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Caption: Book - History of the University (Powell)
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Struggle for Locution 1865-16 239 their courses of study, the management and use of their funds and the appointment and the removal of teachers, by such boards of trust as the Pounders may severally direct." This plan was further elaborated by President Sturtevant in letters of Dec. 21 and 24, both of which seem to indicate from the language used, the cooperation of Turner in the plan. President Sturtevant admitted that he was assuming the responsibility of the offer himself without the consent of the trustees of Illinois college and indeed with the opposition of two of them. This plan, which had the fatal weakness of proposing to unite an old institution with a new one, would not be accepted in Illinois. Morgan county's prospects at the moment seemed hopeless but yet in the end she offered a bid that commanded the respect of all. During the year 1866 an episode occurred that threatened for some months the usual harmony among agriculturists. The delegation of the Buel institute in reporting the farmers' convention held at Bloomingtpn in December, 1865, condemned the action of that body in throwing the meeting open to all who desired to participate and also objected to leaving to the discretion of a committee the calling of another convention. It reminded the executive board of the institute, that as members of an organization that had given the first active impulse to the idea of a practicable and scientific education for the laboring classes, they claimed the right for Buel institute to issue the summons for a representative convention " t o prepare, discuss, and adopt a form of Charter for legislative enactment, suited to secure the end arrived at in all your former efforts.' • 2 * The Prairie Farmer interpreted this report to mean that the Buel institute objected to the bill of 1865 drawn up by the agriculturists. The editor defended the bill, condemned the attitude of the Buel institute, and opposed the assembling of another convention, but offered to publish the call for one if the institute should decide to send it. Already the Buel institute had formulated plans for a convention and early in August the summons went forth for a meeting of duly appointed delegates at Phoenix Hall, Bloomington, on September 11, 1866.30 "Prairie Farmer, July 14, 1866. "Bloomington Pantaffraph, August 10, 1866; Prairie Farmer, August 4, 1866. The call was signed by the committee: Smiley Shepherd, Williamson Dudley, and Joshua S. W. Mills.
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