Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-01-29

I Farmer kepites To ''Act = >uSke3tt""
About the Government Experiment sta
ton.
TO ne EdVor me- Register.
SiE.-lu your issue Of the 94th inst. /
notice a very remarkable communities
tiOn under the caption Agricultural
College" and over the signature Act.
The author OF that communication
seems 90 be person of some intclll-
geucc. aud therefore I am more sur
prised at the statements ne makes.
| While protesting that ne u Use the
masculine not knowing the sex of the
writerl would not put one straw iu the
way of the prosperity of the West Nir-
ginia University" he proposes policy
which would utterly ruin the lniVer-
sity. or very materially increase the
burden Of taxation now resting
upon the people. He attempts 20 bring
/ the University and Experiment Station
/ into disrcputc by applying 90 them the
derogatory cpithet ">o-called, aud as
Scrts that $50 far as the national apprO-
priation is concerned the names are
misnomerS. or complete miSht.
From the statements of Act, ] am
/ forced 10 the conviction that he knows
nothing whatever of the West Virginia
I University or the Experiment station,
rs Inc ought 10 know. He seems 20 for
get that the Act Of Congress approved
I July .ud. 1862. did not require the eS-
| adjustment OF college devoted solely
10 the science OF agriculture. That act
recognized the fact that the farmer was
As much entitled % liberal education
rs anyone. repudiating the assumption
which must Inevitably be drawn from
/ the logic Of Act" that the farmer Is a
.mud-silP OF society, and therefore
should not aspire 20 any oil the
.spolite accomplishments of literary or
classical educatiOn, that he shall nOt be
permitted 10 follow Homer and Milton
/ i'm their romantic pursuit OF the IDEAL
Solon and Paul in their demonstration
of the immortality OF the soul, and the
rewards of virtue and vice; Aenophon'
I Macaulay and Bancroft ia their ecltaiS
of the trials and triumph> OF nations
| JuStinian and Blackstone IN their ne
lclarations of the rights OF man, nor
Mozart and Beethoven who gather to-
gether the symphony OF earth ana
heaven and carry poor weary. bruised
and bleeding humanity 20 the re>tlul
/ healing bosom of the All-Father. No.
Nome of these shall he be permitted TO en-
low. but like the slave with his eyes
turned earthward, he must toll On sweat
and main. 20 contribute TO the wealth
and luxury OF those who were born 10
rule and whose prerOgative 70 Is 10
shane the de>tines of nations ana OF
men. ImOst earnestly protest against
this DEGRADATION of the farmer Whlch
Act" would continue, and To enforce
that protest. again protest against the
separation of West Virginia niVer>''N
Z from the Agricultural College.
Classical. literary. scientific ana agri-
lerltnr,l education are an embraced M
the curriculum of the University, ana
lst nne say 10 Act" that the SPECIALIZED
agricultural course at the University
which me saws "is of little benefit 10 any
one is ar more comprehensive than
the one he proposes for the "AgrlcuIt-
,r,l College and includes everything
mentiopcd i'm his course, ana the
moro important branches are A. thor
oughlv taught in the University Is tne!
could possibly be- taught Ia purely
Agricultural College.
To establish separate AsrleuituI"'
College would very materially inJuie
th, University and would very seriously
impede the progress OF agricuItura.
education. Most OF the young men oi
West Virginia chaNe been dtiileu 'u
rr,rtical agriculture an their lives AMI
are NOT only willing, bpt anxious TO 60
m tbe textbooks aud laboratories Tor
the scientific principles of farming pro
..f.I,l tb.v can secure with % those
,.,e,,f,l cndowmcntS which will iit them
Or tbe birber walks of life. And right
berc il where. think, the mistake Is
made Let the Young men understand
tb,t with his agricultural education.
ubirh will ft him 90 bc a successful
farmer. Le can also acquire q lOera'
education which Will no him 20 occupy
eve position which the SURFACES "'
his fellow citizens might call MIN to'
Then will there be less fleeing To the
citv. less clamOr 90 enter the learned
professions" and more young men VIII
remain on the farm. constituting
nrosperous and intelligent yeomanry,
which would be the glory of the nation.
In an economic sense, separation
would be- disastrous TO both institutions
as well - 10 the State, as 70 Viii cost
nearly double the amount Of money To
conduct these institutions located Sepa-
ratelv as il would II they continue TO be
located together.
A word in regard to the Experiment
station. and I close. Act says "Ihe
Evperiment Station utterly fails To ac-
comDlish the objects aimed AZ by the law
establishing the station. But few farm
ers In the state know there Is such an
Institution. and those who do receive no
nractical benefit from it, This Is
verv broad. sweeping declaration, ana
IL Is as false as il is broad and sweeping.
noes Act" know what the objects
aimed N i'm the law are? The station
bas been in existence less than three
wears. The Legislature has not yet pro
vided the station with farm, as the Jaw
directs. yet the Station stan lev
in number though they be, have not been