Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-08-31
JOBBERY In SCHOOL BOOKS.
An Immense SwindIe that Has Crept
Into the Common school System.
Inro,, %t,a Man V-o-I, rr-;1,,,na

An Immense SwfndIe that Has Crept
Into the Common school System.
From the New York Tribune.
Several of the Western Ststes are giving
us the advantage of important and valuable
experiments in legislation. The experience
of Illinois in dealing with the ques ions of
minority representation and the railroad
tariffs cannot fail to be of benefit to other
States, however it may result at home.
The equally important question of the COM
mon sc 'ocls is just now receiving great at
tention in Indiana. Among other proVis
ions of the law providing fer complete re-
organic -tion of the educational system of
the State, it is ordered thai DO text book
adopted by county board shall be
changed within three years from the date
Of such adoption, except by unanimous
beard. The fact that such. provision
seems necessary indicates clearly enough
the extent to which the county boards have
already been made the instruments of uu-
scrupulous bbery In the matter of school
books. Throughout the country the COM
plant of psrents and Taxpayers is univer-
sal. The school boards form almost every
where petty rings Of corruptionists who set
themselves up for sale to the highest bidder
among the agents Of publishing houses. A
gentleman of education int rijy, re-
Gently elected Mayor CT t.rominent city,
says that he was as.onshed on taking pos
session of his Office to find that positions on
the schOol-board were more eagerly sought
for among the small political strikers than
any others. Men who could scarcely read
and who had no incomes hustled for the
privilege of serving their country without
salaries in these places. The Mayor de-
layed a little while in making his
nominations, and was waited on
ty the agents of several Publishing
houses to learn what bis intentions were.
ave have no one to recommend" they said
frankly, "5ut would like TO make the par
ties our friends" The object of the candi-
dates was TO sell their Influence TO the pub
fishers, and the object of the publishers was
to have the schools conducted solely with
reference 10 the number of their books
which the children could be made to buy.
This sort of swindling has STAINED pro-
port ons which ere scarcely credible. In
many places the grading and subdivision of
the courses of instruction have been car
rie d so far that q child must have new
book for every few months progress in any
particular study. The common rules of
arithmetic are scattered through half doz-
en- volumes. A few years ago four COM
mon school readers were considered suffi-
Gent. Now, under the pretext that the
scholar should not be allowed 20 become
familiar with the text he is reading, the
series is stretching out iDdeinately.
New studies are continually becom-
ing added TO the course. BraLches
only fitted for advanced classes are made
Ti0iculously elementary for the youngest
chil iren, merely to increase the demand
for school books. The smallest urchins are
sent staggering off 10 their schools with
more books than they can well carry, each
containing homeopathic dilution of sin
gle idea. It would not be so bad if there
were any permanence in the text books
adopted. There Is after all very little diff
ference in merit between the different gram
mars, Biographies, ard arithmetics. But
often before the dogs ears have proceeded
halfway through he leaves of a book,
the teachers, the committeeman and
the publishers come 10 an understanding
and an entirely new series is forced upon
the school. Sometimes the same publisher
launches new batch from his shop, by
means If his relations with the local au-
thorities- Sometimes new publisher sup
plants Lin with the board and Clears The
desks and sstchels for his own wares. The
trade hss thus become enormously profit
able ard the corruption Of course iBcreas'
correspondDgly. The Sentinel of Iodianapo-
lis says that agents from fifteen houses are
now ''raidiUg" tie county boards of India
na; al a member Of board never goes
to the post office without q csrt TO bring
back bis correspondence with publishers.
When we regard the erudition and the
jutgmcn. Of the average county politician