Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-12-12

and there was slight difference OF
opinion among different members OF the
Board as to which actually prevailed.
Soon after the selection was made, diff
ference arose between the publishers OF
Mltchell's and Guyot's series. This diff.
ference was brought to the notice OF
some members of the Board at the extra
session OF the Legislature, but no seton
was attempted. At Bristol, the first
time the Board were together after max
ing the selection, this difference of opin'
ion was talked over In friendly man
ner, and the views Of all harmonlzed
so as to accord with the facts, without
any motion or attempt to change the
result.
1t is affirmed that the method pur-
sued In the hearings was uucourteoss
aud unfair towards the teachers who
were called to advise with the Board
This complaint divides itself into two
Specifications, that the deliberations Of
the Board were held In private, and that
books recommended by the teachers
were not adopted in every instance. 1t
did not occur to the Board, till they
read the report OF the late Secretary, that
the opinions OF eminent teachers which
they were required TO obtain, were to
control the judgment Of the Board. And
having re-examined the law, they fail to
see that they were required to accept
those opinions as conclusive, especially
when they were quite as diverse as the
opinions Of the Board. When one
teacher strenuously recommends Eaton's
Arithmetic, aud another, equally emf
nent, recommends Greenlears, whose
opinion should the Board follow, or
what should they do, but that which
in fact they did do, and which the law
required them to do,-select the one
which in their judgment was "best
suited for instruction and use in the
schools ~ When one teacher recon-
mends Quackenbos' history, and another
Lossing's. why should the Board concur
in the opinion of the former rather than
that OF the latter, or OF the latter rather
that OF the former? Who shall decide
when teachers disagree The law says
the Board of EiucatiOn-and the Board
obeyed the law. 1t is, however, the
truth, notwithstanding what the late
Secretary sfIlrms in that regard, that
nearly half the books fl1ally selected,
have the published sanction of one of
the two teachers whose opinions con.
corning them were procured. Ia re-
spect to part Of the rest the teachers
expressed no opinion whatever, aud Ia
respect to some others, they expressed q
bare opinion, uuaccompanied By any res-
son, to which opinion the Board gave
such attention as seemed to be its due
After what is said in the report OF the
late Secretary 10 regard to unfAirness
and discourtesy toward teachers in ex.
Guiding them from the final delibera tions
o. the Board, 1t may be difficult 20 be.
lieve that it was through his influence
that the meetings OF the Board were pri.
vate rather than public. Tits neverthe.
less true that In compliance with his ur-
gent recommendation, and in opposition
to the expressed wishes OF part OF the
Board, 1t was voted "thst Ia the exami.
nation OF textbooks the sessions
OF the Board will be conducted
in private" This vote was passed on
Monday, as appears OF record in the
handwriting of the late Secretary, and
when he, at noon Of Thursday, informed
the teachers that the Board would con-
duct their deliberations in private, he
informed them not Of new decision dis
courteous to them, and against which
his soul revolted, but OF an old decision
made st his special instance and request
II 8 single teacher who remained after
all the rest had returned home was
finally permitted to be present, it is diff
hcult to see how courtesy to him could
be dlscourtesy to any one else.
The Board forbear to pursue this line
of comment. They would not have pur-
sued it thus far, but for the possibility
that their silence might be construed as
an admission Of the truth of the various
statements upon which they have COM
mented. II they arrest the discussion
at this point, their silence does not give
assent to any Of the allegations which
remain unanswered.
The late Secretary has recommended
that the Legislature revise the decision
OF the Board by substituting some hooks
for those recommended, or at least by
adding them to the list, But it ia diff
cult to see how boty 50 large as the
Legislature and pressed With the consld-
GRAFTON of so many aud 50 wetghty sub
ierts can give the books 10 question that
careful examination which is desirable
In the language Of the late Secretary as
applied TO the Board TO suppose
that so many men, upon SO difficult a