The Weston leader. [volume] (Weston, Umatilla County, Or.) 189?-1946, 1916-06-30

Ine grown. Oh tue tets"es
idea In Oregon has been so slow that
its yeast has not even leavened normal
scheol counties. In its place Is pro-
nouneed seliishness. This indisposision
Pendleton win have to overcome with
out the saving grace of itself having
shown an unselfish spirit. II would
KIN normal school In nominal exist
ence at Weston in order that Pendleton
may obtain one. We are even inclined
to think that Pendleton gave a major
ity adverse to the Southern Oregon
Normal at Ashland. II we are wrong
in this we would be glad TO have the
esteemed East 0regonian enlighten us
BY printing the figures.
Polk county, containing oregon's one
lone normal school in actual operation.
evidently believes that the normal
school idea is good for Polk county but
not for the remainder Of Oregon. IL
has twice voted heavily against normal
schools at Ashland and Weston. Una
tilla county in 1914 expressed its notion
that state normal school Is fine
thing for Eastern Oregon but to place
one in Southern Oregon for the training
of its teachers would be like casting
pearls before swine" II gave the
Weston school about 1900 majority.
but went against the Ashland school by
about eOO-a miserable exhibition of
simon pure, downright, cussed selfish
ness. Weston's own skirts, however,
are clear Of this ignominy. II gave
the Ashland school nearly as large a
vote as it did its own. as follows:
Weston Normal Yes $50. No ?.
Ashland Normal Yes SO, No 80.
1t viii be seen that with Weston's
vote eliminated the majority against
Ashland in Umatilla county would have
been practically 5O0-a showing that
should preclude Pendleton. Weston or
any other Umatilla county town from
asking for normal school support until
this county itself has undergone edu-
tional regeneration
Benton county, the home Of the agri-
cultural college. presumably considers
the expenditure Of state money for
higher education laudable proposition
IL confined to Benton county. having
given the normal schools but feeble
support when it should have been for
them whoIe-heartedly. The home Of the
state university, Lane alone Of all the
valley counties seems to have absorbed
the spirit of Horace Mann, having
voted strongly for both the Ashland
and Weston normals. 1t gave the Wes-
ton school majority of 24Sl. or more
than 800 greater than Umatilla's.
Eastern Oregon as whole has not
been and is not begging the state for q
normal school. The Weston Normal
carried no county in 1914 bat Una
tilla in this section of the state. An
Eastern Oregon county Is prone 70 re-
gard a normal school in any other
county as q .local graft. Having
beaten La Grande and Baker to an
Eastern Oregon hospital. Pendleton
is likely to encounter bit OF Tough
shedding" in trying to convince these
rival cities that it is also entitled to a
normal school.
Weston lost the state by 1885.
Ashland, with fully as much to recon-
mend it. lost BY q, 1881, receiving some
nine thousand fewer votes than did
Weston. Assuring itself that 2 big
and busting town like Pendleton can
go out and get what Weston can not,
because of an ostensible prejudice
against this little burg throughout the
state. Pendleton ID welcome to what
cold comfort 1t may derive from these
figures. We are wondering how PEN
dleton is going to explain away the
much greater prejudice" against Ash
land "a beautiful home town, suitable
in every way as normal school loca-
tion and situated in the only section OF
the state that has been consistently
Ioyal TO the normal school idea. In
1914 Jackson county gave the Eastern
Oregon Normal the remarkable vote
of 5ls6 for to 1911 against. supplying
with Lane county the only two riffs in
the normal school cloud and putting
UmatilIa county to shame.
Every Willamette valley county ex-
cept Lane, Multnomah and Benton
overwhelmed the normals beneath an
avalanche Of ballots. The adverse
vote in Marion county was nearly three
to one. In CIackamas, Linn, Polk,
Washington and Yamhill it was two o Z
more to one. MuItnomah and Benton
gave the schools such small majorities
as to be almost negligible.
The crux Of the matter is that PEN
dIeton is up against the Oregon
spirit" which has declared unmistaka-
bly, that it wants no more normals. 1t
has the hardihood to ask for new
school plant within two years after the
state has voted against the utilization
Of two existing plants. 1t may win by
tying up with Corvallis, Eugene and
Ashland by means of its validating
clause, but need try to befool no one
but itself with the notion that there is
any crying, insistent demand for an
Eastern Oregon Normal at Pendleton,
Weston or elsewhere. The task Of ere
atine such a demand is a colossal one
for even a town of Pendieton's bound