Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-05-04
FOUNDERS DAY OBSERVED.
GRAFTON AT THE UNIVERSITY BY
CONGRESSMAN n. H. POWERS.
Speaks Upon tho Late Senator morrill, as
nPublic Servant and Founder of Land
Grant Colleges--Addresses by Up-
dergraduates Lawrence and Tracy.


at which the Hon. Horace Henry Powers,
So delivered very able address on The
life and work of the late Senator Morril,
dealing especially with his connection VITA
educational matters. The following pro-
gramme was carried out, Prof Goodrich
presiding:
Organ voluntary.
Isalter, p. 81 (Deut. 80.
Hymn 73S.
Prayer by the chaplain, Rev. +. Her
rick, '56.
Address by Charles Amasa Tracy, 1000.
Sone-"Spirts of our Fathers
Address ny Robert Ashton Lawrence !
Selection by the University Glee club.
Grafton by the Hon Horace U"nry Pow |
ors, LII D., NJ. c., 1863, of Morrisvlle, |
Vt.
song-"God Save the Plough"
Bencdiction. |
MIR. TRACY'S ADDRESS.
c. A. Tracy. 90. following the prayer of
the Rev. j.. T.. Herrick, chose for his
subject the first fifty years of the exist |
ence of the University in which he pic
tured the life of the student at that time
not touching upon the important facts as
they have already been chroniclcd. lie said
that the tuition in the early days was Cniy
Sl2 and that he students then mad the same
customs AS we have now having their balls
societies and class riValrseS. There was
then "A Legislature composed of students.
who have since become prominent. which
enacted laws for the bcttcrng of the stu
dent body. He gave a graphic description
OF the June training" of the early fortic5
which grew out of "a desire on the part
of the students to vote. They were not
permitted to take part in elections because
every able bodied citizen was compelled l1l
train" He mentioned the fact that there
were two societies, the Phi Sigma Mu and
the University Institute. which differed
widely from the secret society of to-day
and did a great deal to advance the pros
perity Of the college. at one time revivinS
it after At vote had been taken to suspend
instruction. He spok" finally of the IL
brary. now slow it was in getting a start
and how it was built up by Or. Marsh.
ADDRESS BY r. A. LAWRENCE.
r. A. Lawrence. 'a9. followed with an
address upon Senator Morrill, and his COM
nection with the Land Grant college,. He
spoke Of the origin of the act of 1867 but
dwet more especially upon the results
which have come from the passage of the
bill. He said that there are at present ol
land grant colleges, which support Zll
professors asld instructors and offer
courses to 2SSs5 students. "rhe Morrill,
Act" he went on has directly and indi-
rectly been the means of causing $iSWn,-
Oi4 to he devoted to education as perman-
cnt funds in one form or another lie
also showed the great difference between
the moHcy spcslt each year by the Cniver-
ssty ana the amount received from tho
stud sts, stating that the University last
year gave TO every student $212 even if he
paid tuition and other incidcntals. He
closed by paying a tribute to the late Sen
ator Morrill, and what he had done for the
college.
CONGRESSMAN POWERS GRAFTON.
The Grafton by Congressman Powers
was upon Mir Morrlns public services and
especially of Ms work in founding the and
grant colleges. He said:
Justin Smith Morrill, WAS the founder OF
she Agricultural College a. it exists to-day
in every State OF the American Union. His
lame in this behalf should ret be BELT
tied nor tarnishcd by any imperfect con-
Ccptiou of the precise natur2 ara exact
scope Of his work.
The Land Grant College as he fashioned
st was designed 70 occupy a field in cduca-
tional advancement that had not hitherto
been invaded, lie observed that the pco-
pie at large regarded the curriculum of
the old time college a. especially adapted
TO the wants OF men who contemplated "A
professional life, and that for one reason
or another the business man, the trad $
man, the farmer, tho mechanic and the
working man assumed that it would con-
tribute lttl1 OF useful training for their
special work. He knew, as well "a YOU,
that this was an error in public opinion,
but it was u practical fact, that must be
dealt with as such. Hence he formula ted
The plan developed in the act of 1859 to
bring these classes of people within r. ach
of this same curriculum wisely modified
a. their special needs required.
The enactment donated to the several
States public lands to the amount Of 300D
acres for each senator and representative
in Congress for the endowment, support
and maintenance OF at least one college in
each State where the leading object shall
be, without excluding "other scientific
and classical studies" and including mill
tary tactics. to teach such branches CT
learning as are related to agriculture and
the mechanic arts in order to promote the
liberal and practical education of the in
dustrial classes in the several pursuits and
professions Of life. The DESIGNATED bcne-
ficiaries Of this mammoth appropriation
of the pubic domain are the industrial
classes lie desired to promote their
liberal and practical education. They con-
stitutc four-.ifths of our population. They,
while not belitting Il liberal education,
were and are, from necessity of choice,
little inclined to seek its benefits. Mr.
Mcrrlps scheme, therefore, interested a
great majority Of the American people. He
did not propose to disturb the plan of cd
vocation that had demonstrated its wisdom
for ages, but he built additions to il. He
provided for instruction in branches Of
learning related to agricultural and mo-
Chanic arts, but inasmuch as other scien-
tific and classical studies" were not eX-
cluded, all such scientific and classical
studies were Included in the curriculum
which he formulated.
Now this plan of education specifically
Intended for the industrial classes was not
limited drill to teach boys now to hold
pillow, ride "A moving machiuc, or run a
farm. 1t was not a scheme to enable a
boy to learn trade" It Wd1 Il scheme
10 give a better, "A higher, a lpoEgl oduca-
tOn, leaving him TO his OWE skill in the
moGe art II farming and The mere art of
his special location Whcn we cnumerate
the branches of learning related to" ag-
Iiculture and the mechanic arts and add
10 these other scientific and classical
studies" We have included pretty nearly
all the branches of learning embraced in
the courses of study pursued in the old
time college. Branches Of learning IClat-
ed to agricultural and mechanic arts
plainly includes all FNglish studies. ma
thematics, horticulture. chemistry, gener-
a history, psychology, bookkeeping, house
hold economy, InlneraloSY, Zoology, bot
any, hygiene, physics political economy
and 50 on al infintum, ana add to these
all "other scientific and classical studies
and what essential have you omitted from
the old classical course of the English
and American college? The only practca
difference Is one of relative rank. In the
Land Grant College the leading object is
learning in agricultural and the mech mi,
arts. In The old college the leading OBJ
ject is limital to no specialitics.
q plcar that Mr. Morrill, SOupbt !