St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-03-13
DULUTH'S BIG DAY.
The Zenith City Turns UP
Winner Twice in the
House.
NORMAL BILLEASILYPASSED
By a Vote of 78 for to II
Against, After a Long
Debate.
NORMAL BILL EASILYPASSED
RANGE TRIP DECIDED ON.
Half a Dozen Bills Passed and
Several Important Ones
Introduced.

Duluth will get her much-des1red
normal school-that is, if the house
can give it to her. After a two-houTs
debate yesterday afternoon, during
the progress of which Mr.. JACOBSON
MIR. Scofield and Mr.. Giessler made
several violent speeches against the
normal school system, the house
passed McInnis' bill to establish
fifth normal school at Duluth by
vote of rs to II.
A call of the house was ordered
when the bill was reached. 1mme-
diately on the proceedings under the
call being dispensed with Mr.. Gels
Sler. of Freedom, started hight on
the bill. He read an article from
a paper published in his county en-
bodying the proposition contained in
his BILL mentioned elsewhere. Mr..
Geissler's argument against the bill
was on the ground that the noTmals
are merely local schools, and no good
to the state at large.
Mr.. Boobar combated this conten-
ton briefly, but pointedly.
Mr. Jacobson made vehement ar
gument against the bill, and also
against the existing normal school
system. He said he had sent a cir
cular letter to the county Superin
tendents, and had received fifty-Six
answers, the tenor of which went
to show that there are an exceed
ingly small number of normal grad
yates teaching in rural schools. He
most earnestly denied the insinua-
tions that he is not friend of edu-
cation, and asserted he is, but that
first in his estimation were the COM
mon schools, where are taught those
whose parents are least able to give
them educational advantages. In
answer to the question What would
you give us in place of the normals %
he said he would establish a normal
department in every high school.
AN ABLE DEFENSE.
Mr.. Boobar was not surprised at the
opposition of the county superintend-
ents to rhe rUrmals, because the lat
ter turn out much better teachers than
schools under control of the superin-
tendents He also called attention to
the fact that the ordinary country
school will not pay wages sufficient to
secure good teachers.
j. N. Jones defends the normal
school system very warmly. He point
ed cut that normal school graduates
are in such demand that the larger
towns and smaller cities take them
as fast as they are graduated, at good
wages.
Mr.. Dingrnan rather took the wind
out of Mr.. Jacobsons sails by giving
some figures proving that Lac qui
Parle county schools pay small wages,
and also that the county really cuts
little figure in valuation and amount
of taxes paid. He went on to argue at
length, and with sound logic, for the
benefits accruing TO general educa-
tional advancement from the work of
the normals. The only trouble he held
to be is that there are not. enough of
them.
Mr.. Scofield believed in the normal
schools and the work they are doing.
but he also believed there are enough
of such schools now existing. He as
serted that half the work they do,
after all, is but high school work, and
while such is the fact he could not
vote money for new buildings. He
would give a hat to each member OF
the house if he was not correct in say
ing the present buildings furnish am
pie room for all normal students.
Mr.. Ahlstrom made his first speech
of the secession in favor of the bill He
went quite extensively into detail tc
prove that the normals are in no sense
local institutions. Opponents of the
system made the complaint that there
are not enough normal graduates tt
. supply the rural schools, and he could
not conceive how that lack is to b,
supplied by refusing to build a new
school. He hoped the bill would b,
passed unanimously.
Mr.. Dingman again took the floor
to say that the supply of normal schoo
graduates is entirely inadequate t.
meet the demand, and this very fac
should prove their great mission il
being ably fulfilled.
DULUTH HEARD FROM
Mr.. Cant said the opposition, whil
fair and earnest, was based on lacl
of accurate information on the ques
ton at issue. The need and utility O
normal schools had long been estab