The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-01-30
PHMsnRroN ON ~nDUoArtoE.

S0A60d CON On 0OUCATIOH
An Eloquent Plea in Favor o
Educating Montana Ohl'-
dren ct Homo.
Independents 27tn inst.
While the establishing Of high ant
Normal schools in Montana was I'm
der discussion yesterday, Hon. w
Y. Pemberton arose and said:
|, Mr.. PRESIDENT: 1 don't see thai
any moro important question will
come before the Convention than
= that OF providing for q good common
school system. 1t is q question which,
r In my opinion, has more to do with
the future welfare of the country
, than any other question brought be-
fore the Convention. In my opinion,
sir, every dollar which the public
shall expend In the educ ltion of the
rising generation which sEall come
afterward, will be q dollar saved
which would otherwise have to be
expended in the building of jails and
penitentiaries. I believe the best
way to provide for the suppression of
crime Is for the country to provide
for the general diffusion Of kaewk
edge. As far a. the history of crime
shows 1t is beyond all question that
criminals come from the uneducated
and unenlightened classes. II We
would suppress crime we must edu-
cate the people. We must build up
Institutions of learning.
don't believe the system which
establishes common schools, gram
mar schools, primary schools. or b.
whatever name they may be called
meets the public demands of the
hour. I believe there should be q
higher system Of education than can
be found to-day in the common
primary schools Of U land. I be
Iieve the law somewhere ought to
| provide for q system Of high schools
and Normal Schools. No school sys- /
tenn in the State of M0ntana-when
it becomes q State-cOuld be c0nsid- |
cred complete and sufficient to the |
demands of the day that leaves out |
high and Normal schools. There is
no pro vision in this report for any
such system. Where are your chill
dren to be educated? Where will you
find the kind of schools that will pre-
pare your children for admission into
the university. They must neces-
sarf y seek 1t in private schools or
else the people of the Territory or of
this State must send their children
away to foreign lands to be educated.
Such aisystem as that should be de.
pI"red by the parents. If you want
your sons aud daughters to love
Montana and to respect and rever-
ence these sun-kissei valleys and
and these enchanted mountains, ed
ucate them at home. I tell you,
sir, wherever the boy may wan
der In this world, or under whatever
skies he makes his home, his heart
will turn back with fondness to his I
alma mater. He cannot forget 1t. Fit {
your boys for q useful life at home and
insure them good, useful training IN
Now, sir, I am in favor Of
. good liberal broad gauge system of
education. I want it to in
:lude the high school and the Normal !
I want the public school sys-
EN- to provide for Normal schools
where teachers can be prepared to-
each our own children and teach
hem to love Montana and Montana 1
Institutions Now. sir. ii we have
Ugh and Normal schools, and the
Is prohibited from pro-
'iding a tax, how are we going to
upp0rt them? The Legislature may
by q special tax for the sup
ort of these schools, 0r provide for
he people voting such a tax upon
themselves. AS a matter OF curse
d 1n't want to. have q Normal =
'ho0l for every district In the stated
1 speak of district. I do not o.
ave reference to s school district" as 1t
70 understand the word. But Nor b,
lal school districts include counties C
certain portions of the 8 ate. For Re
lstance, in q number of the states tt
e have three or tour Normal schools, In
nd each one OF the Normal schools fir
located in q district that is estab- til
shed by the Legislature. But. to
entlemen, If you want to provide u,
Nv for a liberal broad guage system u
education, in my opinion the res n.
ution offered by the gentleman hs
ON Choteau. MI. Collins, should be az
with the amendment offered I've
the gentleman from Missoula, Mr.. ga
!cC0rmick. I am not willing to ",
OPP here with q public school sys- on
m which simply gives us q primary ",
ho0l. We want more. There is fir,
danger that we shall overdo the hi
ing in providing for education. 1t ho
in the interest of good government M,
it is in the interest Of morality and ze
rtue 1t is the proper movement Be
the suppression of crime, and in ref
e highest, most sacred and holy an
~ that can address itself to the tn,
imam conscience; and I appeal to st
Q convention to-day to let no parsi- ces
Dny or narrOw-minded ess govern an
EN- in the adoption Of q COM fai
On school system for the State of de-
Dntana. (Applause.] ev'
toy
INSTITUTIONAL OONvEN- co,
TON. vic
dis
cial to the MINER. wh
HELENA, Jan. %, 1884. We
The article on education, which POI
Convention In q committee of the a.,
lole labored on Saturday, was res
'ught up for adoption to-day and itoI
Their amended. act