The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-03-03

lSendtOI EuciHuit was hoW Coiico W
the president to take charge of the
meeting. The latter addressed the as
sembage briefly yet entertainingly, and
incidentally paid a high compliment to
President Cooper as an instructor. He
then called upon C. n. Andrews as rep
rcsentatve of the Board of Trade. Mr..
Andrews spoke with considerable
warmth on the subject of the needs of
the normal and the duties of the lcgis-
lators in relation thereto. The senator
on introducing him had spoken of his
party affiliations and Mr.. Andrews re-
marked that the truth ought to have
weight with the legislators even when
coming from a humble and from a dem
ocrat. The needs of Mankato have been
represented to the legislature over and
over again and little attention has been
paid to them. The states institutions
are suffering everywhere from lack OF
funds. The state seems to have en-
barked upon a niggardly policy of eco
nomv. The normal schools have suffer
ed everywhere in the state and the
Mankato normal worst of all. The uni
versity has definite tax levy for its
maintenance and the common schools
have permanent funds set aside fo'
their use, but the normal schools depend
on periodical appropriations and the
state has cut them down much as man
cuts down his church offering when he
gets hard up. Mr.. Andrews spoke of
the same needs that the president had
called attention to, the library, GYM
nasium and the dormitory, and laid es-
pecial stress on the dormitory. Here was
the largest normal school in the state
and the only one lacking a dormitory
Pupils often have serious difficulty in
finding accommodation, and sickness and
death among them may readily be trac-
ed in some cases to the wants of
a proper place to sleep in.
The speeches of the legislators fol-
lowing this address were highly compli-
mentary to the speaker and the truth
of what he said was admitted.
Senator Barker of Cambridge
said the board of control
ought to include in it's mem
bership financier, an educator and a
practical business man. If necessary
the membership should be increased
from three to five. The board of con-
troll seems to have come to stay and it
is not likely that the normal schools
will get out from under it.
Representative Perley of Moorhead
was of the opinion that Mankato had
been overmodest in asking for things.
If the school wants dormitOry, a bill,
should be introduced and special APP
preparation made, just as was done for
the much smaller school at Winona.
The Glee club, about thirty young
ladies, gathered at the end of the ros-
trum, and sang unique school song.
wherein eve are students of the Man
kato normal" was brought out very
prettily amid other sweet strains.
Senator Fitzpatrick of Winona Great.
ed no little mirth and applause when he
said, Caesar had his Brutus, Charles
the First his Cromwell, George tho
Third his Washington, and the Mime
sofa board of control may profit by
their examples.
Representative Undertake of Mime
apolis said, Il am very much interested
i'm your wants and shall see that they
are granted as rapidly as possible" He
declared that the normal needs gym
nasium. The Mankato normal is like
the boy who thought his father would
be mad The father was under the hay.
The Mankato normal is under the hay
and either the board of control or the
legislature is on top.
The Glee club now entertained the
audience with two more pretty selec-
tions, "Welcome, Pretty Primrose" and
"The Darkey's Cradle Song"
Senator Peterson of Moorhead caus.
ed enthusiastic applause by remarking
that the people of Blue Earth county
could not do better than to send Sena-
tor Ebcrhart back to the legislature at
the next election. Mr.. Peterson admit
ted that Mankato's claims are just but
1t is cause of real grief to the
teachers of the high school to observe
that so large a percentage of the boys,
in whose welfare the preceptors almost
invariably take most devoted interest,
wasting their young vitality and dwarf
ing their growing systems by the use of
tobacco. Seldom does it happen that a
teacher sees one of the boys of the high
school smoking. They do not smoke
when any of the teachers are in their
presence. But the teachers know what
boys are smoking habitually, none the