Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-02-18
WATSON AODUCES
PROOF UNIVERSITY
IS CHILD Of STATE

Montpelier, Feb. 1e.-Morc favorable |
on the education bill came out
ut the hearing for tho opposition to-
night than was In evidence at the hear
ing Of supporters OF the bill last week.
The speakers Included the Hon. Warren
r. Austin of st. Adams, who presented
historical evidence showing the Uni
versity OF Vermont as a child Of the
state, President Guy p. Benton Of the
university, Senator Simonds, President
John NJ. Thomas Of Dddlebury College,
who gave some constructive recon-
mendations on the educational situation
and presented the aims and claims Of
Middleburys College for state aid and
H.. d. Ryder of Bellows Falls.
President Benton said that he was vol
disposed towards the bill except for the
fact that II left out appropriations 10
the University OF Vermont. Tho College
of Medicine in order to continue must
receive a liberal appropriation fro the
state. He read the telegram fro ~
Kfdder In Chicago assuring the o., .ogc
Of medicine OF tho highest ratiu for
two moro wears. The omission a. the
State university from the educational
system OF the state was another defect
in tho bill. he declared. Tie introduced
Mr.. Austin Of the board ~ trustees.
MR. AUsTIN"s PLEA.
Mr.. Austin presented a statement from
historical data recently unearhcd tend
Ing to prove that the University Of
rmo in its origin and by its bistory
is a state institution. and he argued that
population of the state university ny
the State would cripple its usefulness.
He opposed II. 10 on one point, that
II undertook to revolu.ionlzo tho policy
Of the State which has been consistently
followed since III concerning higher
education, for the bill refers in tho pre-
| ambla 20 the report of the commission
defining the status Of the University of
| Vermont to ne a private corporation, and
in the first section in defining the pub
lie educational system of the state OK
| cludes from It the University Of Yer
mont or any other seminary of higher
education.
-FOUR APPEALS BY PEOPLE.
Mr.. Austin showed thai manuscripts.
letters. articles I'm the public press,
records of proceedings In the General
Assembly and public uttorances Of State
officials had been discovered by Score
tarv Of state Guy w Bailey which did
not come TO the notice OF the educational
commission. These records show four
different attempts by the citizens of
Vermont to have the State university
established which was called for by the
constitution of lit, and all Of these
we're turned down by the Legislature
because Of rapid developments and
changing conditions OF the state. And
finally, after the question Of the State
university had heen Ggitated annually
for II wears, came the actual establish
ment of the university. This was in
spired by the report Of the committee
on program for the Legislature of 1883.
DARTMOUTH INFLUENTIAL
The interest and activity of Dartmouth
College In Vermont politics is indicated
by the manuscripts and other proofs as
responsible for the omission in the con-
stitution of 1856 of the clause referring
to the State university. The educational
commission made much Of this omission,
but Mr.. Austin claimed that this change
in the constitution does not signify the
abandonment by the people of Vermont
Of the original design to perfect tbs
frame of government with the State uni
versitv. He claimed that the report o
the commission was wrong on this potn
because IL did not include nor consider
the history of Dartmouth influence upor
the State at this time.
The proofs offered also tended to SHOW
that the report of the commission wa
erroneous in asserting that Ira Aller
inspired the legislation creating the uni
verslty and designated its location
Records read from the House %iourna
show Ira Allen AS one of many legisla
tors active in the establishment Of
university.
Reference was mad to Ira Allen
History OF Vermont" in which he e%
pressly admitted that the people of Yer
mont established the university.
Mr.. Austin also showed by record tina
the Ira Allen memorial was laid on thu
table until after the university was
established. it's location was decided by
election, its trustees were elected pN
and from the General Assembly and al
details were completed except the actua
issuing Of the charter. This was nevel
issued until $50. the trustees having II
the meantime acted as public officials
} without any charter.
The records show that the act of th'
Legislature creating the university wa:
published in the newspapers at thu
J States expense anG in the session law
as a public act. Reports Of the commit
tees appointed by the Legislature to In
vestigate locations and for other detail
preceding the establishment We're offere'
to show that the people adhered TO tn
/ original design of establishing tho uni
versity as part Of the original frame o
government The speaker referred Il
many occurrences and statements h!
public officers after 1871 (when the uni
versity was established whereby II
public charter was recognized.
,, Among those was the opinion In lSf
OF Samue Prentiss. who was chief judg'
Of the supreme court United States sen
ator and afterwards fudge OF the Uni
ted States district court, Senator justin
S. Morr'll's opinion expressed before IN
LEGISLATURE In 1855 was also quoted.
BLOW To EDUCATION.
From the time when the state wa
: a wilderness to the tim when tn
university was established he showed
a consistent effort of the pioneers Z
save ,the public grants from spoilia
tion by Dartmouth, from. misuse b,
.@evcral petitioners for a college, AM
,eto, chat tto,a a rorard nv the puhli