The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-12-29
Address of Gen. Stephen D. Lee
TO THE-
State Grange of Mississippi, De-
cember Is, 1885.
Gen. Lee in substance said:

JfAI5ef anu ! A-eA1n-
I esteem myself fortunate and com
plimented, in being invited annually, t.
appear before the state Grange, and ad
dress it. This seems appropriate, as the
order has been, and is still the larges
organization Of farmers in Mississippi
lit is also the largest national organiza
tion of farmers in the United States
The order in Mississippi, too, did more
to have the A. and Nj. College estab
lished, than any other influence. A;
early as 1875, and yearly, afterwards
they memorialized the Legislature, and
by resolution, insisted on the passage Of
a law organizing the College as a separ-
ate and distinct institution, from the
University at Oxford, so that the spirit
of the Federal law would be obtained
The law states the object to be, ''to ben.
eft agriculture and the mechanic arts,
and the national endowment provides
for the establishment of at least one Col
lege, "aohere the leading object shall De-
without excluding other scientific and
classical studies, and including military
tactics, to teach such branches Of learning az
are related to agriculture and the mechanic
arts" The Grangers insisted that the
leading object and intent of the law
was not carried by the use OF the inter
est of the endowment fund at Oxford,
and persisted in demanding the estab-
| lishment of a separate Institution. The
older members of the order are familiar
with these facts, but many of the new
members are not, and will not be amiss
| to review briefly the facts of the case
| Congress, in 1862, passed law donating
to the State 80, 900 acres of public lands
| for each Representatives. Congress, TO
endow Colleges, 'to benefit agriculture
and the mechanic arts" The
DONATION WAS MADE WITH CONDITIONS,
and the acceptance Of the gift was op-
| tional with the State. 1t required a
Legislative act to signify acceptance and
compliance with the conditions. By
accepting, the State bound itself not to
use the principal-but only the interest
on the principal. The money derived
from the lands was to be invested in L..
S. or State bonds, bearing at least five per
cent. year. The State was To provide
buildings, equipment, etc, for the Col
lege; keep up repairs, and implements,
the income to carry on the College. The
gift was to be accepted in given time,
and Mississippi received scrip for the
land, and it was sold by Gov. Alcorn-
and the money netted 1927 ,500-which
was placed in treasury of the State, and
used. The State issued her bonds bear
ing five per cent. per annum, for the
amount, and payable in twenty years.
The Convention which organized the
present State Constitution, in Art. 8,
l. - ~f ha 7
lature to establish College in accord
ance with the conditions of acceptance.
The party controlling the Convention,
was the Republican party. A Demo
cratic Legislature, in 1878, did establish
the College, and in Difference to the de-
mand of the farmers, speaking through
the largest and only organization OF far
mers in the Sta.e-the Grange organiza-
ton.
The Oranges are composed of the
white farmers making up the Demo
cratic masses in the State-so that 1T
may be said briefly, that the State
Grange, representing the separate local
oranges, and the farmers of the State,
by repeated and persistent memorial
and resolution, influenced the Legisla-
ture, in establishing the A. and NJ.
College. 1t was done in Difference to
IRE DEMAND OF THE FAMERRs
OF the State, TO hare separate College
and an their oaUn interest.
In 1879, the Board of Trustees sent
one of their number, DIR. Phares, to
visit the State Grange, in session at
Forest, and to lay before them the
amount of appropriation it deemed nee
esary to efficiently establish and equip
the College. Your order, by memorial,
asked the Legislature to appropriate
$125,000 for this purpose. The Leglsla-
ture appropriated $4,000, but Fubse-
quently, the amount you named. Your
order, at their annual meetingt have
kept up this interest. You claim the
College as the farmers College, and be-
fore every Legislature you ask that 1t
be literally supported. Let the state
give the same amount to the farmers
College as is given to the University at
Oxford. The State Grange has also ap-
pointed committees to visit and report
on the workings of the College, and
those reports are most favorable, and
represent that agricultural education,
practically and theoretically, is the lead
ing feature of the College.
TaIE COLLEGES AND COMMON SCHOOLS.
Some members of your order, and
others, are opposed to the College, and
HONESTLY so, but in my Judgment, be-
cause they are not correctly informed
of the workings of the College. 1t IS
claimed that too much is being done for
the Colleges, and too little for the COM
mon schools, and that the money given
the Colleges, especially the A. and Nj.
College, and the College for girls, should
be given to the common schools.
The State, in her wisdom, has estab-
lished the Colleges. The A. and Nj. Col
lege was established under the obliga-
ton given to the United States in ac-
cepting the donation of 1927 800. There
is. therefore, double obligation to sup
port this College,-frst to the United
States, and again on account OF its be-
ing established at the demand of the
farmers. Now as to the College for
girls-it is purely a State institution,
no obligation being imposed by the ac-
ceptance of endowment (partial), from
the United States. But the generous
spirit of Mississippians has said-we
must be equally generous to our girls,
as we are TO our boys at Oxford and at
the A. and NJ.
Now, let us look into the support Civ
en- by the State to the A. and NJ. Col
lege:
The last Legislature gave $4,000 a
year for its support, and also the inter
est on half the endowment fund, ($4,-
999l. The other part of the interest
goes to the negro College at Rodney
(Alcorn College).
The support of the College is given
entirely from the taxes derived from
| the three mill State tax levy. This
amount brings into the State treasury
1877, ,210.51. A simple proposition will
| indicate that the tax on every 81 900
worth of property towards the support
of the College is only twenty cents.
The average farmer is worth, say $1,000,
which would make his tax sixty cents
for the College. 1t is not this amount,
for it is we'll known that most of the
property in the State is assessed at only
about half its value. The population
of Mississippi is about ], 1,250, 900, max.
ing the tax, in this way, only about two
cents each-or one-ffth this number as
voters-making the tax ten cents to
each voter.
1t is generally known that the tax tc
support common schools gives $940, 900
This is the amount for the year 1885
Nearly 81, 900, 900 for common schools
Now If the $25, 900 given for the sup
port OF the A. and NJ College were used
to prolong the time for common schools
1t .could just run the schools faco days.
LACK OF TRAINED TEACHER.
The great defect in the efficiency
of the common schools, is Alb lack oi
educated, trained teachers " the com
mon schools had all the College fund. 4