The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1886-03-12
To the Honorable Senate and House
Of Representatives.
REPORT 0FTnE Joint SPECIAL coBsnrrrE
AVoxrRpFo VISIT TUE srArR SoRnAI
sciToof Ar lfoLT.Y SPRINGS, AgDTHErSI-
yERsiTY % MISSISSIPPI

4 NEtNllf VI Mlr7Ht7ifIi
By virtue Of resolution approved Jan
nary 10Th, 1886, with Instructions ''tc
thoroughly investigate the workings ofsaid
institutions and report the result OF their
labers TO the Legislature, with snch sugges-
tions and recommendations as they deem
lust, and 10 make inquiry a. 10 the pro-
priety ana usefulness Of combining the
State Normal School with the Rust Unyer,
sity, and upon what terms" etc, beg leave
to submit the following as the result o.
their investigations;
rHE STATE NORMAL SCHOOL,
Situated about one mile from the court.
house vt Holly Springs, was established
about sixteen years ago, eince which time
IL has graduated 80 students. There were
20 pupils in attendance the day we visited
the school. The school-houfe IL an old
brick building, constructed for residence
but now sadly out Of repair, situated on a
bald hill, surrounded by deep gullies. The
fences are in dilapidatcd condition. aud
everything connected with the property
presents the appearance ofruin and decay
This school Is presided over by W. b
Highgate, assisted by male and a female
teacher. The President receives salary
Of one thousand dollars, the first
assistant seyenty-Iiye dollars, and the
second assistant sixty-fye dollars per
month. There are nearly two thons.
and volumes In the Library. The Labor.
atory Is well furnished with apparatus
which cost the State $4,000 There is an
ample supply OF patent seats and desks
The Committee examined, under oath
about fifteen witnesses, composed Of the most
reputable citizens Of Holly Springs, repre-.
senting every shade Of public opinion
Touching the character conduct and man.
agement Of the school, and was panied to
learn that there IL a general complaint
against The President and students, and
that its presence wns constant source
OF irritation and annoyance TO the com.
munity. II was charged against Presi.
dent liighgate that his manlsr was insoleni
and overbearing that he either taught his
pupils to be disrespectlul and discourteous
towards the white citizens OF the town. OF
his example was such as TO bring about
that result, and MS a consequence many
serious difficulties had actually occurred
between the pupils Of his school and the
citizens and white children OF other schools
That ladies had been compelled to give
the sidewalk or be rudely jostled to one
side thai they locked arms and walked
the streets with deliberate design to
elbow people of the plank walks. This
frequently happened TO detenseless women
and children In the absence Of male
.s..,.atnu a,,J ,,,as I,,,.,at =, troaA.l
to the pupils of lIighgate's school, not
outstanding there were several hundred
oolored pupils attending other schools in
the same place. Several witnesses testified
that the students OF the Normal School
were distinguishable from their fellows Of
other schools on the streets by their inso-
lent bearing and general department The
irresistible conclusion would seem 10
follow that there was something radically
wrong in the discipline of that school.
There Is want of harmony between the
teachers. Highgate charges his assistant,
bailey, with an ambitious desire to super.
sedo him as President Of the Institution.
On the contrary, Bailey states that il is his
independent course in politics that has
given umbrage to Highgate, and that he
has endeavored to suppress articles written
by him for the newspapers and resented 1t
as personal aflront.
This school, which was established for
the purpose of educating and instructing
oolored students in the art of teaching is
sadly detective in that prime object. There
is not single Normal feature connected
with the institution, Normal methods are
entirely Ignored; aud as the Superinteu,
dent Of Education OF Marshall county
distinguished educator and accomplished
scholar--says, sit is simply high school
Of very low grade.h There is no Normal
course of study prescribed, and no lectures
delivered by the teachers 10 the pupils, as
to the best method Of imparting knowledge
they may have acquired to others Prof.
Bailey, the first assistant, and grad
uate Of Howard University, ID. c., and
who has better opportunity TO Judge Of
the workings OF the institution than any
one else, states shat they have no books on
normal teaching, nor any lectures on that
subject II il ever was conducted as a
normal school, it has degenera,ed under
l its present management into common
school. Pupils who have been attending
school there for number of years, have
n
applied to the superintendent of education
oil that county for ,hird-grade certificate
as teacher. and been rejected on the ground
Of incapaci,y, when they should have been
qualified in the first instance rs third
grade teachers before naturalization In the
Normal School.
No blame is attached TO the trustees.
They are gentlemen Of the highest char
acter, and no doubt thought they were act
ing in the best interest OF the school in
selecting teachers, but they were confront
ed with the difficulty ofobtaining suitable
colored teacher who was competent to take
charge Of that school. Although they
thought Highgate possessed many qali6-
cations which fitted him for the position,
there were objections which outweighed all
other considerations, and rendered il ne
cessary to make change, and they so in
tended, should the Legislature deem it adj
visshle 10 continue the school.