Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-03-20
The Phoenix and Textbooks.


The Brattleboro Phqnir some weeks since,
in noticing the decision of the Board of Edu-
cation in regard to textbooks, said, &" We are
not a little surprised at some of these recon-
mendations, and are curious to know by rhat
influences and appliances this result was
brought about 1t seemed to us that the
| Ph9nir. by the use of the words " influences
and appliances meant to charge that the
Board were influenced in their decision by
other considerations than the merits of the
books before them and this, we think, was
not only fair, but a necessary inference
| from the language used by the Ph9nir
That paper, however, disclaims any such in
tention. and now practically says it doesn't
wish even to hint 50 the slightest suspicion of
the dishonesty of the Board :" but it :. claims
| thu right for itself, and for the public, to
q Iestion and criticise their (tbe Board's) do
i1gs," and also the IS right not only to know
what they do but the reasons for their action
also.' The Ph9nir has, no doubt. a right
to be dissatisfied with the action of the Board
and to say so, but it hasn't a right to hint
even, that anything but the merits of the
books determined the choice of the Board,
unless it has facts upon which to base that
hint. And we trust our cotemporary will
take no offense, if we suggest that it is the
duty of public journal like the Phenir,
W Iich is as warmly engaged in advancing all
educational interests as any other newspaper,
to tquestion and criticise - the final action
he &c ~ r
textbooks little as possible. 1t has been
said by eminent judges that it is OF less con-
sequence to have the law right than to have
it settled, and SO the best judges give great
force to presidents. And it may be said of
the textbooks in use, or to be used in our
schools, that it is better to have scholars and
teachers and the public obliged by law to use
a prescribed series of textbooks, although
some of them are not perfect, than to have
variety of textbooks. Experience has
taught us that the best book stands an infn-
itely poorer chance under the old law, where
every teacher and pupil selected for himself,
than under the present law, when the Board
of Education select for the whole State; be-
side the unmeasured mischief that results
from multiplicity of textbooks upon the
same subject in the same school. To procure
this uniformity it has become the law of the
State, that the Board of Education shall de- |
eide for the whole State what textbooks shall
be used. In compliance with that law the
Board, early in the winter, notified the pub
lie generally, and the authors and publishers
in particular, when the decision would be
made and gave them all, including the editor
of the Phenir and every other editor in the
State who wished to be heard respecting the
merits of any textbook, an opportunity to be
heard. They had their hearing at Water
bury, occupying nearly week, although,
in fact, it was only the conclusion and
up of a hearing and examination
of books which had been going on for more
than two months. More than one hundred
and fifty different books were before them,
and from these they made the selection which
has been published as authoritative. And
now comes the Phenir, and not only proposes
TO "questiOn and criticise' - this determin-
alton, but demands the '' reasons - for it.
We can but think that this is attempting to
tHC CdsC ditCI JtHUt JuuSuCut Il
Does not the Ph4nir see that it invites an :
endless controversy? The Board can give but Z
me answer to all demands for reasons, at .
east but one public answer, although we 7
nave no doubt the members of the Board ,
would give the editor of the Ph0nir reasons =
Is plentiful as blackberries if he would call ,
lpon them at their Offices and studies,-and .
hat is, that, in their judgment, the books :
elected were the best books for use in ous- :,
chools. The PhGnir may differ from them :
a this respect, and it is not impossible that y
may be right, and the Board may be !
Frong but newspaper discussion now of :,
he merits of Kerl's or Quackenbos' Gram :.
,ar, or of Mitchell's in comparison with =
iuyot's method of instruction in Geography, :,
Fould be a discussion of question which :,