The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-03-12

I'd fom tbs Localities, on lawn, tba
lsAoolf4e 9d9tssAd eppeysdin she more dis
taRt eo4Rttse, and thua are the hepafts more
eSnaliy dinussd auopg ill portions .of the State
There II scarcely An olganf1sd county In the State
whsrs there are not moro or less graduates and
ofshee schools ssagaged in their
important vocation. Many Of them are 1t the
heads 81 nnperisat schools, where they arc giving
superior instruction toaasgs numbers, S~no are in
tnrp preparing 70 be: teachers. They are
3 knowledge Of their superior
methods Of teaching and governing, perhaps to
hundreds, who within fsv syeats viii in turn be
employed as teachers in the common schools.
Nor are Tue sdyansagesS Of the Normal scnools
hn'tsdsoiths nuuiber Of their grsdustes and
fhoes yhom they may in turn instruct. Those
who 90 rot rsns.n sufficient Length Of time to
eoaupi piststhe coarse, ana yet ~ho are ,S.ssiy i'm.
asrexsd in shsH tdsat.nessisus+ 70 seaea, 70 out
Yearly a every dlrecssvn ~ serve the interests of
education. No person can spe1d year Or even a
derui ma IeDsd Normal .Schooi. nurbous being
trestiy improved n sehoIafsniP., in 4aptness to
.escn, anu skill in governing.
ihe question tnen - noe bow many or how few
are xSsdantea, Dar how iaany instructed,
heas aaa ess.eE nttsd for the work to be done
III the schoois Of the people And SINCE, a. has
been shown, more than l,as0 have been thus sent
forth from our teaehsrs' se1ninzries, can any man
ne enounsef good they have done in
eleyating our scooolst Considering the youth of
our ssste 10 It possible to point to any other CON-
'nun'ey where sheeanse of sducastoais more pros-
Porous than "a Aunesotss, Do We not. even in
our infancy, ENJOY an envlable reputation abroad
for tue excellence of our scnools4 II t. tine we
sredsnf from perfecsYn. II u true We have yet too
many iEn = ant arones IN our scnoolhouses< and we
neea 70 press forward tAeher than t.Il behind i,
CUB iaassaSf u ogfess. Tan, our ntelessa. no le.s
tau .e our dns,, as4snd that esaou!d oo- let Us
not faiter m tho noble work. ''''
Dot there U one more consideration, tMr. Speak.
q, whch4 must beg i6sye ~ pfeseatto the members
o1 tuis House has been freq uentiy asserted tha.
tne Youth VINO reso.t to our Nor1nsf scttt,ols are
IRON the wealthy sud sristoczatie sissses and ,hat
ehey - so these institutions TO obtain a superior
education ut the expense Of the STATE. 1s.>' '&'
= rne best Answsf totilese saiezstioas oil, be O,
appeAl l 2. fae 81 kg.c Of facts through
'ue e~u'tesy oftne Pinc'pais Of these senoos, l
am able to Epreseht an interesting stA4eneut which
ssA steis4aestiea q rest. take it for
EtAnteo taat farmers, As class, are not wealthy.
-ssnme that those who bare ther arms to the
'sbors Of ffhseworkshop .h4 the miaauisesary, are
uot 70 becQauted ar.stocxsts. These are all a,he
oone and slnew Of the land" Tnev oonstrt1te rho
ss'ss sndustrf ciass who d not Il kresn under the
:Sataen ~ dr'enes tsorreEel the ihduleeucss Of
.oxut'ous ana enemlnate life. Inese premises be-
sge' ansedI AN prepared 70 show that Cur training
ec,osas sSr tesea,eIs sret tue aost de,noera,c as
:" ~el y - sne most beaefcent institutions that the
State Can establsh and upuold. The statist.c Ca of
Tue d seseral classes, zken NJ random
3ffeul tqs annual reports aud from tho reeo de- of
tne students now iu actual attendance at the Nor
NAL Schools at Winona Mankato and st.; .;Cgopd. give
t.tese Striking results: :...y e.~e 49,.
Whole number included In the statistical state.
ment' ia. OF these there are sons aud daupbters
" farmers, Slo; mechanics lis merchants, a
eiergynen' S;, Physicians "A; lawyers, 8;
tstDs. less and orphsns, % teachers, E; aborers
~;dumbernen, . miscellaneous and unknown 100.
