The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-02-21

not more than two hundred thou
sand at the outermost limit? In thu
great commonwealth of Illinois
with two million inhabitants, there
is only one normal school; in New
York, with five millions, we believe
there is but one supported by the
State. In fact our biographies used
to cor slider q normal school an In
stitution of 90 much Importance and
OF so rare occurrence,tha the States
were named in which such schools
were to be found, for not all the
States even kept. up such institu-
tions, but here in Utah We must
have one in Ogden, Salt Lake,
Beaver, St. George, though in pri-
vate institutions as in Logan and
Provo there are already normal de-
psrtments. We might introduce
another one or two between Provo
and st. George. and then We would
have them all arranged in the
straight line, and about one or two
hours ride apart. We maintain
that one normal school is all that
this Territory needs for the present,
or that It will be likely to need for
many years to come.
Some maintain that the Normal
department in Ogden will be a great
saving to those who desire to at
tend. The only way in which this
can be true is on the supposltion
that all the forty students provided
for shall come from Ogden, for those
that live outside of Ogden, if they
attend this department must pay
their board in Ogden, and just as
much as here, nor would the
moral atmosphere of that city be
any more bene fetal than that of
Salt Lake. The only benefit that
can come from this will be to those
in Ogden itself; unless we take into
consideration the half fare from
Ogden and other parts of Weber
County to Salt Lake; but this is 90
small consideration that it would
not have deserved mention If the
Weber County representatives had
not preceded us in this argument.
But If this measure has no advan-
tages, 1t has nevertheless many
serious objections. In the first
place, it has not yet been demon
strated that the Normal Depart
ment Of the University of Deseset is
so much overcrowded that new
accommodations must be sought
elsewhere; and even if this were the
case, Ogden is not the place for it,
only an hours ride from Salt Lake.
Again, the number of teachers, the
b1ildings, the apparatus must be
or if the measure is fully
carried out as the bill now stands,
everything in the shape of working
capital must be multiplied by four,
and yet accomplish but one result,
which might be reached much
more effectually by concentrating
than by dissipating our forces.
ogden doesn't want a normal school
any more than Salt Lake City in
itself considered. The representa-
tives from Weber County, if they
will only reflect a moment and
weigh all things impartially, must
come to the inevitable conclusion
that they want the $4,000, but 30 far
as Normal Department is concerned,
that serves them merely as a pre-
text. They want to build up the
Central School in Ogden, and if it
were an institution dispensing its
benefits to the whole Territory di-
rectly, then there would be
reason for supporting it from the
State treasury. But it is merely q
local institution, and if the people
who support 1t do not derive advan-
tage enough from it to compensate
for the expenditures upon it, then
it is not a paying institution, nor
would it be made so if the State
came in to it's support. Let this
contemplate jealousy Of Salt Lake
County and Salt Lake City cease
for a time at least on matters that
are of suoh vital Importance to the
educational interests of the Terri
tory. If there is any one principle
that has been more earnestly
preached up than another among us,
it is that of cooperation, and
whether preached up or not it is
universally acknowledged. that no
good results can accrue In education
unless our efforts are united to one
end.