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Caption: Book - History of the University (Powell)
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Final Period Land Qrant BUI 123 a copy of the plan in 1857 and had said of it: ''it is the most democratic scheme of education ever proposed to the mind of man!11 Now although defeated for the presidency, he continued his interest and in June, 1861, he wrote Turner requesting his plan for an industrial university and its history, as he wished to introduce a land grant bill at the next session of congress himself. Turner prepared a full and complete account as requested and sent it to the post office by his son, who shortly returned with the letter, saying a telegram had just been received announcing the death of Senator Douglas in Chicago. In grief and disappointment Turner threw the letter into the waste-basket.8 But there was no need for despair. This was merely the darkness that precedes the dawn. The fulfillment of his hopes, the end of a ten years struggle for industrial education, was nearer than Turner could possibly have realized. Early in December, 1861, Mr. Morrill again gave notice of his intention to introduce a bill similar in effect to the land grant bill of 1859. On December 16 he introduced it as house bill 138. Without contest it was referred to the committee on public lands, with & • Potter of Wisconsin as chairman. It slumbered with this committee until May 29,1862, when it was reported with the recommendation that it should not pass. This recommendation, made without stated reasons, was referred to the committee of the whole. On June 5 Mr. Morrill asked leave to print a substitute which he desired to offer, but this failed on the objection of Mr. Holman of Indiana. Here ended the short life of house bill 138.9 There seems to have been insurmountable antagonism to it which centered in a few opponents who had great power at the time because of their official positions, among them Mr. Potter of Wisconsin, chairman of the committee on public lands. Tired of the delay,and possibly with some understandingwith Mr. Morrill, on May 2,1862, Mr. Wade of Ohio introduced senate bill 298 which was referred to the senate committee on public •For the above incidents relating to Lincoln and Douglas see Carriel, Life of Turner, 159-160. •For action on this bill see House Journal, 37 congress, 2 session, 74, 773.
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