News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1914-04-29

Inc dCllOI VI IoJu, lO5ClHCI Will lht
inaction of the succeeding 20 years, may be
safely interpreted as an unmistakable ap-
prevail of our Interpretation of the sew
eral Morrill, acts and of our use Of the
funds.
In 1874 Congress investigated the Agri-
cultural Colleges, ours with the rest. Mr..
James Monroe, a professor in Oberlin Col
lege and a member of the House, intro
duced a resolution, which was adopted,
linstructing the committee on education
and labor ''to enquire into the condition
and management of the agricultural and
other colleges which have received grants
from the United States under the act of
| July 2, 1892" Mr.. Monroe was opposed to
these colleges, and the move was dis
tinctly hostile to them. The report was
surprisingly favorable to them This was
the first and last movement in Congress
which indicated the slightest distrust of
the work of these institutions, and it is a
pleasure to add that Mr.. Monroe himself
was so convinced of their value that he
became and remained ever after one of
their steadfast friends.
One of the provisions of the second Nor
rill act QS9O) required an annual report
| to be made both to the secretary of agri-
culture and the secretary of the interior,
containing statistical information concern
! ing the receipts and expenditures. This
has been faithfully complied with. The
gentlemen of the Foundation or any one
else of an enquiring turn of mind ought
+ to understand that with this requirement
! in force there could be no misuse of these
! funds, unless the college administration
committed perjury. Government blanks
| are sent to the treasure. Of the in
| stitution, Hon. C. P. Smith, on which in
great detail is recorded the expenditures
of the federal money. One of these is be-
! fore me. Every penny is accounted for
and in such a clear and understandable
form that the federal authorities cannot
fail to see every particular of the eXpen-
/ ditures. That the official examination of
these reports is both intelligent and thor
ough is shown by the fact that in 1870
and again in 1911, certain items were dis
allowed as outside the acts of Congress
J One of these was a charge in connection
with the Better Farming Special
Train" and the others covered several
small items for equipment which we
thought came under the head of facilities
for such instruction" but which the gov
eminent thought did not. The reports for
1912 and for 1913 were examined and found
satisfactory" By a ruling made in 1872
we are now required ITO make full report
of the expenditures under the first Morrill,
act" Two of these reports have been
filed and approved.
There has never been any change in the
character of these expenditures. Yet, in
the face of the foregoing facts, all OF
which were known to the gentlemen OF
the Foundation or should have been
known If their investigation was any
thing more than superficial they are SO
ungracious as to say that these expendl-
lures may or may not" be legal.
The fact is, they are legal by the plain,
unequivocal terms of the acts of Con-
gress; they are legal by the repeated APP
prevail Of the legislative department Of
our State; they are legal by congressional
approval, and by the annual approval OF
the government at Washington for more
than 20 years.
This ought to be sufficient evidence to
convince the most skeptical. But we law
yers like to have a corroborating witness.
/ So l propose to call one, and 1 may be
permitted to proceed after the manner of
the profession, and introduce my witness
/ by showing who he is and where he comes
from:
Justin S. Morrill,, in many respects the
most remarkable man our State has ever
produced. The son and grandson of a
| country blacksmith. A man who never
attended school after he was Is. man
whose public service did not begin until
he was A. A man whose brilliant career
in both branches of Congress, and par
ticularly in the Senate, is a proud recol-
lection of all Vermonters and lovers of
Vermont wherever located. A man whose
broad, constructive craftsmanship con-
tributed more to the happiness and pros
perity of the American people than that
Of any man of his time. A man whose
simplicity and purity Of character endear-
ed him to every person who was for
tunate enough to come into personal con-
tact with him. The father of the land
grant colleges A trustee of the Univer-
sity Of Vermont and State Agricultural
College from 1865 to the date of his death
December q, 1s9s-a period OF 80 years,-an
active trustee as his high attendance
record amply proves. He was born in a
little inland town in Vermont, amid the
modest surroundings OF his humble par.
entage. He died in Washington. and
there gathered around his casket all tbs
notables Of the nation: the president Of