The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-09-22
nnw onLEANs. SEPTEMBER r., ISL,
SCHOOL BOOKS.

"
den and violent attack of indignation al
the selection OF school books by the
Btate Board OF Education. The attack
lie 30 sudden and violent, indeed, that
one Is impressed with the idea that an
Interest OF some sort or other in the
Harper Brothers series prompted 1t.
"A reckless estimate of the cost of the
new books is made, the Superintendent
Of Public Education is assailed, and
many statements and charges made
that cannot be substantiated. The
course OF the Times In this matter Ia
not creditable to public journal. 1t
has either been victimized by the agent
Cf the books or 1t has become the CO.
partner Of that agent.
The Harper Brothers. who are the
Publishers of the Wilson readers re-
jeCted by the State Board, had, under
Radical regime, for years a monop.
oily OF the school book trade in this
Htate; yet, among ell the malevolent,
1nscrupulous and untiring enemies OF
our people the Harper Brothers have
been the most malevolent. unscrupul-
GUS and untirlng. Conceding that these
books have merit they ought to have
been rejected by the board. The Har-
I per Brothers have no claim to the pa
tr0nage Of this people. They have done
all Ia their power, and that has been q
great deal, to sustain and encourage
our enemies and to degrade and humil-
late our people, and they and their
books ought to be spewed out OF the
mouth OF the Louisiana public. But
their books are not meritorious. Ex-
perienced teachers here and elsewhere
have pronounced them inferior to
many other school publication. We
have, In the last day or two, our
selves examined the Wilson readers,
and we hold that under no ciroum-
stances should they be used In our
schools, unless Southern parents desire
that their children shall be taught to
regard their ancestors as rebels and
traitors. The Harper Brothers books
were very fitting for the use of system
Ut public education which was designed
10 falsify the character OF the Southern
sople, but they are utterly unfit for our
ne now.
u We have examined the law, and the
resolutions OF the State Board under
which the Superintendent of Public
Education acted. and we have fully
Informed ourselves as to the terms Of
the contract made by the State Board
with A. s.. Barnes Il Go. for the Watson
readers, and we are prepared to say
that Mr.. Lusher acted with full and
complete authority in every step he
took. and that the contract made for
the books Ia liberal In the extreme and
calculated to be Of great benefit to the
INDECENT children who attend the
schools.
Thus, so far as the attack of the
Isnses upon the Superintendent Of the
State Board is concerned, we regard it
~ utterly unjustifable. Indeed, 1t is
20 splenetic and 80 at variance with the
facts, that II has all the appearance of
paid advertisement OF the Harper
Brothers.
And now as to the books adopted by
The State Board. The contract made
with A. 8. Barnes b %. Ia, as we have
said, very liberal. and considering the
great number of INDECENT children In the
State In whose interest 1t was made. and
he superiority of the Watson readers
aver the Wilson series. we think there
h 81 ich to be said in favor of it. But,
aftera careful inspection Of the readers
selected and comparison Of them with
the Southern University Series, we
hink that the board has made mis-
AXE In not choosing the latter. The
,lections in the Southern University
sSerfas are fully equal In point of literary
merit to those In the Watson readers
and they are more in accord with the
feelings, sentiments. traditions and
history OF our country. In this series
great prominence Is given to the pro-
auctions Of Southern authors and to
those themes which. without being
in.the least sectional, are calculated to
teach our children to love their section
and reverence its leaders and heroes.
We regard this as point of inestimable
importance.
In the Watson readers-the series
adopted are many excellent se-
Iections, but we were inexpressibly
shocked to see on page 213 q note Of
some length highly eulogistic Of Rev.
Henry Ward Beecher. He breaches
the truth, !" says this note In u school
hook which il to be In the hands of every
cbild ID Louisiana. ''of to-day applied