The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-10-24
Address of the state board of Educa-
ton 20 the Citizens OF Vermont.

charges, as because they hold themselves
bound to furnish to the people, whose serv-
ants they are, all important facts explain
ing their official actions
UNIFORMITY OF TEXT BOOKS.
Fifteen years ago, after full deliberation,
the state adopted the policy of securing, by
law, uniformity of text books throughout
all the public schools of the state. The adj
vantages of this system are Obvious. Books
are no longer changeable at any momentac-
cording to the preference, wise or unwise,
of individual superintendent, teachers, pa
rents or pupils, or through the mercenary
persistence of book agents Teachers
know i'm what text books they are to he eX-
amined and from what they arc to teach, |
for five years at least, in any part of the |
state; pupils are thus saved from confu- |
sion, teachers from interference, and pa
rents from expense. And when by sub |
sequent enactment it was provided that all
changes, when found desirable, should be |
made gradually and only as new books |
| should be needed and new classes formed, |
every reasonable objection to the measure
was removed. A change of the entire list
of text books, if so improbable thing
should occur, would not necessarily involve
any additional expense to the state, and
might be a saving of many thousand dol
| lars.
1t is obvious, however, that in its practi
| cal workings, this wise and useful measure
| must encounter some difficulties. A body
| of men must be found, not only competent
| to make the selection of text books, but
possessing the confidence of the public in
their competency. And supposing thor
oughly competent body of men to have
been found, and the public acquiescence in
their decision to have been pledged before
| hand, even then it would he certain that
their choice would disappoint in some par
ticulars a great many intelligent and we'll
disposed persons. Some are constitution
ally disqualified from judging of q text
book formed on radically new plan
most men beyond the age of fifty are in
cined to make unfavorable comparisons
between all new books and those used in
their boyhood teachers, especially, have
their favorite books, old or new, to which
they are attached by their feelings quite as
much as by their convictions. But all
these influences working against unanimty
of opinion are as nothing compared with
the havoc made by book publishers,
their agents and retainers. The hope of
gaining the undisputed possession of a
whole state for even one text book often
makes publisher persistent lobbyist and
hanger-on wherever influence can be
gained the loss of it, if he is unscrupu-
lous himself and can find tools to his hand
sometimes converts him into a mischief
maker in the legislature, an agitator and
slanderer in the public press, and an enemy
of the whole educational system which he
= could not rule
4 THE RECENT SELECTION OF TEXTBOOKS.
/, With reference to the competency of the
G Board by whom the last selection was
q made it is not for us to speak. They are
men well-known to the public, who can
Judge whether or not they had the ability
a and integrity which so important trust
!; demanded. We simply append their
~ names John w. Stewart, Merritt Clark,
George N Weber, Benjamin III Steele, b.
e F. Bingham, NJ. ii. Buckham, David M
+ Camp. Every one of these gentlemen has
If been at some time teacher in the common
schools All of them have identified them
selves, both by sympathy and by practical
;, cooperation, with the educational system
s of the State. 1t has been insinuated tina
l. the list was adopted by a minority of thu
:, Board, with the sufferance of the rest. The
" facts have already been given to the public
but we will state them again. The mem
y bers of the Board, well aware of the diff
laboriOus personal examination of the diff
~ ferent textbooks submitted. On cominj
&c together and comparing their views, the,
If found some diversity of opinion, but fla
l. more agreement than they had expected
Each subject was fully and freely discuss
IL ed Every member of the Board was pre-
is sent and voted when every vote was taken
Every book on the list, with the exception
of the Readers, was finally adopted by
unanimous vote, and in the exceptions
case, there was but one dissenting vote.
HOW THE LIST WAS RECEIVED.
The utmost that the Board hoped to aC
complish was to reach decision whic
of would commend itself to all judicious an
II. disinterested persons as in the main wis
;. and just, and they expected that all sue
~ persons would waive their preferences fc
he any single book, for the sake of preservin
ed the system. Our success in both respect
or has been greater than we anticipated. S
J.. far as we are able to judge, the list, in til
ny main, pleases and satisfies those who's
ng opinions are of value. We are convince
nd that if public opinion were not tampere
10 with by disaffected parties, the action {
hc the Board would be entirely satisfactory
ep the public. OF course the Board kne
1t. very well that their choice would not sa
be isfy those who had mercenary reasons f,
being dissatisfied. We expected that tn
~ clamor would be raised by them. 1t WI
ifs openly threatened in case certain bool
he should be rejected, and now that the bool
have been rejected, it is no more persstel
"a or INSCRIPTIONS than was anticipated.
ny THE TACTICS OF THE OPPOSITION.
Gu On the publication of the new list, mo
led of the competing publishers honorably a
,irl cepted the situation, and withdrew the
me agents from the field. One firm proceeds
>, at once to carry out the threats they hi
Inc freely made in case of the rejection
ely their books. The publishers of Greenleat
of Arithmetics, books which had done got
o1 service in their day, refused to abandt
10" the field they had occupied for TWEEN
The years. Awaiting themselves of the we
known disaffection existing in certa
,re quarters toward the Board growing out
,Io the election of the new Secretary, TIN
mo commenced violent assault upon him al
ing through him upon the whole Board, wi
L. the hope of either breaking up the Boa
voa of Education altogether, or of getting
We We new Board uppofnteu VINO might by SOL
OLD special legislation be empowered to ma
zed a new selection of text books. Havi
enc contrived TO get articles hostile to {
o.. board inserted in several newspapers, al
ioi having thus created in the public mind
OF presumption of something wrong, they s
NOT NuipN thp thO
am a committee to Investigate the action of &
Board and its Secretary. The result
me that investigation is before the public.
ade justifies the action of the Board in eve
The respect, and dismisses as groundless eve
by charge that had been made. We quo
old from the report
ich ga three hours examination failed
bring out single fact calling for censul
! IN or such as would even subject them to CT
hey icisms. On the other hand it appear
ook that the board had discharged their dut
inns with fidelity. and. as we think, in eve
hen instance wisely and well.
mar | T., ,,,oi,;oo tI,o aoIoot;oo 49,. l,a.at..