Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-11-12

boroughs. As we have said before, we
tender no advice to the people Of Rut
land, because in their present state of
mind they ask FOR no advice and would
not regard any from this quarter But,
conscious of no jealousy of our sister
town, and sincerely interested in it, pros
perity. we think we can see that in fight
ing this project they are fighting their
own true interest. 1t will be the duty of
the Legislature, which stands in paren-
tai relation to all the towns, to decide and
do what is best in the case
The Proposed Experiment Station.
The Rurdl Fcrmontcr, which SO far as
our observation has gone has hardly ever
printed anything about the State Uni
versity and Agricultural college in it's
relation to the farming interests of our
State, that was not misleading and nal.
icious, publishes n communication from
some one who signs himself Farmer
which contains too many and too gross
misstatements to be allowed to pass I'M
contradicted. Farmer" says that the
managers Of the University "in collision
with those of Middlebury college, main
tanned lobby to prevent the establish
ment of an Independent agricultural col
lege in this State" This slanderous as.
sertion is pure invention. 1t is not only
false but absurdly false There was never
the slightest collision or concert of action
between Middlebury college and the Uni
versity on this subject. The University
scrupulously abstained from any effort
even to influence the direction which the
State gave to the so-called agricultural
fund. The facts are that the Legislature
originally incorporated an agricultural
college independent of the Unver-
sty and with it's own board of
trustees, none of whom had any
connection with the University. Those
trustees made an earnest effort to
secure the additional endowment without
which the college could not accomplish
anything, since no part of the congress
sional fund could be expended for build
ings and the grant was insufficient for the
running of an agricultural college, even if
buildings We're provided. \ year was &C
cupied in an organized and careful canvass
of the State for funds for such an endow-
ment. The effort wholly failed, and the
agricultural fund, when about to lapse
under the terms of the act of Congress,
was saved to the State only by the act
uniting the University and Agricultural
college The University of Vermont was
not eager to accept the terms OF an act
which required it to surrender all its
property and funds to new corporation
1t consented to do so, in order that the
State might not utterly and forever lose
the considerable grant offered by Con
gress for educational purposes having
special reference to industrial, agricultural
and practical branches The charge that
its managers lobbied to prevent the estab-
lishment of an agricultural college, or to
bring about the result finally reach ed
cannot be sustained by a shadow of proof.
1t is absolutely false.
Farmer" further says that the Unver-
sity has ever since used the income of the
congressional fund Gin way diametri-
cally opposed to the expressed purpose
and intention of the gift This is the as
sertion of a man who does not know what
he Is talking about, or of deliberate
falsitier. 1t is not the first time the charge
has been made. But no man and no com
mittee ever caudidly Investigated the facts
of the case, without becoming satisfied
that it was groundless. The managers of
the University have always welcomed the
freest and fullest investigation of the
facts, and have invariably been vindi-
Gated, in the outcome of every investiga-
ton. We quote here from the report of
an investigating committee appointed by
the Legislature of 1874, and composed, four
to one, of intelligent and independent farm
ers. They said
Your committee are entirely satisfied
that the trustees and managers lof
, the University and Agricultural col
legel have studiously aimed and faith
fully labored to comply with
the charters, and to meet, so far as
) their means would allow, all the de
mands tor instruction that have been
made upon them Your commit
: tee find from an analysis of the annual
: expenditures that the Whole amount of
the industrial fund, and little more, Is
annually expended in paying for the ser
vices of professors in the industrial de
partment and expenses belonging to That
+, department. In the partnership business
l of the two, the industrial is apparently
the favored partner Your committee re-
: port that the funds of the institution maze
J been expended in accordance with the
! act of Congress.
The committee went in detail into the
t subject, at greater length than we can
, find space for, showing among other
; things that three-fourths of the graduates
| of the united institutions had entered
business life as teachers, farmers, mer
+ chants, civil engineers, manufacturers
/ and other departments of business com
ing fairly within the intent of the act oil
Congress and of the charter of the Yer
| mont Agricultural college-and that the
f University and Agricultural college was
e thus fulfilling its duty in supplying edu
2 cation for the practical pursuits of life.