St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-02-21
School Books.

School Books.
In the CaIedOnidn three weeks since.
was published the official list of new
school books. to he used in our common
schools after next November. The list
purportS to come from the hands of the
Board of Education, and as sanctioned
by it. 1t is Frenchy, not French books,
but the arithmetics bear the name of
French This is not unexpected. We
learned some time ago that il large share
of the mathematical talent of the world
was of this character at least g.
somebody thought 50, and the Board of
Education of the state of Vermont. ap
parentlN entertain Il coinCidrnt opinion.
The Secretary of the, Board is quite
careful to impress upon the public, the
idea that the laws of the state demand
that these books must, at all events. he
placed in the schools on and after next
November There seems to hc IL spec
ial emphasis upon this point i'll his off
ciul bulletin and if others suggest that
dad is under the load" we will not
We would never So much as check. hN
pins weight the ont gushing of the
fullest manifestation ofdisintcrested be
nevolence. 1t is IL rare virtue. and one
not to he nipped i'll its budding process.
The list is accompanied with this dec
laration:
The text books now in Use remain
binding upon superintendent and
Teachers until November |. 1873; the
new list becomes binding upon the
Board of Education, Superintendcnts.
and Teachers. from and attcl that date.
Now. if this he 50. we wish somebody
would rise to explain. We boldly say,
that French's arithmctics We're i'll GER
tain common schools in Vermont two
years or more ago that they have
been on exhibition where Institutes
have been holden. and recommended to
teachers present. ill Il partially private
manner. 10y men employed 10y the Sec
Rotary to aid him III their conduct, and
who were paid from the treasury of the
state whose laws were thus shametully
violated. Mr.. French, to our own per
sonal knowledge. was present on the
occasion of the holding of one of these
Institutes There could he no mistake
upon this point. His bodily presence
is more than invisible. 1t scarcely falls
short of his mathematical dimensions,
and these evidently are, in his own
mind. equal to supplying arthmetirs to
the whole state of Vermont. And We
also have the authority of one of the
teachers in attendance. for saving that
an assistant. in urging the acceptance
of the books. enumerated Il list of
certain towns in the State where
il WAS declared the books had been in
troduced. This was 10y way of their
commentator. TO our own knowl-
edge the books have since been thrust
into schools of the state and 10y the
same agency.
The same law was upon then ouI stat
ute book in reference To the matter that
is there to-day. 1t bound then as
now, or as it will after next November.
And now. what is the lesson thus
taught to the children and parents of
the state' We know what it should
have been 1t was we'll expressed by
one of the lecturers at the late teach
ers convention, ut Rutland. He said
CIAL AND PUBLIC INTEREST" This ut
tcrance should ring out in silvery voices
in every household of the state. 1t
should be written upon the black boards
i'll every school house of the state. 1t
should likewise he engraven upon the
door posts of every member of ouI
school Board, iii letters of fire. if need
he, and deeply planted i'll the hearts OF
every woman, man and child in the
state.
Really then. what is the law as to the
use of school books /! 1t is. that if new
books are needed III schools after uex1
November. the ones recommended h,
the Board must he used. 1t will MOI
thrust out of our schools books alread,
there; only in the formation of new
classes needing new books. the recon-
mended books must he taken. Green
leafs arithmetics may lie still used
within the limitations suggested. til
they are worn out. And if We were.
teacher We should Use them. 50 long =
We could do 80 legally. If We eve
took French's arithmetic into school
would he done a> We should take
dose of ipicac. with Il scowling fac,
We would thus exhibit our abhorrenc
OF the manner i'll which they came int