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Caption: Book - History of the University (Nevins)
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24 THE FOUNDING OP THE UNIVERSITY the League the farmer-professor wrote' constantly all over the country.1 Despite the instructions given Illinois Congressmen, the introduction at Washington of any measure embodying Turner's views was a difficult matter. The subject of agricultural education had been kept alive in the debates on the proposed Agricultural Bureau. There were still advocates of a single national agricultural college, as Caleb Lyon, who in 1854 was attempting to obtain support for a measure for the establishment of one "somewhat after the plan of the Georgians in France.'' But Turner's far-sighted scheme for a land grant to each of the States went against the convictions of most of the men in authority at the time. President Pierce had let it be understood that he was opposed to any such measure. In 1854 he had vetoed one embodying Dorothea Dix's idea for the provision of such Federal assistance to State hospitals for the insane. Bepresentative Richard Yates was friendly to the plan, having been interested in all Turner's speeches since that at Granville, for which he had sent at once; but he felt that nothing could be done with it under Pierce. On *In February, 1853, Turner writes that he had called upon Gov. Matteson in regard to his scheme; that he h a d written to Messrs. Yates, Seward, Giddings, Shields, and Douglas, to Gov. Seymour of New York, to Gov. Wright of Indiana, to the Patent Office and Secretary of the Interior, and to many agricultural, mechanical, and general papers and associations; and that "year in and year out we shall make appeals to the people and to the Assembly in their [the farmers' and mechanics'] behalf." One Rutherford was a popular lecturer, and he was followed by agents in every locality, who persuaded men to join the League and subscribe to its funds. One of the chief mass meetings held occurred in Chicago, January 25, 1854, under call of the Council and Mayor and of the Mechanics' Institute, and after a speech by Prof. Turner, resolutions in support of the objects of the Industrial League were adopted. Similar meetings were held all over the State. Turner MSS.
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