The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1873-06-26

80" |N'N| |A.|-I"A
recent resolution az the Legislature 81
Texas recommending the Univcfsitg Series
o school books f0T adoption ia the schools
81 that State
Why this aCtion Of this legislative BODY
Should have stirred the scnsilhtics Of this
ankro pear Know not, Eor 10 Ne
clre % canvass the motive of The assault.
which we think could not have come
from any enc born or reared az the South
Vow, as one who has no connection with
Che University Publishing Company, aud
one who is not personally benefited or in
jurcd in any degree By its profits or losses,
desire to submit q few facts to tic public
in refutation OF the reckless charges and
/ grstuituous Assumptions Of the party IN
question.
Ny relations to one Of the colleges Of the.
South have led me TO examine impartially
the school books Of the Icading publishing
houses Of the country, and on this account,
| perhaps, ! may be Is ''worthy and well
! qualifiedn to pronounce Judgment on the
subject as the assailant Of the University
Series
First, as disqualification of these books,
! it IS quite sufficient to say they are not pub
lished BY Mr.. G. B. Richardson, who has
now nc connection with the company; but
they are published by a joint stock com
I pany of Southern gentlemen. In order 10
afford the books cheap as they arc the work
! IS done by contract The enterprise Is
owned aud managed by Southern men.
! In the second place it is alledged that
whilst the pretended authors of the Uni
Versity Series arc Southern men, their real
authorship belongs to a higher latitude than
! Virginia.
This is certainly very grave allegation
to bring against the learned faculty of the
| University of Virginia, and Professor Maury,
of world wide reputation, in the department
of physics, and the Lo Contes-twO Of the
most eminent scientific men in America. To
| presume 20 intimate that such coterie are
| incompetent to prepare a series of school
books, or dishonest enough to palm off the
productions of other men as their own prop
lerty. is equally shocking to the intelligence
and integrity Of the public. There is not
sensible man in the land who gives the
] slightest credence to such a silly charge.
Before leaving this point we challenge
81. to name any other institution on this
continent which sustains higher standard
of scholarship. If the men whose names
the University books bear possessed the
! character II. imputes to them would they
have been cordially and unanimously endors-
eddy suchpure and illustrious names as Gen
erals Lee, Johnston, Beuregard, Buckner,
Hampton, Hill and Hood, Bishop Pierce and
! Wilson and the Rev. Drs. Broadus, Palmer,
Robinson and Waddelll Let the objector
answer this question or forever hold his
peace.
But, thirdly, we are gravely told that
General Gordon is the ''paid agent and en-
ployee of the company and that this ac-
counts for his great activity and zeal in the
cause he represents. Well, if this were
true, is there anything criminal or marvel
lous in it! Do not the agents Of all compa-
MES and corporations receive a cOmpensa-
ton for their servicesl
But, in point of fact, General Gordon
! does not receive one cent for his efforts in
this cause. All his compensation accrues
from certain percentage on the stock
which he raises by his own individual eff
forts. This statement has been made be-
/ fore, over the signature of General Gordon,
and he who discounts the veracity of this
gallant gentleman assumes q serious respon-
sibility. The General has the universal
confidence and admiration of the Southern
people, and especially of the citizens of his
own State, who have recently evinced their
enthusiastic devotion to him, in electing
HIM United States Senator over the two ac-
tive and powerful rivals, Hons. A. II. Ste
phens and b. III. Hill. No other man in
Georgia could have been elected to this hon
orable position in the face of such forn1ida-
bic competition.
FOurthly, it is asserted with an air Of
truth, that the University books are pre-
pared especially for Southern schools, are
! like all provincial books, faulty in style and
scope, and calculated to foster sectional
I A. Alr. TOO
Northern in their origin and object, and at
another time they arc too Southern in their
tone and teachings.
When the adversary fails to marshal the
preiudices of the South against these books
/ by blowing a Northern buglc, he then
swings right round ard raises the cry of
sectionalism to arm the prejudices of the
North against them. Such miserable re-
sorts and subterfugcs betray both the weak
ness of the advocate and the cause.
We declare in all truth and soberness that
the University books are the M St unscc-
tional and unsectarian school books in the
country, and we herewith challenge the
proof to the contrary. Until il be furnished
let every mouth Of envy, jealousy and Bit
terness be stopped If the time allowed we
could turn tables and show that the very
companies which have originated and circu-
lated this charge have themselves issued
school books well suited to llindlc the flames
of sectional strife and discord Like the
thief when pursued by the police, they cry,
ssthiefl thiefl'i to conceal their own misde-
meanors. These arc the leading and gen
\ eral charges contained III the above commu-
uication, and any man with half an eye
can sec that they have no foundation in fact
OF inference
But furthermore VIC are asked to explain
the reason why If these books Of the Uni
yersity Publishing Company arc so valuable
and have ''fOr three years been pushed on
! the attention OF teachers by the most active
agent who has ever operated in Texas, why
they have commanded n smaller sale than
I the publications of most other houses, >
such as Wilson, Hinkle s. CO., Ivison,
Brakeman, Taylor & Co, and A. 5. Barnes
& Co. The reason is obvious. These are
older houses with larger mOneycd resources
aud which have long occupied the field by
their agents and issues. But the University
/ stripling is fast growing in public favor and
is destined, at no distant day, to hurl TO the
! ground these giants Of Gath who now boast
of their strength and statute. few years
from this date it will startle these vain
boosters out Of their boots.
Again. correspondent H. makes flour
/ ish of trumpets over the sweeping allega-
ton that the University Series is net now in
single city in North Carolina, South Car
olina, Georgia, or Alabama, and but one IN
Mississippi, and one in Tennessee. Il is
enough to say Of this statement that, like
the others, it is simply untrue.
On inquiry we find that the University
Series Is represented and highly appreciated
in all the city schools Of Georgia, with per
\ haps one single exception. OH but the
change of books now in use would put the
parents to an expense Of a hundred thou
sand dsllars in the purchase Of new books, y
and tiIis is urged as an irresistible argument
/ against the Introduction OF the University
Series This Is also untrue. x IS easy Of
proof that the universal adoption Of this se-
rics will save hundreds Of thousands to the
South every year. But II it cost millions
to make the change. We say let it be made