The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-27
Discussion Provoked by the Amend
ment offered by Senator Newly
Yesterday Afternoon.
THE STATE SCHOOL PEOPLE
CHARGED WITH BEING UNDER IN
FLUENCE OF sCHOOLBOOk Trust.
Amendment Is Finally kiIIed-PrO-
ceedings in the HOuse-Legis-
Iative Gossip.

The question of the reorganization of the
State Board of Education smashed all party
lines in the Senate yesterday afternoon,
when the compromise BILL offered by SEN
ator Hogate came up for discussion on d
special order of business. Nothing else was
considered throughout the afternoon, and
for three hours the two sides wrangled and
accused each other of all sorts of reprehen-
sible things, while party lines were forgot
ten and personal associations, for the time
being, were swept away by the energy of
the fight
At the end of the debate in which the
nonstate school supporters had charged
the state school people with being under
the influence of the school-bOok trust, and
the state people had retaliated by charging
that the nonstate people simply wanted the
State Board of Education made a part of
political machine to be the means of its
own undOing, a vote on an amendment by
Senator Newly resulted in a partial indi-
cation that the senators approved the pres
ent state board
AS soon as the matter came up yester-
day afternoon Senator Newly arose and
offered his amendment, which provided that
the state board shall consist of the state SUI
perntendent and six citizens of the State
four of whom must have educational quail
ification and the other two to be men of
known. business ability, not more than four
of the board to be of the same political
party. 1t is proposed that the Governor
shall appoint the members, two for two
years, two for three years and two for four
years. the terms of all thereafter to be four
years.
Something Of a wrangle ensued before the
amendment was really considered as sew
eral senators held that it was out of order,
for the reason that the committee had not
reported it properly. Lieutenant Gov
ernOr Haggard joined in this view at first
but later changed front Several senators
took a hand in the debate, until it was
finally shown by the journal that the bill
had been given a second reading and there
fore stood for amendment or recommitment
On being given PERMISSION TO oner his
amendment, Senator Newly began his
statement by saying that he challenged any
one to show any other State in which state
officers held office by reason of their hold
ing some other office. He diSclaimed the
lobbyists stories circulated around the
Capitol that the nonstate people wanted to
work religion into the schools. From his
point of view it was a question of why the
people permitted the nonstate schools to be
throttled by the state school monopoly"
Raising his voice to a high pitch he eX-
claimed: 'Why are the representatives of
the SchOol-boOk trust, whom we meet in
the Capitol and the corridors of the hotels
continually telling us to stick to the State
Board of Education? We do not object to
the president of the State University being
a member of the board or having the entire
membership of the board made up of the
faculties of the state colleges, but we object
to them holding office as members of the
board by reason of their being presidents
of state colleges" During the course of
his argument it developed that Senator
Newby's point was that the nonstate people
wished to place the responsibility of the
them fixed by law so that the presidents of
state schools will be eX-officio members of
the board.
A STATE SCHOOL CHAMPION
Senator Drummond was the first cham
pion of the claims of the state schools, and
began his talk by saying that, while the
senator from Henry had affirmed that the
nonstate fight was to be carried on without
bitterness his attack had been most violent
and if he wanted war it would be given
him. He said that Cor ten years the record
of the state board had been blameless. Re-
garding the claim that it was the purpose
to mix religion with study, he said the sem
ators should give to religion all that is due
to it, and likewise to the Board of Educa-
ton that which was it's due Continuing,
he said that all large universities in any
State have ultima tely been taken under the
wing and protection of the State in order
to secure their future. AS proof of this, he
said that the present State University had
been plodding along for years with meager
attendance and little influence until the
State had taken it under it's protection and
made it known throughout the land. He
held that it was the duty of the State to
keep as close as possible to the schools of
the State, and if the scheme of allowing
the Governor to appoint members of the
education board from here, there and every
where was adopted. the result would be
that the State would lose control of its own
educational system. In conclusion, he said:
1.-The niger in the Woodpie is that more
students going to Bloomington than to
the other colleges, and the result is that
these institutions are fired with an old
woman jealousy OF the state school TO the
extent that now, after ten years of success,
when the Board of Education has brought
the educational system of the State out
into the light of day, the nonstate schools
want to stab it in the back. If 1t is ques-
ton of perpetual license. if the nonstate
schools turn out as good students as the
state schools, the proof of 1t only entails the
work of an hour or two of examination,
which is cheerfully given to applicants for
teachers licenses.
Senator Hogate, the author of the bill I'M
der discussion, then took the floor and said,
as a preliminary. that he had been con-
Newby's amendment, but would go farther
and agree to the proposition to have the
board composed altogether of county super
intendents.
A COMPROMISE BILL.
He said that his bill had been intended as
a compromise. out lllitl compromises were
understandable at this time on any condition.
and he favored the amendment. Getting
down to his subject he said: THE question
that now confronts US is the question Shall
the State Board of Education be reorga-
nized?' / believe if every senator will
simply withdraw for a moment, and with
out reference to church. or time. place,
or circumstances, or where he was educated
he can only come to one conclusion, viz,
that in the process of the development Of
the educational interests in the State the
time has fully arrived when the State Board
come TO time for careful thought. Clearly
is the time at hand for advance through
intelligent patriotic action.
What, then. is the question before us 1t
is that the State Board of Education may be
reorganized. But why reorganiZed? That
there shall be absolute and impartial Justice
done to all educational institutions in the
State: that there may be no DETERMINATIONS
that there may be a symmetrical develop
ment all along the line. whether the school
is a state or Il n0nstate school; whether 1t
be a state university or a religious or pa
~cchial school. Whether it be the school of
Protestant or Catholic, Jew or gentle,
Churcnman or nonchurchman, state or nom
state. That which IS recognized IN the
statute law as the school system is the com
mon and high schools. the State University
the State Normal and Purdue University.
ard under our Constitution that Is all the
law could recognize; but do these schools
comprise the whole of the educational sys-
tenn I'm the State2 Is it possible that Butler
College formerly Northwestern Christian
University. De Pauw formerly AsburU,
70, cI Earlban1 MODTQ'S Hill