Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 24.djvu/244

 222 Charles Abner Howard branches shall be taught therein, and the course of study used by classes thus formed in districts of the second and third classes shall be that prescribed by the State Board of Education." Senator Daly of Benton County, who had presented the school bill of 1899, was still greatly interested in this subject, so the new code was placed in his hands for pre- sentation in the legislature. He brought it in early in the session as Senate Bill No. 11. It became apparent at once that there would be little opposition to the measure. State Superintendent Ackerman and Dr. Kuykendall were emboldened to attempt something more substantial in the way of high school legislation than the section above quoted. A measure providing for the organization and financing of district and county high schools was forth- with drawn up and presented by Dr. Kuykendall as Sen- ate Bill No. 103. On final passage each of these bills received practically a unanimous vote. 38 The fact that this belated legislation had not only passed, but had passed almost unanimously, meant that Oregon had at last got out of the woods educationally. Superintendent Ackerman's two years of effort at ed- ucating the public on the subject of high schools had had its influence in bringing about this entire change of at- titude on the part of the legislature between 1899 and 1901, but there is at least one contributory explanation for the reversal of attitude that is worthy of mention. Harvey W. Scott had given up the fight. During the legislative session of 1901 he came to Salem and, in the course of his stay there, had a talk with Dr. Kuykendall in regard to educational matters. He stated that he had not changed his views on public education and that he still believed that the state had no business providing free schools above the elementary grades. "But," said he, "I am an old man now and I am not going to fight you any longer. Free public high schools are coming and I ^Oregon Senate Journal. 1901. p. 322. pp. 337-338.