The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-08-23
WORK Of MISSION
SCHOOL IN UTAH
Review of What II Has Accom-
plished in the Educa-
tiOnal Field.
UTAH OWES A DEBT
TO THE OLD SYSTEM
Interesting Address Delivered
by Prof. Martin Before the
Presbyterian Association.

Prof a. s. Martin addressed the Pres
| byterian Teachers association at the
closing session of the Collegiate Instl-
| tute Wednesday afternoon on the sub
| ject: The Mission School In Utah Edu-
| cation" Prof, Martin reviewed the work
| accomplished by the school In the earlier
years and urged a continuation OF II on
the highest possible plane. In the course
| of his address he said
In order TO understand the true con-
nection between our topic and general
public education, let lis frst review the
| situation relative to public education
prior to the advent OF the mission school
In Utah
| The school system of Utah was modelled
after the older and cruder systems of
| some of the Eastern and Southern States,
| being only free school system In name.
| but In reality only partially supported
| by general taxation. the remainder neces-
| sary for the maintenance OF the school
| being me. by tuition, or in various other
ways; all of which were and are con-
trary to the free public school idea.
While IL may be contendcd that no child
whose parents were unable to meet the
tuition was deprived Of the opportunity
for an education yet the fact remains
that there was no compulsory provision
in the school system for his training
The revenue from the State school tax
then, as now, was only small amount
toward meeting the necessary expenses.
This amount was helped out by a county
tax, both of which together would per-
haps not amount to more than q few dol
lars per capita of the school population.
1t then deYolyed upon each separate dis
trict to devise how the remainder should
be raised, and when ! say each separate
district. remember that even in Salt Lake
City there were as many districts as
there were ecclesiastical or church wards,
as for Instance when my experience with
the public schools of Salt Lake City be-
gan, In 1887, there were twenty-one sep
arate. Independent school districts, each
with It's three trustees. Its own course
of study and method Of maintaining the
school. Consequently. In districts where
the people were progressive and liberal
the district school tax was high and the
tuition relatively low, while In districts
where the people were Indifferent to ed
ucation. or were very poor, the reverse
conditions would prevail, VIZ, low
tax and high tuition rate.
/ took a little trip few days ago In
a region where there have never been
mission schools. and even there In viii
lage after village the best and most con-
spicuous building In the town was the
heard some of you older ministers pray
for that day. You said 1t was SO in old
Ohio, or Illinois. or New York. YOU
looked for the best building and knew
IL would be the school house. Is not |
your prayer being answered in Utah? |
But what does this mean for you teach |
ers? Arc you going 20 take second place |
In your community after your predeces- |
sors have held first so we'll?
This, OF course. is not a question for |
me TO answer. though study Of the Sit
uation impels It's asking.
or course. outside Of your academy |
building you cannot hope to compete |
NH ,l,l III
structures. You Will necessarily be lin
ted in pupils and consequently In space
'or them, but II IL were true saying
hat Mark Hopkins at one end of q log
and q student at the other made a uni
'ersity, conscientious, trained teacher
with half dozen pupils ought TO make
At least good common school, regard
less OF the housing,
Confronted BY Great Task.
These mission schools challenged such
They said TO the people:
Here is a model OF what an American
public school should be. A model In dis
,ipline, in thoroughness, In instruction.
n influencing character growth" They
challenged the comparison, they stood
he test. with few exceptions. and the
people OF the State rose up and said:
We Will have a public school system
EQUAL to the best Of them" That Ia
n.
The task that confronted the early mis-
ion teachers was a snnp-pardon the
lang-compared with the one before
'ou. in my humble opinion. They had
10 trouble at all comparatively. to out
trip tho schools Of that generation but
What OF the present and the coming?
Let us glance at the present situation: |
Abundant public revenue. a professional
y trained teaching body. or one rapidly
ecoming SO, for we have State super
ntendent and board of examiners who
re determined to make II little short
I impossible for one TO teach in the pub
lc schools who has not at least a high
chool and normal training, and some of | {
he finest and most modern school struc- {
urcs to be found anywhere in our land. ]
Union of Church and School.
Alongside this condition, recall that
here was but one public institution in ,
ne Territory. where even high school ,
ducation was obtained the Ter
Itorial University. or "Deseret :
niversity," as 1t was then called, :
nd that not one in ten, probably, :.
the teachers had ever attended this or 9
ny higher institution; we are given con- ,
ltions productive of poor schools. poor ..
ay, poorly prepared teachers, general
ldiherence to public education. True,
lere were many noble teachers in those
loneer schools-men and women who
'e IeiueuDcTeQ ana reNeTeQ by the |
Ithers and mothers of today-but these
ere too rare: far too rare then 0
Another influence detrimental to the 4
lbllc school Idea was the practical d
nion Of the church and schools. So p
ose was this union that the church and u
'hool property were common in most t
stances, and the instruction OF the two s
and blended. 30 that 1t was a
npossible to tell where the one left of IL
I'd the other began. The result was s.
lat where parent wished to cut loose g
ON the teachings of the church he C.
ust also withdraw his children from Il
e public schools. I,
Here, then, were three facts con,
ontlng the early Christian workers In
the Utah field: poorly trained s,
wholly unframed teachers, who were | 81
,pt In this condition by wholly made T
late remuneration, and q school, public cl
name, but sectarian In character | tc
lese Christian workers were from New | 81
agland and the great Middle West the II
me of the free. non-sectarian public II
hool Idea They believed that the Ii