Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1871 [PAGE 294]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

286 take the agricultural course do so con amore, and intend to become farmers. But there are some men who are easily influenced by others, especially by men whom they esteem or to whom they look up, and therefore the Presidents or Regents of agricultural colleges, and all the Professors, should be wholly in sympathy with the industrial classes, especially the students, so that these may have set before them the proper motives, which shall establish in them the firm conviction that they can succeed in life as agriculturists better (or at least full as well) as in the so-called professions, which are already overcrowded, and which men, whose special training has fitted them for these professions, are charged to especially favor. We claim then the industrial universities primarily for the industrial classes, because there are plenty of other colleges and universities where men can be trained for the profession ; and entertain the hope, that all who are called to preside over or teach in them, will use all their power and influence to hold the trust committed to them SACRED TO THIS PURPOSE.

PRACTICE AND SCIENCE.

Mr. Murtfeldt—I will say that a good many of the points that I have endeavored to bring out, have already been traversed in the discussions of this Convention; the Labor question, and several others. I did not know exactly what form this Convention was to take. I knew that part of the object of the Convention was to concert action with regard to^ experiments to be tried. I had hoped that I should be seconded—if we are going to allow any division between the scientific and the practical men in this connection. I had hoped that I should be seconded by such men as Mr. Flagg, and others. Mr. Flagg, I believe, is a college graduate. I want to impress upon this Convention this idea in regard to these industrial classes, and the money given to them by the United States, and which is held in trust for them. And that is the point I want to bring out especially. It is the money that is given by Uncle Sam to industrial classes, and the attempt to divert this money in favor of the so-called "classical" institutions, solely to bring them up to that standard—if it is up—which I do not exactly agree to—to bring them up to that standard that they will watch you very jealously; and when attacked that way will call pretty loudly, from the press first, and then from the farmers themselves. I have been very much pleased with the spirit that has been exhibited by the gentlemen here, and if I could have intruded myself upon the Convention after the very pleasant, agreeable and sensible talk that we had last night, I should have called attention to this fact then.