The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-06-13
consuSlcArrp.

IL ~
she Commissioners in superseding BROOKS
! Arithmetics in the schools o, Carroll county
with the Appleton Series, and sounding the
praises Of ihe displaced books as vastly SUI
perior to the latter. Fearing that Mr.. De-
| hotfs wholesale misrepresentation might
have some weight with those who have not
| had an opportunity Of comparing the two Sc
ries, deem Il proper, as the agent of Apple
| toms Arithmetics, referred 10 IN his commu-
nication, 10 say few words in reply.
First, Mr.. DehofT charges on our apple
toms, Part I, Slate Arithmetic, q want Of sim.
plicity and classification that SITS steps are
not as plain, practical, progressive, and thor
ough, as in Brooks he means Brookss,l
and that ''the Primary Rules all begin with
three or four pages oftables, mental exercises,
etc We reply, there is no such book as
" Appleton's Part |, Slate Arithmetic The
great feature Of our Part |, or Primary,
| (which we suppose to be the book Mr.. Deho6
refers to) is that from the very outset It com.
bines mental with slate exercises, not as is
done in Brooks's Primary, putting all the
mental part FIRST and learning the written ex'
ercises for the last twenty 600 pages As to
the comparative simplicity, plainness, and
( progressiyeness, oil we ask is that nRpreiu.
diced aud Intelligent teachers will carefully
I
fear not their verdict, Mr., Dehoff to the con
trary, Notwithstanding, Applcton's Primary
employs ia profusion pictorial Illustrations,
which enables objeet-lessons to be given that
are OF incalculable advantage in imparting TO
the beginner an idea OF the comparative value
of numbers. This great aid the importance
Of which, for not only interesting but also in.
structing the beginner, in the study of mum.
bers, is recognized by all recent Arithmetic
compilers, is utterly ignored by Brooks. AS
to preceding the rules with tables mental ex.
ercises. etc. we respectfully submit that It is
the only rational mode Of unfolding the sub.
iect to lead the way to rule, with progress.
| i've exercises which will enable the learner 10
understand the reason for it.
Again, Mr.. Dehoff charges that the tables,
exercises, etc. of the Primary just referred to,
''are no more than repetition of the same
matter, or similar TO that given in bis Primary
Mental Arihmetics, This looks like wilful
misrepresentation. We have no Pfimary
Mental Arithmstics as here stated. Our Sc.
ries contains Mental Arithmetics, as does
Brookss, and this Mental necessarily presents
in its first few pages the substance OF tables
and exercises contained in the Primary, though
in different, form, adapted to maturor minds
it would be incomplete without such tables
and exercises. But if this is an objection, il
applies with equal force to Brooks's Primary
aud Brooks's Mental, in which whole pages
| are filled with similar eNercises-see, for in,
stance, page IL Of Primary and page Of Men.
tai. 1t evidently makes difference with this
air'minded critic whether your bull cores my
OK or my bull cores yours
Again, Mr.. Dehod charges that we have
two books especially prepared to teach
] Mauta1 Ar,tksnats, - NJ.
ton. We have Primary, intended TO give
beginners their first lessons in numbers by
means Of inductive exercises, both mental
and written, and one Mental, confined TO oral
exercises, and covering entirely different
| ground from the Primary, except in the first
few pages, which necessarily relate to the four
fundamental operations.
/ Again, Mr.. Dehof says, " find in Apple.
tons Part |, only 70 examples for the slate in
addition, 81 in subtraction, 90 in multiplied.
ton, and 1856 in division. Brooks's EIcmsn.
tary Arithmetic for the same class OF pupils
gives three or four times this number Oh.
serve here the mendaeious sophistry OF our
critic by surreptitious change of base he
compares Appletons Part /, with Brooks !
Elementary. OF course Brooks's Elemeni1rl
will contain more examples than Appleton |
Primary. ! find that Brookss Primary gives
no slate exercises at all until | get within 2O
pages Of the end, aud there / .6nd oaly q.
slate exercises in addition gircn, or n less thdn
in APpIeton's Primary according 10 M. De.
hof's olrn shoIcing.
Again, Mr.. Dehof says, referring to the
same book. =" The graduation is poor. OF tho
70 examples in addition, the last Is are too
difficult. Ten columns, fourteen figures high,
are somewhat discouragingto small children. y
Here again our Quixotic critic fights wind.
mill. On referring to Appeton's Part |,
ind no examples IN addition containing more
than four columns, or more than eight fgnres
high. What must be thought of man that
makes such statements like these?
Again, Mr.. Dehof says, Z" have looked in
vain through this book Part II for a singl,
page in which examples in dollars and cent,
are given. As impossible as il may seem Il
any practical teacher, or intelligent citizen
that such grave defect should exist in an,
common school textbook, an examination
will reveal the truth Of this statement" Thi,
Is all clap.trap. An examination will reveal
the utter falsehood Of the statement. If Mr..
Dehof will turn TO pages 9s, 90, and 100 OF
Part he will there find Federal Money,
treated at as great length as would be at al
consistent IN primary book, with engraving,
OF Federal Coins, and tIro pages of e<amplrs
SO much for Mr.. Dehof's truthiulness. Oh
course the fuller treatment of Federal Money
Is reserved for the Elementary, where mcl
ruler treatment properly belongs, aud where
abundant examples are given.
Again, Mr.. Dehof alleges that Brooks,
books are cheaper than the Appleton book
BY cents IN one case and cents in another
This is poor argument. At a horse auction
We once saw worn'out hack sold for $40,
ana Thoroughbred for $1,000, and vet W,
thought the thoroughbred much the cheaper
OF the two, If Brooks's books are. ns We
claim they are, inferior in the mode Of deyel
oping the subject, in adaptation 10 the nres
ent times, in their ANALYSIS and rules. which
are encountered with verbiage, and in m,
wording, variety, and practical character q
the examples, which are too often ambiguou,
and even nngrammatical, THEY ARE DEAR Al
ANY PRICE
Finally, Mr.. Dehoif enumerales within opo
tation points the titles Of books, which h,
leads his readers TO infer constitute our series
we were about eharacterizing this Statement
by saxon word Of three letters but we d,
not wish TO be harsh. Mr.. Dehoff knows yer,
well that we have but fire books in our series
ionr oil them corresponding with Brooks
PRIMARY, Mental, Elementary, and Written
and the fifth covering grade which Brook
does not cover at all, Higher Arithmeti,
soon TO be published.
We have no objection to fair and truthful
criticism. But when a man resorts 70 gros,
misrepresentation to influence public oplnio,
and frighten the Commissioners into a recon
sideration Of their action, in our Judgment /
shows two things list, That his cause /
bad, or he would not be driven TO such shifts
: I'd, That heis person of vast deal Of cheek
Now, against Mr.. Dehoff opinion. we nro
pose to set that of the Committee on lext
books Of the Board of Education of Bal,imor
City, which Board several years since. con
WINGED Of the inferiority of Brooks's hooks
then used in the Public Schools of Baltimore
put them out, and after a careful examinatio,
aad comparison Of the best Arithmetics In IN
market introduced Appleton's series In Mac,
Of Brooks's, by a vote.of 10 to 0. We duot,
from report Of the textbook COMMITTEES :
sin the examination, they, not content witt
such careful consideration as they might q
themselves be competent to make, had calle,
in some of the Principals of the Male Gram
mar schools, and compared definition wild
definition, explanation with explanation, rul
1 Nit rt,l. Ia