Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-04-18
Madison, April Il

hdulSoll' -Apllh -
La Crosse may yet not have her
normal school according to yesterdays
decision.
The senate education committee took
nm No. rs A., for the establishment of
a normal school ut La Crosse Super
intendent Albert Hardy, of La Crosse,
was the first speaker in favor of the
bin. He said everything should be
taken into consideration which Is nee
esslry for normal school in locating
one. He struck at once into the algu
ment that the country tributary TO l4a
Crosse for supplying students is rich
in embryo teachers. He said there are
thirty eight OF forty graded schools in
and about la Crosse including $500
pupils. Well-to-do farmers in the
vicinity are qualifications which all
normal schools should possess. The
rich do not send their children to the
normal schools and the poor cannot
afford it: so it is the middle classes
that attend these institutions, and la
Crosse predominutes in this particular
class. he said
j. j. ESch, of La Crosse was the
next speaker. He dwelt upon the geo
graphical argument in favor of la
Crosse He rehearScd in So doing som"
of the motives which influenced the 10
cation of the present schools. He said
the original idea was to give one nor
NAL school to each congressional dis
trict. on the ground that such Il dis
triHuTion would reasonably supply the
demands of the people of the state.
He said the seventh congressional dis
trict is entitled to Il normal school. He
said Gale college in GaleSvillc, not
much more than Il high school, is the
highest educational institution in the
seventh district. On township lines he
discussed the location of the present
schools and pointed out that there is Il
wide stretch Of territory between La
Crosse and the nearest of the other
cities where schools are now located.
He said La Crosse has good library
and gymnasium facilities and its rail
roads draw from Il large territory
Senator Mills. of Superior, spoke
against the bill, He said he has been
i'm the contest from the first and ii is
no taul, of the people of superior that
ii hasn't it's school now. He called n.
tCntion to the fact that congressional
districts are constantly changing. lie
deprecated the contest between La
Crosse and superior, he said, but he
was arguing only against the policy of
the legislature locating normal schools
He wanted to see the matter go back
to the board of normal regents. lie
talked rather To the La Crosse lobby
than to the committee III his conclud-
ing remarks in which he spoke OF his
alsathy to the principle of locating and
establishing state institutions by act
of rhe legislatures
ACKNOWLEDGMENT Sloan. of Superior,
told the committee of Superior's claims
for normal school. He went over the
history of the location by the regents,
of n school at superior under act of
the last legislature, and the subsequent
changing of purpose on the part of the
regents in 1893 under act of the last
legislature In answer to Senator Ken
nedy's questions Mr. Sloan said there
had been on breach of contract on the
part of Superior. He showed the COM
mittec Il map indicating that north Of n
line drawn from La Crosse through
Stevens Point there are no public insil-
tutionS. He said the children Of the
pioneers in the northern wilderness
have as many rights and should he
given as many privileges rs III" farm
el's Of la Crosse.
Attorney H. ii. Grace. of superior.
spoke on behalf of his city. He
thought the legislature of 1898 had SUI
perior. Ashland. Eau Claire or Chip
lt.Wa Falls or some some other north
ern city in mind in passing the bill FOR
a seventh normal school. He said one
or TWO members of the last board Of
regents lad deliberate designs i'll try
INK a. confuse matters in the contest
of 1893. He read several letters 10
show the strength Of SupeIfor's posi-
ton In concluding he Went over the
history Of the transaction 81 1888
r. c. Mills, Of superior. had another
map with a little wheel drawn around
La Crosse ANA 4 biz on" around SUI
prrur He said he had hoped that his
friend ESch had abandoned his dreams
Of congressional districts He e1TI"d
attention to the 'coquetting' Ct the
last board OF regents on sites of cred
by Superior and accused members of
that board Of being proiudicei. Then
he proceeded IL discuss his map He
thought the city Of superior would
lave children Of its own some day. as
La Crosse claims to have now. and he
showed that the region around Supe-
rior Is the best feeder In the number II
counties. He did not think Ia Crosse
could successfully compete with the
normal school AZ Winona, MINI
j. j. Fruit II II Crosse. then took
up tia arguments fer the other
f.ll.rx 10 ~gld lie committee