The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-02-23
The Public SchOOIs-Thc PrOjec: for
Changing the Text BOOks-An Ap.
peal TO the Legislature.
peal TO the

Editors Of the Register:
My attention has been called to Sen.
ate bill e., entitled, "a Bill to Amend
aud Re-enact the School Law of the
State" The bill is, perhaps, for the
most part, we'll enough, although l
think it OF doubtful propriety for the
present Legislature to amend our school
law, in view of our probably having,
before long a new Constitution. But
there is an objection in the bill which,
in my humble opinion, is fatal to the
whole. The bill proposes to change
nearly all the school AMI text books
that are now used in the free schools
for other books. That is the objec-
ton. Not that the books proposed are
not good and sufficient ones, for no
doubt they are, but it is the consequent
expense to the people of this State in
procuring these books, if the bill is
passed, that constitutes the objection.
| have made an approximate estimate
Of the amount OF money that will be re-
quired to purchase books for the school
children Of this State, in such a case,
and it exceeds three hundred AMI tweaty.
fve thousand dollars. Now is there any
necessity for the Legislature TO put the
people to such an expense? 1t has not
been more than three or four years
since the books that are used at present
in the schools were introduced; so, why
change them so soon? Have the books
that are now in use become old and out
OF date? Are they behind the times? If
the latter is the reason, why change
is proposed. | will say it requires more
wealthy people than are the taxpayers
Of this State to keep up with the times.
But are the new series proposed better
than the books we have? 1t does not
follow as a sequence that because a
thing is new it is therefore better. But,
Messrs. Editors, this feature Of the bill
looks TO me too much like stock
jobbing business There is something
rotten in Denmark" Somebody is
working for self TO be plain, it looks
as if some person who is directly or
indirectly working for the passage of
the bill is to have per cent, in the
event of its passage, for the sale Of said
books. For / can not see how an
honest man, when he takes fair view
Of the subject, when he considers the
present burden OF taxation the people
have to bear, can advocate measure OF
this kind. Let the press denounce it,
let the constituency Of the State instruct
their representatives in the Legislature
to vote against it, that the bill may be
defeated. Will a Democratic Legisla-
ture, the members OF which have com.
mitted themselves to retrenchment and
reform, burden their constituents with
a tax of perhaps three hundred aud
fifty thousand dollars for something
that is Of questionable advantage to
them?
If the bill is passed it will have the
effect OF stopping many Of the free
schools in the State until our next
Legislature, when the law can be re,
pealed, for the reason that it will cost
parents more to purchase the new books
than it would 10 pay the tuition OF their
children.
Under the present law it might be
necessary to introduce new books in the
schools after the lapse OF ten or dozen
years, but then it should be done by
degrees that it would not bear so
heavily on the people. But l am op,
posed to the law prescribing the text
books that are to be used in the schools
Let the law leave the question with the
County Superintendent and the town
ship Boards of Education. They can
the better judge Of the propriety and