The Portland daily press., 1889-02-22
GRADUATED ONLY SEVENTEEN FARMERS
A Lively Debate Over the Maine
State College.
The Direct TAX and Cumberland
county's Share.
important Insurance Matters Before
the Legislature.
Especial to the Press

| of the Maine State College Of Agriculture
and Mechanic Arts was special assignment
| in the Senate this forenoon. This resolve
| gives $4,000 to the college fer the next tive
years.
The resolve gave rise to long aud most
| interesting and important debate. Senators
Freeman and Walton made strong onslaughts
upon the institution. which was defended by
Senator Haines.
Mr.. Freeman spoke first. he said that for
large disbursements Of public money the
people were entitled to an equivalent In the
form of some permanent and palpable bene-
ft. ''It is" he said, upon this theory, ana
this only. that the State is justified in appro-
| priating one dollar for public schools: for
regard no principle as better settled than
this, viz: That the interest which the State
has in education is not that which q father
has in the education Of bis child. IL is not
pride in the school nor affection for the
scholar, but only the primary sad elemental
interest Of self preservation"
In conclusion he said: "The plane OF in
telligent citizenship is the standard up to
which the State may properly assume to ed
ucate, thus far and no farther-for this Is q
question OF taxation as much as Of education
and venture to state as sound PROPOSE.
| tion, that since State schools must be sup
ported by a common tax upon the body Of the
| people, education by the State should be
carried only so far as the great body of tax
payers can make 1t available for their chill
dren.
Senator Haines of KenneDec, replied. He
said he nad hoped that the time had come
when the friends Of the State College would
not be obliged to fight for an appropriation
for the college. Mr.. Haines said he held
that the State of Maine was under contract
with the United States government to sup
port this college for all time, because the coli
iege was founded upon land grant given by
Maine has appropriated first and last about
S247, 600; but nearly all that sum remains at
Orono in the shape of buildings. or at least
so much Of it that 1t leaves the real eKpendi-
about $1,000 yearly, The assault is made up
on the college on the ground that it is the
hobby of the farmers. 1t is q
college for the industrial classes, and
Mr.. Haines contended that for them
it was an excellent institution. He is
himself graduate Of the school (thosgh be
has come out good lawyer instead of good
farmer or mechanic) and did his best for his
Alma Mater.
Senator Walton wished to ask question
When was the debt mentioned In the first
item of the bill contractedp
injudicious the contracting Of that debt was
be did not think there was anything wrong
about it, The college had valuable herd of
cattle previous to 1885, herd that had been
that herd, and they We're all killed. To pay
the debt the college put some of Its endow-
ment fund in pledge to the Bangor banks.
They now wanted the money TO pay the
thought that when the State killed those
cattle it should pay the college for them as 1t
would pay any one else.
Senator Walton then said he was against
the resolve. Men, prominent men, had come
that bill You only will suffer" But this did
not deter him from doing his duty to Nis con-
stituents, who we're farmers, but nineteen.
twentieths of whom were opposed to large
appropriations for the college. Mr.. Walton
farmer, the farmer paid for 1t and it should
graduate farmers, though 1t didn't send out
any.
Mr.. Walton then read summary Of the
money called for by the various resolves iu
favor fave Of the college since Il was founded Ia
annual income, which GENES frem invested
funds of the Institution.
Speaking of a condition in the appropri-
alton of 1873, MIR. Walton said there was
contract by which the trustees were solemn
ly enioined not to go into debt again, under
any circumstances. Yet in 1875. when an
other legislature had come in, we find them
asking for more money for paying existing
debts" Again they were solemnly en-
joiped under no circumstances to go into
debt. Yet again and again we find them
coming here and asking for meney ito pay
existing. debts.
Mr.. Walton denounced the management OF
the college as reckless and cxtravag ant
Speaking Of the work done by the institu-
tion, Mr.. Walton said it turned out some
pretty good lawyers that he knew of, but he
never knew a farmer that amounted to any
thing to come out, and he knew that the in
stitution did not claim to have graduated
over seventeen farmers.
Senator Haines replying to the allegation
that the authorities of the college were
HIGHWAY robbers" read the list OF the trus-
tees, most of whom were prominent men,
He assailed the Senator from Somerset vio-
lently, deDouncing him as unintelligent In
understanding and uncandid In denouncing
the condition Of the institution.
AT this point 1t was after o'clock, and on
motion of Senator Collins the Senate ad-
journed. The continuation Of this debate
will occur Saturday, after the morning hour.
On the end Of the resolve now before the
Senate Is reiterated again the condition i'm
posed in 1873 and 1875.
The Direct Tax.