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

I hensive enough to cover everythine
. usually taught in American colleges, ex.
, cept foreign languages and the intellectual
= and moral sciences, and, Of course, medi.
cine, law, theology and the like The Car.
negle report shows on page 1855 that We
have used this money to teach engineer
E ing, natural and physical science botany
and zoology, agriculture. mathematics
economic science, and English.
The Nelson amendment, which carries
an additional $4,000 per year, specifies
that this sum shall be applied only foi
the purposes of the Agricultural Colleges
as defined and limited in" the first and
second Morrill, acts.
/ need not stop to enquire whether or
not. under this act. we could apply any
or all of this appropriation to the teach
} ing Of foreign languages. ancient or mod
ern, or to intellectual or moral science;
for we have not. and do not intend, thus
TO use it. This money has been expended
for teaching the subjects enumerated, as
is shown by the table on page 16s of the
report.
Every dollar of this expenditure is with
In the acts. And this seems SO plain to
me, that I suspect the honesty of him
who asserts or insinuates the contrary.
however, that from time to time, sus-
Ipicion has existed, mostly among the
political agriculturists, that the institu-
ton at Burlington was misusinC these
federal funds. Such suspicion was
spread abroad in 1874 nine years after the
passage Of the act uniting the Agricultural
College with the University of Vermont 1t
resulted in the appointment by the Legis-
of "A mr. al mi too RI tn
vestigate and report whether the act in
cooperating the University of Vermont and
State Agricultural College has been prop
erly complied with by the Off of said
! institution, and whether the funds here
tofore paid to the institution have been
| expended in accordance with the act of
, Congress which created the fund" This
committee consisted of James K Tobey,
d. S. Storrs. and Edward d. Dana, on the
part of the House, and L. p. Walton and
Simeon Allen, on the part of the Senate.
On Nov. Is, 1874, this committee filed its
report completely indicating the lnstitu-
ton. The committee reported that it had
fully complied with the terms of it's char
ter, and that it had expended the federal
funds in accordance with the act of Con-
gress. This, of course, related only to the
as it was long before the second Morrill,
act was passed. On page of this COM
mlttee's report, find this significant
language: Some of your committee en-
tered upon this investigation with doubts
and suspicious; they have been gratified
to find these doubts and suspicious re-
moved. And in conclusion, we all unite
in asking for the Vermont University and
state Agricultural College the favor of the
sons and daughters of Vermont who de-
sire the best education for the practical
business of life, and commend the institu-
ton to the confidence and fostering care
of the State"
Not n very bad endorsement for a hos
tile committee. / submit
In 1873. the institution was again inves-
tgated by a committee. and thoroughly
acquitted and commended. And several
legislative committees, between that time
and 1890. visited the institution, and in
every case commended It. And in the
year last named, the biennial report to the
Legislature showed in unmlstakable terms
Just how we were Interpreting the Morrill,
acts.
This was the year $3.50 in which came
the legislative fight, led in the House by
our Morristown representative. Fred B.
Livingston, to separate the Agricultural
College from the University and stablish
1t elsewhere Whatever the fact had pre- |
viously been, the expenditure OF the fed |
eral funds wa, then thoroughly brought |
home and explained to every member of
the House and Senate. The attempted
separation failed, as some now present |
we'll remember.
No similar attempt has since been made |
Nothing has occurred in Legislative halls |
and little outside, indicative of distrust |
The action of 1890, together with the |
lnaction Of the succeeding % years may be |
safely interpreted as an unmstakable 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, professor in Oberlin COL
lege and member of the House intro
duced resolution, which was adopted,
instructing the committee on education
and labor ITO 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, 1852 Mr.. Monroe was opposed to
these colleges, and the move was dis
tinctly hostile to them. The report was
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
rl!l 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 compiled with The
Of the Foundation or any one
else of an enquiring turn of mind ought
to understand that with this requirement
funds unless the college administration
committed perjury. Government blanks
are sent to the treasurer of the IN
Hon. c. p, Smith, on which in
great detail Is recorded the expenditures
IF the federal money one of these is be-
Tore me. Every penny is accounted for
and in such clear and understandable
form that the federal authorities cannot
Tall to see every particular of the expen-
iitures That the official examination of
-hese reports is both intelligent and thor
)uGh is shown by the fact that In 1910, |
and again in 1911 certain items were dis
allowed as outside the acts of Congress. |
Dne OF these was a charge In connection
with the Better Farming Special |
rran,' and the others covered several |
'mall items for equipment which we