The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-05-27
DUTY OF VOTERS.

BY invoking the referendum on the
appropriation bill passed by the las,
Legislature. the question OF approving
the bill now rests with the voters OF
1.-THE state. The objection TO the ap-
preparation bill was not to the item
necessary for the maintainenee OF any
of the state institutions located at
the capital Of the state. but to what
lis termed the normal school graft"
An investigation OF the matter has
convinced the people that at leasg
three of the normal schools OF the
state are wholly unnecessary and are
not in fact conducted as normal
schools should be. that Is to say. a
normal school is supposed to be an
educational institution for fitting
young men and women as teachers,
They were not intended TO be attend
ed by small children in the rudiment-
airy studies. neither were they intend
ed 10 take the place OF high schools.
While II may be true that num-
ber Of teachers are graduated from
these schools every year. 1t is also
true that branches are taught that
more properly belong to the public
schools, requiring greater force of
and when dependent upon
thf state, large appropriation OF
funds. II has been stated that the
normal school at Drain in Douglass
county is the only school in that town.
That there are no public schools and
hat the children OF the town and Inn
Mediate vicinity are educated at the
expense OF TIE state whiie every
'ther city or town in the state is taxed
O. the maintainence Of tbs public !,
chosfs IN the whole EFseinrt of
Drain, including the town there Is
ess than 1000 population. There Is
mother normal school at Ashland, a
ew miles further south and In the !,
dtacent county. Astoria or Clatsop
ounty has no normal school and II
as population Of 10000 in the city ;.
nd $4,000 In the county. and Il is
vef 800 miles to the nearest normal :
ehool. r
Rat aside from all these facts the
rincipal objection to the normal :,
chools Is that there are three too
ANY. II they are s:ate institutions,
ipported by the state. then they :,
lust be located at Salem under the
rovisions Of the state constitution.
hich provides that all public insti- .,
Itions Of the state, hereafter provided Z,
n by the legislative assembly, shall 9,
: located at the seat OF government"
here has never been any objection to
le Monmouth normal school, and no ;.
ojection to one normal school in the :,
ate, but when there are three ad- =.
tional ones in state of less than 70
5000 population, and every time h,
ere Is session OF the legislature ,he
icy want increafsa apprDpFationiI
e time has come to put check to
.rverting public fands for purposes
at are wholly unconstitutional. ii
1t Is not a question of tieing up all
e institutions of the state. nor i'm
ring their efficiency, but it is a -
Iestion Of tacking the normal school
aft onto the appropriation bill. 1t
impossible to introduce separate
] in the legislature for this pur- Il,
se. The representatives. from the
unties where the normal schools IN,
e located insist and make combina-
ms to have 1t inserted in the gen. Tn
al appropriation bill knowing full wt
II that an appropriation bill for ,ny
rmal schools alone would not pass A.,
legislature. II is for this reason :,
49,.