The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1859-01-19
How Pnyem.9 ARE Swimd;ci.

EaD" EtE1chtH are SSSsnaesCta.
We have been requested to publish the fol-
lowing article As it contains more truth
lhan poctry" it will attract the attention of
Some OF our readers at least That class more
particularly, who have been yictimizcd hv the
grievance complained Of The application Is
not intended to be specific, but general. No one,
therefore engaged in the honorable occupation Of
school teaching need complain. The writer
says
The greatest and most warranted complaint
raised against our educational institutions and
more especially our COMMON schools--proyreS-
sye and truly noble in every other respcct--is
the almost universal one, that the changes in
text books are so frequent as to Le an oppressive
tax to the poor, without presenting, save in very
rare instances, any merit equivalent. Indeed,
while parcutS are sorely taxed and vexed, and
in many cases thereby induced, or compelled to
abridge the schooling of their children, the chill
dren themselves are seriously retarded in their
studies by this system of change During his
ten or dozen years Of pupiiage, the scholar
without changing his district is liable to be re-
quiredby each of as many teachers, to furnish
himself with a fresh set of books. when the first
Of his old SETS very likely is as good as any cne
or the whole lot, ofthe others. The great hurt
inl result to him, is that his education is loose
ly based upon confusion and very often a con-
lct Of authorities.
The cause of this, we have seen charged to be
colusion between schoomasters and school. book
makers and publishers, the spur thereto being
dividend of the thus increased book trade
We have found, upon inquiry into the matter,
that there is much truth in the charge. 1t is
well understood among teachers that school
Will oil
whatever sales they may influence and as this
percentage is handsome item where clean
sweep can be made Of old text books in almost
any school, it cannot but have an influence with
teachers. More than this many of the leading
teachers are authors, or compiIers of school
books, and Of course do all in their power to
spread their own bantlngS, while many more
teachers and otherS-are lead TO try school
book making, as the easiest and most promis-
ing field of literature.
We cannot but sympathize with those who
complain of these things, for the reason that We
think their complaint generally sound one.--
The larger number OF scholars, the country over,
are the children Of the poorer classes, who can
i'll afford to be overt taxed in this direction; and
we are with them, of the opinion that four lifths
cl the changes have more to do with the profit
oftcachers, compilers and publishers, than with
the real need or good of the school going public.
We doubt very much If the flood Of 50, called
improved readers" and "spellcrs," and class
books generally are an improvement.
We furthermore doubt the average OF scholars
are better, or more correctly, educated now than
under the regime Of Lirdlay Murray, Noah
Webster, Pierpont, and Daboll, who satisfied
whole generation of scholars. We hear some
now tangled pronouncing now and then, hut
we do not find better readers, spoilers, writers
or cjphcrers. We say Therefore, that return
to the old-times economies is demanded by the
best interests of education. We Shall never OBJ
ject to imp,0rei school books or methods OF
teaching, but il is high time we had some hon
est critical tribunal TO determine whether the
new notions are improvements or not. 1t seems
to u}, that besides SAVING an OncrouS and need
less tax, it would be a grand education step for
ward if we could have uniform school books and
common standard of the English language, for
the winnie country. If this be impossible
whyp