmers. FoI
this he was badgered and prosecuted,
and at last compelled to decline re-
election. The Board showed its appre
citation of this action by the immediate
election of Professor Seely, of the rival
institution at Middlebury, as its secre-
tary.
The persecution of Professor Collier
did not stop here. 1t was found by
post office surveillance that he still con
tinued in correspondence with Mr..
Jameson, Mr.. Douglas, DR.. Hoskins.
and other deposed members of the
board; that they visited him and he
them No punishment less than expul-
sion from his chair was believed to be
adequate to these offenses, and he was
accordingly depOsed with all the igno-
mlny that such an action by such ii
body was capable of infiicting.
The authorities in power have con-
tinued their defiant attitude towards
the farmers, but still they have shown
sort of activity once in two years or
so. Preceding an approaching session
of the legislature the announcement of
. programme of lectures has been pro-
mulgated, and a single professor, DR..
Cressey, has been engaged, at a low
salary, to perambulate the state as Il
representative of the S130,000 fund for
the promotion of agricultural education.
DIR. Cressey has done his part well, but
he has not been considered, nor has he
considered himself to be an entire agri-
cultural college. Less than 81 900 has
thus been expended for the promotion
of agriculture out of receipts now ex-
ceeding 100000; the remainder hav-
ing been devoted to the support of the
University as literary and profession
al school. This, in brief, is a summary
OF the charge of the farmers against the
managers of the "UniveIsity of Yer
mont and State Agricultural College, -
l-MOntpelier Journal.