Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1875-11-06


schools, and be so, treated by their
friends. The result, so far as the Uni
versity is concerned, will inevitably be
to excite. disaffection towards the Col
lege over the State The College has
not the popular strength for such a con-
fiict.. 1t will lose its dignity, andemerge
from it in condition of bumilia.ing
degradation, from which it cannot easi-
ly recover. y
To estimate properly the, force OF
these suggestions it may aid the RE
gents if they consider the relations of
the existing normal schools to our free
schools over the State These normal
schools have reached out their arms,
and interlocked them over the whole
country. They have their represents.
tives in all the cities and counties in
responsible positions. No single nor
NAL chair can be created in the College
that can take from them popular SYM
pathy and patronage, or compete with
them III popular power. The existing
Normal Schools of our State are the
natural. vigorous, and unavoidable out
! growth of our system of Public
Schools. They are simply exponents
of its wants and educational necessities.
1t, has seemed to US remarkably strange
that even the Regents Of these Schools,
and the Legislature, who are supposed
to study carefully the duties incumbent
upon them, as representatives, of the peo-
pie, have never made an expression in
dicating that they properly apprebend
the true import Of the existence and
growth of these normal schools as ed
ucational phenomena in our State.
These Schools have outlived an oppo
sition that would have overthrown all
institutions which do not spring out of
the absolute and pressing necessity of
the age and people. The fact that dur
ing the last four years every effort has
been made. adverse to the existing nor
NAL schools, by Withholding appropria-
tions, by untriendly legislation, by at
tempts, public and private to chill
public sympathy in their favor and by
keeping them on the "ragged edge of
doubtful existence, and yet that in the
face of all these hostile demonstrations
they have continued to grow in popu-
lar patronage and influence, clearly
demonstrates their stronghold on the
public mind, and thus eyinces that
their friends will not raedily yield them
to any other schools of similar preten-
lions. 1t must also be remembered in
estimating the strength OF these normal
schools that many Of them have large
numbers of graduates, whose sympa-
thies and feelings are with these schools,
aud who will see that any attempt to
take away their patronage, or to abate
them, is properly met and disposed OF.
The Regents of the University may as
well now as hereafter accept this truth
viz: That our eristing Normal
Schools are more deeply planted in the
hearts of The people now than at any
period in their precious history. The
Legislature also will not fail to profit by
this reflection. The reason is very OBJ
vious. These Schools are the Schools
of the masses of our population. They
holG just that educational rank in the
State that makes them best known and
most highly valued by all classes in
society. They are the chief source of
educational spirit and intelligence, and
the main instramentality in affillatlng
our Free Schools with each other, and
regulating their action and spirit.
Thus we are led to the above concln-
sion, that our normal schools are the
spontaneous outgrouth of our Free
School System, and as the Free Schools
become strong and popular, these nor
more popular, and influential.
1t seems to us, therefore, that it is
impolitic, and wholly adverse to the
best interests OF the University, for the
Regents to adopt any measure that
must result in antagonizing these insti-
tutions. The fact that the College has
an endowment Of limited value, is no
assurance of its capacity to- oyerrule
and control the present increasing popu-
lar power of our normal schools. Pub
lie sympathylapd local interests are not
to be brought by any moneyed consid-
Grafton, when that moneyed power can
exert itself only at single point in the
State. '..5 .1. .
The normal schools of West Virginia
have had severe struggle. for exis-
tence, but each successive effort made
to destroy them has given then, strong
er sympathy with the people, and more
deeply imbedded them in the public
confidence, until now there is but one
course of treatment the Legislature can
adopt in reference to them, with the
appreciation of the people, and that is,
to endorse them cordially, and give
them full support rs al essential part
of the Free Schools work of the State.
If we read Alright the signs of the pop
ular feeling of the State, the normal
schools have gained in public favor
largely during the last year The time
was when they might with political
safety have been discontinued; but that
time is past. With their present
strength, the question before the Legis-
lature is, not their discontinuance, bat
how to give them becoming support.
These schools have had their day of
humiliation. The people have said
that they shall live as permanent State
Instructions, and 1t becomes the Legis-
lature to treat them with appropriate
hberality.
IL e al. -.