Daily Kennebec journal., 1895-03-11
aeauAsks OF COL. pLUmmER
Upon the question Of the Appropriation Tor the
Pennington Normal School.

Farmington NORMAL sco'
owing to the extraordinary pressure upon
our columns, the morning following It's
delivery. we were forced to abridge. Col.
Plummer said:
Mr.. Speaker: 1t is now 90 years since
all active connection with the common
schools on my part ceased, but during the
TX veara prior to that period, as pupil,
teacher, committee man and supervisor,
had opportunity to know something OF
the condition of the schools and methods
OF instruction and government.
Then the prevailing methods OF instruc-
tion were for the teacher to hear the pupils
recite what they could remember OF the
literal text Of the books and tell them the
balance. and 1t was not thought OF as any
mart OF a teachers duty to study her
pupils. and conduct the recitation ny
tactfully engaging the attention and
stimulating the thought OF the pupil IN
regard to the subject matter under con-
alteration, and the idea OF an object lesson
had not been born. Pupils were required
N repeat lessons, not to think on subjects.
Then the prevailing methods OF discipline
and government was such as inspired the
couplet.
/" ,Tis education forms the common nina,
Some take stick and whip 1t in behind:
These were some of the features OF the
boosted n. Z. common school system OF
n quarter and third of century ago
under which in spite Of its defects, thanks
to the high quality of the native stock, so
many grand specimens OF intellectual
manhood and womanhood were developed.
Perchance there are sections of the
State. or spots rather, where these defects
remain, but generally there has been a
radical change for the better. You
Younger members Of the House know the
full breadth and measure Of the change
bettsr than /. What has brought about
this advancement in conditions and
methods?
What lifted the schools out of the hun
drum rut in which they had been run
ming for generations ON to a higher plane
of natural philosophical instruction and
management? answer, primarily the
normal schools. They were the first In
strumentalities put into operation under
the new departure, and have continued
year after year adding their quota to the
CORPS of trained teachers of the State, and
through them operating like leaven in
special training for their calling.
This Is the age of special training for
many callings in America, as has long
been the custom in the older countries Of
Europe.
Ask any intelligent physician his esti-
mate of trained nurses, and he will tell
YOU that in critical cases their services
cannot be dispensed with, that their skill
~ fv,i
mean life to the patient.
II special tech nical or professional train
ing is thought necessary for nurses, who
care only for mortal bodies, how much
more important is 1t for teachers who are
dealing with immortal minds. But tax
ing the lower pecuniary view OF the ques'
tion, believe it would pay to put the
training Of normal schools within the
reasonable reach of all teachers of the State.
One million seven hundred and fifty
thousand dollars is expended annually on
our common schools. If you add only
per cent to the results secured from this
expenditure you have what represents
$S7, 500 and there can be no doubt that
normal instruction and training for
teachers adds much more than per cent
to the value of their work in individual
cases. Is it not tho part of business sense
and pecuniary wisdom then to extend OPP
portunities for normal training in our
State? What has the State done in this
direction? 1t has established three nor
nal schools; ono at Gorham which ac-
commodities York, Cumberland, Sagada'
hoe and Lincoln counties; one at Farm
ington which is accessible to Oxford, An
droscoggin, Franklin and Kennebec, and
one ut Castine which serves Waldo, Knox,
Hancock and Washington. This leaves
a great section of the State, larger than
the states of Massachusetts, Connecticut
and Rhode Island combined, made up Of
eastern Somerset, Penobscot, Piscataquis
and Aroostook counties, with population
of more than 100000; no portion OF
which is within less than 30 and nearly
all of which is from go to 200 and $50
miles from any Of the State normal
schools as yet established, and this is the
growing section of the State too.
Now this is not just to the people,
teachers and pupils of this great section.
The people of this section pay taxes at the
same rate as the people of other sections
of the State to support normal schools
and State institutions which are thus
supported by taxation of the people of all
sections, should be SO distributed as
equally to accommodate all.
Now what is 1t proposed to do to correct
this obvious inequality of normal school
privileges afforded to the people of the
different sections Of the State? What does
the committee on education propose tc
dor Do they, or majority of them pro
pose to establish u new normal school, at
such place in central and northeastern
Maine as may be decided by a commission
appointed for the purpose to be most ad
vantageous? No. True new normal
school would cost the State only SEQ, 000
That was all that was asked by the people
of Newport, but that is more money thar
the State with the large claims which
are made upon 1t for charitable eleemos
ynary and humanitarian institutions car
this year afford and the people must wait
for the new normal schools The com
mittee ON education SO decided Very
we'll. Then there is the Normal school al
Gorham. Since the last session of thu
Legislature the dormitory OF this insti
tuition, which, as was the principal build
ing also was given to the State by thu
town Of Gorham, all at a cost of some $40
900, has been destroyed by fire, and as thu
State neglected to provide for any insur