Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-06-14
FARMERS AND THE AeRlcULTU.
RAJ COLLEGE.
(salem Statesman.)

(Salem Statesman.)
Several papers have taken a fall'
out of the report of the State Grange
recently held at Corvallis, complain
ing that too little attention is paid
to the agriculture department of that
school, and that decidedly too small
a percentage of the pupils are sons
of farmers.
One or two papers have referred to
the question several times, each at
tack assuming that the entire trouble
is the result of appointing unfit men
TO the position of regent, one paper
going so far as to insist that IL more
farmers were on the board of regents
there would be more farmers sons
attending the college. To prove its
position the complexion of the board
Is given as follows:
"w. e. Yates, lawyer and politi-
cian; ]. r. DAILY, surveyor and poll
tician; B. f. Irvine, editor and poll
tician; ]. T. Apperson, capitalist and
politician; w. P. Ready, promoter and
politician; ]. X. Weatherford, lawyer
and politician; ]. M. Church, banker
and politician; w. w. Cotton, corpor
alton attorney; J. d. dwell, fruit
grower"
To read this statement is to per-
ceive its absurdity. The list of names
Includes nine of the most prominent
men in the state who are In no man.
ner politicians in any sense that the
word can be used reproachfully.
Mr.. dwell is not smirched with be
ing a politician" though he was a
member of the last legislature. but
just where he escapes being politi-
clan is not quite clear. He is even
denied the credit of being a full
hedged farmer by the explanation that
he is IAN apple grower" but why a
man who raises apples is not as
much a farmer as the other fellow
who raises wheat is little obscure.
In proportion to the farmers and
stock men of the state, 1t would not
be improper to have one or two fruit
growers on the board of regents Of
the agricultural college. So the ap
'pointment of Mr.. dwell is not inap-
lpropriate.
In commenting on this matter It is
unfortunate that all the appointments
have been made by three Governors
who are in their several ways excel
lent gentlemen, and we would rather
have It understood as a criticism Of
the system of giving thee appoint
ments.
Certainly a system that results In
having a state board of thirteen men
TO run the farmers college with but
one all-round farmer on the board
and he not appointed, but master OF
the state grange, is not good one.
The college is an excellent edu
cational institution. and is we'll man
aged as such, that an excellent gent
leman Is president. and 1t has an ex
celent faculty and football team
but It has no farmers on the board oi
regents and a very small attendance
Of students taking the farmers course
or studying horticulture or learning
to put up cured meats or to manag'
q dairy, etc.
The people are not interested II
personalities, nor in politics, but II
the question OF making the colleg'
more Of a farmers college, and les
OF a business college, less of drug
gist's college, less OF a civil engiu
eering school.
A large class in land suryeyini
would be a good thing. as the mum
Der OF men who can run land line
and plat them is very small. But th
point IL there Is too much done at tn
school in the way Of promoting tn
professional elements who live oi
the farmers and not enough I
strengthen the agricultural class Il
self.
How far we have departed fror
the true idea of an agricultural co
loge, Is shown In the two-columns G
editorials of one paper defending tn
present board OF regents as just abou
perfect and never saying a word !
favor Of putting farmer on tn
the board,
The interesting question arises
what is a farmer? An allround fa
mer farms the land for living. II
Is not a lawyer banker, or profe
sionai politician. He and his famil
live on the soil.
An alhound farmer raises grail
stock: cattle, horses AMI hogs; h
drives his team to the plow, raise
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