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Caption: Book - History of the University (Powell)
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First Years of Work 309 and commissioned and furnished with funds for the open and avowed purpose of bribery and corruption? Are rooms to be again taken at the Leland House, an agent procured to open a whiskey chebang, and ten thousand dollars put into his hands to buy ten votes with, and all this in the interest of the industrial university?" The article concluded with the fervent hope that if the university wanted anything of the legislature it should ask for it through the regent and the board of trustees and not again approach the legislators as they were approached when the location was sought. *! The location of the College here was obtained by means that were infamous," declared the Democrat, " a n d if the trustees consent to see such means continued to obtain an increase of endowment or other favors we shall consent to see that institution take its final step into contemptible oblivion." Apprehension was soon allayed, however, for Regent Gregory had no intention of allowing the work of petitioning the legislature for funds to devolve upon a politician; therefore, at the meeting of the board of trustees held in Urbana, November 18, 1868, he announced that the vital question that should engage the attention of the members was the propriety of asking the legislature for funds. 2 I t was obvious that the interests, if not indeed, the success of the university depended upon prompt and sufficient state aid and in this it did not differ from agricultural institutions in other states. In order to carry on the experimental work, the farms and gardens as the public expected, money that would strain the available funds to the point where the work of instruction would be seriously crippled, was required; therefore the necessity of an appeal for financial aid to the legislature. In a business like manner the needs of the institution were spread before the legislators, instead of the latest delicacies of the cook's art; the power of a strong agricultural college to the future was used to persuade instead of the popping cork and jingling pocket. Yet the new methods impressed, for when the committee on education of the house of representatives had reported in favor of the appropriation, Gregory vigorously defined 'Second annual report of the board of trustees, p. 48.
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