Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1899-03-03

Substitute for House Bill No. "a, the
educational bill, was indefinitely post
pOned.
THE TEACHERS EXAMINATION BILL.
Substitute for House Bill "a, provid-
ing for uniform teachers examinations
by the state superintendent was recon
mended for indefinite postponement. Mr..
Stevens spoke at length against the bill,
which he said took from the county sup
erintendents the work they we're elected
to do, and made them chore BOYS for
the higher officer. He did not believe it
was good or wise legislation. It was q
Capitalization of power. 1t was saying
to county superintendent that they
were not competent to do the work they
were elected to do.
Mr.. a said his county s%uperintend-
ent was as good and we'll qualified a man
as there was in the state, and he had re-
quested him to vote for the bill-that
satisfied him that it was all right.
Mr.. Sanford, incidentally to the dis
cussion OF the measure called attention
to an imputation that had beenput upon
the teachers of the state and said:
Mr.. Chairman-The teachers of this
state have rather q hard time and I de-
sire to say a word in their behalf-to de-
fend them against what seems to me an
unjust imputation. I have in my hand
q copy of 1.-The School Educator a
marked copy. Three or four or five weeks
ago you found on your desks a marked
copy OF this paper and you found an
article there marked, headed Western
Education" by Joseph Kennedy of the
University of North Dakota. In reading
that article I found on the third page Of
that paper the following language: "As
it o is, u profession is the refuge for
the u of the earth, the mentally
blind, the halt and the lame are induced
to come into our fold. Teaching is a
sort of a poor-house to which all may
come and be refreshed" Gentlemen of
this House, is that true Of your daugh-
tiers and your sons and your neighbors'
sons and daughters, who have struggled
to obtain an education and have
passed the requirements of the
law and been admitted to the
profession Of teachers? Are they the
scum of the earth? l would not have
risen to this point except hat these
papers have been distributed upon your
desks and have been distributed
throughout the state and perhaps
throughout the United States. It is an
unjust imputation upon our teachers
and upon our state. These boys and
girls who are teaching our schools are
worthy of consideration. They are
young men and women of noble pur-
poses and high aims and noble ambi-
tions. 1t is true that there are different
grades of teachers in our public schools,
and in our high schools and graded
schools, but it is my observation that
there are also different gradesof teachers
in our universities. l think the impu-
tation, the aspersion that is placed upon
the character of the teachers of our
state in this regard is unjust and I take
pleasure in rising here to refute it.
Mr.. Bacon said he believed Mr.. Ken.
nedy was as good and charitable a mar
as there was in the state and he did not
believe it was his intention to cast any
slur on the teachers of the state.
House Bill 1877, requiring the construc-
ton of highways across railroad right of
ways, was argued at some length, and
progress was reported or the bill by the
committee.
Senate Bill 100, county payment of ex-
tradition, was recommended to pass.
House Bill 213, sheriff to be examiner
of scales.
Senate Bill 103, appropriation for as
sistant state examiner.
House Bill 21O, for establishment of
public scales were also recommended to
pass.
The house then adjourned.