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

MRssRs. EDIross In your issue of Ma,
I'd you were kind enough 10 publish some O
the results and conclusions Of my perusal anC
comparison Of Appleton's Arithmetics witt
others These arithmetics were handed oul
to the teachers Of the county TO examine, after
meeting Of the County Teachers Assoeia.
/ ton, in which but one sentiment had been
expressed upon change of arithmetics,
That sentiment was strong and earnestly IN
favor of continuing Brooks's Arithmetics IN
use in our schools.
That article under the head "Shall We
| Changer stated plainly and respectfully what
regarded as few of the serious, unanswer.
able objections to Appletqn's Arithmetics-
objections which any teacher of experience,
orperson of moderate intelligence, will at once
recognize Us apparent, upon statement
] The writer of the STEW words in reply,n in
your issue Of June 18th, is intelligent enough
orecognizet these objections, for he has avoided
meeting or attempting TO answer any of them
/ Instead Of endeavoring to show that the
facts then stated as objections to Appleton s
Arithmetics we're advantageous TO his series,
and that the features in Brooks's Normal
Arithmetics which were claimed TO be i'm
proyements in teaching the subject, were not
points of real excellence, he attempts, with
| the adroitness Of "Mr. John Dawkins, the
Artful Dodger,' to escape the issues which /
presented, and with the superficial innocence
/ and inward chuckle of " the jew Fagin, !" rubs
his hands, happy with the thought that he may
obtain condemnation by prejudice inGamed
/ by misstatement and misc0nstruciion, which
never could be obtained by fairness and
truth. 1.-The boys right, . remarked Fagin,
looking eoyertly round, and knitting his shaggy
/ eyebrows into u hard knot. " You're right,
Oliver, you're right, they tciH think you have
stolen EN-. Hal hal" chuckled the jew,
rubbing his hands; 1T could not have hap.
| pened better" (0LIvER TwIsT.)
| But mistake the intelligence of the teach.
ers OF Carroll county, if they can be lured
from these practical defects of Appleton's
Arl!hmeties by this feigniug to suppose my
criticisms upon Appleton's Part l. Slate or
Practical Arithmetic, to be upon the Primary.
and by this deliberate application of my re.
marks upon one book to another and alto
| gether different book mot only in one instance,
but systematically throughout the entire arti.
| Gle. And when my criticisms fail TO apply to
another book of his selection, he so far forgcts
| the amenities of language, which obtain among
! gentlemen, MS TO resort to the lowest style of
| political vituperation and to an inexcusable
! personal assault
| This profuse indulgence in strong terms
proves nothing further than the authors IA
niliarity with such barbarous language /
! have no issue with the writer of the "reply, -
| but as O teacher and citizen of Carroll county,
and as one having a natural pride and inter.
est in its true prosperity, appeal to the teach
ers, citizens and School Commissioners of my
own home, for yindieation in what have said,
and for protection from such foreign asper-
sions. Read my article Of May I'd, compare
what ! there say Of the books designated, with
| Appleton's Arithmetics which were distribu.
ted for examination, and you will find every
issue that have taken against these books as
! have stated. As one grown up from child.
hood among you, have right to cherish my
| reputation in this community, and to defend
/ it before you, that it may not suffer by SIMS.
ter attacks through irresponsible parties from
abroad, who are Indifferent to the good name
OF any one when their interests can be thought
to be advanced by blghting il.
! For the purpose Of thus yindicating my nc.
] ton and reasserting the statements OF my pre-.
| yious communication, consent TO notice an
article devoted to a peryersion of my com.
parison of Brooks's and Appleton's Arithme-
tics, and to gross assault upon me because
7 have moderately and respectfully stated some
| plain facts, and expressed the common opin,
| ion of our teachers. But to "the reply -
/ lst, The agent says :" there is no such book
AS Appleton's " Part /, - Slate Arithmetic. -
Forgetting this denial, he proceeds in the
next sentence to say, The great feature OF
our " Part |, or ''Primdry,n (which we
suppose to be the book Mr.. Dehof refers to, }
! ish-&c. ! ask the teachers of Carroll county
who were furnished with what purported to
be set Of Appleton's Arithmetics, and
which comprised the only books submitted
! for county adoption, viz Appleton's PR.
mary" "Appleton's Mental, Appleton s
Part |, Practical or Slate Arithmetic and
'Appletons Part II, Practical or Slate Arith-
lnetie, to look at the title covers of the fouI
books now in their possession, and then Mt the
books mentioned in my previous article in the
third paragraph, counting from the bottom.
Having done so, | will not ask you if it is
probable, but is IL possible that you could
mistake Appletons part H. which is o
/ Slate and Practical Arithmetic, for Appleton 5
| Primary, which is mainly Mental Arthme,
| tic?
Ii you could not commit an error so con.
spicuous, (since :. Part T. and % Part H. arr
printed BY the Publishers in large, bold, black
letters, upon the front corers of the two large
I Slate Arithmetics, | ask would you commit
the error "of supposing mean Appleton
! Primary, at the beginning Of my criticisms,
when mention Appleton's - Part II Slate
Arithmetic, particularly as | quote 9 Part
| II from the front outside cover of the
book referred to in that paragraph? Ii you
who are comparative strangers to Appleton
| Arithmetics could not possibly suppose ] re-
/ fer to Appleton's Primary, when | speak Of
| Appleton's Part II Slate Arithmetic, car
our utmust charity ascribe the cause Of the
misapplcation OF my comparisons, and tho
misconstruction of my statements, by the
agent who is familiar with the books, to either
ignorance or mistake? Why he chose tC
present this counterfeit comparison in place
of the real comparison, and TO meet his owl
spurious objections with stereotype ribaldr,
rather than TO openly and fairly meet and op
| pose my facts and arguments, will not stoI
to inquire. The reason will be obvious TO an,
one. who will take the trouble TO examine hii
books.
The mode, language and purpose of hi,
attack i also pass without further comment
1t speaks more to the reminded and honest
teacher, and people Of my county than | am
willing to suggest. ] ask but one question
If this style of covert defence and personal
assault, so well contrived and executed fol
its masked purpose, is the only defence that
/ Nhh w bhtAsh iOi tht Vi u otIith
of arithmetics, which, too late for remedy
may prove as specious and deceptive as "ths
reply" is it not tenfod more important that
they be subjected to the most thorough scru-
tiny before our county purchases and introdu.
ces them?
A few words in answer to 81 the reply;
LIST. Our manuscript read, Primary Men.
tai and Mental Arithmetics. BY mistake,
the type made this " Primary Mental Arith-
metics." I'd, We did not object to the three
or four pages of tables, mental exercises, &c.
in the g Primary" and Mental, but we did
object to a repetition in part l." Slate OF
Practical Arithmetic, of the same matter, or
similar matter, ''to that properly found in
these two Mental Arithmetics;' and as the
agent mentions the 50 Elementary in way
that we interpret to mean, as we limited in our
previous paper, that it is to go into the schools
also; we again object to re-repetition in it
Of what is already given in two books treating
Mental Arithmetic particularly, and for the
reasons before stated. The increase from
| three TO four books only serves IN stranOfhen