VIII

STATE AND NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Higher Education in Missouri-Major Rollins and The State University - Price-McClurg Anecdote — Elected to the 41st Congress - My Appointees to The U. S. Military Academy and to Annapolis - Missouri's First Railroad-"Liberalizing" the State Constitution

I have alluded elsewhere to the limited facilities offered and the meager opportunities furnished the children of my day in the State for even an ordinary education. The best that could then be expected was "reading, writing and arithmetic" and the child was fortunate to get even these. The State had failed to provide a fund of any consequence for the support of public schools, and the small salaries paid the teachers enabled these to be opened for about three months in the year only. The months utilized were most generally the winter ones, the rest of the year the younger children being kept idle and the older ones made to work on farms.

The first step taken by the State legislature looking to the establishing of a University was on the 11th of March, 1839 (the year after I was born), but actual instruction in the Academic Department of the University, commonly called "The State University," did

not begin until April 1841, the year my father came to the State. To the Academic Department has since been added Normal 1867, College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts and School of Mines 1870, Law 1872, Medical 1873, Engineering 1877, Graduate School 1896. For these facts I am indebted to the work of Professor Snow.

Lands for the support of a seminary, or seminaries, of learning were granted by Congress and these lands were sold for $78,000. I quote from Professor Snow: "When the question of location arose in 1839, the citizens of Boone County offered $117,000 to have the University in Columbia." Out of this money was erected the first building, of which the corner stone was laid July 4th, 1841. No recognition of the University was made in the State Constitution of 1865 this because of the hostility of members of that comvention, headed by Drake, to Boone County on account of the opposition of a majority of its citizens toward the National Government in the war of the rebellion.

Short-sighted action in that regard, coupled with many severe proscriptive features contained in the instrument itself, were the causes that led to the political revolution in the State in 1870. The State had never up to 1867, made any direct appropriation of money to the support of the University.

In the election in November 1866, I was an unsuccessful candidate for the legislature in the County of Pike. However, when the legislature met in December of that year, I was elected Secretary of the State Senate, the duties of which required my constant attendance at the State Capital during sessions

of the legislature. In that year, 1866, the much beloved President Lathrop died. He was succeeded by Daniel Reed of Wisconsin University. At that time the certain income of the Missouri University from all sources was very small, not exceeding seven thousand dollars.

During the 1866-7 session of the legislature it was visited by President Reed. He was accompanied by Honorable James S. Rollins, the father of the University and its most faithful friend. They came to ask the legislature to make an appropriation for the support of the University. The membership of the Senate and House was largely republican and the feeling against Boone County, on account of the hostility of a large majority of its people to the Federal Government in the Civil War, was considerable. To get a bill through the two houses making an appropriation for the University while this feeling of hostility existed, was of course very great. President Reed was a republican as had been his predecessor, the lamented Lathrop. Rollins had been a Union man all through the years of the Civil War but had not affiliated with the republican party and had opposed the adoption of what was called "the Drake Constitution."

A joint session of the two houses convened in the House one evening to hear Major Rollins and President Reed upon the proposed appropriation. The presentation by Major Rollins was forceful and beautifully eloquent, but it did not seem to touch or remove the existing prejudice against Boone County. The appearance of President Reed was most impressive. He was a man about seventy years of age, six

feet three or four inches in height, and looked for all the world like a strong, rugged and determined western farmer. He began his address in a manner that at once attracted the attention of all. What he said left a lasting impression upon me and I think upon all who heard him. Knowing as he did the feeling that existed on account of the war, he began by saying in substance the following, "I came here in the interest of education, in the interest of your University at Columbia, Boone County, Missouri, where I at present reside. I am aware of the prejudice that exists among you against the people of Boone County, growing out of the recent war, a war that has so gloriously ended in the preservation of the Union.

"I stand before you this evening, a branchless trunk, without a sprig or green leaf to adorn it. I had a son, upon whom I expected to lean in my old age for support and comfort, but I gave him with all my heart to the service of the country to assist in keeping in the sky the flag of our fathers. He was a gallant boy and rode with Sheridan through the valleys and over the mountains of Virginia until he lost his life while fighting before Richmond. I have a right to speak to you, you his friends and comrades, and I beg your attention while I raise my voice in behalf of liberal education in the State that suffered as much as any other during the war."

These words were electrical and won the fight for the University. The State had up to that time never made an appropriation for the University. Ten thousand dollars opened the way for larger amounts later on.

Today the State University is one of which every

Missourian feels proud and the faithful services of Lathrop, Reed and Rollins in the interest of a better and higher education should be forever gratefully remembered by the people. During my life time the educational developments in the State have been slow but great and wonderful. In 1841, when my father came to Missouri, the State had done but little toward building up the public school system. Today we point with pride to the common schools and to the magnificent school fund that is distributed annually among the counties and cities of the State, to the splendid normal schools at Kirksville, Warrensburg and Cape Girardeau, and to the University at Columbia.

Thus far I have mentioned only the schools fostered by the State. With pride and approval we point also to Washington and St. Louis Universities and other colleges and seminaries of learning that are supported and sustained by church and voluntary contributions. It is hard for the present generation to understand or realize what difficulties the youth encountered seventy-five years ago in order to get an education. The opportunities now are great and no child should be permitted to grow up without attending school. Laws of a compulsory character should be enacted in every State of the Union requiring parents to send their children to school. Heavy penalties should be imposed for failure or neglect to do so. If the parents are illiterate they should not be permitted to fasten that illiteracy upon their offspring for the peace, good order and happiness of the people are dependent upon their education and intelligence. The social features at the State Capital were much