The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-05-05

enter-refused to levy the taxes to nut them
| IN successful operation and for many years
| III my own county, some three or four dis
tricts refused absolutely to permit a COM
mon school to be established and other
| counties existed. ! do not remember ex-
actly how it was in your county; but, to
remedy that evil, a law was passed making
1t compulsory, and permitting any five indi-
| vlduals to ask the court for an order. Those
gentlemen, who 10y reason of the taxes that
! they thought oppressve-and, by the way,
THIS question of taxes is one of the greatest
bugbears in the way of reiOrm-were OPP
| posed to their coming; but, to-day. to the
honor of the resisting counties be it said,
| that some OF them are in the very van
| OF Improvement aud progress, and really
| put t. shame the very counties that adopted
1t. Holding back, they seemed to gather
strength, and, in the race, more than out.
stripped their competitors. To-day not a
district in the State OF Pennsylvania with
out school house, and there is not a
| child in the State that would not be received
| 1t the parents would permit it to go, and
| hope that no power in church or state will
ever he permitted directly or indirectly TO
| interfere with the freedom of our common
schools. You have established, raised mon.
umenIs to the intelligence and greatness of
| pennsylvania and of the Union. Let their
| doors be vide open, saying to rich aud poor,
| one and all, come drink OF the fountains
which we have opened. Let every un-
| haIlowed hand be off, Away with legisla-
| tion Of any kind, either in church or state
tree forever! tree as the air we breathe. free
| AS the religion We there claim to exercise
and, while morality, in all its deep and
solemn bearings shall there he taught, let
sectarlanlsm forever be hanishcd let the
children of our country be taught that there
Is an education that fits tor liie here and life
hereafter. The school is one of our institu-
tons needing, to he powerful, to he harmo-
nous. We want them preserved in their
integrity, ever letting their radiance shine
upon human life. Go 0n-Our school svs-
tens are now in operation everywhere. aud
we a. k you this afternoon, in the shadow of
that bui ding, tn stand by them.
But the trouble was when YOU Organized
these schools, that they We're not manned hv
the proper officers. We launched the shin
without the sailors and the officers. We
had built a noble vessel but we wanted
numbers to take charge of this magnificent
enterprise and Cuuduct it on triunpnantly.
-, SO. 1901. "rS T." hh sure. w"re taf"n ft..,.
had teachers that were not conpefeut to
teach. AMI many OF the scholars who sat be-
for" them were actually better able to in
struct their teachers; hut they knew that
Ia" 1olm must be gone through with, and it
was gone through with. The thongLt at
once suggests Itself what must he dona9
Schools built children ready and anxious to
enter, where are the teachers to come from
We had to recognize the great fact, witnessed
in some other states, that .chuols for the
training OF teachers, we've as essential us
schools tor the children, and the idea Of nor
maj schools struck strong into the minds of
our educators, and, after very severe >trug-
gie-mahy men were luil OF doubts. and
long ana angry debate was excited upon the
passage OF 'he law. but ile law was passed,
organizing what We call to-day normal
scho0!S, ana have no hesltancy in saying,
standing before you tins afternoon, ladies
ana gentlemen, that, III looking back upon
my administration, there Is no single act ia
IL that l regard with greater satisfaction
than urging the adoption ot that law and,
III 1901, giving my signature, which made ii
Cle III" ol IehhsglNaliia, and gave 10 Us to-
VA! III lhiS STATE system OF education Of
teachers Such us Is 10 Ce lrtlnd. think. in
no Nc, other state IN this Union. applause
we wanted teachers, and We got them from
the normal school That normal school law
Pr0vl"ed IL Is necessary Ter nae To interfere
a l'l'le win my progress to tell you must
depart from you III very few moments. u
cannot resist one reference to the principles
OF mat normal scho0l act. lis grand object
was l" prepare teachers, and 1t permitted
every Sch""i District to name one or more
teachers TO he sent to 1t for education. In
me selection OF Teachers" that law made it
1ollgatory upon the parties selecting to Sc
Iect alternately male and a female, a man
ana woman 1t recognized the grand fact
tnh'' ior lhe purposes OF teaching, at least, Il
woman was aS good as a man. NOw ] be-
iong TO the sterner sex claim to be man
but, at the same time, ladies and gentle
men, cIaIm to have very warm side to-
wards the lad,es-thereS no use in Disgusting
,lhl l'c,: oeleNr' IN the matter Of educa-
rion, oraih' and not scN Is the test of quali-
hc"'l'n i1r teGcher, and | nope there is
NOT Il gentleman here TINS afternoon VOuur