Tag mese not :eesbie fact in this statement is the
great P' 'epondersnce Of farmers and mechanics
VII" out-number all other classes combiueu con.
sttutlnsas they dossixtyrrwo more than On half
OF the whole. the next and most touching item
s the great number Of the father1ess and orphsns
who have turned to these training schools as their
best opportunity to fit themselves for the honora.
Die calling OF a teacher, as q means of use,ulness
and support. In the Normal department at Vino.
II. tnere are ut the preseut time tventy-zix
faeneriess youths not including the Soldiers, Or
ttiai's. At Maakatvnine are repo. ted. If we add
~ en,s Number tne eighty ,uue ofRc: ally reported
IL ene Soldiers O.enans' Hone, now under in
stfuctiou1t Winona, We sl all hsve 4 total of 124
latherless children md youth, RECEIVING the bene-
nts oi these lnstitutsous, which an honorable Sen
asor IN the present Legial ture il anxious to sell
out As public! suction! aeatlensn will look in
vain TOR the representatives Of 'bloated arstoc-
racy' here. Farmers, 31s, mechanics; rs, father
aess and dfphsns, exclusive OF the Orphana Home,
6S total 52l out of al, Or more than txo.thirds
of the whole! And where, in the figures present.
ed, sha11 We look for the rich aud sristucratic?
Are they amongour merchants, lawyers, <cleray.
n Aud nhxaiciAna1 Iadaad are the children of
the wealthy and aristocratic classes, as general
thing, ambitous toeugage in the serious and ILL.,
relu.ted work Of teaching in our district schools
If so, let US welcome them to these seninaries for
teachers, and honor them for having chosen to be
useful rather than dwell in luxury and inelorious
ease. But am not painfully aware that our State
ious to the enemies of our Normal Schools, and am
forced to the conclusion that this objection hiss no
existence save in the 'disorded fancy Of few who
in the zeal Of their opposition, would make the
worse appear the better reason.'
Mr.. Speaker: conclude these remarks with q
summary of the arguments which have endeavor-
ed to present for the consideration of this House
lst. 1tis the imperative duty Of q free people to
give every citizen tho best education which it is
possible TO- provide ); and as.wealth can be the
suit only of intelligent, well directed labor it is
the highest interest of the State every legti-
mate way to promote the thorough >edncation of
all classes.
I'd Reason and universal experience alike con-
cur in the.eonclusion. that without we'll prepared
well educated teachers, good schools are impessi-
ble, and the thorough elementary instruction of
the people is impossible. : :I IL. -
ID. Teaching is a profession or art, founded on
well defued natural principles, aud these princi.
Plies aud t'is AT be tanght only In schools
se'ninsries orsant1sd and espeeislly adapted for
,he work.
9TH. Ali attempts te .ras teachers BY the estab.
aishmsnt Of called departmest IN high schools,
academies, colleges and universities, have been
Teaoaers Ssminaries haveob been substituted for
sneln lssSsssta5 S,e - =. u; saslzsss7t.eza
5eh. Normal Schools are now recognised in all
civilized countriesa as ndisp spensabletos complete
System of common school edpoetion, and the pro-
g.ess Of educst,on everywhere has kept pace with
the establishment aud support Of the& Normal
Schools - o8 1. SQs3@x sa4! y
!: 9th. While our sister States continue to multi
ply and more literally to support these schools,
We cannot absndos them without falling into the
:eef, nor cripple them Without the moat DISASTROUS
to the interests of popular education
In the State. H. - : sSa%saE afEE
7eh. That since only 8 small fraction of the
psople can ever reach the highest institutions of
learning, Il becomes Of the highest impo tance
tharthsy beaupplied witaabls nd sl,lful teachers
N the common schools, their sole eiance for that
training which Is to 1t them for the duties of life
and citizsnship. y II n 4ss.-.4z.
Finally, Mr., Speaker, believe these oonclu-
sions to be rresstable I: ON a full survey of all
The facts aud circumstances Of the s.tuat,on, al
though w'th'lrthe harrow lmts Of this discussion
have not been a. able fully to justify them the
Importance ofthe subject would seem 20 warrant.
.c'ass Of mon. no party, updeeany pretext. can
long survive se ious attempt to lay violent hands
upon the recognized educational inssitut. oons of
free people, and IN country like ours, Thorough
inst. uction, wise, early training. and sound
knowledge for the massss Of the people, are as
necessary ~ the common air, the common rain
and the common sun -shine to the growth and de-
velopment of organc forms. Let Us listen, then,
to the voice Of reisont the teachings of expert
snoe' and to tho words ofths wise and the good
who have gone before US.
Let Us deserve the q stituda ofthosa Who ..hal)