New-York tribune., 1868-08-15

edge of the physical and chemical properties vi
matter. of the growth and relations OF plants,
of the habits and history of insects, Oh tne char-
acters and classification OF ANIMALS ana 'he
laws of breeding and improving STOCK, OF COM
mon minerals and the local geology, IL Is per
fectly practicable to acquire IN the une geher-
ally allotted 10 the common school. Of course,
great profciency in these studies is not to be ex-
pected but there may be sufficient to determine
the direction of the thoughts habitually to those
subjects, to facilitate subsequent seit-cuituie'
and to become valuable fol guidance In the OK
perence of manhood.
But it is notorious that these institutions III
point of fact teach little or nothing OF the kihui
for the perfectly sufficient reason that the teacn-
ers know nothing of these subjects. lt Is u
trite remark that :" as is the teacher 80 Is tiie
school - and that to improve the schools IL Is
necessary first to improve those who cohtIoi
them, is n modern discovery which has leu W
the establishment Of Normal institutions. lheso
are tho great gateways of approach to the COM
mon schools. and are so influential in determln-
ing their character, that reapplying the 0bser-
walton lust quoted, we may say as is the Nor
nal School so will be the Common School. H.
taught the elements of technical and scientific
knowledge for the practical purposes OF NE
this can only be done by introducing the nee
essary studies into the Normal Schools, and pur-
suing them there Systematically and thoroughly.
In this way, and in this only, can all the people
be reached Colleges may be useful for those
who can attend them TO pursue these subjects
still moro completely, but the main work must
still rest with the common schools-commoh
only in the sense that they are universal
In 1912 Congress passed an act appropriatlng
large amounts of public land to thesevcral States,
to be devoted as the enactment declares "to
"eaching such branches of learning as are related
"to agriculture and the mechanic arts, in order to
"promote the liberal and practical education OF
the industrial classes IN the several pursuits and
"professiOns of lifen This action of Congress
was a concession to the growing demand for
practical instruction among the common people,
and was Of course tacit criticism of the defects
of existing educational provisions and arrange
mcnts We have several hundred colleges and
academies in the country, with facilities Tor
double or treble the number OF students that
they now contain. Congress did not donate
the lands to them. II virtually said, the
education you dispense is not that whichis most
"wanted 1t is of the wrong kind andis limited
"to comparatively few We wish to do the
"work which you have left undone-to initiate
cor encourage q new educational movement
(Which shall give q practical education to the
industrial classes of the country" Now 1t
is obvious that the only way to attain this
noble object with anything like completeness
WAS through the use of the peoples existing
educational Institutions The appropriations,
therefore, belonged, by every consideration of
right, to the Normal Schools-the training col
leges of the States. They should have been
applied to the support OF institutions where
the elements Of agriculture and the industrial
arts could be taught TO students, Wko should
themselves become teachers, and carry out the
system of instruction in the common schools,
as in this way only could the industrial classes
be eiTectually reached. But the old colleges
tho parties implicitly condemned by the terms
of tho donation as committed TO n deficient
culture--wore on the alert and secured the
grant Minnesota alone, where the old col
legiate system has not yet got q foothold.
demands that these resources shall be put to
their true use and go to the Normal Schools,
and through them directly to the common
schools and the people of the entire State. A
lively discussion has sprung up in the news
papers of that region upon the question, in
which this policy is very ably urged; and n
determination is evinced to carry out the real
spirit of the Congressional design in the way
most likely to secure its benefits to tho whole
community If this plan is faithfully executed
it will raise the common school system of that
State to high position, and result in per-
mancnt and solid advantages TO its people.