Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-10-23

excepting lODeTt .. LAWS " W., WY
publishers of Greenleafs Algebra, writ
ten contracts to furnish the prescribed
text books, for five years to come, at
rates far more favorable to dealers and
purchasers than those which have been
paid in years past. The new list under
this management will Save the State
thousands of dollars per annum over the
old one. AS to the per cent. said to be
paid by publishers to authors-another
invidious charge against the Secretary
il is ascertained that from two TO ten
per cent. ON sales is the rate allowed Tor
copyright What is the amount OF copy
right paid by the publishers to the author
of Frenchs Arithmetics, or OF other
books on the list, we are not informed.
Every text book upon our table was pay
ing copyright to somebody. why IL
should be an objection to book that II
paid copyright to citizen of this State,
instead of to some one out of the State,
is not clear to our minds.
THE PETITION OF TOWN sUPERINTENDENTs
There was laid upon our table docu-,
ment purporting to be a petition signed
by a large number of town superintend-
ents against a change of arlthmetlcs.
That document received respectful at
tertion. But when the matter was ex-
amined into a little more closely, 1t was
found that some of the signers were not
superintendent, that several had, In
other communications to the board, adj
vised a change, and that the petition, so
called. was not a spontaneous expression
of opinion, but a job that had been
worked up by the agent and in the in
terest of Greenleaf's arithmetics. We
therefore thought it not entitled to very
much consideration.
THE TEACHERS OPINION OF GREENLEAF.
1t has been said that Greenleafs was
excluded from the arithmetics on which
the teachers consulted were asked to
give their opinion. On that point the
following testimony is submitted:
''The undersigned, in giving to the
Board of Education their views on the
subject of arithmehcs, intended to ex-
press their preference for Frenchs over
all those understood to be competitors,
including Greenleaf's, now in USE"
Signed by all but one of those who re-
commended French's Arithmetic.
FRENCH's ARITHMETICs IN OTHER STATES.
The board endeavored to decide be-
tween the conflicting claims of text
books by personal examination of the
books, and not by external testimony in
their favor Still we found ourselves
confirmed in our opinion of Frenchs
arithmetics by learning that they had
been so largely adopted elsewhere. From
the list of places in which they are used,
we will mention the cities of New York,
Philadelphia, New Haven, Pittsburg,
indianapolis and San Francisco; the
Normal schools of Maine and New
Hampshire, those at Buffalo and FIRE.
donia, n Y, Lebanon, Ohio, and the
Illinois Normal University; the entire
State of Nebraska by official adoption
for five years one-half the schools of
Indiana and large number of the cities
and towns in Maine and New Hamp-
shire and numbers of other schools in all
parts of the country.
UNDUE INFLUENCE OF THE SECRETARY.
ANY one who will read again the
names of the members of the Board
can see whether they are men likely to
be sweryed by what has been euphO-
niously termed " the undue influence" of
their Secretary. Absolute silence in
the meetings of the Board and out of
them, may have been the most polite
way of influencing the Board. 1t prob
ably was. At any rate it was the only
influence eXerted. Neither directly nor
indirectly, neither personally nor by
agents, did the Secretary approach any
member of the Board on this question.
Further than this, at his instance, the
publishers of his arithmetics abstained
from sending any agents into this field.
When the publishers of the competing
books declined to send copies for exam
nation to the teachers consulted, the
Secretary, at his own expense, pur-
chased and forwarded the necessary
copies. Dr. French was not present on
any occasion when the subject of arith-
metics was under discussion, or when
the vote was taken.
- AUTHORITATIVE AND BINDING"
An anonymous circular issued in the
interest of Greenleaf's Arithmetics and
scattered broadcast throughout the
State, informs the public that the action
of the Board is advisory, not compulsory
The Legislature was not so short-sighted
as to enact a measure of so great import
ance to the schools, and still leave them
to be preyed upon by book agents The
law explicitly declares that the list
shall be and remain authoritative and
binding upon the Board of Education,
superintendent and teachers, and SUI
perintendents and teachers shall recon-
mend for use, as new books shall become
necessary for instruction in the branches
named, no ether than the books inClu-
ded in the said list F" The assertion
that Judge Steele considered the action
of the Board merely advisory, is un-
founded. At the last meeting of the
Board which he attended, he expressed
great Indignation at the falsehOod which
attributed such an opinion to him.
He did say that pupil might demand
to be taught from any book on the pre-
sCribed list. and that the law would sus-
tain the demand 1t is true, as the cir
cular takes pains TO inform the rnblic,
that the law afiXcs no express penalty
to the use of other than the authorized
books. That, however, is, a. poor aFgu-
ment TO address to a law-abiding people,
especially when enforced by no other
reasons than those of book publishers
agent. Do the people of Vermont wish
tohaye their children instructed in arith-
metie or any other subject by the agency
of a firm which openly and defantly adj
Vises them to break State law, and in
sinuates that it is possible to do so with
impunity? ...........
d.. #....r. CONCLUSION. . ....... .-... -.
We have withheld the expose of the
situation until this day, because we
hoped that the facts would come before
the people through other channels, and
that q formal statement from us would
be unnecessary. We are convinced,
however, that the opposition are taking
advantage of our silence to attempt some
further inroad upon public opinion As
the time approaches when the new list
will become operative, the manoeuvres
of disappointed publishers for retaining
the old fields, become holder and more
interruptions. We have no fears that
they viii succeed, if only the people of
Vermont will weigh the facts which we
have reluctantly but faithfully set be-
fore them. H.. .s-..-,'. s.-s,r
JULIUs CONVERSE, .l..
.