The Press., 1884-06-26
GOV. WALLER AT MANSFIELD.

Gov. Walters address at the s'commence- ment'' of Storrs' school, last Thursday, was happy effort The Hartford Times gives a synopsis, though the address was made without notes
 ssI come here, ladies and gentlemen, as the representative of the state of Connecti- cut, first of all to pay my respects to this school [applause]--this state institution, which is yet in it's infancy y-and, last but not least, to these boys who are now going out into the world; and to this man who in his lifetime gives of his abundance for the benefit of the farming interest of his native state. It is one of the good signs of our christian civilization and humanity that we are coming to give, to worthy ob- jects, not in bequests to be available after we have gone, but in our own lifetime Such benefactor gives that which he may need himself before he goes where worldly propsrty is of no avail If any one of you proposes to endow, after death, don't let me discourage you. But wrestle with your conscience, and give now if you can. It will have a double value-the value of the money itself, and of the mans interest in his own gift. hear there are men who attribute mercenary motives to this noble gift linen about here who say the 'Stor1x- es are going to get it all back again, when the state gives it up, and get it greatly i'm proved You who know them can have no such thought. who look upon them cannot for moment entertain it. It is a small, narrow, unworthy spirit. Twice, as governor in my messages, have had oc- c.sion to approve the character and ob- iects of this school and twice has the leg islature appropriated money to aid it. An extra appropriation was refused; but that legislature appointed committee of con- potent men to investigate the school and report That committee has been here one of its members is here now. And know the committee too well to doubt that they will report in it's favor. The state expends on it's institutions hundreds of thousands of dollars-and in lawsuits, over petty causes mostly, almost as much as it spends on the education of the people How much better to educate the people, than to spend the money in litigation l. which itself often comes from a lack of knowledge. 5E<5 t
 This school, farmers aOiU be naaiaatoiaa- ed, and be favorably known throughout the commonwealth, if you, the farming class, take care of it. Applause]. MT. Nor do know much about it. q am not seeking votes; when I want them, I'll let you know, but it won't be before an elec- tion). Applause. But one thing, farm CTS, you ought to be told: You don't tak @ care of yourselves. One would think you would say, of this school, for example let the state try the experiment; other people have tried experiments let us try. , That's the way you would think farmers would act. But they don't! They yield to the lawyers Take as an example the history, in our state, of the Agricultural Experiment Station. The head of the es- tablishment is here now Hooking towards Professor Johnson). Its purpose was sim ply to protect our farmers from being inn posed upon in the shape of frauds in fer tilizers. What did you do in the legisla- ture? You voted~it down! Some little chap got up and sneered at it as mess ot 'book farming ng'-somebody that himself probably knew nothing about any kind of farming; that was enough you voted it down But on some ralny day, when fewer farmers were present in the house, an appropriation was carried, the station went on, 1t demonstrated its usefulness, and to-day no farmer in Connecticut would vote against 1t
 And there will be little or no trouble about this school It is in its infancy I has got the measles. It has got the whoop ing-cough. Laughter. But it will grov out of it. It is the only establishment o the kind in this country. It is for you interest, farmers to go to the legislature and stand by it.
 Ralph Waldo Emerson once defined weed. Some of you will shake your heads and say, He know what weed is pooh But Emerson said, "A weed is a vegetable God has made, the purpose of which ma1 has not discovered,
 Farmers there's a sermon in that re mark-a sermon to you. Educate you boys in this school, and send them out t, be fortunes to you. You remember-th, elder part of this audience-when tn, strawberry was little more than weed when it was not cultivated; now, see tn. fortunes that are made out of it. Tn cranberry was another weed. Now, 1t i cultivated on large scale, and to grea profit, and even exported to England Some of these old marshes are just tn, places for it. Some farmers boy had sens' enough to try it. That's just what thes, towns say of this school, don't any of yol lift your hands and say, There's nothing to it. I see in the newspapers that som of you farmers here don't like this school When l saw what 1t was when it began, said you have no farm; put your teaching outdoors. Now, when one sees a larg and good farm in this rugged country taken care of by these boys, we see wha is in it. Let us all take hold and help it
 A parting word to these young men You go out into big world. But there i one thing about it, it's fair world.
 want none of that religious cant that run it down and pretends to yearn for better I like this world, and want to stay in 1t a long as possible. Its fair world an, O It into its wide uncertainties you are go tug, and it will depend on your own goot sense how you stand in 1t This is bet ter time to go out into it than any tim that ever came before It is the best tim God ever made l,- All the good things 0 the past, and all its gain of knowledge you are going to take with you. It.will b well to have ''pluck." If. anybody is il your way, move him out Land he'l nov somebody else, and all will get moving like a Methodist camp-meeting. And yol are going out into the best of worlds ant into the best part of it t!-into free coun try! Applause. You can be fit to stan' before kings-be yourself king, if yo1 are fit to be. In other lands, the rules Q caste would be in your way. It is not s here, thank God!
 Another thing. You are going out witt the diplomas of the state. But remember
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