The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-07-04

through this BOOK tl'Aft W Tor single page
on which examples in dollars and cents are
gwen" lie answers this by calling il 'clap-
trap, utter falsehood,n &c. and then tajies
up Apptetoa's Primary another book, and
asks me TO turn to certain pages to find Fed
eral Money One might think this poor
| practical joke it it had any other setting than
this article, but taken with what proceeds it,
1 IT cannot be Invested of more serious i'm
/ port. Well may be feel that honest "com.
/ parsons are odious' to a series of Arithme.
/ ties having so large stock Of pretention and
so little real capital 10 carry it. am gener
Gus enough to presume that he would have
preferred to make fair comparison, were n
successful one possible, to resodng TO n sub
teriuge, which, by its partial transparency as.
sists, both in revealing the truth and in show
ing desperate attempt TO conceal IL.
9TH. ! mentioned the matter of cost as an
| objection TO change, because the price was
one Of the strongest points urged in favor of
it, said, by the showing of the Publishers /
OF the two SERIES that the county would lose.
/ financially, by the change, as BrOokss series /
was cheaper. have no question as TO the !
superiority Of Brooks's Normal Arithmetics, /
AS to merit, and shall continue to 'sound (
their praises" as shall always commend true 1
worth and deserved merit wherever found. |
II, in addition to superior merit, they cost
less, which the agent does not and cannot
question, another very practical argument is
presented to those of our people who cannot
afford to drive "Sl 900 horses,n for the con.
tinuance of the present arithmetics in our
schools.
It'll. ] mentioned sereH Arithmetics in APP
pletons series: LIST, Primary ID, Mental
Sd, Part ], Practical or Slate Arithmetic; 4th
Part ii, Slate or Practical--the four books
laid before the commissioners and presented
TO the teachers. also mentioned as 9TH, Ee-
mentary; 9th, Practical, in one book, and
9TH, Higher in preparation, as given in back
covers of the series. The agent twice refers
to the elementary and also the Higher
IN way which assumes that these tifo are
also TO be used, but one more, the ,ull Prac
teal, and the seren volumes enumerated are
in use. Win this kHoriedge he writes his
violent paragraph.
Finally, fellow teachers and patrons, enough
has been said and shown to exhibit the pur-
pose and character of the pretended answer.
Nothing further on the books is necessary.
but ] will again ask you TO read my article IN
The ADVOCATE, May I'd, and the agent reply,
tcih the books IN hand, and then to draw your
conclusions.
This remarkable reply of The Sof-soper of
Appeton's series, near the close, contains
this honest sentence, I'VE have no objection
to fair and honest criticisms" We regret
that we cannot say as much for his article as
we can for the sentence, but since we cannot,
we will say-"we have no objection to fair
and truthful counter criticism
| The agent charges that we would frighien
the commissioners, and thus indirectly insin-
mates that we have aimed an attack at them.
/ Our article contains nothing so disrespectful
to the commissioners as this intimation, by
1 Appleton's agent, that they could be fright
ened from what they believe to be right, in
seeking the interests of our schools and our
people.
My article was written in the conviction
that u change Of books was disturbing, ex.
pensiye, and serious matter, and that, as a
teacher, and a native resident of the county,
| it was my privilege, and my duty to express
my opinion, if had any, before change was
made, which our teachers generally believe
! will introduce inferior, expensive, and badly
/ bound books, for those now in successful and
satisfactory use throughout the county
As as attempt has been made before, not
only to gratuitously explain my motives, but
TO impute to my language the opposite of what
it expresses, wish to now say, that lneither
said nor intended to say anything of the Hon
orable Commissioners which it is not proper
for one gentleman to respectfully submit to
another, when he appeals to his reason and
not TO his prejudice.
My issue was with the books and | refer
red to the Board but twice, and then ms fol-
| lows: "The proposition (of ehangel has met
with serious and partially favorable consider
alton from the commissioners, and again,
al hope it is not too late for our worthy Board
| of School Commissioners to give this matter
that fair consideration which they are dispos-
ed to give all questions that come before
them" The first is bare statement of fact,
Z ii =, L l. T..
and complimentary language, that our Com
missioners will give the subject further con.
sideration before introducing the books.
/ In keeping with the rest OF .'the reply |
am charged in this, with an attempt to fright,
! en- them. Our Commissioners are not fright
ened by gentlemany address. Whether a
pure and polite speech is so strange and for
midable weapon to the writer of ''the re.
| ply US to thus affect him, we have no desire
to learn. but the people of Old Carroll have
not yet forgotten TO recognize and to respect the
| polite, careful, and considerate language of
that American Nobleman, Charles Carroll
I They are not, therefore, disposed to misinter.
/ pref its meaning.
The extracted report from the Baltimore
| Committee does not bear enough scholarship
upon its face to be of Importance. | would
suggest that the teachers Of the county pre-.
serve it for exercises in analysis, parsing, and
correction Of false syntax, during the coming
winter. Analyze the first of the two senten.
ces comprising it. Parse this portion of it,
! ''the book best adapted was the one that in
the largest degree had simplicity of expires
sion, correctness of grammatical arrangement
Of language what of the Rhetoric of this
" easy of understanding, comprehensiveness,
and minuteness in detail, yet no useless VERDI
age 40 If Appleton's Arithmetics are
anything like this, prayers and penance would
not be too much TO ask, it they would protect
us from the scourge.
We have tried Brooks's Normal Arithme-
ties and zee Ike them. They are thorough,
scholarly books, and show the author to be an
able mathematician and n skillful teacher.
They are endorsed by the ablest mathemati.
clans, scholars, and teachers of both Balti-
more City and the State, as strongly as by the
teachers of Carroll county, aud they are used
in nearly all the best school counties. Prof
Brooks, the author, is at the head of one of
the largest Normal and Teachers Training
Schools, and has given us the best modern
methods Of teaching this subject. In conclu-
sion. | ask indulgence for writing Mt such great
length, but what have shown must be my
apology. Having demonstrated that my first
assertions were not met except by invention,
they must now stand stronger than before, in
your judgment, because Of this failure of ''the
/ reply" to do more than invent and calumni-
ate, have shown in order to place myself
truly before you, the character Of discussion
that | must expect to become party to, if it is
continued. am unwilling to transfer the issue
from one Of books to one of personalities, and
to explain the plausible, and possibly endless
inventions of the writer OF ''the reply and
! therefore, cannot longer consent to discuss
the subject, and now most respectfully with.
draw. Truly Yours,
JNo. W. DEHoFF.
! ACCIDENT. On Monday of last week