The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-12-08
A Pull All Together.


state. 1t is not necessary to rehearse
them again. c. Re-heorse sounds like
a pun, but is not so intended.) We
have never had the least personal in
terest, or feeling, in the discussion, and
now have no desire to pursue it beyond
the point of utility. In view of the re-
cent unanimous vote of the legis-
lature, Numerically opposed as it was
to our own ideas, but which we re-
gard as final and decisive, we, de-
spising anything in the nature of mere
faction, shall henceforth not only cease,
as a writer and a citizen, to antagonize
the present management of the College,
but shall labor heartily and sincerely to
help it in all its plans for the benefit of
the agricultural interests of the state.
For several years we have been con-
strained to feel that, small as the efforts
of the College have been, they were in
advance of the wishes of the farmers
themselves. 1t is probable that, with
many of the latter, the restraining mo-
tives had the same kinship to discour-
agement and lack of faith as our own.
To all such we wish to say that, bad as
the outlook may be, we cannot, any of
us, make it better by waging factional
opposition. All the industrial college
that Vermont is now ever likely TO
have is the one connected with Bur
lington University. The University it.
self is a well-managed and rapidly
growing institution, in which every
Vermonter should not only feel pride,
but which all Vermonters should take
hold and help. This has always been
our feeling, and if we ever wanted to
be a millionaire it was that we might
be able to give the University 100000
to resign the Agricultural College fund
and 90 its way honestly on its own
money.
Let us not, then, give to the Agri-
cultural College corporation the excuse
of ill-will or Indifference among the
farmers for doing little or nothing for
industrial education. Allowing, what
so many of us have been sorry to be-
lieve, that a spirit of contempt towards
farmers as a class exists, and has found
expression there, we must remember
that while institutions live men may
die or change. The College has made
Of on in n1vnnca in opnniptipfr n
fessor of agriculture, who is a man
well spoken of and doubtless more
than willing to magnify his office by
good work therein. Let us take hold
and help Professor Cook, as we helped
Professor Collier. Let us welcome
him everywhere, let us correspond with
him, let us encourage him by appreca-
ton, let us make an effort to send him
students. The College has no farm
yet, and perhaps no desire for one, but
if it has, let us urge the Legislature to
buy it one and equip it literally, This
is certainly due, both to the College and
to the farmers, for if the College must
remain at Burlington, then the state
owes it to itself (and to the general
government, which has given us $130,-
600 to help to endow it for effective
work. For the legislature to side
against those who have wanted an in
dependent college, and yet do nothing
to make the dependent college worth
anything to the people, is stupidity,
and, so far as the general government
is concerned, dishonesty. But our
legislature is what we make it, and if
the farmers, or any considerable num-
Der of them, show an earnest desire to
have the College properly equipped for
work, it will be done. AS it is now, it
looks exactly as if the people, through
the legislature, let the fund 90 to Bur-
lington, not expecting anything useful
from it there, but just to avoid any
further expense in connection with the
matter. Such view of the question,
if it had been really taken, would be
utterly disgraceful to that state whose
venerable ScUlOr SENATOR was llle dulllOr
of the whole undertaking for indus
trial education through the means of
state colleges.
We say that the state should endow
the college with farm and the neces-
sary accessories. But how much nobler,
how much more encouraging it would
be, to see the farmers themselves come
up with a rousing subscription toward
that purposel 1t is probably highly
utopian idea, but nevertheless glori-
Gus one, and as we once offered to con-
tribute 500 towards having the College
summoned before the supreme court to
give an account of its stewardship, so
now we are ready to be one of hun
dred to contribute the same sum each
for farm. This would be about half
enough, and we could then, with good
face, ask the state for the rest Who
will be the second subscriber?
The OIeO Outlook.
Roth pariias al aim IN he plaaSp1 wi Ia