Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1901-09-12
A rsrmsrs' Fight.

A. Farmers Fight.
Shall practical agriculture hold first
place in the curriculum at the Kansas
agricultural college, or shall 1t be rel.
epated to the rear to make more room
for physics and the other sciences?
Those In favor Of keeping agricul.
ture to the front have taken up the
cudgel and before the matter is set
tied, unless it is settled their way,
there will be q shakeup at the agri-
cultural college which will make the
troubles under the Populist manage.
ment pale into insignidcence.
The Kansas Farmer is leading the
fight. Backed by the agricultural Gle.
ment Of the state, which. in reality,
is almost all the state, including all
the prominent and influential farmers,
it is attacking the manner in which
things are being shaped at the col
lsge, 1t claims that the purpose tor
which the college was founded is be-
ing lost sight Of and insists that the
management should come back and
run the institution on original princi.
pies.
Governor Stanley realized that the
different state educational institutions
were drifting from their mornings
and last winter, in bis message to the
legislature, be called attention to the
fact, and urged that some steps be
taken to curb the tendency Of each
institution to overlap into the work
intended for the other. At that time
he called attention to the fact that 1t
was originally planned for the science
Of agriculture and the mechanic arts
to be taught at the agricultural COL
lege. He also told what the univer'
si,y was supposed to teach and also
the state normal school. But the
legislature paid no attention to the
suggestions and took no steps to check
the overlapping
The Farmer states the case thus;
1.-The people Of Kansas are an IN
tensely practical people. They be-
lieve to the fullest extent in educa'
ton that Is Of practical use. They
expect the agricultural college to Of
the best and biggest institution OF it'
kind in the world, and that 1t will mol
have to take second place as to any
feature Of its work. They do mol
want it to be a weak imitation OF I
university, nor to be a second.rate Of
even first-rate academy. The young
men and young women Of Kansas arr
entitled to the best and strongest az
ricultural college that can be pro
vided, and in this state OF farms an'
farmers it is important to emphasize
the word agricultural This depart
ment Of both the college and the ex
pertinent station should be the prom
inent and distinguishing feature.
"In thus urging the advancement
Of our already great agricultural col
lege, and experiment station to to-
front rank, personal interests Of tn
workers in the institution have no
been considered. II present incum
bents are the best that can be secures
for the compensation available tn
regents are to be congratulated o.
their success in this regard II tn
means at command can be made t
secure the services Of better talent
more energy, or greater industry l
any department, it should be guild
ing principle that nothing is too goo
for the Kansas experiment station
and the young men and women VIII
will make the states future. II NAL
. ing prominent the agricultural d'
partment seems likely to give any on
. man undue prominence, a divislo
, may be made to equalize distinction
$ But that the peculiar features r.
quired by the most advanced col
= ception Of real agricultural collee
: and experiment station should
l. made conspicuous is demanded BY II
= interests Of the farmers Of this sta
Of farmers, and by the needs Of your
men and women, the brothers on
- sisters Of those who are making kal