New-York tribune., 1879-10-25
HIGHER EDUCATION.
THE VIEWS OF GOVERNOR ROBINSON.

MOUK's TIMELY ANSWER-bhAiis ihi-hh hi-
CLASS EDUCATION IN FREE COUNTRY
To fhe Ed,for Of Ths Ir'6""e
SIR: Governor Robinson says hc desires tho po-
tical battle of this year to bcfought out on state
issucsy la Wow of this fact. and for Other good
and sufllcent reasous would II not bo well for The
friends of educatlou-the vast army OF young men
who owe what they have and arc to an oducation
derived from the common scbools-snd tiie ln''s'oS
of the poopl. 10 consider thonghtfully tho policy oil
this Governor of Spartan virtues. with rcIciohce 10
the educational interests OF the state b"iore hh@y
recording their Judgment NJ the baiiot-Dox upon
the man and his methods.
The dccp-scatcd hostility of Governor Robinson
10 tim common schools To certain OF their osscn-
,;l ,,a,ur.s has long been nh open secret among
tbo.e W bo have lived near him at Albany. 80 com
pletcly has ho succumbed to this baleful infatua-
ton IN at he finds il impossible to refrain IRON be-
traying lis true nature either in his speech or III a
State papers. His messages to She Legislature nave
abounded IN hints of its ominons ana growing
character. comparison of the Governors e1-
pressons ia respect 10 the ccnimon schools, III Ills
three annual messages reveals the TACT thal hi'
opinlons have undergone = marked change within
two years. The iirst message makes 10 attack upon
the principle which uDderies the system, bat does
set forth lhis doctrine: Ii seems To mo 10 be
clear violation of personal rights tor tho State TO
beyond this tpimary cducationl and levy taxes to
support free academies hi g schools and colleges
In this document was also foroShad0wcd the
attack the normal schools which Governor
Robinson is acknowledycd to Lave inspired. Early
IN the legislative session cf 1877, Mr.. Eugeles, now
Deputy Attorney General. in the Assembly az
Iaigned the normal schools costly excrcsccnces en-
and useless appendagcs OF the common school syS-
tenn. The heated debate which ensuod demon-
strated that the gentleman was largely IN
and couspicuously so in regard TO the de-
ductions made from them. SO thoroughly
alarmed did several of Mr.. Ruggless colleagues
become that they took uneauIvccal and az
crcssive grounds against both him and the Gov
crnor. Onc notable speech OF this nature was made
by Mr. Cl Ia. OF Seneca County. graduate OF
Hamilton College and at present editor OF Demo-
cratic newspaper in tle district which he then
represented Tho Governors s partisansn IN the Legs
la:nre went so far rs to favor cutting of the apprc
pratiops for the maintenance of most of the nor
nal schools. In tins act of sheercst folly they
Ovcrshot the mark and their designs met with ig-
| n0ninious defeat. The second animal message is
more pronounced in tone than the Grst 1t says:
| IL my Judgment, u very grea. wrong has already
grown NJ m connection wTh our otherwise excellent
! system. II lies IN the prlncple OF arVymg larse
amounts of the MONEY raised by taxation 10 tie supiu.
Of high schools instruction IN all III" sciences aud
high branches Of study required IL The learned pro
! feSsIous.
After celebrating reasons for this assertion, the
! Governor proceeds:
Instead Of educating The masses of children 30 rs %
prepare them for IN, pursuits ana inhns,flrs n.n
which depend FOR living, We educate them
iI such as to msso tham usc1htch'rH wan the.r
condition, unfit to disc arsc "a duties III manner
most beneficial their own iniercsis. and 'akc away
TIE srong incentives which consel these wno are TcNy
abe and WORTHY viii for themselves high position ih
| learning and usefulness
Mark how plainly this points In the direction Of
! ola .Iu,,tin. The third can, the climax
Aluding to former messages in which he has stated
! bis views in regard to " tho proper scope and ex-
| tent " the schools that should be maintained by
general taxation" etc. the Governor proceeds;
To levy taxes upon Tie people for snca purposes ror
academic ol high school ciucaiion s p,ocs OF legal
lied robbery. and the rcclcls co.ac to lnoN D ;
lowers their standard Il morality nd helps 10 Dc
di.conreni OF ihe part WHO educated at
tempted bo educated to somc hiug above that Tor
which thcy fitted. /, ready dlSQuIl!nts thtu TOT
those duties aud -bOrs which alone ;Eey at y na
demo razaon 10 thc result. ghe argurnent rometiner
advanced, ta this system is benefit 90 tne poor 10 al
utter ialacy.
lie subsequently, adds: "Thcsc views are 50
| mauiiestly just have 10 doubt they viii uit-
) msiely prevail" In his same official commnnica-
tion 10 the Legis atur- OF this >tate-a State that -
willing 10 expend above S1l 100000 annually for
! the education of It's chldreu-as a fitting accom-
panment to the sentiments just Indicated, the at
tack uDon the norma! schools Is Srcno"od with .
bitterness as incxcGsable as it Is unwarraEtod.
Evidently the Governor is riding hobby here. and
one that the recent report of the Legislative Com
mitt designated in 1S7Sto inyest gate the normal
| schools completely upscts. glance at the report
of this committee, 1T whose head was Nj John j..
Gilbert, Of Franklin County. "a conscientious,
scholarly gentleman who has had large experience
rs an instructor ia these institutions, cannot fail to
convince any Intelligent. unbiased person Of the
llp i.yt.l
and maintenance Of ths.e Of supply of prop
erly disciplined and equipped teachers for The
humorous and rapidly multiplying common schools
of the state. Moreover Governor Robinson cannot
have re>d "a carefully "a he Ouqht the messages Of
Goy.rnors OF other States. in which particular eu-
phasis IS placed upon The uoil-nigh nsupsrsblo dt
fcuties encountered in the management of school
matters IN Commonwealth having no adequate
normal facilities.
Tho Governor may bo IN economist par excellence.
but he is LOT an educator or phanthropist such
benof.ciors OF The human are mado difieront
stuff regret 20 be compelled TO add that the Gov
srnor's uncath0lclty of opinion and want of sym
psthy with the progressive spirit Of the age. which
! docs not socm 10 have penetrated TO and warmed
the cookies OF lis heart" have carried him to
! tremcr lengths than have yet been enumerated.
am authorized by tho principal Of public school
| in this city, who is politically Democrat but
whose name is for personal reasons withheld 10
make tics following statement Of fact: The gentle
man in question attended the State Teachers Insti-
! tnte which convened 1T Buffalo last Summer Gov
ernor Robinson's attitude toward the schools was
! much remarked and universally and unsparngly
| denounced by members OF tho Institute. some Of
| whom had talked with him on the subject, and
were sstonshed 10 fad that IA. ovorstsppod tho ex-
trenls limits reached in his written messages and
freey advocated class education. That is In con-
La h.ua