Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-04-16

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the race of the foregoing facts. all OF
Whlch were known to the gentlemen o
the Foundation or should have bcei
known If their investigation was any
thlnB more than superficial, they are 81
uhgracious as to say that these expendi
lures may or may not" be legal.
Inc fact is, they are legal by the plain
unequivoca terms of the acts of Con
gress; they are legal by the repeated an
proNal of the legislative department OF
our state; they are legal by congressional
approval and by the annual approval OF
the government at Washington for NOR,
than 20 years.
rms ought to be sufficient evidence tc
convince the most skcptical But we law.
Ners Ike to have n corroborating witness
so propose to call one. and | 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 mas ever
produced The son ana grandson of q
| country hIachsmith. A man who never
attended school after he was IT, A man
whose public service did not begin until
he was A. a man whose brilliant career
in both branches of Congress. and mar
lticularly in the Senate, is n nroud 'recoI-
! lection of ali Vermonters and loyers Of
Vermont wherever located A MAJ, whose
! broad constructive statesmanship COM
! trouted more to the happiness and nros-
perity of the American people than that
| OF any man OF his time. 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 \ trustee of the Univer-
slty OF Vermont and state Agricultural
| College from 1865 to the date of his death.
December rs, 1S9S-a period of SO 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 the
notables of the nation: the president of
the United States and his cabinet; the
justices of the Supreme Court of the Uni
ted states; the general of the army and
MS STAFF representatives OF foreign gov
ernments; senators and representatives
IN Congress-all to give silent expression
to genuine grief at the loss Of a personal
friend, This man is my witness.
The Carnegie report quotes Senator
Morrlll as saying that his motive in in
Producing the land-grant bills was a de-
sire TO do something for the farmer"
30 II was; but not in the narrow sense
OIL the carnegie report Senator Morrill,
TOOK much broader view, and was equal
~ sollcitous for the artisan and mechanic
His purpose was, not to educate the boys
OF our State in agricultural lines alone.
bnt to give them that liberal education
which would be Of larger benefit to them.
and fit them for greater service.
The Foundation further intimates on
page 10 that when the first Morrill, act
was passed Senator Morrill, did not have
any clear Idea of what sort of institu-
ton was to be developed for the benefit
or the people on the farm" Tho record
of the congressional debates from 1888 to
l%9 does not seem to bear out this state
ment. He certainly seemed to measure
the sort Of service they would render.
surely no one who ever EXCHANGED a word
with MIN on this subject. which was the
one nearest his heart and one of which
ne most delighted to speak, will give the
slightest credencc to the Foundations
statement. No man ever had a clearer
concept of an institution than Senator
Morrill, had of what a land-grant COLLEGE
ought to he. Indeed, it was given him
to see a full half century in advance Of
the times, that there is no logical stop
hot
elementary education and public sum |
port OF the highest university education"
ana want to he recorded as ono be- !
heNihS-the Carnegie Foundation to the
contrary Observation-Disclosures Vermont
WI! never have an ideal nor adequate |
system Of education, until a law is pass !
ed that Will enable a boy born on white
Rocks Farm" well up on the side of
sterling Mountain, beginning with the |
primary schools, to pass along up through !
grade after grade in grammar and high
schools, and thence on through college to
graduate deeree--all in institutions
supported n public expense and without
the expenditure of a penny for tuition.
This conception is neither new nor or
g1nai Jefferson conceived and advocated
u Years ago; Senator Morrill, hoped to
I'VE long enough to see it accomplished
IL IS gratuitouS and undeserved insult
10 the youth OF our State to nsinuate
mat they do not deserve this. I insist
mat the boy from white Rocks Farm
ana 1t is from Just such places that we
get some of our most virile manhood
should, so far as educational possibilities
ire concerned, stand on a level with the
BOY whose father pays an income tax
rhe chances are that he will deserve and
appreciate his opportunity more than the
after. The mere accident OF birth should
lot be an educational handicap Fduca-
ION at public cost Is not undertaken for
he benefit of the individual but for the
benefit OF the State. II good citizenship
depends upon education in any appreciable
'eeree' the best Is none to good for the
Vermont born boy
simply refuse to believe that our cir
Will not allow us to adopt
uch n system as | have suggested. In
Iced, We are altogether too poor and too
'roud TO do less
II may have been noticed that | nave
poken OF these colleges as land-grant
colleges This is the name which sena-
or morrill, used in referring to them. He
OCCASIONALLY referred to the "so-called
agricultural Colleges" In his address be- ,
ore tho legislative committee I'm 1890 ,
turing the contest already referred to :
lie spoke of what are ordinary called ,
ne Agricultural Colleges" And then he ,
vent on TO say: II may say that the in I
lex maker of the Congressional Globe in I
TO-. .