The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1889-03-16
GEN. S. D. LEES PAPERS.
AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL
COLLEGES.
ACurrieulam e Colleges and UniVer-
sitiesn-ObIeet Of Congress In Pre-
Viding for the Establishment
81 These Institutions.
Article NO L

and intent OF Congress in providing for
them. and the necessity for their estab-
lishment What shall write will be in
a non bipartisan spirit intended to over
come objections to these institutions
which are honestly entertained BY many
who should be their friends.
In the older States there are colleges
and universities which have grown up
with them; many of them richly en-
dowed and others supported by State
appropriations
As the newer States were organized,
similar ones were established. and in
most Instances provision was made for
their liberal endowment by Congress by
donation of public lands. Many Of
these endowments. both to the colleges
and common schools, have been lost by
the States.
These universities and colleges in all
the States were generally patterned
after the old English colleges. and their
currieulums were gotten up to educate
young men. and ft them for the three
learned professions of law, divinity aud
medicine. The theory Of their instruc-
tions was based on the idea that thor
ough study Of the ancient classics was
the only true road to learning. These
colleges. besides giving general lib
sral education. also provided special
schools for law, divinity and medicine,
making liberal and ample provision for
those intending to pursue these profess
sions In doing this they afforded
most excellent and necessary higher
educational facilities only to a small
part OF the people, but made no provi-
sion for the special training aud wants
Of the great majority Of the people en-
gagged in the multiplied and learned
pursuits Of the present day.
The recent discoveries Of science and
art have made very great changes In
the industries OF the world, aud the
education afforded by the older col
leges and universities was too con-
tracted. and favored too much certain
small classes Of our population, and
narrowed down too much the choice OF
selection in preparation for the differ
ent pursuits Of life, and were evidently
favoring the wealthier classes and dis
eliminating too greatly in not aflording
special training for the pursuits the ma
jority of population were following.
The census Of 1880 shows that in a
population of 100000 at tho present
time, that only 1851 persons were
doctors and surgeons, ga, ,69S were min
listers, and GA, 1877 lawyers, making 2l4,
5C6 persons in the learned professions
less than half Million while the bal
ance Of our population earned their
livelihoods In other pursuits. one-hali
being engaged in agriculture and the
others in commerce, in manufacturing,
In transportation, and In the mechan-
ical arts. These glaring facts caused
the courses Of study in the colleges and
universities TO be subjected to critical
examination The inquiry was made;
Why so purely llleraryP Why for the
especial benefit OF only three or four
classes Of peopleP Why so little sclenceP ?
Why so much theory and so little prac-
tlceP These were pertinent questions,
and when made authoritatively by
Charles Francis Adams, at Harvard, .
few years since, they attracted great at
tention. Under public pressure, these
curriculums have been partially and
gradually changed. But even these
changes have been made only to meet
the Weather and better educated
classes, rather than to meet the neces-
sites Of the masses Of population.
These colleges have added departments
for engineering. analytical chemistry.
domestic economy. commercial train
ing. schools OF pharmacy, dentistry,
schools of arts OF various kinds, poly
technc institutes, normal colleges, in
fact. departments for the theoretical
and special instruction of nearly every
calling, but have persistently ignored
agriculture, which. as an art, Is vir-
tually the basis OF all arts and Of all
wealth. This is tho pursuit, ZOO, that
one-half of the population Of the United
States is engaged in, and in Mississippi
four-ffths. The recent changes and
additions in the curriculum Of the
common schools are following the
same policy. In addition to the three
Rs" we find recent introductions OF
philosophy, botany and physiology.
and practical instruction in carpenter
ing. wood engraving, type-writing.
stenography, cooking, sewing. etc, but
we hear nothing Of the introduction Of
the study Of the elementary principles
Of agriculture IN the common schools.
an art that four-fifths Of the boys aud
girls of Mississippi must necessarily
earn their support from. This, too, in
face Of the fact that the principles are
as well arranged and understood and as
easily mastered by dull boys and girls
as are the dry facts of arithmetic,
grammar, spelling. geography or his
tory. Tho great straits to which the
farming classes or peasants in Europe
were brought, about the beginning Of
this century. has made complete revo-
luton In agriculture. In lSi0-just 4S
years ago, Leebig reduced TO practical
and scientific order what was necessary
to maintain fertility in soil and to re-
store fertility. As consequence, there
are now over 400 agricultural schools
and colleges in Germany. The same
system Is found in France and other
European States. As a result Of this
thorough system of agricultural cduca-
ton among the peasants, the yield per
acre OF land in Europe has been gradu-
ally increasing, while in the United
States statistics show it is gradually
decreasing. The statistics as to the
condition of the agricultural classes in
the United States points TO the alb olute