Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-12-02
BIRMINGHAM HERALD WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 2,

| overestimated. 1t constitutes the very
| bedrock of civilization and progress. 1t
is one thing that disaster cannot destroy
| nor the sheriff'S execution reach. 1t ele-
Yates the citizenship, diminishes crime
and multiplies productive enterprise. The
| state has a vital interest in each citizen,
in his morality, his intelligence and his
capacities; as the average of intelligence
rises, the value of the citizenship in
creases. We are pledged to develop our
| public schools to the limit of fair taxa
| ton. and this pledge must be rigidly ad-
hered to and faithfully kept with the peo-
| pie who have trusted us. We can better
| afford to reduce salaries diminish the
| number of courts and abolish many Off
| ceS rather than put the knife into dol
| lar appropriated for our free schools
| The most wastefuI profiigacy would be
| the checking of the growth of educa-
ton, now making but feeble progress.
| That our higher institutions are not
| answering all the purposes of their crea-
| ton is generally admitted. The remedy
| must be found, and no man must be al
| lowed to stand in the way of it's enforce
/ ment. ..-...
A. & NJ. COLLEGE.
| The Agricultural and Mechanical col
| lege, seems to be making progress. 1t
| should be brought closer to the people
| and it's advantages felt by larger num-
| bers of boys from our farms. AS 1t Is,
| this college, designed to promote agricul-
! ture and the mechanic arts, does not
seem to do all that we could desire and
l bespeak at your hands a careful and
intelligent inquiry and such friendly SUI
| pervision as will push this institution
| forward in its useful work.
THE UNIVERSITY.
The friends and alumni of our univer-
| sity admit that it is making but little
| progress. 1t will hardly be denied that
| the number and scholarship OF it's gradu-
ates are far below our just expectations;
whilst we all admit that a larger endow-
| ment would be of great value, we nave a
| right to expect that it shall at least sur
pass institutions in our state practically
| or wholly without any endowment. ana
| yet with $4,000 annually of pubic funds
| 1t can hardly be said to much outstrip
| Howard college or the Southern univer-
| sity, both practically without endoW-
| ment. The average cost to a student at
| Howard college, for board. lodging, tut
| ton and all other expenses is about $lSS,
| and of the Southern university 1t Is ABOUT
| the same. The public fund re-
| ceived by our university would pay all
| these expenses, and yet the students are
| required to pay board and all other eX-
penses aggregaung about $3.50 1t is
| always more agreeable to praise than to
criticize, but the time has come for plain
| speaking. The first necessity now is to
| make a better institution with the means
| we have The result would create a
| strong appeal to the friends of liberal ed
/
| inc been found faithful over few things
it could be entrusted with larger
| 1t can scarcely be claimed that results
| are satisfactory that turn out some thirty
| CT forty young lnen annually, consider
able proportion of them graduates in law,
| at cost of $4,000. That the institution
| has contributed many splendid men to
| the service of the state none deny, but
all desire that it shall do yet greater work
| in the future. All of us must take our
| fair share of the blame for none Of lis
| have done our dutJ. The general assem-
| bly, itself has not shown that interest and
| Watehful care that the Importance of this
| subject demands. So far as l know no
| legislative committee has visited this in
stitution or inquired into its condition or
| considered any remedies for many years.
| The board of trustees, whilst excellent
gentlemen, visit the university once q
| year and give but few days to the con-
sideration of this grave matter. Some
| of them do not attend, and the faithful
| few have been discouraged at the little
| interest manifested in the success OF the
institution by the great body Of our peo-
| pie, l recommend that you appoint
! special joint committee to sit during the
| recess make thorough investigation
with such assistance as they can get from
| the trustees and alumni, bringing in Tor
your consideration such suggestions and
| revision of present statutes and organiza-
| ton as will make the institution
| an honor to our state. No polit-
| zeal influence no consideration for
| men, nothing that stands in the way or
progress should divert you from such
| legislation as will prove wise and bene-
| fetal
In this connection were not our con-
stitutional provisions in the way would
be strongly inclined to recommend that
one board of trustees should nave the
control, direction and management of all
our higher Institutions, aided by the
state. thus keeping down jealouses and
securing a harmonious system and deVel-
opment along the lines these several in
stitutions were created to reach; and 1t
| may be well for you to consider whether
such board would not be wise for those
| institutions not coming within the con-
stitutional prohibition, or putting them
| all under direction of one of the boards
now provided for by the constitution.
NORMAL SCHOOLS.
The state has seven normal colleges.
| These, institutions were created to pro-
| vide a. competent and skilled corps OF
| aeachkrs for our public schools. The
| total amount diverted by them from the
| common schools aggregates but little
| more than $4,000, and it has been sup
posed that the efficiency of the teachers
| would largely compensate for the diver
sion of this money. There can be little
| question but that skilled and
more in one month than an un-
| trained one in two, and whilst
| our finances prevent us from keeping
| these schools open for long terms, the
greater the necessity for trained teachers.
| 1t seems to me, however, that we need
more rigid laws in respect to the bene-
| flciaries of these schools. The obliga-
| ton to teach within our state for pre-
| scribed term should be capable of en-
| forcement, and rigidly enforced. Gradu-
| ates who seek employment in other states
| or abandon teaching should be required
| to refund the cost of their training to
| the state. Too many Of them remove
| at once from our state or engage in
other occupations, and we lose the entire
| benefit of our labor and expenditures.
| The presidents of the various colleges
| should be required to keep a record of
| all such graduates and report them from
| time to time to the superintendent Of
| education. From all the information 1
| cen gather all of our normal schools are
| In efficient hands and well conducted
| and making more or less satisfactory
progress.
1t may be well to guard more fully the
! funds appropriated to these and the ag-
| ricultural schools that they may not be