Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1880-03-19
The Normal School.

Mr.. Editor: When gentleman, under the
garb of a gray-beard and professions of fair
ness and sincerity, undertakes to question the
motives and to state with positiveness the acts
of another, his assumed years and apparent
sincerity should have admonished him to be
careful as TO his facts.
do not, as a rule, notice assumed names
or anonymous articles, as he who writes over
feigned or assumed signature confesses by
so doing his unwillingness TO meet the conse-
quences of his own acts and statements. But
as this is not the first time the insnuation has
been made, will, for once, depart from my
usual course of silence with regard to such
writers.
A writer in your last issue says: at is
generally reported throughout the county that
the presiding officer of the newly created
(meaning the present School Board faUOrs free
education only in curtdiLed and restricted FORM
that his opposition to the Normal School is
bold and outspoken." (The italics are his. J.
He further adds, after ventilating his own
views upon the subject, al make the state
ment and defy contradiction"
Now il so happens that in the Reform Con-
vention Of 1850 | was placed upon the Com
mittee on Education, and it will be doing no
injustice to the other members of the commit
tee, both living and dead, to say that wrote
the report and performed the principal labor
of the committee in collecting the facts and
statistics upon which that report was found
ed. The report recommended a general sys-
TEN of free education, 10 be founded under
the guidance of General Superintendent of
Education, and that a Normal School should
be established for the training of teachers for
the free schools of the State. This report
the substance of which | only state, is 10 be
found in the I'd volume of the published de-
bates of that convention, and on page sos of
said volume, in support o! said report, Mr..
Davis spoke as follows
at would appear from the last census that
there were 49, 900 persons in this State, above
the age oftwenty, who could neither read nor
write. In addition there were almost as large
a number who could read but could not write,
and a very large number who conld read and
write but imperlecly. These were consider
ations worthy the attention of every gentle
man who valued the stability of our political
institutions. But there was still higher con-
sderation. 1t was the duty Of the govern
ment to protect the children of the State from
vice and immortality. Infanticide was pun
ished with death yet they suffered what was
almost equivalent to infantlcide and in some
instances worse They suffered children to
grow up in ignorance, poverty and crime
The best and cheapest preventive for this state
of things, as shown elsew here, was general
education diiiused among the people,"
The report OF the committee recommended,
LIST, the appointment of a General Superin-
tendent Of Education to visit the different
portions of the State to arouse the people to
the Importance Of a general system of free
public education. I'd, Fer the establishment
of Il Normal School 10 instruct and qualify
persons in the State for the profession of
teaching. They, the committee, Mr.. d. went
on to say, properly considered teaching AS
tk.t 50 L.. 4 Ill.
and required as thorough training and pre-
paration We now have to depend
upon the North for teachers, and seldom get
the best, or those who are willing 10 abide
with us and follow teaching as a profession.
/ If the Stale would adopt the policy of edu-
eating her own teachers, Of qualifying young
men and women who are raised among US
1 accustomed to our habits and institutions for
this important profession, wedoubtess would
find many who would gladly embrace the OPP
portunity, and devote their lives TO teaching
as a profession - So much for the "open
| and out spoken hostility OF the president of
the school board, TO the Normal School.
But further, as soon as it was announced
that | was appointed member of the County
/ School Commissioners, and made President
of the Board, was called upon by Professor
Newell, President of the Normal School, who
expressed his qualification at my appointment
and added that there would probably be II
vacancy shortly in the State board of educa-
ton and would like very much TO see that
vacancy filled with my name. AS Prot
Newell knew my sentiments well on the sub
ject of edecution it is not likely that he would
have made this request, twice since repeated,
had my 'known and ouispoRen" hostility 10
the Normal School, so positively asserted oy
your correspondent, had any existence in tact
or even color of suspicion As to the num-
Der OF branches 10 be taught in the public
schools, the law provides and prescrbes. |,
with my colleagues, Messrs. White and Rem
| shaw, have taken an oath to administer the
law. | think can safely say for them as well
as myself that we have no intention, as we
have no power, TO evade, add TO or take from
the requirements Of that law. All we ask is
that all connected, whether as patrons, teach
ers, trustees, taxpayers, tax-coleetors or
critics, shall come up TO the requirements of
the law, and then IL we fail we will accept,
with as good grace as we can, the censure
and punishment, if need be, justly due TO
those who, knowing the law, fail to fulfil
aud observe its conditions and requirements
A. B. DAVIS.