The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1867-10-11
SCHOOL BOOKS.

Some four Years since the State Super
10 tendsnt, Hon. I, T. GoodnoW. recon-
mandsd and strongly urged the adoption
of Wilson's Readers 10 the Schools OF the
State. The writer Of this article then
protested against the books as unsuitable
for reading books; anti American and DIS
loyal. The introduction OF these books
vas urged with great persisiency aud the
work was very generally accomplished
The books have bern thoroughly tested,
and The verdict feturasd, by large ma
i9rity of,the teachers o! the State, Is what
was predicted: that is. that they are very
unsuitable as reading books, and are not
adapted to the ends Tor which they were
designed. This fact has become so ap-
parent that even the publishers themselves.
conscious Of the failure they have made,
are endeaVoriug 10 work in an "interme-
date Serie-;" thus. in fact, getting up an
entire new set of books. Our best teach.
ers regard the whole series from the Third
Reader upward utterly a failure; and in
Lawrence, Leavenworth and some other
places, they have bsen thrown out of the
public schools. II has been urged that
uniformity of text books throughout Tie
STATE WAS exceedingly desirable and should
be insisted upOu. 1t must be apparent 10
every indS idual what tremendous mo
uopolY such an arrangement would give
TO the publishing house that was 80 lorlu,
nate as to get the job of supplying all the
reading books. OF any other school books
for ate. The most exhorbmaut raIes
could be charged with The utmost impu--
nifty, and there would be no redress.
How Harper & Bros. have used their priv
Ilege is left for hose to say that have bee q
compelled to pay the high prices for these
readers The evil is upon US; but are We
compelled patiently TO bear ii? Are We
compelled t. use books which the major
ity Of the teachers OF the S ate regard as
unfit for the purposes of teaching read
ing? Are we compelled to use books
that ost studIou-ly avoid everything that
relates 10 the welfare of our Government
(wiIh the exception Of fifteen linee) and
Nation? Are these the books ID place in
the hands OF the children of martyr
patriots? And so lar as uniformity of
text books throughout the STATE IS con
cernSd ne opinion was strongly expressed
al the Kansas Sta'e Teachers A-soc,atiou
last July, that uniformity through, u: the
State was not essential or particularly de
sirabIs. The same opinion was expressed
in the Michigan Sac Convention. The
principle Is that composition will give u
the best bo' ks on the most reasonable
term4. and We sh- uld avail ourselves of
the btDt f,s of This compeuliou. The
ch1nge OF books is an evil TO be deprs
cated. Il bears hardest on those lea,t
able 10 endure it Il is thing to be dread
ed. 1t is exceedingly. unfortunate that
of all the sstisa published We should ge,
The worst. McGuFry's series are very
excellent: so are Sanders Hilard's.
TowDes', the Nation.l. and Edward.
These all are true reading books. Each
has It's excellencIes, though some are pre-
ferabla TO others. Wer- any of these 10
use should leave it for my successor TO
propose change.
In view of lie facts in the case it is
proposed to effect, changs-not sudden
". bul as gradually as possible. Or the
several series Edwards Analytical series
seem to Offer as manyif eDol greater sd
vantagss than any other. We arc not
di posed to speak ditparageiugIy of Other
readers. for many other readers do pos
sees very great szcellencies, but. these
books have special points which We will
notice next week. G G. MORSE.