The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1876-03-09

- -
cRnrLINa rnE Non1fAl sonooILs,,
The bill making an additional up.
preparation OF $4,000 to the three
State Normal Schools-$4,000 Of
this amount being for the St. Cloud
school-after passing the Senate was
killed in the House the last day Of
the session. It will be understood
that this appropriation was not in
tended to meet any new or extraordi.
nary demands on the part of these
schools, but 1t has been made hereto
fore each year, the regular annual
appropriation: Of 5000 to each Of
the schools being insufficient to de.
fray the additional expenditures con.
sequsnt upon increased attendance.
1t was expected that this Legislature,
would do what its predecessors had
done, but the intelligence of the
House tainted far below the altitude
necessary to an appreciation of the
claims Of improved methods Of edu-
cation, and found more congenial
work in "chasing the grasshoppe,
over the plain" Offering bounties for
wolf scalps, and providing for the
protection of cranberries. The grass
hopper and the cranberry had claims
upon the members far superior to the
Normal Schools, and they esteemed
the protection Of their sheep Of
more Importance than the education
Of their children.
The effect of this failure to pro-
vide for the legitimate expenses OF
these schools will be to seriously i'm
pair the efficiency Of them all, if not
to compel the closing Of one or more
of them. It is said that the citizens
of Winona will make up in whole or
in part the amount necessary to carry
on the school at that place. The peo-
pie Of St. Cloud will give not one
dollar for any such purpose. They
feel that the school here is = State and
not. a local institution, and that If the
State will not support it as it sup
ports other institutions no more de
serving, then it must 90 down. They
have no interest in the school greater
than the people Of any other locality
by whom its benefits may be enjoy.
ed, and the number Of pupils from
this city in its higher departments
Is comparatively limited, while the
model department, a necessary ad-
junct to the school, Is in considerable
part supported by the tuition paid by
our citizens. While St. Cloud natur.
ally feels pride in having located
within its limits an educational insti.
tuition of high grade-and it is the
only State institution vouchsafed to
Northern Minnesota-it does not feel
called upon to assume the response.
bilities which the State declines.
The probabilities are that the St.
Cloud Normal School will not be
closed, while it will be seriously Grip
pied, during this scholastic year. 1t
should be and doubtless will be kept
alsve with what remains of the reeu-
lar appropriation, although to do this
will necessitate the discharge of the
majority Of the teachers, leaving not
more than two or at the outside three
Of the seven now engaged. Of course
the number Of pupils who can be &C.
commodated will have to be CORES
pondingly reduced, and many who
had hoped to continue their studies,
a. well as al new pupils, will find the
doors closed to them. The fault
must be placed where it properly be-
longs, with the Legislature, which
refused to give the school the necessa-
ry support.
Out of the four members from
Stearns county, two, Mr.. Klosterman
and Mr.. Stinchfeld, voted against
the bill. That the former should
have done so is not surprising, as any
efforts in the direction Of dissipating
ignorance he would be apt to construe
into personal attack upon himself,
but better things were expected
from Mr.. Stinch6eld, who claims to
be an individual Of a fair degree Of
intelligence and has been 80 consider
ed. He lives in a town which has
been largely benefited by this school,
and he was naturally expected to
give to it all the support his abilities
would permit. What reason he has
to offer in extenuation of the course
he took We have not yet learned, but
the current impression is that he al.
lowed a feeling of petty spite to pref.
udice his action and to outweigh his
duty to his constituents. When the
farmers Of Maine Prairie find the
doors of the St. Cloud Normal School
closing during the coming yea,
against their Children seeking that
training which would enable them t.
gain a Ivelihood,-they may fairl,
place considerable share of the re
sponsibility to the charge of thei,
own Representative. The vote b,
which the bill was lost would no,
seem to indicate that any of the mem
bers from this county had devoted to
the measure anv very serioua dorroo