The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-08-02
THE QUESTION OF THE CAMPAIGN.

UlOl 1T liiiS liilS ilOV DIS'iVS0 w W
nose the education Of the farmer, but
rather because we favor such education,
and have never believed it could be Oh
tained by the establishment of such an
institution. The great mass of the peO-
pie and politicians took up the cry for
separate agricultural college, and it is
the question OF the campaign, county
and State, and all the candidates at
least are on one side, in favor Of such
college. 50 strong seemed to be the flood
for such all institution that we have
been silent on the question for some
time, because sober thought and argu-
ment would not be listened to, and one
who dared to say that he did not be-
lieve panacea for all the ills Of the
farmer was to be found in such al insti-
tuition was put down as an enemy TO
the farmer When Mr.. Clemson's will
Was made public we rather favored the
acceptance by the State Of this bcqucst,
and thus let the experiment of L sepa-
rate agricultural college be made with
out much cost to the State. Such an
institution will be an experiment with
us, and as we thought it could be tried
in this way it might be well.
We have thought Of this matter a
good deal lately and we have read care
fully the will of Mr. Clemson, and we
have come to the conclusion that the
State should not accept this bequest. If
the people want separate agricultural
college let us build it. This will may
be contested by Miss Lee, the only heir
at-law of Mr.. Clemson, and who is yet
a minor and will have four years after
she arrives at the age of twenty-one
wears in which to do it, and then the
control of this institution under the
will, will not be under the State, but in
the hands of the trustees appointed by
Mr.. Clemson and their successors. If
the State is to have separate agricul-
tural college let us have it, so that the
State can control it.
If the people want it they can have
it. The people rule in this country;
they pay the taxes and elect their rep
resentatives who can establish such an
institution if the great mass of the peo-
pie say so.
Now we desire it distinctly under
stood that The Herald and News is a
friend to the farmer, Notwithstanding
what anybody may say to the contrary.
1t is very nice to talk about trained
men as lawyers, doctors and preachers,
and the necessity for trained men as
farmers, but is the thing practicable?
How many boys from Newberry Coun-
ty could attend such an institution if it
were established? How many who did
would return to the farm and become
farmers: What would be the practical
results of the establishment Of such an
institution? These are questions to be
considered along with all this theory
that we hear on the subject.
There is one thing that may be put
down as sure, that If such all institution
is established with or without the Glenn
son bequest, the funds now available
even by tearing down the ''annex" will
not be sufficient to maintain it. That,
however, is a small question, if the peo-
pie want the institution. Mississippi
has an Agricultural College, and when
this discussion first began a great deal
was said about such al institution on
the Mississippi plan. \ correspondent
of the News and Courier who attended
the commencement of this College last
yea- summed up the opposition to it in
that State as follows:
First, its establishment has in
creased taxation unnecessarily.
Second, that if they are to be taxed
it should be for free common schools.
Third, that the college does not make
farmers"
The trouble with this College is that
it does not make farmers, and we be-
lieve the same complaint comes from
other agricultural colleges. The John
ston Monitorgives the Farm & Fireside,
an agricultural paper, as authority for
the assertion that out of IS graduates of
the Agricultural College of Ohio only
one is!engaged in farming,and from the
same paper the following quotation is
made:
"Indeed, we venture the assertion,
which we believe cannot be successfully
contradicted, that no college Or untrer-
sity of general education IN the United
States eciU shoor u smaller proportion Of
its graduates engaged in agricultural
pursuits than this agricultural coliegeo
Ohio.n
Results may be different with us. If
not, where is your argument for techni-
cal training for farming, when only
one in siXty-five who have been trained
for that business engage in farming?
The trouble is that the farmer does not
know what his son will be, or want to
be, or is fit to be, when he starts him
off to college. The young man who is
going to secure a technical course as
doctor or minister first obtains, if pos
sible, a good literary education, and
until this is done the decision Of pro-
fession is rarely made. An agricultural
college, separate and distinct, is not
going to reach the farmers as class,
nor do the good they are now led to be-
lieve it will when established.
What we need is more and better
common schools where all the boys and
girls can 60 and obtain a good English
education; and when we get these, then,
if we desire it, let US have the college,
where the young man who desires 10