Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-03-28
Some Objections 10 Combining schools for
the Deaf and Dumb.

mediate position between the hearing ana
the deaf. the seeing and the blind" she can
undoubtedly measure the needs of the deaf
and blind more accurately than Others who
know less of the magnitude of their mistor-
| tunes
In a recent number of the deaf Mute
Mirror, paper published at the Michigan
Institution for the education of the Deaf and
Dumb. and the Blind, the editor, Mr.. &. II.
Pond, having repeated report, that Maine
proposes to start a double Institution for the
Deaf and Blind, adds. "Don't do it. sister
Maine. YOU will regret it if you do" That
! Mr.. Pond did not make this remark for the
mere pleasure of saving something is proved
by the fact that he has been connected with
the Institution ut Flint a. II teacher in the
! Deaf and Dumb department. and as editor of
the paper for several years and therefore has
had ample opportunity to observe the advan-
tagcs or disadvantages accruing from com
bincd efforts to educate the two widely dis
similar classes, and his opinions being the
result of genuine. interested sympathy, merits
! the candid consideration of those who concm-
| plate fresh ondcayOrs towards the education
of the two classes. In the Jan. 10Th number
of his paper Mr.. Pond rcpublishes an article
| from the Detroit Free Press. entitled "A
Distinct School for the Blind" in which the
author 4. VI. s.. pleads that separate nst-
tuition for the blind be opened in one of the
largest cities of the State, and the now dual
institutions be used exclusively for the deaf
and dumb. Reviewing this article under the
heading, THE Question of new State Inst-
! tuition" Mr.. Pond says:
| There j. a good deal of force in the suggestion of
our CORES ondcn ~ the dssimilarity OF the meth
i od, pursued in educating tn" deaf nutcs and the
! blind. There l. logical reason why two Glasses
of untortnate should be educated at the school
or by the same teachers and they could undoubt-d-
" be better educated in separate schools and under
teachers specially trained to meet the of each
/ That contrary course has been pursued In this
state. and formerly in other states j. probably due
to the SANE considerations thai led to the gina
placing of the ylum> for the insane, the deaf mute
and the blind. under the general supervision of sin
gle board. All were regarded A. class of untoItu-
mates to be- cared COR by the state and IN some nca-
shielded from the special hard>hips resulting
from their condition, and the idea Of educating the
two last named cla,>c. a to fit them for life out
side the ay Luna, very frtbly developed. In the
light ni newer idcas and of the improved method. of
mitigating the misfortune of those who lack the
the sense Of sight az hearing the latter have ceased
to be chased even for any general purpose with the
insane: aud it i ineyitable that sooner or later
the chasing of the blind and the deaf together must
l., abandoned.
In the Feb'y 2lst number of his paper. he
sides the item just mentioned. MIR Pond pub
fishes report of the legislative committee
which had just visited the institution at Flint
This committee having expressed satisfaction
with the management of affairs. said:
Your committee are of one opininion as to the
crs>itv Of division of the two classes Of pupils
The time has arrived when the blind should have
separate -chouls managed and controlled 10y
an independent corp, Of officers aud teachers for
which bill i nor before your honorable body
From tie above remarks ii j. evident that
some of the citizens of Michigan are wide
awake to the needs AMI rights of their unfor-
tunate brothers and sisters and no doubt they
intend to keep awake until the division OF
those two incon ,ruou> classes i, otf,tt a.
Minnesota and several other States have made
the same experiment of educating the two
classes together, and 50 tar a. their acknowl-
judgements have Teen made. with dissatistac-
tion to all parties concerned.
That wholly dis similar course of in>truc-
ton i re uircd by the deaf and the blind
must be apparent to any person who considers
the wide dissimilarty of their depr, atuns:
the former depending almost entirely upon
the eye for the acquisition of knowledge; the
latter upon the ear and the sense of touch
Natural scenery and pictures please and in
>truct the deaf music AMI oratorv the blind
and the two Latter, like painting. are distinct
art, acquired and pursued separately by all
I persons who design to make them a specialty
+ consequently the teachers of the two classes
need entirely different qualifications. and the
committing of the two to the supervision of
one set of teachers. il attempted in the future
will result IL in the past. in confusion and in
/ efficiency, for which few hundred dollars
in any State or national treasury, will never
. compensate. Bur tine hundreds OF dollars
which the advocates of State economy would
tain save by the consolidating of State in
situations for the afflicted. instead of being
saved. will. whenever the experiment :, tried,
be lost ruth heary interest, by the imperfect
mental and mechanical acquisitions. with
which many inli vidunIs nf hath classes y;lt
leave these institutions to become self sup
porting citizens.
The time for study and learning of
trades allotted to either class. is short
enough at most. consequently the as
>idous attention of teachers ovcrsccrs and
officers, i, of vast Importance to each ind-
vidual. and must be losScned or increased in
prop"rti IN 10 the number Of claimants, the
Improvement OF each claimant being proper
tionally advanced or retarded. Next in de-
plorablcncss t. the inhuman ignoring of the
claims of the deaf and the blind. in the early
ages, has hc N the mistaken spirit in which
their claims have been met in more modern
times. schools for their education being
called "Asylums. and appropriations for
their mainairance made a. if the scholars
were patients or paupcrS, instead of wards,
holding Il ri Iht to education. an inalicnahlr
right increased rather than diminished BY the
misfortune long used rs Il pretext for
ignoring it altogether. or granting it as
chartv,--a grudginglv bestowed aims.
Almost every State in our union has made
provision for the cducaion of all its favored
children. in common schools, and at public
expense and no child possessed of all it,
senses. who claims 4 share in the privileges
provided. is regarded H. an object of charity
instead. all are invited. urged. even forced to
avail themselves of the advantages offered
All this i very proper, highly laIdablc and
gratifying; hut however kccnly the deaf and
dumb feel their dcprivatons, however de-
sironS they may he To avail themselves OF
common school chances. it is impossible for
them to do it for the simple reason, that in
their own land. their own home, they are so
to speak. foreigners parents can commune
cate with them brt inrertcc,lv. teachers have
no time t. attend To them. and all soon per
ccivo that they require different system of
| instruction than that provided for other chill
dren. Having arrived at this sensible con-
clusi IN. instead of advocating the prompt
pro,i ion of the needed system and avan-
tascs. ion hers are prone to drop Them on