The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-03-11
a CALUMNY REFUTED.


The attempt made to close up the
normal department of the University
of Utah is only surpassed in meanness
by the effort to belittle and defame it.
There may be gentlemen who, as rep
lresentatives of some of the people.
thought they were acting wisely and
economically in cutting down the ap-
preparation for the University, and who
did not fully comprehend the effect of
their parsimony. But it was different
with the paper that endeavored to
encourage that course by untruthful
attacks on most efficient and neces-
sary department of that institution of
learning.
The Herald has already corrected
some statements in reference to that
department, and finds it necessary to
make further rebuttals. 1t is now urg-
ed that the objections to the normal
department refer more to the past than
the present
That now things are different, and
While the old criticism might apply
with force to graduating students of
the past. and in some degree to stud
ents in this department who are yet to,
graduate, it ca&>ot apply to any who
have been admitted to the normal
class since the new requirements for
admission to that department have been
in force, for now about two years.
That is, of course. from the Tribune.
No other paper in the territory would
make such an erroneous statement. It
conveys the idea that before two years
ago the normal students graduating
from the University of Utah were in
competent That it is only during the
last two years that proper require
ments have been made of those who
entered normal course. and that pre-
vious to that time such persons were
deficient in the rudiments of a common
school education" To substantiate this
untruth it is stated b that paper that
complaints come from the settlements"
about it. and.
I'm the language of a member from
the south "a Democrat. too, by the
way, the normal school graduates
come down and by virtue of their di-
plomas are employed to teach our
schools; but we find them more deficient
in the ordinary branches than some Of
the pupils they are undertaking to
train That voices a feeling quite gen
eral among the members from different
parts of the territory and it has con-
WINGED not a few of them that the whole
normal school proposition is d fraud
This feeling of being cheated has prepar-
ed their minds to see shams and trickery
in everything relating to Salt Lake, and
it is surprising to note the evident hos
diity toward this city that pervades the
legislative mind. 1t is certain that
this feeling has arisen as much on ac-
count of this normal department as
from any one cause. 1t is further GER
tain that whatever improvements have
been made as to the standard of ad-
mission to this department, they have
been too recent to affect any class Of
gradua tes-not but that a few of these
graduates have been all that could be
expected; but reference is made to the
mass"
There is something malignant in the
utter falsity of the foregoing para
graph. In order to test the statement,
inquiries were instituted among the
of the Legislature on Satur-
day. They denied having made any
statement of the kind to anybody. The
only member who had made any re-
marks on the subject Of school teach
ers so that they could be referred to by
the Tribune, was Hon. J. r Tolton, of
Beaver. and we here insert his state
nent on the subject:
1T has been intimated that / am the
Democrat from the south who made
the statement derogatory to the nor
NAL school and its graduates, a state
ment found in the editorial columns OF
the Tribune March 10.
What l said was brought out by the
discussion of the bill granting five
year certificates TO normal graduates.
said substantially the following:
a five years certificate as too
much for a normal graduate who prac-
tically has had no experience in the
school room. Country towns are often
imposed upon by so-called graduates
who come into the community highly
but prove that they are
not qualified to teach coun-
try schools. l have one case in mind
Of a so-called graduate coming into
our county highly recommended, who
practically was unable to pass an ex-
animation for a third grade certificate
When passing an examination before
our country board it was evinced that
be was more adapted TO be a pupil in
he third or fourth reader grade than
to be a teacher. He was reprimanded
by our county superintendent for his
nefficiency
When asked whether I referred to a
graduate of the University Normal de-
Dartment, / replied that the party in |
question was a graduate of one of the |
schools.
There are no University Normal |
graduates in my county whose educa- /
-ional qualifications l would question.