Daily clarion and standard. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1866, 1866-06-14
For the LIaFlO4 anu otlsIlN11]1
The school Book Question.

alton of every lover of learning. And I
perhaps if the question which has been
started is kept in motion something
may be accomplished.
What are the real facts in the case
In the common school system of edu-
cation, numberless varieties Of works
have been brought into practical use.
And but few in general use. The rea-
sons for this are patent. Our teachers /
are generally from all points ofthe
compass. No inquiries are made inre- /
gard to their qualifications, their so
cial position, nor their moral stand /
ing. Many ofthem are qaacks, with
out education or common sense, and /
are compelled to teach only such books
as they have learned, or, as they are
able to get keys for, The consequence
is that the thing has gone on at such a
rate that child to graduate in any of
our common country schools will
have enough books to commence
q library with
Again, the people do not make a
proper effort to sustain good school.
One who has prepared himself thor
oughly by years of study and close APP
rlicatiOn, comes to a neighborhOod
and desires to build up a permanent
school. To this end, he puts his rates Of
tuition at what his services are worth.
Some individual, however, who is out
Of employment-is too lazy to work
bethinks him to humbug the people.
He sets up an opposition school at
half the figures, and is absolutely a
disadvantage to every scholar he deals
with, for they will ultimately have
most of what he has taught them to
unlearn. Yet this man with the cheap
school viii get the scholars, and the
other school dies for want Of patron
age.
I | remember when l was boy there
came a man to my native village in
Louisiana. He was q fine looking
fellow, shrewd, and with excellent com
mon sense. He used to punish the
/ half of us every day to make our pa
rents think that he was a fine disciple
marian. Aud they used to judge j
teacher by that. This man had eighty
scholars, and he undertook to teach
them all At night he wrote up the
books for one of the largest mercantile
houses in the town. One night he
cloped with ali the funds of that es
tablishmcnt. And the next week came
a big lrru of some kind from the Gov
enor Of Vermont for him, saying he
was an escaped convict. Now it /:
to Just such characters that the moral.
and the training of our youth are en-
trusted
To what extent does the evil of nu
/ merous kinds of text books prevail?
Webster's Speller and School Die
tionary, are in common use. Some
times, however, we meet with Town
Beginner, and now and then some
others.
Reading Books-McGutfey's Read
ers, were rapidly winning their way tC
/ universal favor The trouble we expe
rience here is, that Yankee like, he
has got up new edition" Good
rich's Readers, for school purposes
though not much better than the daily
/ newspapers, is found in use now anC
then. There are others which have
found their way into some neighbor
hoods.
We have Smiths, Green's, Kirkham's
, Billions Buffers, and other Gram
mars, and when a parent starts hi,
child to school, he might as well ge
them all, if he can get them cheap
Smiley has gone the long road in thi
r country We old folks knew Smiley
, but some of the others, especial,
Kirkham and Butler, are superior
In Arithmetic, Smith and Davies
have had the run for the past fifteel
years in this country; the latter is nov
F. in more general use, perhaps, than an
, other text book let Robinson's Sc
e ries of Mathematics are, beyond a
+ doubt, preferable to any works whic
= have ever been published in this coun
+ try. Greenleaf finds favor with some
e If any family has educated tire
children, and they all preserved thei
books, YOU viii be sure to find Mitcl
G ellis, Smith 5 and Olneys Geographic:
=, and it is useless to mention all tn
trash usually palmed off under the caI
I tivating sobriquet of Philosophy, A.
= tronomy, or some other natural G
Il moral science, many of which Al
crammed down chiIdren's threats Ell
they can figure out correctly a sum i
# long division"
But the child goes home, and tn
proud but deluded parent, congratl
n lates herself on having such a chilC
b and such an appreciative teacher.
+ The remedy for these evils, is not
, ready one, neither is it easy to CON
: out. Now, during the trial of OF
81 people, and every person is striving {
( build up their shattered fortunes, W
> can find plenty of competent youn
men and women who are ready t
teach But let prosperity again r
turn to our shores, and will not thes
- young people turn to pursuits MOI
:. lucrative? Here is the root of the ma
. ter If you want good and competel
teachers, you must pay them wei
Our common school system is entir
ly defective There are enough chi
: dren in the land; there is wealt
a. enough, there is talent enough.
N we had schools for the education {
10 teachers; were teachers compelled I
m get out a license, obtained only /
70 standing a thorough examination
~ and furnishing satisfactory credentia
- for moral qualifications were thes
:, teachers to meet in convention an
! establish throughout the State
" general system of school-books;
would not be long before we wou
= have more thorough. more syst
s. matte, and, in fact, a cheaper educ
ton than ever. One year with
competent, thorough instructor
worth a half dozen years with Il
many half witted fellows who ha,
taken it up for few months supper
= until they can get start in publ
= confidence and find a more lucrati'
= and more congenial situation. v
want professional teachers.