Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-07-09
BULLDOZED.
County Heard FrOm-The
Way the Book Agents Handle
the Innocent County On.
GERS Ia Mississippi.

9Th, In regard to a subject recently die.
cussed in the LEDGER:
Let us examine a little into the history
OF this matter since the school law was
enacted, about eve years since. In
1870 or II, the State superintendent.
without d shadow of authority. pre.
scIibed a series of high-priced and almost
unheard OF books, which were promptly
adopted by the directors; and the parents
o. the eight or ten thousand children of
monroe county compelled to threw aside
the time 'honored and well.tested books
on hand, and conform to the new order.
ln the spring of 1872, the fact suddenly
burst upon the directors, on the appear
ance OF a publishers agent, that they
had made an egregious blunder and had
not secured the best books. A meeting
was called and his series was adopted
and put into the schools and the others
put out. In the spring of 1873, another
agent appeared on the stage aud notified
the superintendent and directors that
they had made a mistake in their adop.
ton, and had failed again to get the best
books. Another meeting was held. the
last series was ordered out, and all went
except the Readers, which were saved
only oy the i0rcible arguments and Sc
we're criticism OF an able attorney and
the timely advice OF one of the eolored
members OF the board, aud the new set
adopted.
Bat suddenly this spring another set
Of o1oR agents appeared, and rAnsack.
ing the old records, discovered the fact
mat the last action on the sui iect was
Illegal and, therefore, void, aud the
matier open fos amendment. They 30
lor Tue superintendent and supervisors.
ana force up the question. To relieve
themselves OF the entire responsibility.
they properly refer the gu ject to a com.
mittee.. We have no reflections to cast
on the book agents. They evidently
have an eye to business" and we can
say OF them what Senator Lamar's old
woman, who never spoke lily Of any ene,
SAD OF the devl-they are very ener-
! getlc gentlemen. Ths committee met.
s and Ike all such committees, examined
hastily the stock Of sample books pre-.
sented, and divided the series between
the agents who were drumming for the
e job.
= No teacher can, in one week or in ten.
I examine one series Of common school
books-not even a set Of anthmetics or
readers-and decide fully as 10 their
merits, much less a half dozen or more
series. The test of the merit Of a school
book is the school room. This commit.
tee was composed of the best material
10 the county, but they could not devote
the necessary time to the matter. Most
OF the books are untried, and if adopted
Will be saddled upon US for FIVE years.
} however unsatisfactory they may prove.
10 say we will not be compelled to uss
them, is to say the law is of no avail.
This is virtually the fifth change in
seven years. 1t shows a failure in the
Judgment of those who select books, or
that men are subject to the importuni-
ties OF every publisher and merchant
who has an eye TO speculation. It stulti-
fes the previous officers, The cost to
the people is immense. Every family in
more or less provided with parts of the
six series heretofore in use. Say An
average OF four books to a child, or forty
tuOusauu UOOkb-dI tn average cost OF
forty cents--there are now in Monroe
county $4,000 worth oil school books.
One-hfth OF these, actually in the school
room, can De exchanged by paying half
price for new books; say $4,000 worth ex.
changed by paying $1,000 additional for
the new ones, which is a needless ex-
pense and incurred in consequences Of
q change. This leaves still $l2 800 worth
OF useless books to mold on the closet
shelves.
If a pupil has a set of six Readers at
home, OF the present series, and is using
number one in school, he has the most
liberal and attractive bargain offered him
OF a new First Reader for his old one
and the large amount Of ten cents 10.
boot. Bat the other FIVE, that cost him
20 10, perhaps, remain plumber in the
lumoer-room ut home, aud as be rises
from book to book Of the series, be mist
walk down TO the book merchant and
pay his 4Oc SOC Csc and 81 Is for the
same amount of reading matter, and not
one whit better than be already has. To
say the least, 1t is an intolers5le burden
and a gross imposition upon the people
living under the enforcement of a law
made by a Radical Legislature and die.
tated by au agent of a publishing house.
AS an instance OF the hasly examina.
ton OF one OF the books recommended.
the fact that our children are to be
taught TOR the next FIVE years in Barnes
hriet History, page 265, that Confeder-
ATE soldiers during the war murdered, in
dlsorlminalely, men, women aud chill.
dren, both white and black, was entirely
overlooked by one of the committee who
had examined it carefully, and recon-
mended it because 1T contained nothing
to which any one could possibly object"
This is no reflection on the MEMBER of
| the committee. The same mistakes or
oversights have occurred after a much
more extended examination. and the
error only detected in the school room.
The people, who have no voice in the
> matter, have all the expense TO pAy, and
not the school officers or teachers who so
readily make these changes. II will en-
tall upon the people Of this county an
additional expense Of $4,000 or $4,000,
whether tho change is sudden or gradual,
and the officers who now foist this upon
as may regret it in the end.
MONROE.
We commend the foregoing arguments
to those we'll meaning gentlemen in our
school board who have been induced to
favor a radical, expensive aud uufortu-
nate change Of text books in our city
: schools.
~
Great alarm is felt both on the cont.
nent Of Europe and in England with re-
gard IN a nrohahla ;.,.a;o. nm