Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-07-06


than noue but, to borrow a homely Yankee
proverb, Though all deacons are good,
there's odds in deacOns," and the library
here has great odds over most col eye libra
RES. The museum Of natural history is
steadily growing. Tho chemical laboratory
isnot Iko painted snip on a painted ocean,
but is constantly at work solving vexed
questions. The military department, as in
al of the Land Grant Colleges is in a flour
lshing condition, and, in the event of a ma
tional emery 'ncy, the elementary iustruc-
ton in military science and tactics, given IN
these colleges to large numbers in every
State, will be % more Importance in swiftly
organizing aud training great army than
even that Of 20 alumni of the excellent
West Point academy. Classics, philosophy,
political economy, aud international law,
not beng excluded, receive thorough aud
scholarly attention.
The Vermont University nni State Agri
cultural college is non political, and, with
out being seciarian, the faculty is earnestly
Christian. Religion and morality are pro
foundry rcverenced, ana prohgacy aud an
archism as profoundly scorned. In standard
scholarship aud manly department the rank
! OF its alumni is equal to that obtained in
the best colleges OF the country, and its di-
plomas couiec honor of Which the receipt
cuts are proud to hold lifelong proprietor
ship.
May not lie parlonel for exhibiting
| some personal soictude in behalf of the
complete and enduring success Of the land
grant colleges throughout the Union, and
e'pec ally of that in my native State? As
established under the acts of 1853 and
| 1870, they were the best thought | was able
to tormunte-good enough to be adopted
by Congress-aud the first to be approved
! by President l. ncoIn. Nearly 90 of these
colleges, in more than 40 States, known
to DO doing valuable aud acceptable educa-
tiOnal work. la only three States ! be-
leve, as already mentioned, have there ap-
peared unrest and splenetc efforts tn make
local changes involving perhaps organic al
terations. Some other man doubtless might
have constructed a different and better
measure, but doubtless he did not think of
1t 80 years ago, and, unfortunately, may
now be too late for anything except to dec
crate with some scorn and detraction the
college we now have, and cover the scheme
of a proposed substitute, in whatever time,
place or shape it may have an untimely
birth, with his entire appreciation and with
out money or price. With ill-will to no.
body, l nope the college al Burlington will
! not be separated from the Univer-
sity. If it were to he, to me
it would seem to indicate that tue land
grant to Vermont doomed to be fail.
ure, and finally to end in branding the col
lege, not only a fregm9ntary land grant
college but possibly as the least credtable
IN any Stale. Asking personally for moth
ing, and yet not cd as to dream Dreams -
tru it may be believed that have aimed
only to promote ''the greatest good of the
greatest number" and to construe the col
/ -, 10
ing by which only can IT'S GREATEST useful
ness and hi chest service to our State and to
the whole country be fully developed and
preserved.
Among the vital questions which arise
with proposition to divorce and separate
the land grant college from the Vermont
| | University, leaving it as tramp hunting
for bod aud board elsewhere, is whether, or
not, it would rebound to the advantage of
the state, and be in conformity with the
conditions of the national charter aud the
act of Incorporation by our State. Would
1t do more for the wider liberal education
of cur people, or more or better for any
portion of them, than what is now being
done and assuredly promised hereafter by
the present institution at Burlington TO
all this the answer Of candid men, having
full knowledge of the facts, must be stoutly
"HN "HO'J ." VIZ NE ''''e' NJ ''S' -" .
common sense oil our people VIII not aoan-
don good thing when they have 1t, or
ord In hand Tor bird In the
oush, nor VIII they mount the
hobbies OF those won't to RIDE nothing else
taxing INTO view the expanded equip
ment OF the present instltuuon' the positive
advantages OF past experience, Its iarse
number OF earnest and loyal Trends, and It's
present healthy ana altogether admiraoie
location, 1t Is my deliberate opinion IN con
ciuslon' Tor Whatever II may De WORTH mat
such 'Vorce ana separation "ouid result
IN secondary and inadequate SUBSTITUTE
un"arranted by the pam requirements Oh
,ne o'' S'uA' ac' "a Oous'eS' ' "a .
incornoration .s,hstJtnts ,nvoIvine grsat
and ssr,ous loss to the octlvities of educs-
tionsI and indn,triaI life IN our State and
San examnIa of ,n,t,b,Iitv m other States
an irr.narabIe nubIic calamity
-
OoNfh"hlN' OF pN' hNI9'
Inc graduates IN the several depar tMen1'
then appeared on the stage MI u H. Amen