44 



I hope that this assoouition will not indorse the Mondell bill in its ])resent 

 shape, and whether we get it or do not f?et it, let ns stand iii>on a i>rinciple. 



H. C. White. The motion before the house is not on tlie (juestion of indorsinjr 

 one thing or another. The motion before the house is on the question whether 

 the convention will declare its policy as to concentration. The resolutioiis of 

 Doctor Atherton, which have come in subsequently, provide for specific instruc- 

 tions in regard to the Adams bill and general advice in regard to the Mondell 

 bill. Those I'esolutions, however, are not now befon- the convention; The ques- 

 tion is now on the motion of Dean Davenport that the reconnnendation of the 

 executive committee be adopted, and that it shall he the jiolicy of the executive 

 committee to concentrate their efforts rather than diffuse them. 



J. K. Patterson, of Kentucky. I have no scruples whatever about going be- 

 fore the Congress of the United States and asking for what our agricultural 

 and mechanical colleges need. They get the money from the people, and it is 

 their function to disburse to the best advantage this money for the benefit of 

 the Republic. I have a perfect right, and this association has a perfect 

 right, to go before Congress and ask whatever it wants and whatever it 

 needs, and I do not think that it need have any compunction because oV 

 States' rights or any other sort of rights. The money in the Tublic Treasury 

 belongs to the people, and if we can induce Congress to believe that they are 

 making a proper use of the means at their disposal in fostering and supporting 

 these land-grant colleges along the lines originally indicated in th6 organic act. 

 that is all right. Now, I am interested in the passage of this Adams bill. I 

 believe that the experiment stations ought to lie strengthened; and I do imt 

 believe that we are in any danger of asking for too nuich in this direction. But 

 I am equally interested in the passage of a measure of some kind that will give 

 strength to the other side of the provision made for the establishment of these 

 colleges, namely, in the direction of mines and mining, which seems to me to be 

 a legitimate outcome, a legitimate corollary, from the original establishment of 

 colleges for the study of agriculture and instruction in the mechanic arts. 



Now, every State in the Union is iiiterested in the passage of a mining bill. 

 We are interested in it. and have made repeated efforts to get it through. It is 

 going to come up again this time, whether Ave will or not. If it is not intro- 

 duced under the auspices of this association, it will be under the auspices of 

 one or two other associations, and they are working diligently to accomplish 

 their end. Some of us who attended the meetings of the Association of State 

 Universities the other day were also allowed to attend a meeting of the Mining 

 Association. The Mondell liill was iiresented in a modified form, and after 

 the criticisms of President Atherton and others it was agreed that that was a 

 bill which not only harmonized the interests of this association. l>ut also har- 

 monized the interests of this association with other interests outside of it. 



Now, whether we will or not. a measure is going to be introduced, and if it 

 is not introduced with onr cooperation, and if in consequence of our opposition 

 we take no part in the movement, if we even are neutral in the matter, our in- 

 terests may suffer. This bill was believed, after it was recast, to be acceptable 

 to all concerned. It was accepted by the Mining Association; it was accepted 

 unanimously by the jiresidents of the colleges and univci-sit ics outside of this 

 association who were ])re.sent yesterday and wlio adjourned yesterday. It seems 

 to me that it would be folly for us to williiiold our active coopcr.-ition in this 

 niattei*. We may not be the introducers of I be bill, but if that bill ]>e introduced 

 by other parties, as it certainly will he by tlicse two other associations, it is 

 just possible if we give it the cold shoulder, or betray an attitude of neutrality — 

 whether active or not — it will be ])assed to our detriment. We ought not to be 

 placed in that attitude. If we believe Ibal that bill sufficiently guards our in- 

 terests, if it is not in any important sense antagonistic to our interests, though 



