La Junta tribune., 1908-05-09
rssr,sssr ,sou,m ANSWERED.

up'ii a hiShS Npitiis past .hiid II
my Missouri eyes are not wholly
blind the otfense is one of a success
sion that have been thrust upon the
public for some time.
The article in question states the
admission recently of our high
school to the association of colleges
covering certain states. 1t con-
tinues by lauding the present ad
ministration as the sole sponsor for
this desirable condition which ad-
mits to these colleges the graduates
of La Junta Union high school with
out entrance examination. Such en-
trance is a good feature and one to
feel good over. to be sure. | have
no contention on that point. can
see through that. But there is one
thing that seems bit difficult for
my dullness and that is. to whom be-
longs the credit for college entrance
without examination? That is the
point in my mind. This much |
know. | do know that for some
years past our graduates have been
admitted without examination to
these colleges upon presentation of
their diplomas from our high school
The town in general knows that for
it is no secret. 1t is one Of the daily
truths we have known for some
time and a much longer period than
two or three years will not dull
memory of that fact
The claim is that the credit of this
advance belongs not to the past but
to the present. Ten years of plow-
ing, seeding and cuItiva,ing. Two
years of goodly reaping. that is the
present. AT least that is the state
ment of history. That is as under.
stand the situation from facts CLEAN
ed in the making of them, and there
fore fail utterly to comprehend
the claims alluded to. When such
claims are made merely for personal
advertisement | may be silent. But
when such claims mean injury to the
well-earned credits of another it
does not seem like a square zeal.
That should be one of the primary
lessons and principles in every
schoo! room for pupil, teacher and
principal. 1t is practised in the
White House. 1t should find vel
come in the school house.
My dullness increases for cannot
understand how. if diploma of this
year will be passport into fresh
man work why it should not have
received the same compliment in the
past. The college of today and of
yesterday, bases its judgment upon
scholarship upon the liberal arts and
sciences. That was the work to
which past years in our high school
was especially centered. The pres
ent administration emphasizes manu-
al training. 1t breaches manual
training. One hears little now but
manual training. That may be
all right. ! believe in right propor
ton. 1t is fine departure, and one
began by the old administration.
have no quarrel with manual train
ing, per Sc. No. But what | am
too dense to understand is this: How
can it be that when manual train
ing is not an item of weight in pass
ing upon the worth of diploma for
freshman work, and how when time
otherwise given to branches that do
count for said entrance work, how
is it that if our high school today
deserves such distinction from the
association of colleges why should it
not have been deserved in the past?
One of these days may be able to
go to school and when | learn a little
manual training and cooking and
sewing maybe | will be able to un-
derstand such problems as the one
that puzzles me now.
Maybe shouldn't ask any more
questions out of school. But | ven
ture one more. The article in ques-
ton, and its predecessors like it,
harp upon the splendid development
of our curriculum. the fine new
building. and such things. Certain
ly the standard is fine, the building
is credit. and surely we are all
proud of that. guess the whole
town are agreed upon that. But