The true northerner., 1872-08-09
HAMILTON. AUG. 5th. 1872.

my views concerning the so-called School
Officers Convention, held at Lawrence
the Sd of the present month.
1t was generally understood through.
out the county that there had been pre-.
liminary measures taken at Teachers
Convention, held at Lawrence some time
ago, relative to establishing uniformity
of text books in the schools of Van
Buren, County. There was a commit.
tee of FIVE chosen at the Teachers con.
ventiOn, above referred to, consisting of
the County Superintendent of schools,
who was empowered by the convention
(if | recollect correctly to appoint two
teachers and two school officers of the
county to assist him in selecting uni.
| formity of textbooks for the schools of
Van Buren county, 1t appears that
they made selection, aud in my opinion
very good one too, with the exception
of English Grammar. | am very much
in favor of uniformity of textbooks
throughout our county, for various rea'
sons, too obvious to mention here as 1t
would necessarially take too much space
in your paper and the subject has been
pretty thoroughly discussed, not only in
convention, but at different times and
places, 50 that all who are capable of
Judging relative to teaching school in
the most improved and approved man.
ner, by the best educators in the State,
are prepared to admit its being fact.
1t was represented to me, before the
so.called convention of school officers
was held, on the Sd of Aug, that the
school officers of the county, or delegates
acting in their stead, would examine the
different authors of text books used, or
for use, in our schools, at this School
Officers Convention, but, for reasons
better known, probably, TO some than
what they are to us, the represented OBJ
ject OF the last aforesaid convention was
not carried out. 1t was supposed that
u set of textbooks by different authors,
would be at the convention for examina
ton, but we failed to see any. 1t was
represented that there would be books
from different publishing houses at the
convention. The matter of examination
was ignored entirely. and substitute,
for the object of the convention, was
had in voting to adopt the uniformity
recommended by the Teachers commit
tee of five, which was carried-as motions
engineered in that way generally are.
Now we would say, give US uniformity |
OF textbooks II the county of course.
We have been for some time urging the
necessity of uniformity of textbooks,
and have spoken to dlferen: individuals
about it; and it appears about the only
objection that people generally make is,
that they are afraid they will be de.
ceived, in some way, by few individuals
working for certain publishing houses.
We have been telling the people that
those delegates. acting for the districts,
were going to examine the different
authors of text. books, as well as the
Teachers committee of five, so that there
would be so many engaged in the work
there was no danger Of imposition. We
supposed the convention was going to
act in the capacity for which it was called,
but probably more discerning eyes
thought best to deliberate ditfarently.-
At all events let Us have uniformity
of text books.
We hope our friends will pardon us
for the mistake of telling what would
take place at the convention, as We were
informed i, would. The machinery run
differently frou what we anticipated
| hope no one will so construe what We
have said, in brief, as to convey the idea
that we are working against those meas'.
ures which have the good of our schools
in view; bu: the people of the county
have right to expect that, if conven.
ton is called for a certain Purpose, tiat
object will be carried out.
What we have said will explain why
we voted as we did in the convention.
If the uniformity system does not take
| in the county, il will be because it was
not correctly engineered at the last con-
vention. We hope it will ultimately
succeed. Almost any of the authors of
textbooks are good, but we need 4 uni.
formity. District schools ought to have
sent more delegates
The following number Of delegates
were present: Almena, Geneva, Airing
ton. aud keeer, each =; Antwerp.
Porter Columbia, Deerhe.d, So. Haven.
Decatur and Bangor, each / Paw Paw,
8 +; Waycrly, >; BIoomingdaie. Law.
renee, !; Hartford AMI Hamilton eaca /.
T. +. SHouDl.
NorE.-It seems to Us that Mr..
Shoudy is laboring under slight mis-.
apprehension in regard to the object of
the convention of School Officers. As
we understood the matter at the time of
the appointment Of the committee on
; uniformity it was made the duty of that
committee to examine hooks then in use
in the schools of the county, as well as
those offered, and select as far as posi-.
bic from those most in use,-making the
fewest changes possible, in order to OBJ
viatn the necessity for nurchasinr on ntiro