Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1872-12-13
SchOol-Book Ring. &c.

One of our exchanges talks sensibly
upon the above subject. 1t thinks ''there
is an almost universal tendency to the for.
nation of rings, and they exist where good
simple minded people would never sup
pose it possible for them to find foothold
We all know the prevalence of politica
rings. They exist in almost every county
city and township in the country. Wher
ever there is paying office to be filled
there are rings to be found. At the ma
tional seat of government there are i'm
mense plumber rings of all sorts, and the
same combination are to be found, on 9
smaller scale, in nearly all the State Cap
itals. They are the particular curse Of
the times, and, to make the matter worse
have become too strong to be put down
They have corrupted many of our leading
public men and highest officials, Fedora
md State. Some of them have become
the chief pillars of these combinations and
nave grown fabulously rich.
"But who would think that such com,
binations as school-book rings could ever
be formed2 Yet they have been in some
places, and are all powerful. The string
upon which they harp is the necessity fol
improved methods of education. There
is widespread complaint of the contin-
ual introduction of new books into the
schools. In former times our school books
were handed down from father to son, but
now such books scarcely last one school
term. This is Cypress We upon the poor
who have to buy al these new books for
5heir children. They clnnot afford it.
"These rings are said to consist Of pub
fishers and school boards. The subject
has attracted attention in various parts OF
the country, and led to Investigations in
some sections. Damaging suspicious have
attached to school boards, and they have
not been able to give good and clear &C
count of themselves.
"This matter is now undergoing discus
sion aud scrutiny in San Francisco. The
people are alarmed at multiplicity OF
school-books, and have appointed COM
mittees to report upon the subject-but
such is the power Of the rings that it is
said the committees have been drawn into
the combination between the school boards
and book vendors.
"Such leagues are scarcely less sacrile-
gious than would be r.ngs in religion
Most of the cant at the North about edu-
cation comes from the members of these
school-book rings. 1t is disheartening to
contemplate the measureless height and
depth of the hypocrisy that exist in this
country. Those who express the most ell
evated sentiments are too often like Jos.
Surface-the most selfish mercenary, cor
rupt, and hypocritial of men.
1.-THE whole country seems to be demon
allied. Everybody is condemning the
wretches who went to the scene of the
Boston fire to plumber. There is really
small difference in principle between such
creatures and those Weather and more
pretentious thieves who, by means ofrings,
are preying upon the whole country
With such examples before them, what is
to be expected of poor, uneducated men
who find it extremely difficult to make a
living by honest work 2"
Truth and common sense characterize
what is said above. Rings such as allud-
ed to are blistering sores in the communi-
ty. They should, by all me Ids, be broken
up. None are better able to do this than
honest iaw-givers.
Whilst we are in favor of progress, APP
pertaining to school-books, as in all other
things, keeping pace with advanced and
advancing Intelligence, yet there is seri-
Gus truth in the fact that great expense is
imposed upon people, and serious injury
done by imposing school-books, forcing
them, as it were, into use, of an inferior
or improper character, which are made to
supercede others, better ad .pted in every
way, to purposes of education.-Narylond
Republican.