Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1860-10-05

they exercised any authority ID prescribe
text books, it was by leave or suffer
ance Of the Prudential Committee. Their
influence and rccon,B enddtion would however
always have great weight with pupils par
ents, and Prudential Committees. In process
of time the excessive changes Of Textbooks
from the influence Of authors and booksellers
and the fluctuating notions of teachers be
came subject of great complaint. y cheek
was applied, or rather intended to be appleo'
by deyolying partly or wholly the duty
above quoted on Torn Svperin'en4sHss N 9TH
ing cfectual coming from that change, the
act of 1855 directed, 80 that " the Board Of
Education Established by the act Of 1866
should '.se1ect or procure 10 6e seleoto6' list
efqraln1,qrr, biographies, ortt'Dnetcs ,re0derS
and spoilers. 10 be used in the district schools
Of this STATE. limiting the text books in each
ofsaid branches ,o one or more. in their
discretion
The LIT n srammas. biographies, arith-
metics, readers aud spellers,' published IN
January. l85G. was 70 be climbing upon
the Board oi Education. superintendent
and teachers FOR the next five years and il
was said furthermore, "Teanh7rs and Super
intendents shall recommend for use IN tie
district schools. A. new books shall become
necessary FOR instruction in the branche:
named. no other than lprk~ iocludei in
said list ST. established.
Just observe now, that ,his authorized
list" limited as it was TO he, 10 qranmars
I qcqgrGpd'es, oTitbme'icy, reGiers and spoilers
! interlered in no respect whatever with the
{ introduction Of Gay books, which parents, pu-
pils,or PRUDENTIAL committees might wish to
have usc-, on any subject whatever. Il
barely stoPped Of superintendonts and teach
ers from recommending the introduction OF
other books Oh the prescribed branches than
! those on the list. Tt took from teachers and
superintendent no ot5r power, and it gave
them no qro rorer. on any subject what
| ever.
The Board, in the list OF books which
they were 'directed" by 'aw to publish for
SupcIiutaudent- and Teachers to recommend
from. IS new books might be wanted did
not insrr the Bible rs ons Of the ''raaders
That omission j. the basis of Mr.. Rankin 5
heavy accusation against them. let us sec
what the Bard said on that point. If Mr.
Rankin had quoted it, he would have given
to his reader. more discriminating good
sense than can BE- found in tn. entire four
columns Of has FAULT finding with the Board
and their Secretary. The Bard -aid AZ fol-
lows
Thai feature Of the Law which provides
iyT uniformity of School Books, hY making
its compulsory provisions bear only upon
Teacheis and Suierintendcnts by way of
Yroi'5'G~c C4ang,S, lcar1R9 parents frcc 10
prorif1 s',,t to1ts az they choose, while it ac-
complisdes toe purpose almed at a. fully as
more stringent laws could do, secures the
law from opp sition and diotrus: 1t Is be-
lieved. IF Instance, that the Bible is as gen
orally RAD in Vermont Schools as il those
States where its use is compelled by law,
and in q much better spirit, and oi course
with more suitabl, effect.
And hat did the Secretary Of the Board
Do , FIRST in his report of 1879, rage Is,
in eiyir. some account Of the reasons which
influenced the Board Of Education in max
ing Their ls' If Books, which Teachers and
Superintendent" might recommend for use.
SC, ne eaid as follows
Pen ling the confederation Of Readers. al the
:, iicita ION nj correspondents Of high character
the Board gave much attention &c the question Of
Inc aJrisabiiity Of the Recommendation Of the
Bible rs a text book for reading in school.
bile the Board concurTei IN the position that
Jal culture, resting upon bible truth as its only
sie basis, j; matter Of the highest sment in all
our 'chocl,. and therefore that rupture Lesson
read by the Teacher, is in the highest degree de-
5ira Die, IS an opening closing exercise in the
schools, t was not considered Advisable TO give an
d fetal recommendation Of the Bible as a common
t-xt book ia reading, for the daily use Of all our
common schools.
And again, If recommen ied, it woald lee ne
cessary ftentiues to enforce its u-e by npulsory
and in this way very large proportion
Of the children, who now attend th public school,.
nnd Who are extremely jealous Of al compulsory
religious Instruction at the hands Of any other than
Their Owl religious Teachers would be driven from,
tie schools, and thus, in many instances deprived
o.. al Intellectual or moral culture.
% For these and for other reasons otter pro
trsetod and earnest and thorough discussion. the
Board unanimously concurred in deeming il inex-
Iel,ont to recommend the Bible rs text-bo2k in
readiug.'
Se9nd The Superintendent Of Schools in
Brighton, wrote to Mr., Adams that teacher
in one IT the Schools " requested ali the
: ildien to bring Testaments and read il the
Al the opening of the school, that
No Or three Irish boys refused to read. and
an that their parents told them not to read |
be b i- n School :" that the teacher felt |
: baF juty to force compliance with her !
eouIren ent. as she had made il Of all vet |
Wished 70 avoid " creating any trouble"
7hich she was sure would fellow, IF she for
"a ''mrliance or expelled the children from
'cho'l- The Town Superintendent requested
MI ADAMS to write to him on the subject.
Mf Adams letter is given atlength in the
Report The substance of it is that .bo
lights II 'nscience are fully protected to all
y i'- uaiitution and Laws of Vermont
ha' " his opinion, to enforce III the Dis
rict >-'t..ls the reading of the Testament on
hose a4se parents disallowei it, or to drive
aca c.' rJen out of school for non-compli-
nee. Haad he violation of those rights
nd furthermore. that teacher had no
ight - introduce the Testament as reading
ook. because the Bible was not in the au-
horned list Of - Readers " as published by
be Board
Whether all that the Secretary said in his
'ttcr was necessary, or that he might not
ave said more, is of no consequence the
'se-.tial point is, what other opinion could
9 give! Could he say that Teacher has
ower under the law to prescribe, absolutely,
of L. i | ,