The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-21
DEDICATION IF
 NORMAL SCHOOL Greatest Event In the History of Jacksonville Takes Place STIRRING SPEECHES MADE President Daugette Makes a Notable Address on the Work of the School.
 Hon. H. S. D. Mallory Gives
 Advice to Students.
STIRRING SPEECHES MADE

Jacksonville, December 20.-(Special.) j. Last Friday marked the greatest event in the history of Jacksonville, 1t being the occasion of the dedication of the new normal school building and the laying of the corner stone with Masonic cere- monies.
 It was a day long to be remembered by the pupils of the school, the people of Jacksonville and Calhoun county. Everything and everybody seemed to fall in line in endeavoring to celebrate the day in a fitting manner. The citizens of Jacksonville held up the hands of the president in his efforts to make the exer- cises a great success. Even the weather man showed his approval by giving weath- CT balmy as summer This enabled the pro- gramme to be carried out as arranged without single hitch. Everybody in the county was invited and from the large concourse of people present, 1t would seem that most of the invitations were accepted.
 The programme was very interesting.
 State Superintendent H. c. Gunnels owing to the condition of his health was unable to be present
 Governor B. B. Conner was to have delivered an address, but on account of other engagements on this date could not attend. He sent a letter to Presi- dent Daugette, however, expressing his deep regret because of his inability to attend, extending to the teachers and pupils his regards, and citing them to Caleb and Joshua, the only two men of out fc Ina promised land who pressed on, surmount- ed all difficulties and occupied the land. Governor Comer's letter was read to the audience by MT. John D. McNeel of Tal- ladega, one of the trustees of the nor nal school.
 President Daugette in his introductory remarks gave a history of the school, it's growth and progress from it's estab- lshment in 1883 by an act of the legis- lature with an annual appropriation of $25OO up to the present day with an an nual appropriation of $15.000. He stated that a great many people in the state have manifested an interest in the school and contributed to it's growth, but spe- cial credit is due to ex-State Superinten- dent John w. Abercrombie, ex-State Su- perintendent l. w. Hill. State Superin- tendent H. c. Gunnels, Governor Jos. F. Johnston, and the present governor, B. B. Conner, and thought 1t but just to say that Governor Conner has done more for the school than any one else for it was he who insisted that the appropriation be increased 50 per cent at the last legisla- ture and this in the face of passive op- position or indifference on the part of local representatives.
 President Daugette continuing his re- marks told how the citizens of Jackson vile had made the new building pos- sible, how well and promptly they acted in raising funds to build the house when they came to a realization that the growth of the school must cease unless other ac- comnodations were secured for it. He had appealed to different sources to get help in building the school, but IL re- mained for the people of Jacksonville to awake to their needs, to come to the front and to so nobly meet them. As a result the people have confidence in them selves, and are justly proud of their ac- complishment.
 MT. Daugette called attention to the fact that Alabama has to send out of the state for skilled workmen for com petent people to run our mines, fac- tories, public works of different kinds, for professional men, doctors, teachers, preachers, etc., and gave some facts and figures about Calhoun county along this line, taking the towns of Jacksonville, Piedmont and Anniston one at time and showing that the men at the head of manufactures, banks, mercantile eS- establishments, the leading professional men (not including the lawyers) preachers, and teachers were nearly all from other states He said that our people have as much native ability as people else where, but the trouble is because of the need of education. We need trade schools, to train skilled workmen, schools for our lawyers, doctors, but the greatest need of all is schools for our teacherS-aS good normal schools as can be found in the country for upon the teacher depends the destiny of the nation. In conclusion MT. Daugette said:
 "There has been opposition to normal schools ever since the first was estab- lshed in Massachusetts in 1887, but as people have come to better realization of the true function of this school oppo- stion has faded away, and history shows that there never has been one abolished; on the contrary the appropriations to them have been increased and the num- Der has multiplied until there are now in the Union approximately 200 public, nor nal schools Calhoun county Is no ex- ception to the rule that people have op- posed the establishment and maintenance of normal schools, but I am thankful today to say that l believe that oppo- sition has entirely melted before the light of the usefulness of normal schools to the people of the entire state. That opposition has been based on the fact that normal schools are supported out of the public school fund and the claim has been made that the money was taken from the children of the country.
 "Now as a matter of fact there are 100000 school children in Alabama, and over s2, 900 900 are appropriated to the pub lie schools, and I state right here a fact that some people have not thought of, that the children of this state do not re- ceive one penny of that $2,OO0,000. Every cent goes to the teachers of the state and not to the children. The only way that the children get any benefit from IL is by being taught by the teachers paid by the state Now the state says that 1t is going to establish schools to turn out teachers who will give 1t value re- ceived for its two million dollars, which 1t spends in educating Its children. Il is thus seen that the normal school is the real guardian of the interests of the children of the state.