Newark post., 1912-11-20
The Influence of
the Morrill, Act
(c0niinurd tram Dagc i

iCOHllHUrd Jf'OW page Il
In the patent office report for 1870,
page l45, may be found report on agrl-
cultural education made by Honorable
Marshall p. Wilder, chairman of board
Of commissioners appointed by the Iegis-
Iature of Massachusetts. This report
gives an admirable account of agricultnr-
al education in Europe and outlines the
courses Of study then in use, together
with some description of the equipment
of the institutions for teaching.
In the patent Office reports Tor 1891,
iage 81, is found Professor Turner $ plan
FOR an Industrial University and other
rapers from different sources upon the
same subject; one by Milton 7. Braman
OF Essex County, Massachusetts, and an
other by Harvey Dodge of Worcester
County, Massachusetts. This aroused
public sentiment as expressed in farm
prs conventions the agricultural press
and official documents furnished a basis
on which the appeal for the land grant
act was made. These documents all show
u certain singleness of purpose and desire
There was no disposition to critirise the
adequacy of existing education for the
purpose it served but growing ronNlc-
lion that it did not meet the need of the
farmer. The conviction steadily grew
that something new was needed which
should meet a need not recognized in the
older forms and types of education. The
Efforts III Michigan, New York, Massa-
rhuSetts, and at the Farmers College IN
Ohio to organize schools were the early
expressions of this desire. An eXamlna-
ton of the agricultural reports in Ohio
shows the same sentiment revealed else
where when some leader rose to the oc-
casion and eXpounded the gospel of agri-
cultural education as the basis of a bet
Ter agricultural.
These preliminary movements and the
sentiment developed thereby prepared the
way for cordial reception of the Nor
rill Act. have been not little sur
l,rised in running through the agricul-
tural reports of Ohio to find that from
practically every part of the State there
came enthusiastic commendation in 1862
Of the Morrill, Act and the unanimous
sentiment that something ought to be
done to take advantage of these provi-
sions. The discussions as to the methods
are not so enightening, but our main IN
terest this morning lies in the fact that
in the qredt dgricuIturdl states this more,
meHt rdS born and cherished dmORg the
most prOgrcSsire and prosperous farmers
IN their sererdl communities. 1t marks the
separation of the farmers from the theory
that the old time allegiance to the three
r s formed a sufficient education for the
practical man. The Land Grant Act
therefore, may, as | believe, be credited
with having developed a pronounced sen
timent in favor of what was termed {
practical education. This fact has modi
fled every teachers views on education
from 1850 to the present day. AS is wei
known, Mr.. Morrill, had practically faile'
to secure recognition in the House for hi
measure. The second time Senator b. +
Wade of Ohio, introduced the measure il
the Senate and succeeded in passing it b,
a vote of 30 to and thus enabled Mr.
Morrill,, when the measure came over t,
the House, to avoid the delay of commit
tee reports by insisting on immediate
action.
The relation of Senator Wade to thi
measure has not been generally emphasiz
ed but from what l can learn his interes
in this measure was as much stimulated
by the sentiment among Ohio farmer