The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-03-31
From the Commonwealth
1.-THE NORMAL SCEaAOAs."
EMPoRIA, March 18th, 1876

have simply to say that we are no
nore ''locai' than any literary instl-
ution in any town or State Is ''locaF'
mo more than the Agricultural Col :
eye or State University is .'local." In
he nature OF the case the city or coun-
y in which University, College, or
Normal School IS located, Will be more
argely represented in relative num-
per OF students than any more distant
:ity or county. The facts of nearness,
and home facilities, will necessarily, IN
ALI cases, secure this result. But no re-
asonable man will make this an honest
ground OF complaint. Aside from this
feature we deny that the Emporia Nor
nai is in any Just sense local. Ii has
always opened its doors tor students
from any and every part OF the State.
Its catalogues and circulars have gone
into every portion of the State and /
during the last term, over thirty coun-
ties were represented by students, sew
eral outside of Lyon county sending
from ii fteen to twenty.
AS regards the charge made by Mr.. |
Wood and made repeatedly by the as
sailants OF the Emporia Normal, that
it is not, and has not been doing good
and legitimate normal work, have
nothing to say in the way of inyidious
comparison, as TO the relative merits
of the Concordia, Leavenworth and
Emporia schools.
have not visited the former schools,
and cannot speak OF their excellencies
from personal inspection. know their
Presidents and believe them to be earn
est and enthusiastic workers in the
department of Normal Instruction, l
anu glad 10 hear their work spoken so
well OF.
But of the work at Emporia, since
nv connection with it, L affirm that
these charges are gross nttsrepresentG-
ttons, the plan OF tne school, its method
of Instruction and government, its tohote
| spirit, are NOrnidl, having from begin
ming To end, the legitimate work OF
| ftting teachers for the common schools
of the State, and in case of those who
may complete the higher courses OF
study, for the graded and high schools
of the State. To substanLiate this
affirmation, appeal confidently to the
hundreds of Intelligent citizens who
have visited the Normal and observ-
ed it's instruction and management,
and to the larger number of studen is
who have gone from its halls TO en-
gage in teaching in various parts of the
State. That the Emporia Normal has
occasionally graduated teacher who
has not been successful, and that i'm
mature students, attending one or two
terms, with little professional culture
and drill, have not proved perfect
teachers-are no doubt rruths-but they
are as true of every normal school IN
the East as well as in the West, and no
intelligent, candid person would array
such facts as arguments against the
value OF the work OF a normal school.
| fin N i
Versity'' ambition of the Emporia
Normal. When Mr.. Wood charges the
Board of Reg snts with having "violat-
ed every principle upon which this
school was organized" he shows either
an entire ignorance of the facts or a
reckless disregard for the truth. The
organic act under which the school was
established, declares: Section l. "That
there tie and is hereby established and
permanently located at the town OF
Emporia, in Lyon county, State Nor
NAL School, the exclusive purpose OF
which shall be the instruction Of per
sons both male and female in the art
of teaching, and in all the various
branches that pertain to good COM
mon school education, and in the me-
chanic arts, and in the arts of hus-
bandry and agricultural chemistry and
in the fundamental laws of the Unit
ed States, and In what regards the
rights and duties of citizens" Section
II further adds that Lectures on
chemistry, and comparative anatomy,
physiology, astronomy, and dRg other
science or branch Of literature that the
Board of Directors may direct may be
delivered to those attending said Nor
NAL School in such manner and on such
terms and condition as the said Board
may prescribe. - Here, in the organic
act is certainly provision for making
both an Agricultural College and a
State University of the Emporia Nor
NAL if the Board of Regents SO direct.
But they have never attempted or de-
sired to compass in its aim and scope
all the wide field here permitted and
made lawful,
They have ignored those features
which more properly come within the
curriculum of an Agricultural College
and State University, and included
in their courses of study only such
branches as are required To be taught
in the public schools of the State. They
have thus moved strictly within, not
only the provisions OF the organic act
of the Emporia Normal, but also with
in the much narrower range of true
Normal School. Some of the board
have shared in my own views, stated
and maintained briefly more than two
years ago before the State Teachers
Association. and that the true policy OF
the State, viewed economically and
Internationally, was to have one central
Normal SchOOL-a Normal University
if you please-somewhat similar to the
Normal Universities of Illinois, organ
ically connected with County Normal
Training Schools, which should have
the moulding and directing of the
special work of fitting teachers, and the
teachers Of teacherS, for all phases OF
educational labor. The term Uni
rersity" has been used only in
this sense as indicated always
by its qualifying term Nor
NAL. No one, understanding
what he was talking about, could hon.
estly confound this aim with that of a
State University. 1t is an aim entire
ly within the scope of the organic act
of the Emporia Normal, and does not
involve the putting on of University
airs in any falsely ambitious sense, or
in any sense that brings it in conflict
with the broad and distinct sphere of
the State University. Your space will
not allow me to enter here, upon de-
tense of this theory of Normal work.
| haYe thus briefly stated its import to
show your readers how entirely we
have been misrepresented in our work
and aims.
The people of Kansas will in due
time decide by fifty chosen representa-
tives, what are the wishes and the pol
icy of the State upon this subject.
In the mean time the Emporia Nor
NAL, though temporarily crippled, and
widely misrepresented, goes on tcith its
legitimate tror2, and expects in the
future broader rather than a narrower
field for its special mission-to train
the educators II the State.
G. r. PoMERoY.
NEWS BY TELEGRAPH.
1 FRIDAY MARCH 24