502 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



profoundly affecting the current of human activity; prices, which had 

 been falling from the decline of the production of silver in Mexico, began 

 to rise with the discovery and production of gold in California. Tins 

 was the beginning of an era in the rise of prices and of material pros- 

 perity unexampled in the history of civilization. . . . 



"All these influences produced a deep and lasting effect on the 

 theories and practice of education. The 'old education,' as it was 

 called, did not supply the new wants. There was a loud and discord- 

 ant demand for something else. The many agreed only in this, that 

 less Latin and Greek (which had before been considered the corner 

 stone and substance of a liberal education) be taught and in their 

 place more science; or at least that, whatever place the old college 

 curriculum might have in the future, new systems of education were 

 required in this new development of civilization. . . . This discussion, 

 along with that of elective studies instead of a rigid curriculum, went 

 on in all the colleges and universities in the land. The University of 

 Virginia already had elective courses. All tried in some way to expand 

 in the direction of the physical sciences. . . . Going along with these 

 changes in collegiate instruction there was much clamor for purely 

 technical schools of special kinds. In no direction was this more- 

 marked than in agriculture." 



As attempts to establish scientific and technical schools in the several 

 States increased in number and public interest in this matter grew 

 apace, the attention of Congress was naturally drawn to this subject, 

 but it was not until the movement for securing national aid for such 

 institutions found in Mr. Morrill an active, wise, and persistent leader 

 in shaping and directing legislation on its behalf that success was 

 attained. The records of Congress show that only a man thoroughly 

 persuaded of the importance and wisdom of this great enterprise would 

 have persevered as Mr. Morrill did in the face of much misunderstand- 

 ing and opposition until the desired end was finally attained. 



On December 14, 1857, Mr. Morrill, then a Member of the House of 

 Representatives, introduced a bill authorizing the establishment of 

 industrial colleges in every State and granting for their maintenance 

 1^0,000 acres of the public land for each Member of Congress. This bill 

 was referred to the Committee on Public Lands, which brought in an 

 adverse report April 15, 1858. Nevertheless in the following session of 

 Congress the bill passed both Houses, but it was vetoed by President 

 Buchanan. The only effect of this serious rebuff on Mr. Morrill was to 

 lead him to broaden the scope of the measure, and in December, 1861, 

 he introduced an amended bill which bestowed 30,000 acres of land for 

 each Member of Congress upon the several States for the establishment 

 of colleges "where the leading object shall be, without excluding other 

 scientific and classical studies, and including military tactics, to teach 

 such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the 

 mechanic arts, in order to promote the liberal and practical education 



