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Strafford. Vt. Sept. 29, 1873
Prst. Buckham,
Burlington, Vt.
My dear Sir: I note what you say and
wish some concerted effort could be made to
give the College an additional number of
scholarships. The State should do it but I fear
will not. Your show
of numbers
this year is very good.
The point suggested as to argument hereafter for
more Gov't aid is a good one and will be used
but in one of my earlier speeches you will
find it considered at great length. Recently I
have thought other points should be pressed and

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gave less time and space to the point mentioned. Prst. Eliot & Dr. McCosh
have given me provocation and I most fear my temper will betray me into
something like imprudence.
I see you are reported at Rutland to have said: "But we have never
had any students in the Agricultural course", and, "Our experience does
not differ very much from that of other Agricultural Colleges."
This is I suppose true of Vt. and I regret it, but will not your statement tend
to weaken the support of our farmers, rather than to stimulate a remedy? I
think you are greatly mistaken as to colleges. Certainly my information
differs from yours. McCosh made this charge and intimated we were getting
Agricultural support by fraud. Now he will be sustained by making you his
witness. You argue the point well that the charter includes all industries as much
as that of Agriculture, and that ere long I hope will be better understood,
but half of all our population - of all voters - are agriculturalists and
we must retain these in our fold at all hazards - not by fraud but by
doing more for them than is done elsewhere.
With great regard, truly yours,
Justin S. Morrill