The state chronicle., 1893-05-24
A Little Skirmish.

A Little Skirmish.
EDITOR News AND OBsERvER:-
On the 9th of February 1893, I
received from Col E. G. Harrell,
editor of "The North Carolina
Teacher" the following letter of en-
quiry.
DEAR S1R:-The directors of the |
Normal and Industrial School at
Greensboro state that the institu-
ton is doing only the Normal and |
Industrial work which it was char
tered to do, by the legislature;
which statement is denied by many
friends of the school.
Will you please give me your
views in the matter and oblige,
Yours truly,
E. G.. HARRgLL.
A stamped envelope directed to
the editor of the North Carolina
Teacher" was enclosed. Thinking
thst Col. Harrell was honestly de-
sirous of accurately representing
public sentiment upon this subject
and that, as he professed to be, he
was friend of the Normal and In.
dustrial School, and, as such, was
actuated by a desire to benefit the
the institution by giving fair and
honest hearing to both sides, I re-
piled as follows:
DEAR SIR:-In reply to your en-
quiry of recent date, desire to say
that I believe that the Normal and
Industrial School of Greensboro is
doing all that its most sanguine
friends could expect of it, and all
that it's most adverse critics could
reasonably demand of it, at this
early period of its history.
l believe that the work of the in
stitution has been started along the
right lines to accomplish the pur-
poses Of it's creation and to carry
out the spirit of the law creating it.
I have sufficient confidence in the
ability and the conscientiousness
of the President and Directors of
the institution to believe that it will
continue to be conducted in such
manner as to accomplish the pur-
poses whereunto it was created, and
that it's work will be enlarged and
it's usefulness increased as circum-
stances and funds permit
The teachers have labored long
and faithfully for the establishment
of such an institution, let us not
cripple it now in it's very infancy
by premat ire criticism Give it
chance to live and to grow. No in
stitution was ever full grown at it's
birth. Yours truly,
j. Y. JOINER.
1 know other teachers who re-
ceived similar letters of enquiry
and sent to the editor of The
Teacher similar replies. None of
these replies were published or re-
ferred to in the columns OF the
Teacher, but the next edition of
Col. Harrells magazine contained
the following:
We sincerely thank you, our
friends throughout North Carolina,
for your kind letters approving our
position in regard to the work that
should be done by the State Normal
and Industrial School. We felt
quite sure that our views upon the
matter were correct, but we did not
even anticipate such overwhelming
approval as we have received. And
the most gratifying feature of this
generous endorsement of our posi-
ton is that it comes as LIBERAL,
from the public as from schoo
teachers. It is quite evident tina
the Normal and Industrial Scboo
, must do the work that it was ap
pointed by the State to do-that Ii
train the young women for teachin
or practical life-or else it will b
discontinued by the next Geners
J Assembly. If the president OF tn
institution cannot realize this pei
haps competent man can be easil
J found who will do the work that tn
d State intended should be done fo
q North Carolina girls.
Y It is we'll understood In Mort
Carolina that the pages OF If
Teacher are freely open to any pc
son who may differ from the edlt'
or any contributor in the viev
herein expressed. We are glad
. faithfully present all sides OF eve
educational question. The Teach
claims to be the medium of comm
nication between all members OF tt
profession in North Carolina. WIN
no contrary opinion is expressed '
presume that the views as set Tor
in The Teacher accurately represe
the sentiment of cur people, al
thus public opinion is directed.
Il The editor creates the impressl
that no contrary opinion has be
expressed. He has ignored a
suppressed at least two commune
t.e.1~o horn of tho 'r,rnf