OREGON NORMAL SCHOOLS 123
tax upon their property for the year 1905-1906. The town of Monmouth aided by loyal friends of the school raised over $7,000. This amount was insufficient to maintain the Mon- mouth Normal for a year, so the Polk County Bank advanced the teachers money monthly to the amount of seventy-five per cent of their vouchers. Weston alone closed its doors. The vote at the election was close, the omnibus bill carrying by only 6,730 votes. In Southern Oregon the majority was strongly in favor of the measure. Twenty-four twenty-fifths of all the ballots cast in Ashland, seven-eighths of all the votes of Jackson County, and four-fifths of the votes of Curry, Coos, and Klamath Counties were for the bill. Marion, Linn, Yam- hill, Clackamas, Washington, were strongly against the appro- priation.
The fight over the normals grew in intensity. Representa- tive Vawter of Jackson came forward with the proposal that one board of regents be appointed to direct the affairs of the four schools. The bill carried, and the Weston Leader notes that this act marked the beginning of the downfall of the normal schools. The new board consisted of six members appointed by the governor, and the state board of education.
All the schools asked for appropriations. The totals were larger than ever before, Monmouth alone asking for $115,000. The committee on ways and means acted favorably on each measure excepting Drain 27 "to show the people what a big graft the normals were working." Finally one bill was drafted covering both Drain and Monmouth, hoping that the strong support belonging to the older school would carry both safely through. Ashland was accused of being a party to this bargain, but she stoutly denied the charge. The legislative struggle was bitter. In the end the bills carried, but Governor Chamberlain vetoed the joint bill making appropriations for Monmouth and Drain. His explanation 28 of the veto was given at length, charging bad faith on the part of C. N. McArthur, president of the House, recalling his recommendation that two normals be abolished, and maintaining that the joint appropriation bill
27 Oregon Teachers' Monthly, March, 1907.
28 "The legislature in this instance combined Monmouth and Drain in one
