Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1882-11-18
For the Register.
THE NORMAL SCHOOLS.


lished In 1867, and since then several
branches have been added, but all are un-
der the same management. The act or
ganzing said schools says:
"For the government and control of
said school and its branches, there shall
be board Of Regents, consisting Of the
State Superintendent Of Free Schools.
and one person from each Congressional
district appointed by the Governor. =
They shall have full power and authority
to adopt and establish such bylaws, rules
and regulations for the government of the
same us they may deem necessary and
proper to effect the object of its establish
| mcnt. They shall fr tie number and cam
peHSation ofthe teacheS, appoint and Tcmore
| the same; hey shall prescribe the prcllm-
mary examination of pupils, the terms
and conditions upon which they shall be
received and instructed i'll said schools
and the branches OF learning TO be taught
| iii each department thereof: they shall
determine the number of pupils 10 be re-
ceived in the Normal department thereof
( from each county of the State, conforming
as iIcaI as possible TO the ratio Of pOpula-
ton and the mode of selecting said pupils.
/ The pupils admitted into the Normal de-
, partmcnt of said schools shall be ddmdted
/ 10 alt the 1oirjIeges HDect, free Of all charge
/ OftmtiOn and for use If books and dppd-
! T0tuS. = The Regents may also e>taD-
| lish 4 pay department in said schools
| whenever the accommodation thereof Will
! admit of the same, and they may admit
! into such department as many paying pl-
! pills rs can he accommodated, from this or
any other State, preference being given
! TO this State, whether they desire to be-
! come teachers or not. They may cause to
| be taught in said department any or all
/ the branches of learning usually taught
| in colleges and seminares, and for that
purpose they may establish therein the
( necessary professOrships. They may also
make the necessary rules and regulations
| for the government OF the same and pre-
( scribe the rate of tuition and terms Of adj
! mission
From 1867 to 1872 the legislature an
nually appropriated to the Normal School
and to each of its branches $4,000, and
! there was no question raised As to the duty
and obligation of the legislature to make
| this appropriation. From 1872 to this date
/ it has been Il continued and fierce struggle
! for the friends of these schools TO obtain
any appropriation whatever, and III no
year were they able to set more than was
! sufficient TO pay oue-half the salaries
promised the teachers employed therein;
and in the year 1879 no appropriation at
! all was made, and the teachers carried on
! the schools the whole year at their own
/ expense; no provision was made, even, to
! meet the expenses of the Regents Incurred
/ in visiting said schools.
The Regents, in the exercise of the au-
! thority given them to fix lhe number Of
/ pupils from each county to be admitted
| into the Normal department free OF tut
ton, made the aggregate number, from
the several counties of the State, 600, and
dividing this by the number OF schools
gives 100 to each normal school. Had all
| these applied, thc schools would have
been compelled to receive them and the
teachers To instruct them free of tuition.
7 This number of students 1T $50, the aver
are rate of tuition, would have amounted
to So, OUO for each school, and yet the Re
gents only obtained about Onc-third this
amount for each school that Otter had adj
mitcd more than 100 pupils free OF tut
ton, and they obtained Tai, amount, too,
only after Il hard struggle and skillful
mancuvering. Now call 10 mind that the
Regents are the agents OF the State and
! ihat they are authorized by law to appoint
] 81. and II Lev
/ tcrmiuc the numbcr of students to be
admitted into the Normal schools free OF
tuition and the number Of pay students,
anG having discharged this duty they re-
port to the legislature, through the Gov
( ernor, that they have appointed --
number of teacher. in the Normal schools
! and these schools have received and in
structed free Of tuition - number OF
pupils, and that the salaries of the several
teachers employed in safG schools aggrc-
cate s.. Is the State bound by the
acts of its authorized agents, or is it not?
The legislature, Ignoring the report of the
Regcmt9, either refuses 10 make any appro-
priation or only an amount sufficient TO
pay about ouc-half of what the Regents
have promised the teachers and bound the
State TO pay: for in no year since 1873
have the teachers received more than one
half the salaries promised them. Look III
| the unpleasant position in which the Re-
| gents, the agents of the State, are placed
by this action of the legislature from year
to year. They are required annually to
! visit the several Normal Schools, appoint
the teachers for the next year, make set
Elements with the executive committees,
&c. They say to the principal and assist
( ants CT the several schools, We will give
YOU $-salary, if YOU will continue in
/ your several positions for the next ear
and carry OH the school a. usual. In the
conference with the the teachers and eX
ccutive committee the following dialogue
takes place:
Rcgent-Will you take the school at the
salary proposed:
Principal-When and how do you pro-
pose to pay this salary, and will it be paid
] promptly:
Rcgeuts-Well- wcll-wel-w do not
know that we can pay you 1T all. 1t will
I depend upon what appropriation the leg
/ islaturc will make.
ncipal-The Legislature does not meet
until January next, and if an approplia-
ton is made we will not know it before
April, and will not probably receive any
of the money before the last of June fol-
lowing; il the mean time, who is to pay