The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-01-22
A Portion of Worthy Master Lang's
Address Before the State Grange.

A Portion of Worthy Master Lang's
Address Before the State Grange.
To the Members of Texas State Grange:
Deeply interested az know you are in
everything which has relation to the
noble department of human labor, in
which you are engaged, | again bring
to your attention, In special report,
subject to which haYe before invited
your consideration, and from which we
have anticipated would flow many ad-
vantages to the cause of agriculture in
this State. I allude to the A. & NJ.
College of Bryan. 1t is a matter OF
profoundest regret that this Institution
has not met the fond hopes of those
who looked for it to accomplish great
work for the agriculture of Texas by
graduating from Its halls young men
thoroughly trained in the science and
practice of agriculture, who could go
forth year after year, as missionaries of
agriculture science, bearing its light
and prepared to instruct the farmers in
the communities among whom they
mi ght reside and thus become multi
plying centers of business throughout
this great State. This has not been
realized. And here the ques-
ton naturally arises, What is the
cause of this failure2 Why these
frustrated hopesY An answer, 1t
seems to me, is easily given to these
questions drawn from the facts, so pat
ent in the history, giving to it its char
acter and shaping its destiny. 1t is
true, very competent professor was
chosen to fill the chair of Agriculture,
and propose to do that gentleman
the Justice to say that believe he was
enthusiastically alive to the cause of
agriculture and agricultural science,
and that it was his cherished purpose
to make his department blessing and
a continued help to the farmers of the
State; and l am we'll satisfied that in
the position In which he found himself
placed he felt cramped and hampered,
and his department ignored and driv-
en- to the background before the gilt
ter of brass buttuns-the constant drill
ing required by the military feature of
the college and the especial fostering
extended to the classical department.
1t is very evident from the curriculum
of study adopted by the college, if
such a strange array of studies as 10
seen in the catalogue can be called a
It ii 5gPt but from that curriculum GH
the studied purpose to exclude as much
as possible all agricultural features and
make the institution differ as little as
possible from the old literary colleges
established all over the land. In sub
sanitation of this statement ! have
only to refer you to the figures report
ed by the late president at the recent
meeting of the directors, giving the
number of students in the different de-
partments of study. OF the 100 stu
dents o. are reported as pursuing the
study of Latin, and many of these
put into that study, who had never
given it any previous attention, and
who proposed to spend but one year in
the college. In the department of science
eighteen were studying chemistry,
eight geology and three were studying
agriculture, nothing of practical agri-
culture has ever been attempted in
the institution. The instruction which
classes have received, who were pur-
suing the study as have learned from
the professor, has been by lectures,
Rotations from text books and some
observations on processes of tlllsge,
pursued by the Farm uperintendent,
but which processes we're conducted in
no scientific manner, nor intended to
illustrate any scientific principle. But
if this is all that has been attempted in
the past, the present character of the
college is still less encouraging to us
| lsr1r 10 OF 70
time not even professor of agricul-
ture-the little class of three, who
were studying the subj act, had been
disbsnded, and not single student is
now pursuing the subject, and the
Agricultural College presents the
strange anomaly of no professor of ag-
riculture mo student pursuing the
study of agriculture or any branch of
sciences with the especial design of
having bearing upon the tillage of
the soil, or knowledge of the growth
and culture of plants and the rearing
of crops. Nothing is there, as part
and parcel of real, living, active
working agricultural college, such as
we all wanted to see-such as the peo-
pie of Texas demanded-such as the
law of Congress designed, when the
liberal bounty was given to the States to
establish schools of learning especially
intended for the industrial classes"
With these facts before US, it seems to
me an imperative duty, the perform
snce of which We owe to the people of
| the State, TO raise our voices in loud
protestation against this wretched mis-
management of this institution-this
| willful perversion from the original
objects, for which it was designed
this prostitution of funds, intended 20
be used for the establishment of insti-
buttons of learning differing in all their
conceptions, and all their modes OF
operations from ordinary colleges, and
for the education and benefit of special
classes of individuals, designated in
the original act of donation as the 'in-
dustrial classes, !" and in the place of
these, building up a college where the
old curriculum of Latin and Grtek has
maintained its old supremacy, and six
professors have been mostly occupied
in teaching language in Its various
phases of ancient and modern classes
grammar, logic, etc, aud but one pro-
fessor employed in giving instruction
in these sciences which can contribute
direct assistance 10 the improvement
Of agriculture. And duty requires us
to 60 9 step further than the utteranee
Of mere protestatlon against these
wanton abuses. Il requires Us to de-
mand Of the Legislature Of the State
an entire change in the organization
and working Of the college, that it
may 60 forward in Its intended and
blessed work of usefulness and of help
to the .fndustrial clssses.n We have
night 20 make tins demand. We
are the undispnted heirs apparent to
the noble legacy given By Congress for
the purpose Of industrial education.
and it becomes rs to speak out like
men and with emphasis. claiming in
behalf Of the members Of the s'indus-
| trial classes that the agricultural
and Mechanical College shall be what
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