Iron County register., 1896-06-04

again last week in q column TRADE
against those institutions, filed with
unreasoning invective and unmeasured
denunciation
The REGISTER article is determined
attempt. by the sheer force of words
unaccompanied by accuracy of state
ment. to prejudice all other schools ex-
cept the common public schools
against the Normals The editor ad-
vises all persons who expect to teach
school in Missouri to graduate from
our State Normal schools. This would
be commendable advice were it not for
the reasons advanced in it's support.
The Normal graduate, asserts Editor
AXE. Is endowed with advantages not
vouchsafed to graduate of a private
school. His diploma exempts him
from examination when competing for
the position of teacher, whereas, the
private school graduate, no matter
how much abler and better educated
he may be, must submit to the test OF
an examination for teachers certif-
cate.
If Bro. AXE will cool down to the
reasoning point his normally logical
intellect will appreciate the justice of
81 l. III 1soha
for the education of teachers. They
are specifically for teachers. hence all
who desire specific training for the
profession of teaching should attend
them. For the same reason we would
advise a person who expects to prac-
tice medicine to attend medical
school, one who intends to preach to
attend theological seminary, ayoung
man who wishes to enter the mercan-
tile field to attend a commercial school,
a lady or gentleman who has no defin-
ite professional ambition to attend a
nondescript private school, and SO on.
all long the line.
Normal Schools do not place private
schools at a disadvantage, as the REG
IsTER claims. On the contrary they
are constant and great feeders Of high
grade schools. They improve the con-
dition of the common schools by pro-
vidlng them with scientifically trained
teachers and the common schools thus
improved. are enabled to send a lar
ger numb err of graduates to the higher
schools and academies. Without good
common schools we cannot have a
large attendance in higher institutions.
In fact, the better our common schools
become the larger will be the atten-
dance in the higher institutions. The
inspiration which young people re-
ceive from good, thoroughly trained
teachers induces them to climb higher
in the pursuit of knowledge.
Let the editor of the REGISTER con-
slider the following facts and reconcile
them with his unstinted abuse of Nor
NAL Schools-if he can. /. From six
ty to seventy per cent. of the teachers
in the common public schools of South
east Missouri have received their
education in the Normal Schools. 2.
The educational qualification for teach
ers in Southeast Missouri has been
raised over two hundred per cent,
that is, double, since the Normal
School, Third District. was established.
8. The increase in attendance in higher
schools in Southeast Missouri since
1873, the date of the opening of the
Normal School at Cape Girardeau, is
over one thousand per cent: The fact
is land it cannot be too strongly urged
in their favor) that the Normal Schools
lead to the success of all other schools,
of high or low grade. II teaching
were the only business, profession, or
trade in which education is of any
value, Bro. Axes dyspeptic emanation
against Normal Schools might possibly
be tolerated to very limited extent.
But education is for all pursuits-it is
for life in general. Less than five per
cent. of all those who take intermedi-
ate and higher studies ever engage in
teaching, and the Normal Schools,
either directly or Indirectly, assist the
remaining ninety-five per cent. in
qualifying themselves for their differ
ent avocations.
The REGISTERS pessimistic dig at
the Professor does not amount to any
thing. If Bro. AXE will listen around
a little he will hear plenty of fellows
talking about him in the same way.
They are men who have not been as
successful in life as the distinguished
and prosperous Iron county editor.
Our Normal professors are men and
women of learning and industry. II
any one will follow them around for
one week just about this.season OF the
year he will be satisfied that work is
their rule. Let Bro. Axe pay US vis-
it and we will go to school with him.
We will seek truth before we find fault:
we will ascertain facts before we make
unkind thrusts. He is injurlng the
young people in his county every
year by throwing his influence against
a more thorough education and prep
aration of those who are to teach our
schools. Several brilliant young la
dies and young gentlemen from Iron
county have attended the Normal and
have gone back to teach the children
of their county. Let Bro. Axe en-
..,,., ,r<, ,,,,ro fn come and he will ha