The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-01-31
ABOUT THE NORMAL SCHOOL.

EDITORS OF ENiPoRIA NEWS There
is being considerable said and an awful
sight of thinking about our Normal
school building, and what the legislature
will be likely to do, and the best plan or
method by which we should use our in
tiuence to get an appropriation to rebuild
1t. think suggestions from outsiders,
to say the least of them, can do no harm,
and might be of some service to our leg
islators, and as one l would suggest that
our members go before the legislature
asking for an appropriation purely and
solely on principle of justice, and
equity, and not attempt to get it by combl-
nations as has been too often the case in
our Legislature. The Normal school be-
longs to the state and should not be tam
pered with as local institution 1t is a
part and parcel of the general work of
the educational system of the state, made
so by the legislature of the state, not for
Emporia, but for the whole state; and in
the establishing, locating and erecting
the buildings for said Normal school it
does seem to me that there are certain
vested rights secured to the city that the
state cannot, in justice, ignore; not that
EmpOria is any more entitled to the
school considering all advantages equal
for all localities), but at the time of the
establishing of the school it was cOnced-
ed by EmpOria that there were certain
local advantages on account of the school
that they were willing to pay for, which
they did, and good price, too, as think,
is conceded by all, and any aid given by
the city was and is certainly recognized
by the state as either donation To the
state or so much paid for the local bene-
fits of the school; and in proof of this l
have been informed that the city offered
to insure the Normal school building to
the amount that it had put in it, but the
city officers were told that whatever they
had given or subscribed for the building
was so much to the state, and that they
had no insurable interest in the building,
and that the state had long since decided
to carry her own insurance, consequently
l think, aside from all other considera-
tons, the state simply stands or has assum.
ed the attitude of an insurance company so
far as any loss by fire is concerned, and if
any of her institutions are discontinued
it must, in justice to parties having vest
ed riglkS, be discontinued on some other
ground or for some other cause than be-
cause the buildings were burned up. No
one denies but what the school has done
Il good work, and majority, l think, of
| the people of the state cOncede that ii
was properly located; and all know that
it is, or would be with suitable buildings,
just On tllc eve OI DelnS dDIe 10 take care
| of itself, or run without expense to the
state, and l see no good reason why there
should be any doubt or trouble in refer
cnce to securing an appropriation TO re-
build the building, only the one just
mentioned in this article; and as for
one, think it unjust and impolitic for
the friends of the school in the legisla-
ture to allow it to be trammeled in the
least with other projects or appropria-
tons. If the appropriation can't be Sc
cured on just and equitable principles,
let us as good citizens shoulder it our
lions as we are able, and in so doing be-
come good Samaritans to our own locali-
ty as we'll as to the whole state, and ere
long help will come.
There is much more / would like to
say, but for want of time l must close.
| g. w. BREEDER lex.