The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-02-20
The State College.
To the Editor of the Press:

means practical death.
Your paper has taken strong ground
against tile college but az you are always
disposed 10 be fair, even with your OPP
ponenEs, lust you will give me an OPP
portunity in your columns to present 10
the public some considerations in favor OF
the college Of which / am an alumnus
TIE plan under which this 20 called
Land Grant colleges were established con-
templated that the General Government
should pay the cost of instruction ana
that the states should provide for all
other expenses.
This State formally accented the grant
on the above conditions and for thirty
five years it has from year to year made
such appropriations as were deemed neces-
sary to carry out it's part of the agreement
or understanding with the United States.
The college thus became and for many
years has been an integral part OF the
educational system of the State, as much
so as our high and normal schools and
now, after all these years, it is proposed
to cut off the State appropriations and to
leave the college to shift for itself.
The income which the college receives
fromgthe United States must, by he.terms
of the law, be applied solely to the expense
of instruction SO that practically the only
income which it now has to apply to
general purposes outside OF the state
appropriations. is the 81, 600 per annum
which it receives from Coburn Fund.
Thus the college in order to exist in any
thin like it's present condition, must
have an income which can be applied to
general purposes such as repalrs, replace
ments, insurance and numerous other
things neoe ssary for school of this kind
where modern technical instruction il
given.
For nany years the citizens of our
State have been sending their sons to
Orono, theirs to receive such scientific
and technical education as would fit them
to take charge of the various engineering
and industrial operations of this and
otaer states. Here IN Portland and all
over the State there are scores of boys
and young men who, attracted by the
wide fame which the college has gained
within recent years und-r tie able dirac-
ticn uf DIR. Harris, are fitting themselves
to enter the State College. Can it be that
the people of the State are now willing
to admit that the policy which they have
been all along pursuing Is a mistake? Is
it ,ssible that they desire now to throw
away all that has been accomplished by
leaving the college to die lingering
death or do they expect some wealthy in
diyidual OF some religious denomination
to come forward aud carry on the work?
The State Collage has been much criti-
cized because 1T has not turned out more
farmers and because it has not developed
along this lines contemplated by some of
it's founders.
The original purpose Of Congress in en-
dowiug these colleges is best seen by ref
erence to the law under which the ianu
grant was made.
The purpose was, to quote from the act,
without excluding other scientific and
classical studies, and including military
tactics, to teach such branches of learn
ing as are related to agriculture and the
mechanic arts in order to promote the
Ii beral and practical education of the in
dustrial classes in the several pursuits
and professions of life. !" L he language of
the act olearly indicates the broad scope
and the unrestricted character of the edu
cation to be supplied. They were to he
practical and scientific as distinguished
from classical colleges. They were to
teach those things which would be of
graduation. They were to directly fit
young men for engaging in the various
pursuits and professions of life rather
than to give them a classical EDMONTON
and leaving them after graduation to
learn some business or profession. The
aim was worthy nesand broadly speak
ing, it has been abundantly fulfilled by
the Land Grant Colleges. The Maine
State College like others of it's claes has
lOpad from a achn0t whOGQ
main object was perhaps TO teach agri-
culture, into a school whose principal
aim now is to tea b mechanics and tech
nolcgy and this development ia the re-
suit Of the demands made upon it by the
young men of the State. 1t was found
that as the college grew there were few
students of agriculture and many stu
dents of engineering but can it be said
that because this was SO and because. the
college sought to meet. the demands put
upon it, that it has departed from the
law of its being?
1t 10 only within few years that Port
land has really taken advantage of the
educational opportunities to be found
at Orono but now each year nds nm in
creasing mum Der of young men from this
vicinity in attendance at the State Col
lege.
/ cannot believe that the State of Maine
will take any step backward in the mat
ter of the education OF its boys and I
havs faith to believe that this college
will long remain pride to her people.
Modern conditions have made special
technical education more and more i'm
portant to the young man just starting
in life. The standard of theoretical
knowledge in all professions and trades
is being constantly raised and now days
for boy to succeed in any industrial
pursuit he must have technical train
ing.
The State College is the only technical
school within our borders.
Are we prepared to cripple or kill it and
to force our boysEto go to other states and
to crowd the already overlooking schools
of Massachusetts, or New York.
The State College has been treated and
spoken of RS if it was some alien institu-
ton seeking to beRuile the people ofsthe
State into an unwilling support and to
extract money from the treasury for
selfish purposes. It's officers and trustees
have been regarded as SO many conspira-
tors against the peace of the State be-
cause, having been appointed by the
State to prot ect the interests of the col