Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-10-24

cal workings tins wise and useluI measure
must encounter some difficulties. body
of men must be found, not only competent
to make the selection Of textbooks, 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 aquiescenee IN their
decision to have been pledged beforehand,
even then it would be certain that their
choice woulddisappoint, in some particulars
4 great many intelligent and well-dispoSed
persons. Some are constitutionally disqual-
flied from Judging of textbook formed on
a radically new plan most men beyond the
age of fifty are inclined to make uniayorable
comparisons between all new books and
those used in their boyhood teachers, espe-
cially have their fayorite 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 unanl-
mity of opinion, are as nothing compared
with the havoc made by book-publlSherS,
their agents and retainers. The hope oil
gaining the undsputed possession OF whole
State for even one textbook, often makes
publisher persistent Lobbyist and hanger
on wherever influence can be gained the
loss of tiff he is INSCRIPTIONS himself ana
can find tools to his hand-sometlmes con-
verts him into mischief-maker in the Leg
islature an aritator and ,landerer in the
public press, and an enemy Of the whole
educational system which he could not rule.
THE RECENT SELECTION OF TExT-EooSs.
With reference to the competency Of the
Board by whom the last selection was made,
it is not for Us 10 speak. They are men
wel-known to the public, who can Judge
whether or not they had the ability
and integrity which 80 importanta trust
demanded We simply append their names
John W. Stewart, Merritt Clark, George
y. Weber, Benjamin II. Steele, 3. F.
Bingham, NJ Ii. Buckham, David NJ.
Camp Every one of these gentlemen has
been at some time a teacher in the com
mon schools. All ID them have identified
themselves, both by sympathy and by prac-
teal corporation, with the educational
system of the State. Ii has been insinuated
that the list was adopted by a minority of
the Board. with the suiferance of the rest.
The facts have already been given to
the public. bnt We will state them
again. The members of the Board,
well aware of the difficulty of their task,
first made long and laborious personal
examination Of the different textbooks
submitted On coming together and COM
pairing their views, they found some divers
ity Of opinion, but far more agreement
than they had expected. Each subject was
fully and freely discussed. Every member
of the Board was present 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 exceptional case. there was hut ore dis
senting vote
HOW TIE LIST WAS RECEIVED.
The utmost that the Board hoped to ac-
complish was to reach 4 decision which
would commend itself to all iudIcious and
disinterested persons as IN The man wise and
last, and they expected that all such per
sons would waive their preferences for any
single book. for the sake Of preserving the
system Our success in both respects has
been greater than We anticipated. So far
as we are able to Judge, the list, in the
main, pleases and satisfies those whose
opinions are of value. We arc convinced
that if public opinion were not tempered
with by disafected parties. the action of the
Board would be entirely satisfactory to the
public. OF course the Board knew very
well that their choice would not satisfy
those who had mercenary reasons for be-
ing dissatisfied. We expected that this
clamor would be raised by them. 1t was
openly threatened in case certain books
should be rejected, and now that the books
have been rejected, it is no more persistent
or Inscriptions than was anticipated.
TIE TACTICS OF TIE OPPOSITION.
On the publication of the new list, most
of the competing publishers honorably ac-
ceptel the situation, and Withdrew their
agents from the field One firm proceeded
at once TO carry out the threats they had
freely made in case of the rejection Of their
books The publishers Of GreenlearS
Arithmetic. hooks which had done good ser
vice in their day, refused to abandon
the field they had occupied for twenty
years Awaiting themselves of the we'll |
quarters toward the Board, growing out of
the election of the new Secretary, they com
menced a violent assault upon him and |
through him upon the whole Board, with
the hope Of either breaking up the Board of
Education altogether, or of getting new
Board appointed who might by some special
legislation be empowered to make a new Sc
lection of Textbooks Having cOntrived
to get articles hostile to the Board inserted
in several newspapers, and having thus
created in the public mind presumption
of something wrong. they secured in the
legislature the appointment of Committee
to investigate the action of the Board and
its Secretary The result of that investiga
ton i before the public. 1t justifes the
action of the Board in every respect, and
iismisses as groundless every charge that
had been made. We quote from the re-
port
" \ three hours examination failed to
bring out a single fact calling for censure,
1r such as would even subject them to crit
cism. On the other hand it appeared that
the Board had discharged their duties with
fidelity. and, as we think, in every instance
wisely and well In making
The selection of Textbooks, it appeared that
he Board had taken the most scrupulOus
are to protect the State from unnecessary
expense. 1t also appeared that the new
list of textbooks is upon the whole cheaper
han those now in use. 1t is
,ur opinion that DR.. French is competent
or the position he holds and that he has
.bus far honestly, ably and faithfully dis
charged the duties of his Office.
Fooled in this man@uvre, the agitators
-eturn to the attack through the press
Now an article appears in one news
paper signed by fictitious name, then an
,ther article in another paper calls atten-
lion to it. then third from distant part
IF the State catches up the echo, and it is
perfectly evident all the while that all
these articles have emanated from one
and the same source, one inyariable
conclusion being reached in every instance.
namely the superiority of Greenlears Arith-
netics. If any persons have wondered why
the Board have kept silent 50 long while so
much scandal has been in circulation it has
been owing to their reluctance to he a party
in such despieable warfare.
FRENcns ARITHNETIcs.
An attempt has been made to rouse public
prejudice against the action of the Board