The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1895-09-05
THE COLLEGE ATTACKED.

The Roseburg Plaiudealer doubts the
! practically of the education at the Ore
eon Agricultural College. Tho editor
of the Plaindealer has never visited the
institution and it is for this reason that
he selects it as All editorial topic-he
writes better of those things he wots
not of. He says among other things:
cts merits as practical institution is
not known, for the reason that it has no
practical use, except, perhaps, to those
who wish to enter the professions. "
'.Not a practical farmer or mechanic has
ever issued from its walls" ''It is prac-
tically Greek, Latin, higher mathe-
mates, grammar and philosophical in
stitution."
The college certainly teaches higher
mathematics. Mathematics are sup
posed to be of considerable use to a me
chanic The pattern maker must draw,
SO the college teaches drawing. Some
of the students might write for the pa
pers, and the college teaches grammar,
| so that they won't say, 'its merits is"
as the Plaindealer does. English is the
only language included in the regular
course The other statements of the
Plaindsaler are, diplomatica1ly speaking,
slips of =eracity, or, in plain English,
| lies.
The education at the college is pract1-
cal. The remarks of the paper might
have been pertinent to the college some
seven or eight years ago, before the in
stitution was divorced from the Metho-
| dist church, South. Now, however, such
criticisms are absolutely silly. The Ag-
ricultural students are not only instruct
ed In blowing, sowing, harvesting, drain
age, dairying, care of stock, and such
m alters; but they work every day in ac-
| tual employment In the various duties
connected with farm life. Mechanical
students daily don overal1s and work at
the forge, bench, in the machine shops.
and in varions ways acquire mechanical
knowledge by actual experience. The
girls are instructed in sewing, darning,
millinery, cooking, sweeping, house fur
rishing, and, in fact. in every branch of
household economy. This instruction
| fits the girls to make and take charge of
model homes.
| Perhaps there should be no direct ap-
] propriations for the benefit of some state
| institutions that are now receiving such
support. The state, in accepting na-
tional appropriations for the Agricultural
College and State University, agreed to
! furnish suitable buildings. The people
of Corvallis believe that the appropria-
tons should be confined to such pur-
poses. The delegation from Benton
county, will ask for the appeal of the
law appropriating 5000 bi-annually for
the maintenance of the institution.
Such appropriations are. generally con-
sidered contrary to public policy. The
appropriations for the soldiers home are
also of doubtful constitutionality. Such
matters should be left to the general
government. The next legislature will
probably take care of all these things.
The agricultural college is doing a
good work. Farmers throughout the
state are in constant communication
with the professors on matters pertaining
to their farm work, and every man who
is acquainted in the least with the col
lege, as at present conducted, com1nends
it for the practical education it is fur
nishing to its students Another evi-
dence of the interest taken in the col
lege and the practical results of its work
is the increasing demand for its bu1le-
tins, eight thousand copies now being
necessary for the regular mailing list.