Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-01-21
The Z. S. Education Bill.

L..
mously by the Committee on Education and
Labor, proposes Ia consecrate the proceeds
of sales of public lands to the education OF
| the peoplc. It will not interfere with the
rights of rc-cmpiioh nor with entries
| for homesteads. and leaves unimpaired the
claims of any State to its percentage OF the
| sales of public lands As the amount of
| such sales will hereafter he small, it is pro-
posed to add to this educational fund the net
proceeds of all receipts for patents after de-
Quoting the expenses of the Patent Office.
The eatire fund is then to be invested in
| United States bonds and the interest annual
| ly apportioned 10 the several States and Ter
ritories upon the basis of population between
the ages Of five and twenty-five years, ex-
cept that for the first ten years the appor-
tionment is to be made according to the
numbers of their population, respectively, OF
ten wears old and upward who cannot read
and write with the further provision that
One-ihird of the income from the fund shall
| be annually appropriated to the more com
plete endowment and support of colleges
established or such as may hereafter be es-
tab!ished in accordance with the act Of Con
gress approved in 1862, until The annual in
come of each shall amount tc $50, 600 and
thereafter all beyond tfat ,r- is az be de-
/
States and Territories. including the District
of Columbia, between the ages Of six and
sixteen years. Authority is also to be given
for the acceptance of any sums which may
be donated for these objects by will or other.
wise, and the donations in our country fer
educational purposes have been and are like
| " to be of une eyamplcd liberality.
There are other provisions of the bill in
| tended 10 be useful which will be likely to
meet with general acceptance, and among
them that which provides for the special in
structiOn of common school teachers.
If the general educational purpose of
the bill should meet with favor, little fault,
it Is believed, will he found with its details,
as these have been carefully matured. 1t is
not party measure, and its benefits will
cover every State. Should there be any
Senator, as hope there will not be, who OBJ
| jects 10 the main purpose of the bill, may
| not ask, before he ventures TO place him.
self on record against the measure. that he
will examine the whole matter SO far rs to
determine whether there is or can be any
| nobler or more enduring object to which the
public domain ever has been, or to which the
remnant of that once great estate Of the New
| World can now be, devoted
If appear once more in behalf of meas
ure not new 10 me, nor to.the Senate, | hope
my right TO indulgence will be conceded, as
the measure, in my estimation has lost moth
ing of its interest, ard its importance more
than keeps pace with the rapid growth OF
our country.
First let me offer briefly some words con
cerning the land grant colleges. So long
ago as 1858 bill providing colleges for each
one Of the States, introduced and advocated
by me, passed both Houses Of Congress, but
was vetoed by the President, who then ia
vored, instead of colleges, a specialprofessOr-
| ship for some existing institution In each
State. In 1862 however, when all of our
resources were precious, hut not more pre-
cious than education, the bill was
again introduced and received the fav-
| or of both Congress and President Lin
coin, and became the law Of the land. The
object of this law was no. to injure any ex-
isting classical institutions, hut to re-enforce
them and bring liberal culture within the
reach OF much larger aud unprovided-for
number of the industrial classes in every
State 1t was designed To largely benefit
those at the bottom of the ladder who want
to climb up, or those who have some ambi-
tion to rise in the world, but are without
| the means 10 seek far from home higher
standard of culture. This and more was
sought To be accomplished by bringing for
ward, at less cost of time and money,
courses of study of greater use in practical
affairs than those, then largely prevailing,
which seemed 10 offer little of lasting value
beyond the mere discipline imposed. Long
years of unproductve time upon dead laa-
guages cannot a;gavs be afforded by those
who are never to lind occasion in after life
TO ressurrect them. The farmer, mechanic,
/ minor apH oil mt linz m
york with hc'h hands and brains. have IN
| doubtedly demanded an educatiS worthy
TO take equal rank with that OF purely lite
rary colleges; but for them, education often
being their chief capital, II was vitally impor-
tant that it should be something they could
carry away and have ready for carly and
daily use. wider range in scientific stud
| les, more freedom OF choice, had become in
dispens&blc iu order to include the large and
varied stores of knowledge eXtant in the
world, and 10 more definitely satisfy the
multiplied intellectual activities and indus
trial wants of the a5c.
But the land grant colleges We're not in
tended to be, and are not hostile To other in
s,ituti6hs, as il has been demonstrated that
the students OF the latter have continued to
increase in number; hut the field was large,
and large addition To the number of eff
cient laborers has been most aIyantageously
obtained.
find this point So clearly stated by the
Commissioner Of Education in his report OF
1876, that | will borrow brief extract, and
wish had room for more. lie says:
The task imposed upon N colleges of agriculture
and the mechanic arts fouhie, on the eongressloii-
a. iso, al iav ha,s H
culture, designed at discretion To- comprehend ali
learning when established Independently, or TO
Win AL 1'ner culture wnsn assoc.el
iished. they ar, lntenri HadSuhtrliy. 10 furnish
The opportunity FOR instruction in tne direction OF
science technics, and industry IN ths country
They were, let Inc add, undoubtedly in
tended to he broad enough to comprehend
all learning" and to educate all classes; but
the leading object was 10 includethe branch
es related to agriculture and other industrial
arts, and to offer better instruction to those
| aiming al emnrnCc i'll surh busy and varied
| ltc-walks
In no other country is there overmasteripg
ambition, among both men aud women, h
obtain thorough education. or something
beyond the three RS: nnl il is not limited
TO the few looking M to professional pur-
suits but all the children oi the poor as well
as of the rich. are cagcr for its supreme
and admitted advantages The farmer.
searching for better fertilizers or for better
labor saving machines finds il a constant
helper The mechanic, striving 10 increase
the value Of his individual labor and thus TO
| Increase the public wealth, finds il an unfail-
ing resource Merchants, and men of en-
terprise in all spheres of active business, find
it above all else the one thing needful.
! Statesmen of all countries iindit the chief
prop of liberty, law, md order.
As legislators, onr ITS, duty is in all cases
To ascertain whether on not the facts and
merits justify the measure under consdera-
tion. The land grant colleges, though occu-
/ pying but subordinate position in this bill,
have long since trlumrhanlly passed the or
deal of unfrloRdly criticism and now fully
vlndlcate their right To live ani their claim
to continued public confidence. In 1919 the
/ very able committee on tducation ana La
bor in the House of Representatives consist
ing OF eleven members, were directed to IN
qulre INTO the condition ani h'e.'agement oi
a. T..;,i 60, rr,;, ,.,,,,,,a;,,n, 80
thc Chiteu ''ics. iui9 '"'i''tSS "Sie
| IinanlmsnS III making mn elaborate ana con
! clusiye rpnort hirhly rommculatory of the