The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-09-29

had been no change in the policy of
the federal government upon the sub
Ject Of education by the state. Ii was
the Judgment of those in national au-
thority In 1861, as it was Of the mem
pers or the continental congress in 1887
that religion, morality and knowledge
are necessary to good government and
the happiness of mankind, and for that
reason schools and the means of knowl-
edge must forever be encouraged. The
act OF 1851 did not in terms renew the
declaration of 1887 for the national pol
ley had become firmly fixed, bur it did
what was more to the point. 1t pro-
vided means for making that policy ef-
fective in the following provision which
l quote from section IA of the act or
ganizing this territory:
Sections numbered sixteen and
thirty-six In each township in said ter
ritory (referring to the region since
organized into the states OF North Da-
kotaY South Dakota, Wyoming, Mon
tana and Idaho shall be and the same
are hereby reserved for the purpose of
being applied to schools in the states
hereafter to be created out of the
same"
BY this declaration one-eighteenth
Of this great empire was set apart by
national authority for the support of
schools. The five states since organ
lied out of, and the several millions
OF people inhabiting it, and the millions
In the future, are the beneficiaries of
this grant, for upon their admission
into the union the reservation OF con-
gress of 1851 was confirmed as a per-
manent grant in aid of the common
schools.
Pioneers Saw Importance.
The pioneers of Dakota Territory
were quick to recognize the Importance
Of leadership and the necessity for spe-
cial training for special service. They
recognized the Importance of the gem
eral education afforded by the common
schools, but they wanted university.
At its second session, and within the
first year after its organization, the
territorial legislature, in memoralizing
the congress of the United States. ac-
knowledged the adequacy of the pro-
vision for common schools, but urged
the necessity of university in this
language: There is needed for the
more advanced education and disci-
pline of our youth a university of high
grade and character for it is our be-
lief that such an institution is as es-
sential to the preservation Of our re-
publican institutions as is the common
school,"
This appeal for assistance in estab-
fishing a University was repeated at
the third session in 1854 and again in
1874 We were granted statehood in
1883, and with 1t came the fruits of the
national educational policy declared in
1887 and the answer to the prayers of
the pioneers of Dakota Territory not
only for the establishment Of a common
school system, but for state univer-
sity and other institutions for higher
education. Through the Enabling Act
under which we came into the union of
states, and the state constitution ac-
cepting the same, we became the bene-
ficiaries of specific grants from tie
public domains for educational pur-
poses as follows:
For the common schools, sections 16
and S6 of each township, aggregating
2,41S,291 acres.
For the state university, $1,000 acres
For the school Of mines, which Is a
department of the state university,
10000 acres.
For the Agricultural College, 1870, ooO
acres.
For the Normal school at Valley
City, $4,000 acres.
For the Normal school at Mayville,
$4,000 acres.
For the Deaf and Dumb school, 4O,-
600 acres.
For the school for the blind, 10000
acres.
For the industrial school, 10000
acres.
For the scientific school, 10000 acres
Making total grant by the federal
government to this state at its BIRTH
for educational purposes, of approx
mately 100000 acres.
Section IL of the Enabling Act pro-
vided that all the lands thus granted
for educational purposes, and the pro
ceeds thereof, should constitute a
permanent school fund the interest OF