The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-02-28
AN UNGENEROUs ASSAULT.

Prof Wherrell, of Paola, in the inter
est of his private normal school, has
availed himself of Emporia's calamity in
ing TO renew, by printed circular and
speech before the committee of ways and
means, the attack made two years ago.
His objective point seeks to prevent ap-
preparations for rebuilding, and to secure
division of the normal endowment
among an indefinite number of normal
schools.
The following reply to his positions
made then is equally pertinent now:
This system cannot supply the i'm
mediate much less the prospective
wants of even elementary education
According TO the state superintend-
ent's report, there are now over 5000
teachers employed in the common
schools of the state. Let us suppose the
establishment by the legislature at its
next session of four elementary normal
schools, the maximum number assumed
10 be necessary at present. Prof. Wher-
rell then declares that these schools
would furnish ZOO trained teachers
yearly, "who would act directly on the
children in our district schools" Ad-
hitting the correctness of this statement
still more than one fourth of the common
schools of the state are yet unprovided
for by this scheme. To meet fully the
necessities of the case, even upon this
basis of calculation, the legislature
should authorize the establishment of
sixteen elementary normal schools in
stead of four, and provide for them by
voting $l2S,000 instead OF So, 900. But
observe the faliacy involved in the calcu
lannn made. II is assumed that these
four normal schools would commence at
once with an attendance in each of 800
pupils seeking elementary preparation
for teachlng-a larger number of eIe-
mentOry pupils than was ever present at
the normal school of EmpOria, after a
decade of years of successful work! An
average of 100 instead of 800, would be a
liberal calculation. But still further, of
these pupils not more than an average of
t,centy, for at least several years in each
normal school, could be expected to
graduate annually. That is to say, these
four schools would furnish annually less
than One hUadred instead of taCelce hun
dred trained teachers for the district
schools! The utter inadequacy of this
class of normal schools to supply the
necessities Of elementary education has
been felt and admitted in every state
where normal schools have been estab-
! liShcd. This manifest deficiency has
| furnished the chief arguments against
the utility OF normal schOols-has led to
the establishment of independent normal
training schools in the larger cities and
towns, and has convinced the leading
educators of the country that some other
system of normal schools is an impera-
tive necessity.
Another grave objection to this sys-
| TEN is its eXpensivenesS, and its yearly
| increasing eXpensiveness. For any state
determining its educational policy this
consideration cannot be overlooked; es
pecially in the new state of Kansas, this
objection would be fatal. THE ques
ton of expense" says Prof White, OF
Peoria, H., whom Prof. Wherrell justly
designatcs as one of our prominent edu
Gators lis one which cannot be elimIn
ated from a discussion of the normal
school problem" Examining this phase
of the subject in Its application to states
having uniform system of normal
schools, he calls attention to the fact thai
New York appropriates annually to each
Of her six normal schools (this was in SO
/ $14.000-Minnesota $50. 1000 for her three
normal schools; and from general cal
cplation concerning the expense of thi.
system concludes that 1.-The average cur
rent expense of school of 175 pupils j!
about $4,000 aside from receipts from
tuition and other incidental sources
But tn complete the system providing
schools for all the state, as is manifestly
equitable, and as much a necessity as L
provide for any portion of the state, h'
shows that upon Il similar basis" New
York must provide for 129 schools at al
annual expense of 81 POO, 00O-Minneso
Ia for Il, at an annual expense of $17O,
600, and Missouri for SO, at an annua
expense of 100000. From these facts
} il is no wonder that he affirms 'the pres
ent plan must be modified" Now ap
ply n similar calculation to the uniform
elementary system presented by Prof
Wherrell for Kansas. His four schools
he estimates, will need an annual apDro
priation of $32, 900. But We have seel
that to make this system complete, 70
the present elementary work of the state
10 schools are demanded at an aggregate
annual expense of $12S, 900. Assumin:
that this would supply one-half of tn
habitable portion of the state, the futur
demands would be for 80 schools, at a
annual cost of $256,000l Surely on
legislature will hesitate to place such
financial burden upon the state, espeC
tally in the light of the fact that the sys
: TEN of normal schools for which 1t i
J asked is both defective in principle an,
; inadequate in scope. But here enter
further objection TO this scheme that /
Is grossly dishonest, and involves j
adopted, on the part OF the state, q glal
, ing violation of most sacred obligations
refer to that feature Of the plan whicl
proposes TO take the endowment of tn
normal school at Emporra and divide II
proceeds among an indefinite number c
normal schools throughout the statS
That the designation given to this phas
of the scheme Is none too strong, will
seen by the terms of the original COZ
tract, by which the citizens Of EmpOri
gave to the school 90 acres of land an
$4,000 in bonds, and the state, on il
part, guaranteed the permanency of tn
|, normal school at Emporia and the II
alienable character of its endowment.
? In the laws of Kansas of 1853, unde