Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-04-26
N|SQU01ED STATUTES
Iowa State College Accused of
Misinterpreting Meaning In
Defining Its Object
LIMITATION is ovERREAcHED
Professor Athearn Claims That If
State Educational institutions Would
confine Themselves to Branches
Originally Intended There Would
Now Be No Agitation For a Single
Board of Control
srecial 10 Times-Republican.

/ Special 70 Times-Republican-
Des Moines April 26.-Professor w.
S. Athearn says the State College at
Ames has misquoted and misinterpret-
ed the meaning of the statutes In defin-
ing for the school directory published
from the office of the state superinten-
dent, the object of the agricultural
| college. He claims that while the
statutes intend that correlated branches
of learning with agriculture and the
mechanics arts such as veterinary
! the authorities of the state college
| have Interpreted the statutes as saying
| that anything can be taught to give a
broad, practical and liberal education.
He claims furthermore that if all the
state educational institutions would
conf1ne themselves to teaching the
branches originally intended that they
should teach there would be no overlap
ping and no agitation for a single
board OF control
| I'm looking up the matter of the
| founding of the state institutions re-
Gently l read among other things the
Iowa Educational Directory published
annually by the state superintendent.
"On pages SO and Sd of the Iowa Edu-
cational Directory for 1904-5 will be
found the following information con-
corning the state college at Ames:
This institution was established by
the Iowa legislature in 1855, and en-
dowed by the national land grant of
congress, in 1862 In accepting the
grant of the national governmSet, the
Iowa general assembly defined then OBJ
ject of this college as follows: "Thers
shall be, adopted and taught in the
state agricultural college a broad, lib
eral and practical course of study, in
which the leading branches of learning
shall relate to agriculture and the me-
chanic arts, and which shall also en-
brace such other branches of learning
as will most practically and literally
educate the agricultural and industrial
classes in the several pursuits and pro-
LESSONS of life, including military tao
ties
I'VE do not know who is responsible
for the above statements, but we are
informed by the state department that
the matter was sent to them for publi-
cation by the authorities at Ames.
ITO conform to the facts the para
graph should read as follows:
This institution was established by
the Iowa legislature in 1858 and endow-
ed by the national land grant of con-
sat, oc-
sembly of Iowa at an extra session in
September 1862, accepted the govern
ment land upon the terms, conditions
and restrictions contained in said act
Of congress- which were as follows:
THAT the national endowment shall
be appropriated TO the endowment,
support and maintenance of at least
one college where the leading object
shall be, without excluding scientific
and classical studies, and including
military tactics, to teach such branches
of learning as are related to agricul-
ture and the mechanic arts in such
manner as the legislatures Of the
states may respectively prescribe, in
order to promote the liberal and prac-
teal education of the industrial class
es in the several pursuits and pro-
fessions of life.'
ct will be noticed that the nation
al law provides that agriculture and
the mechanic arts shall be taught in
order to promote the liberal and prac-
teal education Of the Industrial class
es,' while the quotation given in the
directory provides that such other
branches be taught for that purpose.
sM
Nothing like the language found in
the directory was used in accepting
the land grant. During the twenty
fifth general assembly friends of the
state agricultural college, desiring le-
gal authority to establish courses not
contemplated by congress OR the
earlier general assemblies, secured the
passage of the following provision:
There shall be adopted and taught
Tin the state college at Ames) prac-
teal courses Of study, embracing in
their leading branches such as relate
to agriculture and the mechanical arts,
and such other branches as are best
calculated to thoroughly educate the
agricultural and Industrial classes in
the several pursuits and professions Of
life, including military tactics"
state college at Ames reconstruct the
act Of the twenty fifth general assem-
bly, and place it in the mouth of the
ninth general assembly? Why this
attempt to deceive the teachers of
Iowa with regard to the purposes of
the founders of the state agricultural
college? And by what license does any
college management inject adjectives
into the language of the law and, at
their pleasure, fearrange clauses7
1.-THE state department has been i'm
posed on and the teachers Of Iowa
have been deceived"
In two months the executive coun-
Gil will again take up the matter of
railroad assessments. Since the pres
ent executive council has made two
railroad assessments and on each
occasion has increased the total as
sessment by about s5,000,000 or more
some interest is being taken in the
matter for this year. 1t Is understood
that the intention at this time is to
invite in prominent citizens of the
state to discuss the question with the
council and the railroad attorneys just
as has been done before. Previous
to the time when the present execu-
tive council came into office the as
seGsments by the executive council did
nit vary great deal. For the years
1891 to 1899 inclusive the aggregate
assessment of the railroads was some
Ger,,p y