Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-03-18

trained for their task? AS President
Foster says, What shall it profit us
if we gain the whole world for de-
mocracy and thereby lose the soul of
democracy" "The last line of de-
fense," as President Wilson has
called the educational organization of
the country, must be kept intact,
ready for all the varied forms of serv-
ice that the worlds struggles must
necessarily impose upon each unit of
our life in this present day and in
preparation also for the great task
of rebuilding the civilization of the
world when the war has passed
While the early history of our state
shows lively interest of the pioneers
in common schools and even higher
institutions of learning, many Of
which developed into permanent COL
leges, it can not be truthfully said
that we have been as progressive in
the later years of Oregon's history as
other coast states of equal age and
no greater privileges which have out
distanced us, especially in the matter
of public school development through
well-equipped teachers. 1t is folly to
try to build up school system in
state as widely scattered as Oregon
without several centers for the train
ing of teachers. We have had several
opportunities to remedy the ill-ad-
vised action of normal-killing SEN
ate, but up to this time we have not
done it. What we have turned down
in our prosperity we must take up in
these days of war strain with a de-
termination to see it through. Hay-
ing become somewhat accustomed to
big tasks and large demands on our
strength and substance, we certainly
can and will handle this job with bet
ter grace than in ordinary times.
There are many things in our favor:
the cooperation of eastern Oregon
assured by the one bill providing for
both schools and the enlisting of sew
eral different communities in that
part of the state in an active cam
paign for the measure on account of
tie unnamed location of that school,
the meeting of the State Editorial
convention in Medford in the fall of
1916 and their entertainment in
Lithia park giving these men a favor
able impression of southern Oregon's
needs, the recommendation of the
state board of regents for two addi-
tional normal schools, the crowded
condition at Monmouth, and the in
creasing demand for trained teachers
1t will require large campaign fund |
and the active cooperation of all of |
our citizens, but there is no use to |
try to dodge it. We have never had |
so many advantages, and the opinion |
CT many men in the northern part of
the state is that it is a most oppor-
tune time to submit the matter to
the voters. The campaign should be
handled in conjunction with the vari-
GUS local committees in La Grande, |
Baker, Pendleton and other eastern
Oregon cities interested in this prop
osition from some common point, |
probably Portland. In order to do |
a good job we ought to raise in Ash
land and community a fund of from
$1,000 to $4,000 and the several
towns of eastern Oregon will prob
ably between them raise an equal |
amount. 1t is not too soon to begin |
to figure-not how little you can
give, but how much you will give.
Our fathers fought for the good |
schools idea in southern Oregon and |
they won, to our everlasting credit; |
and now we should count it an honor
to complete the unfinished task of |
providing trained teachers for the
schools of southern Oregon, fitting
honor to Ashland, the home of the
old normal school of 1879.