The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-09-17

our State Agricultural College; tne laSJ
public act Of his life was plea before
the legislative committee for the estab-
lishment of that college as an independent
institution, or as he himself expressed
it, "a tub on its own bottom to be
managed by farmers, for the benefit of
farmers and the industrial classes. We
we'll remember that occasion in Repre-.
sentatives' hall, when his voice was heard
for the last time in public. At that time
great interest centered In the disposition
of the national grant for the endowment
of an industrial college in this state.
Public educators of all classes were exer-
cised in wonderful manner concerning 1t.
Here was large sum of money that was to
be given by the general government for the
fostering of public education in Maine,
and our old colleges saw their opportunity.
When the subject was before the legisla-
tive committee Waterville college was
ably represented by its president, the late
DIR. Chsmplin Bowdoiu by the late
Professor William Smythe, and Bates by
its president, DR.. Cheney. These several
gentlemen made ingenious arguments in
behalf of authority to receive the whole,
or each portion, of the national fund,
and establish departments or chairs of
instruction, in those branches of study
required by the national government, of
states accepting the grant. DIR. Cham
plin and Professor Smythe, as we remem-
Der, were especially earnest in pleading
foDtheir respective colleges. They showed
the advantages which they possessed in
having already sufficient buildings for all
needed purposes; of having large libra
ries, cabinets and laboratories for the use of
students, and that the fund given to either
of these institutions would 30 enlarge and
strengthen them that they would be able
to meet all the requirements of the national
congress for the special education of
farmers and mechanics sons. 1t looked
doubtful for the farmers cause before that
legislative committee. DR.. Holmes then
appeared in behalf of an independent
college for the benefit of the industrial
classes in accordance with the letter and
spirit of the national act. He showed in
mastery way the need of education of
special nature on the part of the sons of
farmers and mechanics, he depicted the
growing caste and spirit of luminosity
which would be sure to grow up among
students of q college where the maj ority
were sons of gentlemen in the professions,
and men of wealth and leisure, and
minority sons of farmers and working
men /; how the former would be sure to
look down upon the latter, and how
spirit of anything but harmon would
rule in such college. He showed how
the old classical studies would receive an
undue share of attention, and divert from
the newer and more practical studies
which it should be the aim of the new
institutions to make prominent in their
curriculum. He pleaded for separate,
distinct and independent college for
farmers, managed by practical mon por-
traying the character and scheme of
studies of such college in a mastery
way-closing by saying; This is such
college, Mr.. Chairman, as the farmers of
Maine have been hoping for, and wishing
for, and praying for, and working for,
throughout generation; and now when
we are on the point of securing it, through
the munifcence of the general government,
we do not propose to sell our birthright
for mess of pottage.' The effect of this
grand speech of the unselfsh, dear old
doctor, was convincing; it secured the
establishment of the Maine State College
as an independent institution, discon-
nected from any existing literary college.
1t was the last public act of DR.. Holmes
long and useful life. In less than a week
from that time he had ceased from his
earthly labors."
The above article is from the Home
Farm of Maine, and we reprint it not only
for the reflection of our own farmers, who
lost their agricultural grant in spite of
the able and earnest effort and protest of
such stalwart men as Henry Lane of
Cornwall, and others in the legislature,
but also because DR.. Holmes was in himself
an inspiration to our own early life. He was
for number of years teacher and after
wards principal of the first of all Ameri.
can industrial schools, established and
maintained for considerable number of
years between 1920 and 1880 in our native
town of Gardiner, Maine,-the Gardiner
lyceum. He was the lifelong friend and
co-religionist (Swedenborgian) of our
parents, and frequent visitor at their
house, and his whole life seemed to be an
illustration of Swedenborg's declaration
that I" All religion has relation to life, aud
the life of religion is to do good" He
was a man who, like Agassiz, never had
time to make money" but he was always
foremost in every good word and work.
He was the first to introduce the Short.
horns and Jerseys into Maine, as we'll as
other breeds of farm animals. Every new
mechanical device to lessen the labor OF
the farm, for men and women alike, he was
enthusiastic for, and the first cheese
factory in Maine was, we think, built
near his home. 1t was fitting that such q
man, who had spent his life both as an
individual and as editor for over thirty
years of the Maine Farmer (Which he
established) in the interest of agriculture,
should give the last strength of his body,
and almost its last breath, to the pre-
vention of an outrage upon agriculture
in the provision of the national grant fol-
industrial schools. And thanks be to
God, he succeeded, and his dying efforts
won an undying triumph for the right