East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-08-12

The closing of the Weston Normal
school is not the fault of the gallant
and loyal support of the people of that
little town. They did more than could
reasonably have been expected. The
following logical editorial from the
Weston Leader states the case right:
1t should be distinctly under stood
by the state at large that the failure
of the Eastern Oregon State Normal
school to proceed is not the fault of
the community of Weston.
1t is a state school-not n local
school. Yet this locality came to the
aid of the institution. We could not
succeed in meeting the views of the
regents. who demanded that $4,000
cash should be in the bank ready for
its use, before the school would be
allowed to proceed: but in the minds
of many an ample sum was ra sed
to continue the school from Septem-
ber until June. when the million dol
lar appropriation bill will come bc-
fore the people under the referendum.
1t is not the Leaders purpose to
criticize the regents, who decided TO
close the school by a vote of four to
one. the minority being represented by
G. w. Proebstel of this city In their
view they We're already personally liza
BILE for about $4,000 used in conducting
the school up to last June, and they
felt responsible for any further obli-
cations that might be incurred.
They fear that the appropriation
bill will be defeated and that in the
present attitude of the public mind an
anti-normal legislature will be chosen
and will refuse to pay all claims. This
fear was strongly expressed at the
meeting and had such weight that the
board decided to ''stand from under"
1t was the course dictated by caution
and prudence-not by hope and en-
thusiasm.
1t was a severe blow to the Normal:
to President French, whose unswerv-
ing devotion to the school has been
expressed by self-sacrifices that will
never be known to the public; to the
Weston people. who have done much
for the Normal-have given It valua-
BILE property and kept 1t alive at the
time of the senatorial hold-up.
The Leader knows, and the people
OF Weston know. and all those ac-
quainted with the institution know,
that the recent prospects of the Nor
NAL were the brightest in its history.
It's management last year under Pres
ident French was such as to give 1t
the highest public confidence and the
loyalty of its faculty and students. An
attendance of $50 in the normal de-
partment was expected for the COM
ing year.
Practically all of its students were
coming back and there were scores of
letters from others who sought en-
rollment. A senior class of at 80
members would have graduated next
June. The Normal was upon its feet,
equipped with one of the best school
plants in the Northwest. ready for the
best work it had ever done.
All this fruition-all this hope and
promise-was shattered by the refer
endum. and the regents were COM
PEELED, in their view of the matter, to
submit to the blow. Monmouth, Ash
land and Drain, it is said, Will con-
tinue. More optimism obtains posi-
bly,. among the boards in these locali-
ties. 1t is improbable. at least, that
any of these communities did more
than Weston-which raised, counting
the teachers notes, over $4,000.
Under the plant at first proposed,
the sum OF $13,500 was raised in two
year notes. But the signers had been
assured by the canvassing committee
that in all probability they would not
have to pay these notes, and the re-
gents rejected the collateral, believing
that the signers of the notes could
hold them individually liable If things
went wrong and the schools obliga-
tions we're ultimately repudiated by
the state.
Let us not grow discouraged. There
is hope yet. The appropriation bill
NAV carry-if 1t is defeated, disgrace
and shame should be Oregon's portion
among her civilized and progressive
sisters-and the Eastern oregon State
Normal school revived with ample
funds to carry its work forward.
Or. in the event of its defeat. there
may be a readjustment by the next
legislature looking to the permanent
support of a normal school in Eastern
Oregon, which needs and Is entitled
to such an institution. In this event
II is unlikely that the states fine plant
at Weston should be abandoned.
Let us think on these things, and
not despair. Meanwhile let each one
of US do yoeman work for that appro-