Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-12-13

And just recentl = the Superinten
dent Of Public Instruc ion Of Wis
consin issued 8 circular letter to the
teachers of that state motif ying them
Of and warning them against the pre-
sumptions and aggressions and pol
itical ambitions Of the university Of
Wisconsin.
You dream Of being the leaders
and you are the followers; you talk
of being uplifters and you are the
burden; you speak Of being the
teachers and you sit in darkness. You
say "The university becomes the
trustee Of ideas and ideals and the
custodian Of standards" and yet no
fancy Of dreaming childhood was
ever more baseless than this halluc-
nation Of your brain.
UNIVERSITY NIGHT BE GREAT
And one great pity Of it all is that
this university might be SO great, SO
good, so useful, such splendid serv-
ant Of the people. Your power is SO
extensive, your opportunities are 50
far reaching; the implements at your
hand are so numerous, that there is
scarcely any limit that might be put
to your services if you were minded
| to render them to the needs Of the
present and not to the legends Of the
past. One years real effort on the
part Of the university would do more
to simplify and render human and
possible our text book system than
can be accomplished in five years by
the people working against the dead
weight Of your inertia; would do
more to organize, simplify and un-
burden the course Of study; would do
more to organize, train and direct
teachers and relieve them Of the use
less burdens now resting upon them,
IF the university would cast out the
self seeking, special and favored
professions it now fosters and devote
it's energies very extensively to the
education and training Of school
teachers qualified properly to meet
the difficulties that will encounter
them, it would then, in the
production Of these invaluable serv-
ants Of the public and in the agri-
culturists it might train, if it train
ed them Alright, do enough for the
veal Of the people in one year to ov-
erbalance much Of it's failure to meet
it's responsibilities in the years gone
by.
| IF the university had the good will
respect and understanding love OF
the people and was worthy of that
| high honor, there is almost no limit
to the size and power for good il
NO LIMIT TO POWER FOR GOOI
might acquire. If the university anc
| the schools Of the state we're offering
to the people the needs Of the present
day and not the abtruse puzzles an6
problems and legends Of the past
were trying to teach this people its
own tongue in the language it speaks
and not use the records Of deaG
and vanished past to teach the living
things of today, it's opportunity 70,
doing good would be unlimited ant
the people would respond with a Wig
or and enthusiasm that would max,
it necessary to widen these vast halls
to Tar greater space than they oc.
cupy today.
;. Why should the university and tn,
educational system it has fatheret
for forty years be an ancient reapins
sickle and not a Irvine binder; Full
tons steamer and not an ocean lin
er; an OK cart and not the Chicag,
Limited; mound builders low hill
and not the Eiffel Tower? There i.
no answer except that the universit,
and its spirit are blind and will no
see.
Respectfully submitted.
Il ORA 7. PARKER