The union Democrat., 1870-07-30
the rExr-BooK QUESTION.
Oaaeial Statement by superintendent Fisz-
gerald,

Oaleial Statement by superintendent Fisz-
gerald,
On the 10Th instant the State Board of Ed
ucation unanimously adopted McGufay's
Eclectic School Readers, TO take the place of
Wilson's in the public schools of California.
This action has been anticipated for some
time. and has elected much discussion from
newspapers, teachers, and others. As my
official position has brought me into special
prominence in this discussion. and naturally
carses me to be held more directly response
Bile for the action taken than any other men,
bers of the Board, / deem it proper to state
the facts in the case and the reasons that gov
ernei me in said action. Feeling that this
| change was proper and necessary, | am en-
tirely willing to bear this responsibility.
| am sure, however, that Governor Haight
and my other worshy colleagues of the State
Board have the same consciousness of having
doue the right thing, and the best thing, and
like myself court investigation of the facts
and are confident Of the approval of all can
did and intelligent citizens. As to book pub
fishers and book agents, whose interests have
been unfavorably affected because they have
come in conflict with the interests of the chill
dren of the State. their approval Is not ex-
pecsed, neither will any effort be made by me
to avert their displeasure. And this is the
secret of most of the senseless and pointless
clamor that has been raised in the newspa-
pers. This clamor, by significant coinci-
dence. began simultaneously with the appear
ance in California of the agent of Harper and
Brothers, publishers of Wilson's Readers
This agent made his fight in the newspapers,
| Al a. .,,k,, ,Ir &bo
of the State Board into surrender of their
convictions. In some cases artful appeals
were also made to party feeling, in order to
increase the excitement and swell the tide of
intimidation. Very slight allusion was made
to facts; unfounded assertion and sweeping
denunciaton were almost wholly employed.
These tactics failed Of their intended effect
The coarse attacks made on the members of
the State Board only excited just ndigna-
ton where they did not excite contempt, and
strengthened the conviction that cause that
resorted to such means for its support was q
bad one. The members of the State Board
were not frightened from their purpose to de-
eide the textbook question upon it's merits,
end with view only to promote the public
interest. Tho result shows that the Chinese
stink-pot mode of warfare viii not succeed
here in the discussion and settlement of edu-
cational questions.
1t has been generally known. for the last
two years, that did not entertain a favora-
Bile opinion of Wilson's Readers. think the
plan or principle on which they are gotten
up is radically vicious. They encourage the
cardinal vice of American education-super-
fciality-at:empting to teach science and
reading at the same time, in such way as
to disgust an intelligent child for life with
the very name of science while defeating
almost wholly the legitimate object for which
a school reader should be used 1t is unne-
cessary to give examples. The books are so
we'll known, and so generally condemned, that
it is superfuous. My opposition to Wilson's
Readers is no new thing, like the newborn
zeal of certain newspapers, whose interest in
the matter dates with the arrival'of Harper's
agent.
The Wilson's Readers, as series, are bro
ken and incomplete. The Sixth and Seventh
Readers contemplated in the plan of the old
series-which is almost exclusively used in
the schools of this State at large--hace neuer
been published, and probably never will be !;
so that as a scientific series it fails to cover
the ground marked out
The intermediate Series consists of only
two books-Third and Fourth-and cannot
in the old series between the Second and
Third and Third and Fourth-a hodge-podqe.
Wilson's Readers, as series, are cumber-
some and impracticable. The arrangement,
as above given, has already extended the Sc
ries to eight readers, in addition to charts and
spoilers.
Wilson's Readers are tie most erpensire
published. The original series, consisting of
Primer, First, Second, Third, Fourth and
Fifth Readers, costs in the aggregate, SIS 80:
adding to this so cents and 81 l0-the cost
respectively of the intermediate Third and
Fourth Readers-the total cost of the series
as given by the publishers own price list. is
81 20, against S4 10 for the McGuffey Series.
Mark these figures.
| This disparity holds also as to the individ-
uai. books Of the series. For instance, Will
| sons Primer. with only As pages. costs 25
per cent. more money than McGuffey's First
Reader, with 81 pages and moro illustrations;
| Wilson's First Reader, with only 81 pages.
cost as much as McGufey's Second, with 162
pages; Wilson's Second Reader, with 154
pages. costs ten per cent. more than McGuf-
/ fey's Third, with 242 pages; Wilson's Inter
mediate Fourth Reader, with 3l2 pages,
bound in paper, cost but II per cent. less than
| McGuffey's Sixth Reader, with 460 pages,
bound in cloth. Mark these figures.
Wilson's old Series is that authorized un-
der the State adoption in June, 1866, for the
State atlarge. Wilson's intermediate Series
is little used outside of the principal cities
so that in reality there has been az unifosmi-
ty in Readers. The introduction of the Inter
mediates into the country schools would have
necessitated change as we'll as the introduc
ton of another series.
i An inspection of the recent school statistics
of San Francisco discloses the fact that of the
200 pupils, round numbers. enrolled, about
3S per cent use the First reading book ei
Wilson s Series. 25 per cent. the Second: l.
per cent. the Third; 90 per cent, the Fourth;
per cent. the Fifth; per cent tho Sixth,
Applying this rule to the enrolment OF the
entire State, the numberof Wilson's Readers
Of each grade in the hands of the children in
attendance on the public schools is found te
approximate $4,000 Primers, II 900 First
Readers, 5000 Second Readers, l3, 3,0OO Tnird
Readers, 1000 Foarth Readers. 5000 Fifth
Paadors Wora oil thaSo Readers new and