The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-03-12


had three wears in which to decide;
she accepted the conditions OF the gift
and has established the college One
of the conditions of acceptance was to
establish college, ''when the leading
object should be TO teach such branches
of learning as are related to agrlcul-
ture and mechanic arts, etc. !"
The value of this college property is
now over S2O6,0 600 an investment of
the State, for the law prescribed that
the State must provide buildings and
outfit. Then was the State debt also
created ''in enlarging the asylum at
Jackson, in building the new asylum
Meridian and in starting the J. 81. c..
at Columbus and increasing the COM
mon school fund.
I'd. It was claimed that the students
attending the A. & M. College were
not equally proportioned to the differ
ent counties, but that twelve counties
had one-half of the students attend.
ing, and twenty counties were not rep
resented. Some counties appreciated
education more than others and send
more students to all colleges and
schools; and no law can compel coun-
ties to send students unless they want
to do so. One thing is certain: no
county has ever been refused room for
students, equal to its quota, if they
could otherwise comply with the con-
ditions of admission. This was claimed
as a great crime in the management.
The facts are, the A. & M. College
was ahead of the University of the
State in equal distribution and ahead
of colleges in Alabama and any other
State, and even had better record
than the three most largely attended
A. & M. Colleges in the United States.
Oxford had one-half attendance
Q887) from seven counties and other
States and twenty-seven counties not
represented.
The A. & M. College of Alabama
and also the University do not show
as good a record as our A. & M.
Michigan Seven counties and other
States have one-half and thirty four
counties not represented. Kansas
four counties and other States one
half and twenty five counties not rep
resented. So it appears that this
objection had no foundation by com
parison. If it, is crime and needs
legislation to correct it, why not apply
to all State Colleges receiving support
from taxation
Sd. It was claimed that only wealthy
boys can attend the A. & NJ College.
The record shows that $124 will cover
all necessary expenses, and over $25
of this year is really for clothing,
which is not included in the necessary
expenses of other colleges in their
published catalogues.
The Board of Trustees carefully
looked into this matter. They say ::
CATER careful enquiry, we are salts
fed that, while the college is open to
all, yet the son of no rich man attends
it; the boys here are either wholly
destitute of means or are the sons of
farmers of very limited means; 1t as
entphatically a school for the poor, and
we intend, as far as we are able, to
make it subserve their interests" The
fact is any live, industrious boy can
get through on from $75 to $100
session for board, books medical at
tention, fuel and every expense. These
official facts are certainly more reliable
than reckless, careless assertions.
4th. It is claimed that the sons of
farmers do not attend the college. The
record shows that in the last session
80 per cent. of all the students at
tending were the sons of farmers, and
the balance were mostly sons of men
engaged in industrial pursuits.
5th. 1t was claimed that the salaries
paid the president and professors were
too high, although they were paid the
same salaries as paid at Oxford and at
most frst-class colleges. The reduc-
tion made by the Legislature caused
the college to lose several of it's best
professors, who had mainly contribu-
ted to build it up. The salaries of the
professors were reduced from $40
to 81, 500. Texas took one and paid
him $4,000; West Virginia took an
other and paid him $4,000. One of
our graduates was receiving $500 as
assistant professor and the college
wanted him for one of these vacancies.
Texas offered $2,25O and took him.
Another graduate was receiving
$3.50; Kentucky offered him 81, 200
and took him. Larger salaries were
offered to two other professors. but
they determined to remain by the
Mississippi College, believing the next
Legislature would correct the matter,
and could and would pay her officers
as much as other States. The board
have had to ill the vacancies with
younger men of less reputation and |
experience. Even these gentlemen
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