The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1886-05-19

ing since in the aggregate to So, 5o0
And let it be remembered that tbc
farmers, who pay the bulk Of tho
State taxes, are taxed to paw th;S
$500 a year, Of which they havo
been deprived, for the benefit Of tbe
University; SO that the farmers not
only lose the original grant but are
taxed to make it good for the bene6t
Of some one else. And in the mean
time, in these eleven years whero
was the agricultural and mechanical
college? Who ever heard oft until
it put in it's belatcd appearance in
this 1886 catalogue, where it an
pears as a new discovery; 20 wears
after the acceptance of the grant hv
the State and II years after the STATE
had made good the stolen scrins
The gentlemen who IRE SUPERVISING
it are moving with remarkable DELHI,
Grafton, and are evidently not goino
to ieopardize the final existence Of
the institution by precipitate action,
If after II years they have got far
enough along to give the "colIege"
place in the catalogue, perhaps the
next II years they may show some
thing that it has done, unless they
conclude, in the meantime, to- cease
playing on the line of sheer pretense
and abandon it. 1t has been neither
the leading feature as the act of the
Legislature of 1868 provided, nor
has it been any feature at all. 1t
has had no existence except the
technical existence that an occa-
sional lecture on agricultural chem
istry,\ botany, bugoIogy, or some
thing Of that sort might give it, un-
der cover of which this $500
year is appropriated and used, with
utter disregard of both the spirit
and the letter of the act Of Congress
and the subsequent act Of the Legis-
lature.
1t is no excuse to say that $500
a year is nit enough to provide for
an agricultural and mechanical col
lege, sucha s was contemplated. Per
haps NOT. But does that Justify
taking the money and using it fora
purpose foreign to that for which it
was donated? Would it not be more
honest dealing to let this interest be
placed in the State Treasury to the
credit Of those for whom it was in
tended until it had amounted TO such
sum as would be sufficient to estab-
fish, with reasonable appropriation
from the State, such an institution
as the farmers and industrial CLASSES |
demand, and are entitled to? Al
this interest, which has been
semi-annually paid to the trustees of
the University foots up $4,000,
which would put up and support quite
a respectable institution, even if the
State made no further provision.
But if we concede that there are
in this so-called agricultural college
courses CONSTRUCTION "offered," (that
is the language of the catalogue is
not $1,000 year a pretty heavy
sum to pay for offering to instruct
young men who do not put in an ap-
pearance to be instructed? Better
the money until there is some
one to accept the "offer'' and there
is a proper and a practical system
adopted to impart the desired in
and not a mere make
believe which costs $4,000 a year,
or $4,000 up to date.
HE PROGRESSIVE FARMER wants to
see, and it demands it in the name
of the people for whom it speaks,
this money placed to the credit of
the people to whom it belongs, to
the end that they may at some day,
if not now, have schools in which
their children may be educated in
with the intent of the
in making the grant,
and of the State Legislature in ac-
cepting it, and in afterwards assum-
ing responsibility for it. This is all
that we, and all the people ask, and
this is all we and all the people de-
mand-simple justice and fair play.
Nothing more is asked, nothing less
will satisfy.
We propose to continue this sub
Jet and follow it up until justice is
done the people, or they know why
= Il no' zone.