The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-15
THE STATE COLLEGES.



a question purely local to this State is to
play an important part in the canvass
of 1885, though not likely to be in such a
form as 10 open a public discussion. For
thirty years more the management OF
our public school affairs has practically
been in the hands of a lobby of shrewd
men who have wisely manipulated them
as to increase the modest sum of S. 600
year for the State University. i'm 1861, TO the
enormous OF s2ii20o annually for il
and its branches from direct taxation in
1897, in addition TO $4,000 from the proceeds
of the university fund. and exclusive of spe-
cific appropriations. which this year were
TO be 1884 900 TO meet "a pressing need"
Feeling secure in the controlf'rship which
they had long enjoyed without opposi-
ton, they this year have only asked for
the 1894. 900. but they came before the Legis-
lature with school bill. deliberately pre-
pared, which was TO practically revolu-
tionize the public school system of the
State. 1t might have passed as their pre-
vious measures had, If i'm their zeal they
had not so Disseminated against the nom
state colleges as to arouse the manage
ments of those schools and bring them to-
gether 10 antagoniZe that feature alone. IL
was the first opposition the lobby had ever
state colleges was so emnently Just that il
became evident that that provision
could not pass the Legislature, whereupon
the lobby abandoned their bill rather than
to accept IL thus emasculated and IL failed.
Not to have all their eggs in one basket they
| had committed one item 10 a separate bill,
| that of increasing the school revenue from
81; 422 5S4 to 81 os 4oe. to which was 10 be
| added for distribution among the schools
| the 900 heretofore taken from this fund
Vided for to the amount of $50 900 annually
| by direct tax, making the actual increase
Ssl5 S6s-a little more than 4S per cent As
| lated wholly to the provision OF the lobbys
| bill, which Disseminated against them in
the qualifications of teachers. no one an
| tagonized this bill, and il carly passed the
| House, but it was arrested in the Senate,
| and did not become & law.
But this is not to be the end of the Strug-
| gle. The holder of the school combination,
| of which this lobby is only the mouthpiece.
| have already announced their purpose TO
| appeal to the next legislature and also
| their purpose TO see that a Legislature Is
| elected which will favor their cause. This
| face. IL called out. this combination VIII
prove to be the most formidable political
t ip ever DrSdhlZe9 IN sne Sta,e- inroJbsn
| every school district in the State. and their
slogan is TO be that the nonstate colleges
are opposed to our public schools thus
| raging the entire army of teachers in the
| interest of whatever measures the lobby
may propose Such an allegation, IL left
| duty of every teacher in the State TO see
| that no friend of the nonstate schools gets
into int tn, the legislature Ssa1,, and the battle
schools of the State by the State
| University and its branches is to be
fought over in 1899 in Legislature
| especially chosen for that purpose. OF
course every well-informed man and
woman in the State knows that the allega-
| ton Is false. for our public schools pre-
eminently the child of the nonstate col
ieges- When the school question was be-
| fore the constitutional convention no one
was so freely consulted as the late Prof.
! Mills, of Wabash College, and later. when
| the first law under the new Constitution
was under consideration. he took so active
| a part in its preparation that the Legisla-
/ ture voted a specific appropriation for his
! services and as a further recognition OF his
| devotion TO the new school system and his
great fitness for the place he was made the
| first superintendent of public instruction.
| versity. followed him; so .-;e public schools
| of the State were not only born in our nom
S Sedoe bY them D Until overcome ' by the
combination which for thi'ty years has
| controlled them, and which. Of the late
| Legislature sought State aid 10 make their
| conquest complete
The writer has no fear as 10 the result
if the people are properly informed Gov.
| Mount in his banquet speech few lays
ago voiced the sentiment of nine-tenths OF
the voters of Indiana when be said: Equal
rights and equal advantages should be ac-
corded to all the higher educational insti-
| tutiOnS. Equaf ana exact justice 10
| all our colleges demands that they stand
| upon equal ground. Favoritism Is not in
| harmony with the genius of our govern
| ment"
IL there was any organized body
! to maintain this just sentiment
before the people it is rot difficult to pre-
| diet that the issue would be changed from
"A struggle for equal rights in the profes-
sion of teaching to one for an equal share
in the .princely revenue already provided
for under the manipulation of the State
| JTniversity's standing lobby. IL not for the
| cutting Oft OF that revenue entirely and
| RELOCATING the school system 10 the place
! assigned il in the Constitution. leaving col
| legiate and professional training where
! they properly belong-to individual enter
prise But there is no such an organiza-
! ton. The cooperation Of the nonstate
| colleges I'm the late controversy was purely
| occasional. The effort 10 legaliZe the dis
| elimination which the combination had al
ready practiced aroused them and they
protection. and. having accomplished the
| specific purpose OF their hasty and tenn
| pOrary organization. the friends of popular
! education each returned 10 his home and
daily duties. TO leave the combination 10
| strengthen its forces for new attack. No
| permanent organize ton seems 10 be con-
| templated. Ii would not be so with any
/ other interest. knowing the compact and
| effective organization which antagonizes
| them Is already preparing to renew is de-
| mand. not only To the rights Of nom
| state colleges but TO press it's claims upon
| the State for other millions 10 follow the
| s.. 40s $50 d which the State University and
| it's branches have drawn from the state
| treasury i'm thirty wears. not counting the
specific appropriations made by the late
Legislature. L. l.. SEE.
Indianapolis. March IT,