The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-02-11
The Gorham Normal School.

10 Iu0 Iu1bOI VI eAO L AtlAAo1s
1t is difficult during the heat of excite
ment to give calm and dispassionate
opinion of any question. The present
would seem TO be better time than the
past to speak freely and frankly con-
corning the need of boarding at hall the
Gorham Normal School,
How may we determine the need of
such building?
We will first interview our State Off
Gals.
Before the Gorham school was esta5-
lished the State sent it's officials to Cor
ham to learn it's advantages and disad-
vantages for Normal School purposes.
The conditions ,for boarding and the
price of board were reported as unravor-
able for the growth of the school. There
fore the State demanded and the trustees
of the seminary gave the building for
boarding hall. The demand and accep-
lance on the part of the State of said
building is in itself an acknowledged
need of the same. After the building
was burned the trustees at their regular
meeting unanimously recommended that
the State should rebuild it. Not only
once, but for period of IS years they
have by all their official acts acknowl-
edged the need of the boarding school
hall at Gorham. Next to the trustees
in their knowledge of the needs and in
terest in the welfare of the scholars are
the teachers of Gorham Normal School.
These teachers are unit in their testl-
| mony concerning the advantages physi
cally, mentally and morally of the board
| ing hall life for the students. Some one
| may reply they are biased in their opin-
| ions. Who is without bias? There is the
bias of knowledge of the needs and of
devotion to the best interests of the in
stitution. There is the bias of ignorance
and i'll will. The teachers posses the
| former. What more can we ask? Next
| in order are the parents of the pupils.
| What is their wish? Letters were adj
dressed to so of the parents throughout
| this State and other States, whose
daughters were attending the school at
| the time of the fire. Sixty-eight of
| these inquiries were answered and all
but one of these families requested the
rebuilding. The trustees, the teachers
and the parents ofsthe scholars unitedly
ask the State to rebuild the hall. IL is
no secret that there is an opposition to
the rebuilding. Who are the leaders and
the rank and file of this opposition? The
trustees? No. The teachers? No. The
parents of the pupils? No. The pupils?
No. If they are not found in these class
oE U00Q IL Is 6FluouG W every
reader that they are not in position to
know what will be for the best interests
of the school. If they are ignorant of
the best interests of the school they can
not bejworking for.its well being.
No one would accuse them of SO noble
a purpose They admit that they are
ruled by personal spite and self interest.
What place shall be given to personal
hatred when the welfare of our State
institutions is involved? Shall we be
children, or shall we be men? No broad
minded man will allow personal griev-
ances TO warp his judgment when state
questions are at issue.
The question at issue is not our friend
or enemy, but State institution, and
we do well to keep this in mind in all
action. The opposition makes some
plausible pleas on the ground of self in
terest. Let us examine them. The state
ment is made that money was secured
from the town and individuals for the
Normal school buildings by promises OF
financial gains, which the people would
receive from the same, but that during
all these years the moneyed gain to this
people has been a delusion and a snare,
and now that the boarding hall is de-
stroyed do not rebuild it, they cry that
the people may gather the long delayed
harvest of shekels What are the financial
facts? During the 16i Years history of Cor
ham Normal School the State has paid
the salaries of two of our village teach
ers-some &c. 900. The State has also ex-
pended in school repairs and for text
books for the village schools $4,000.
During this period so young men and
ladies of the town Of Gorham have been
graduated at Gorham Normal School,
and SO Of this number were residents of
Gorham village If these 80 students
had taken the course at Pennington or
Castine, it would have cost their parents
upwards of 81, 900. At the lowest esti
mate the parents of the Gorham Normal
graduates have saved 5000 because of
this State institution. There are zine
teachers in the Gorham Normal school
and the two practice schools; four of
these teachers are Gorham people, and
they receive annually more than $4,000
from the State. Thus this institution
has given directly TO the town in salaries
of teachers and repairs of school rooms
and text books $1,000 1t has saved for
the parents of the Gorham graduates SIS,
600. and pays annually four of the Cor
ham teachers $4,000. $22, 600 is an UNDER
received in spot cash from this institu
ton. Every thoughtful reader will ac
knowledge that this in itself should sat
isfy any community. But the opposition
are bold, and they demand more. They
demand personal share OF the lions
share of the trade which a hundred or
more students would naturally bring to
a community This demand is the
weakest the opposition could make as
they thereby acknowledge they could