Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-03-04
The Am. College Farm.
Our young friend oftho Raymond

Mr.. Sam ID. Harper, is
IL Usually very we'll balanced and has
been liberal and progressive in his
views, but latl ~ he has gone all
wrong In regard TO the a. & VI.
College at Starkvil!c. We have
read the articles which appearci III
tha, paper carefully TO see Why our
Young and talented friend wanted
he institution abolished, aud the
,nly reason We see given, or the
only argument offered, IL that STU
lent labor has not been profitable,
and that the revenue derived from
the farm products has not been SUI
6clent to meet the expense OF COLI
Quoting the farm. Was that to be
expected How many farmers are
there, considered first class, work
ing stout, able bodied negroes,
who came out behind ut the end Of
the year. Is it expected that
young white boys should do better
than tie negroes who arc accus'
toned to labor and working under
the direction of u skilled farmer
and go,sl manageri
In the first place, those who have
SONS! there did not send them
TO be farm labOrers, but to be taught
practical agriculture. II the idea
was to conduct n large farm and
make IL a financial success, we are
free to admit it cant lie done with
student labor. The State in estab-
fishing the college, never contem.
plated that any money would be
turned into the treasury, realized
from the profits Of the agricultural
farm, but that seems 20 be the Ga
zett's idea. II suggests "that the
faculty of the a. & n. College be
honorably discharged. the boys
transferred to the State University,
and the farm worked by convlc's.
The latter can be lodged in the col
lege building, and as farming by
convict labor il known 10 pay, n
part of the money wasted during
the last Eve years may 10 recover
ed" 1t wants the college abolish
ed because the farm don't pay.
The Gazette las worked upon It's
imagination until it believes "pub'
lie Indignation has tccn daily wax
ing hot and hotter until now ii Is at
rel heat, (which heated state OF at
fairs was brought about by tho Ga
zc,te calling "atten,ion to the
shameless waste OF the peoples
money III the management oi the
a. & NJ. College ut Starkville.'
Did our friend Harper ever think
of the fact that, considering the
number OF pupils in attendance,
this school has cost less than any
educational institution! The ga.
zctte doesn't want tho legislature
to appropriate any more money
10 demonstrate that farming doesn't
pay The idea NIL through the
Gazctt's article is that the State
is running an agricultural farm at
Starkvillr and the farm doesn't
pay. We all know that. 1t wasn't
expected that Gen. Lee with his
students would be able to lower the
price OF cotton or get up II corner
OH corn, or establish bank with
the net earnings OF the farm, but
they expected practical agriculture
to be taught, not to the cxclu sion
of other sciences, however. The
a. & NJ. College will be lasting
monument to the wisdom and lib
crafty of the State and it should be
well fostcred, Notwithstanding our
young AMI talented friend has got
his back up because "the farm
doesn't pay
This is a different view from that
taken by the Gazette, which terms
the college "simply monumental
failure if not fraud,' but its great
success and popularity, attcsted by
the increased number Of students
each year, and the attention it Is
from abroad, bear Us out
in saying that the college is n bless.
ing to the boys of the State, especi'
ally the poorer ones, and should be
lihprally sustained.