Plymouth banner. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1852-1855, 1854-01-12
tommOn SelO0l Books.

lyIi.uUu Nt.iUUl DUNN
We see that TWO papers in The extreme
northern end OF the State. and one on the
Wabash. have spoken against the seec-
ton Of Books made by the State Board of
Education recently. as infringing upon
the rights of the North OF the merits OF
say. We have not seen them and even
if we had, it would require more time to
determine the comparative merits of the
various kinds in use. than is at our dis
posal.
But while we have nothing TO say 10
reference TO the question of merit. il
may not be improper 10 say word OK
two as to the power behind the throne
which bids the press speak in opposition
10 the selections of the State Board. The
Valparaiso Observer-the editor being.
we believe. Vice President. or some thing
o( that sort. Of the Northern Indiana
Teachers Institute. which has been or
ganizcd two or three years first sounded
the alarm, and the South Bend Register
reIteratts ii. The first we saw OF the
Observer article. was in the shape of
slip cut from the paper, and Sent TO Us
in "a letter by NJ. ID. Wi.ter. of South
Bend. The letter we have .nisslaysd, or
we would give it entire. This gentle
man expressed his opinion that the rights
Of the North had been trampled upon by
the State Board--that the outrage ou.ht
not u be submitted tO--and that the
press ought to t>he decided ground IA
gainst the action of the Bard. This
is the substance OF the letter.
This letter led US TO consider ,chy Mr.
Witter should feel SO deep all interest in
the matter. and the solution of the prob
lem was not difficult. We remem Der
that Mr.. Witter was very actively engag-
&C within the past three years in getting
a certain set of schoo! books introduced
into The schools Of Northern Indiana. -
We believe that many. if not all the
books he Yves so instrumental in present
ing as the books above all Others 10 be
desired hy the teachers. parents and pu-
pills. of Northern Indiana, are issued by
publishing house in New York city
A. S. Barnes & Co. We further believe
that Mr.. Witter, while so indusiriously
engaged in advancing the educational in
terests Of Northern Indiana. was (and m y
possibly yet be) the sa!aried agent Of the
said publishing house--that he was paid
TO use every exertion 10 drive out of cir
culatiom other school books that came in
competition with the issues Of that pub
a.
end Mr. w. was very faithful at;endant
upon the sessions of the Teachers Iusti
tutes in various places--aud that he lef
no means honorable of cour,e,) untriet
TO secure the endorsement of the Institute
for the publications of his employers. =
We believe he succeeded very well, as By
Investigation we discover that of sixty
five books commended by the Institute
for scholars. thirty three-or over half
, are published BY A. S. Barnes & Co.. Mr.
Writer'S employers. There may be NOR,
Of the numbef published by that house
but from the list we had. three is all w,
have discovered. Mr.. Writer is moiv a
gent for the sale Of Barnes & Cos book
, and has a deep interest in mantainin
, their acknowledgement of the queS
ton of nerit--in the schools of Northern
Indiana.
Very many. undoubtedly, believe Mr.
: w. was very disinterested man-ful
9 Of the milk Of human kindness--yearnin
n for he good of the rising generation
1 aud anxious only that the teaching Of tn
y young ideas how to shoot" might b
f from the best kind Of school books
S and fell in readily with his commends
S lions. The fact that Mr.. w. was the
n paid for his services by an eastern put
: fishing house, destroys very much Of III
I credit for philanthropy which people al
j. corded 10 him.
d Taking all these facts into considrrt
is tion--putting them toge Their. and putin
J. alongside Of them another fact, viz: TIA
It Mr.. Witter is now addressing letter
, through the agency of the auditors OF III
IF several Counties to the Township Trui
n tees. probably TO induce them TO resi-.
!, the decision Of the State Board--and
II may not be unkind to conclude that IL
j. New York publishing house. through i
agent. Mr.. Witter, is the head aud from,