Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-01-18

| ambitious generation. They Will have
| been bred, born and reared amid in
dustrious and hopeful surroundings;
and In the future. as In the past, a
rural districts. 1t should be the privi-
lege of the general assembly TO make
the best possible provision for the de-
development OF the intellectual re-
sources of Iowa. which have never
been equaled by any generation, and
are not likely soon to be excclled.
In this and kin
Dement'S bred matters econ
OF this omy Is not the syn
p,.n onym for states
manship. With a
central graded school in each township,
and with a superintendent OF these
schools at such salary aswill command
the best talent m the market, to be Sc
iected by a board in the same manner
as city's superintendent are chosen.
and the employment Of a corps OF ma
tured teachers, fair proportion OF
whom should be men. would wonder
fully augment the effectiveness of our
educational system, and insure the re-
tention In the schools OF our boys as
well as our girls.
The foregoing OBJ
State servations natura ly
r.., lead to the quest on
of normal schools.
Schools Iowa possesses one
state control and ma Engagement. This has
facilities to reasonably accommodate six
hundred pupils. During the last year the
s,te d has ay,srssed over one thou
congregated They are not sent to the
State Normal school IN the fond hope that
they may develop into some hing. al s2ma
OF them at their own expense. with the
settled purpose to make men and women
battle of life, and to bear their share Of
the worlds burdens. The schoo. Is grossly
overcrewded. do not believe its capacity
ought to be materially increased: There
Is limit in number over which an IT,
structor can exercise a personal influence.
Until character Is firmly established. and
the bent Of attainment and desire well
fixed, the best results have ever been &C.
complished by comparatively small insti-
tutions, even when the equipment has
been below the standard. Afterwards
OF students. has Its place: From seven
to eight hundred pupils is, in my opinion.
the maximum for any one normal schoo.
should be glad to
No. established on each
Normal Sc,oo,s OF the great e; ,ow runT
think II would be
better to locate them thus than TO follow
geographical divisions. for the reason
as accessibility. 1t is frequently more
difficult to compass thirty miles North and
south than to cross the state from east
to west. There are quite a number of %
cahties ready. and anxious, to make to
the state donation of spacious egoun's
and suitable buildings, already erected,
adequate for a school with an attendance
of from two to FIVE hundred. Other COM
munities are willing TO donate grounds
and subscribe the needed money to bu ID.
l think II would be both wise ard prudent
for the general assembly at this session
to locate at least four normal schools.
Forty or fifty thousand dol ars In prop
erty can be secured as q donation with
each school thus located. This would
equal an appropriation OF two hundred
thousand dollars. 1t would cost less to
put these schools in operation than 10
build the equivalent in additions To the
existing plant and be much more advap-
tageeus to the patrons than one gigantic
Institution, where student influences are
quite liable to overbalanCe that of teach
ers and instructors. Five norma: schools
VIII not be an oversupply for Iowa. Mas
sachusetts has ten; New York twelve:
Pennsylvania thirteen: Wisconsin. with
less population than Iowa, already main
ta.ns seven: while Minnesota and Mi =
SCUM each has four; and Illinois rs build
Ing her fifth.