Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1876-01-06
Educational.
For the American.
Eastern State Normal School.
CAsrINE. Jan. LIST. 1876

IN discipline and instruction, is in harmony
with the requirements Of the statute relat-
ing 10 it, But as your correspondent,
"Auti-Sectarian. has done gross injustice
TO the teachers OF this school and has mis-
represented its influence. the replies for
which you ask shall be given. and to do so.
most effectively. the statement OF your cor.
respondent will be repeated.
l. Your correspondent has learned ir,.m
some one. that only two things in the
school are Objectionable, viz. the prayers
aud scripture readings Reply-A> the
State has prescribed no form of prayer. the
teacher must use his own. He does not
pray to teach theology, but to commend
teachers and pupils to God aud ask strength
and guidance for the day. The Manual
of Devotion" is composed of extracts from
me D,l!e arranged in daily readings.
! ?. The Principal has become 4 leader in
the Orthodox church, conducting the sun
day service in the absence o: the Pastor
Reply-Ine rlincifa! hs- nevar assumed
leadership in said church. and ha, Lever
members. Had he time and disposition for
such work. he has perfect right to do il.
The President of the State College is a
prominent minister in the Methodist de-
nomination. as he has right to be He
has not conducted the church services dur
ing the absence OF the pastor for a year.
but has in times past read sermons occa-
>ionally, as have other members and teach
ers Of the High School lie has also read
sermons for the Methodist Pastor, and is
ready 10 do such service again for any
church needing it. 1t Is his privilege as a
citizen.
3. All the teachers in the Normal School
are OF the evangelical order Reply
! Greed is not a qualification for employment
in the school. Two teachers who have
been connected with the school were not
Evangelical and two other persons. be-
ieved to be good teachers. and known to
be Cnitarians, were offered positions in it,
1. The Principal and all the teachers
attend the Orthodox church on Sunday"
| Reply One of the teachers. longest con-
nected with the school. has always attended
the Methodist church and during the last
school year. another has attended the same
church, while a third has attended 10
church regularly. Only two Of the six
teachers are Orthodox Congre.ationalists
8. The Normal students with few ex-
ceptions attend that church" Rcply-The
Normal students attend every church in
town. frequently on the same day, always
more or less in term time" The Pastor Of
the Methodist church says. My audience
is often half students; sometimes a. many
a. seventy-iiye are present
Though the pupils are largely from Evan
selical families, all attend the Unitarian
church more or less freq uently; so the
statement that they are inloctrinated in
the creed of a particular church, is ground
lass.
e. ION one occasion certain doctrines
were preached in the Orthodox church
and pressed, thought, upon Normals."
Reply-The Pastor says, II do not recos-
nize the report fthe discourse as a truth
iAl vi NOGlI tut> WHICH /
ceive or ever have taught" Suppose the
pastor OF this church, and of,he Unitarian
| church. preach extreme doctrines in the
line of their scripture creeds, lchose business
IS IL: These inch are no; connected with
the Normal School and are not res pousi5e
TO the State for their views
/. The Normals are also members of the
Orthodox Sabbath school, to large ex-
tent, and are encouraged TO become so by
| their teachers Reply-The average at
| tendance at the Normal School during the
past year, was l25. The average attend
ance of Normal pupils ln the Orthodox
school was ttcenty.fre, or 20 per cent. Is
that TO large extent: They are encour-
/ aged by their teachers to attend Sabbath
/ School but not particular one, and the
| pastors OF the churches invite them to Join
the Bible classes.
5. IAN assistant teacher urged pupil
to join this school when he proposed to
join the Unitarian school" Reply Said
teacher must answer the charge for her
self. the writer knows nothing of the case.
but does kno,e that said teacher refused 10
allow two TO join her 5. :. class. who wish
ed TO do so, as the parents Of one wished
her TO attend the Unitarian S. School ard
the other belonged TO the Methodist
| church.
9. 1.-The Principal and all the Normal
teachers are instructors in the Orthodox S.
School," Reply-There are six teachers
in the n. School. but t,ro of whom are con-
nected with the Orthodox S. School. Two
one in the Unitarian.
10. The Pastor has class made up
largely of Normals, it is believed" Reply
| The Pastor has had no class in the s.
School until recently when he took a class
temporarily, and there has been but one
Normal pupil in said class and he was pres
ent bnt felo times.
IL. The teachers, am informed. meet
the Pastor weekly and receive from him
such doctrine and other instruction as he
desires to give" Reply-The teachers do
not meet the Pastor weekly, nor for any
such purpose. There have been Sabbath
school teachers meetings for several years
and the Pastor has never attended them.
excepting during the short time he has had
said class. The Unitarian S. S. lessons
arc studied and the Pastor is only MEM
Der Of the class, giving no instructions and
teaching no doctrines.
II. "a charge of sectarianism was once
made by a Methodist Elder in a public
newspaper" Reply-The charge was
based upon wrong Information received by
the Elder, and was at the time proven untrue.
Since the Methodist denomination has be.
come so largely represented in the school,
it has become evident to them that the
church attendance OF teachers and pupils
is due to causes entirely without the infia-
ence of the school itself.
The charge made upon the basis of the
above statements, that compact has been