East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1909-02-22
Westnn LeaderN


Upon what meat hath fed the Stat
Senate of Oregon that it hath grow
so abnormally swelled with sens
% its own importance?
This peculiar body has:
Ignored the action of the last pre-
ceding legislature, which left tn
settlement of the normal school ques
ton to a state board of control.
Ignored the recommendation o
this board, which with the exception
of one regent, Mr.. Aver decided tina
three normal schools should be main
tained in Oregon, at Monmouth. Ash
land and Weston, and that.a dormi
tory is needed by each schoo:
Ignored the action of the lowe
house, which by large majority vote
appropriated S1O6.OOO for each O
these three schools.
Ignored the wishes of the state SUI
perntendent of public instruction
Mr.. Ackermau. who is familiar witt
the work of the normals, and ha'
earnestly expressed himself as in IA
vor of their maintenance.
Ignored the recommendation Of
Governor Chamberlain. who declared
in his message in favor of three
schools.
Arbitrarily passed n bill of It's own
appropriating 100000 for a single
normal at Portland, which has never
been asked for nor desired by any
considerable body of taxpayers, and
is only advocated by bitter enemies OF
the present Notwithstanding the
non -sectarian schools, which can new
er get over their Jealousy because the
normals receive state aid denied TO
themselves.
Taken no thought of the work OF
years in building up the normals in
their present state of efficiency-a
work accomplished despite a weight
of opposition and hardship unknown
in any other state in the Union.
Shown no consideration for hun
dreds of normal school graduates,
whose diplomas will be objects Of
ridlcule when their parent schools are
killed.
Attempted to deprive Eastern Ore
gon of its only state educational in
stitution, whose usefulness is shown
by the fact that it has larger at
tendance than ever before and larg,
er than that of any other normal In
the state. although it was closed for
one year by the referendum, and has
had to fight for Is very life at every
session of the legislature.
Ignored the wishes of the people as
expressed at the polls in June. 1906,
when they sustained the general ap-
preparation bill by three to one on a
referendum vote in which the normal
schools were the only issue of i'm
portance.
Dishonesty voted to sell the normal
school property in the towns affected
and turn the proceeds over to the
new school, At Weston 10 acres only
one block from Main street. and a
brick building now used as a boys
dormitory. were given to the state by
the citizens for normal school pur-
poses. Has the senate no sense of
honor. that it wants to donate the
value of this property to Portland?
Voted to abandon school plants
worth we'll above three figures, in
Guiding the Weston Normal. which at
very conservative estimate is worth
$4,000 as school property, although
l. would scarcely bring tenth of that
sum if sold under the hammer. The
large brick building constructed by
the state in 1901 at a cost of some
thing like $4,000 would be valueless
for any purpose except as a home for
the school and would be relegated to
ruin, vacancy and vermin.
Sought to establish the foundations
Of a real graft which will have no
end once the Portland school Is Civ
en- life. The sum of 100000 will
scarcely buy n decent site and cam
pus at Portland, and future legisla-
lures will be looked to for huge sums
to support this state training school
for Portland teachers.
The whole affair is becoming
heart breaking. Perhaps the best
way out Of the mixup would be to
have no normals at all and send en-
bryo teachers to Washington, which
cheerfully appropriates three dollars
to Oregon's one for normal school
purposes. Perhaps that generous
commonwealth might listen to Ore
gon's fearful plea; please educate
my children, for God pity me, l am
ton poor tO do ca A"