Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-03-16
PLEA FOR COLLEGES.
President Chase of Bates Be-
fore Educational Committee.
The Full Text of His Able and Con-
vincing Argument.
a Notable Tribute to Bates and Incl
dcrtally to Sister Colleges.

Following is the full text of the able
and interesting address of President
chase of Bates College before the
legislative committee on education,
last week, in behalf of the resolve Civ
ing che Lewiston institution $4,000 for
woman's dormiory. Incidentally it is Il
splendid tribute to the other colleges
and to the cause for higher education.
President Chase spoke as follows:
Gentlemen of the Committee upon
Education: The State has courteously
given US a hearing through the medium
Of this committee. \ hearing of
course implies that the members Of the
committee bring to the hearing the
sarie unprecedented minds. the same
freedom from prepoasessions, the Same
unbiased judgment ana readiness to
listen to arguments ard facts. that is
expected of the members OF jury i'll
trying II civil or criminal case AS 1
understand it. that is what the word
hearing meas. Ara l congratulate
myself ard the State Of Maine and the
college that it is my honor to represent,
that | am satisfied that we have before
us gentlemen possessing these qualities,
a hearing that shall be absolutely un-
pIeiudiced by anything at present in
Tho minds of the members composing
;his committee.
do not need to remind this commit
toe on education, appointed to care for
what by common consent is of the
highest moment to the State of Maine,
that from the very beginning of the
L too hoe.
been what it is here in Maine today,
primary interest. Popular education
and what is known as higher education
have equally been regarded of primary
interest In time. however, higher edu-
cation. III the provision made for it.
preceded popular education. That col
logc planted in the wilderness OF
Massachusetts bay, when there were
only 1000 people in all New England,
that college planted upon n seacoast,
cleared for only a few miles inland.
and with the few hamlets then erected
surrounded by dangerous Indians,
tells what was the conception Of the
leaders of New England thought as to
the needs of education in the common
wealth that they were founding, and so
Harvard College received at its incor-
the state of Massac husctts: and what
was true from that beginning has been
true down to the present time. New
England has had her own methods of
ministering To education, and while the
channels of her wealth have flowed out
freely for all the people. it has always
been recognized that there must be
head waters if there are to be con-
Int Nd ninpc-lDI those
h-adM aters have been the universities
ard the colleges.
What has been the method of New
England? The method of New England
has been this individual or denomina-
tional initiative seconded by the states
in which these educational enterprises
have been begun. John Harvard :
CISCO secured G400 from the general
ly,s<ss-urt If Massachusetts: and in this eff
fort To enduw the college, all cooper
at"d. thu state, the towns. nGiVid-
uals. Why i'm 1860 the then distant
town of %carboro in our own Maine
sent It's -. 6 shilings and Q pence to
help to maintain higher education at
Harvard. And all of the towns. Not
only that hut every family of the few
hundreds of families in that wilderness,
was t. give its half peck of grain each
year
Now, gentlemen. here we have the
principle that has regulated the cs-
Enlistment OF higher education of in
Stitutions in New England from that
day tG this. In New England that
principle has never been changed. Dur
ing the first century of her history
Harvard College received from the
state of Massachusetts about CS000, In
Our day we should call that $40. 000. The
historian Of Harvard College, Speaking
Of the amount, said it was equal to IL
times that sum. 50 times that sum, ut
the present time. In other words, the
$4,000 given during that first century
would he equal, using the lower multi
pie, to 100000 in what it would secure
n1w. Nor did the state of Massachu-
cetts discontinue that provision for
Harvard College in the first century
The aggregate Of the bencfactiols tC
Harvard College Is, | think. represented
hy the sum If $sl6, 900. Nor is Harvard
an exception. Williams College. wher
she came forward asking for charter
in the southwestern part of Massachu
sets. received aid, and the aggregat|
OF aid for Williams College from the
state of Massachusetts is represented
by the sum of S14S.00o Amherst Col
lego in turn received her aid. In 1853
this college. distnctlvely denomina
tional institution. received $4,000 from
the state of Massachusetts. Noun
Holyoke. the youngest Of New Eng
land. even now only few years old
received her aid. $4,000 from the treas
urv of Massachusetts.
Nor was this peculiar to Massachu
setts. The same sort of history was en-
acted in Connecticut, and Yale Col
legc received from the treasury of Con
necticut more than $500, 000-$135,G00 a
late as the year 1858. And in remem
boring these dates. We must under
stand how far in advance in develop
ment, il prosperity. in wealth. tn
states of Massachusetts and Connect
cut were, how far in advance they ar
row, OF our State of Maine. Have W
yet reached the af,luence of Massa chu
sets whom she gives her 00GG t