Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-07-08
rae SCHOOL BOOK QUESTION.

NE oOAOV4 AOO0 40AAA
We learn that tonight the board Of
education will receive the annual charge
of the brigade of book publishers, and
we trust the board may have the 6rmness
TO stand the shock without wavering.
We can imagine nothing more injurious
to the school system than the frequent
change in books, and for our part should
never indorse any change unless for the
very strongest reasons. The chief OBJ
iect OF the attack Of the agents appears
to be Holmes Readers. We have taken
the pains to compare these works with
other leading public atoms, aud the re-
suit couvinces US all the stronger in
faVer of retaining those now 10 use.
They have stood the test of many years
use, and under them our schools have
prospered and the pupils made rapid
advances. Then why not let well enough
alone2 Experiments are always hazard
GUS, and we fail TO see the necessity now
of resorting to one. Not only in Mem
phis, but elsewhere, is an effort made TO
change school books, concerning which
the Holly Springs Miss South says;
Last week we Published a communica.
ton from q Southern publishing house
stating that at O recent meeting of teach.
ers in this county inthe court house here
certain school books had been excluded
from the lists in the public schools and
others adopted instead. The author Of
the communication is the agent of a
publishing house which prints Buffers
grammars, and this is the book excluded
TO give place to another published By
some Northern firm. The alleged rea.
son for this change is q political one.
OF this we do not know. The charge is
publicly made by responsible parties,
and il not refuted, will be believed. Il
is not to enlist in the cause Of either
side which prompts US to speak. 1t is
for the public good. What good reason
is there for changing books every year,
or every five years2 Who is beneiited7
Who pays for the cost, for. evidently,
there ia On increase OF cost to somebody
1t is our opinion that the State board Of
education should adopt, as we'll as it can,
q uniform series OF books to be used in
the public schools of Mississippi. This
series should be adopted for a term Of
years and be used in all schools in the
State.
In choosing between the books OF
Northern aud Southern authorship, when
the merits Of all are equal, we would
favor the Southern decidedly-the same
as to publishing houses-fo- if the
Southern people do not encourage
Southern authors and Southern publish.
ing houses who will, and what will be.
com Of them2
Who is benefited p The publisher
and agent. Who pays for the cost
The parents Of the pupil. But there is a
very general endeavor to discard al
books written by Southern men, and in
troduce those written by Northern ed
u%cators." There are some book agents
publishers and others whose insane i'm
pudenee allows them to say that Pre-
fessors HolSes, Venable and all othe
Southern scholars and educators are il
competent to write a book ct for use i
Southern schools. II is time that thi
yearly effort to displace Southern. schoc
books in Southern cities and State
cease. If we are so Ignorant, degrade,
and %sycophsntic in mind, heart aud col
dition as to require Northern inhueuc,
altogether, why not give us Northei
teachers, Northern superintendents,
w,ll as Northern school books, and al
appoint Northern people to act as p
rents for our children ? We do not b
lieve that the Memphis Board Of Educ
ton will indorse or encourage this pr
posed change, the effort at which is b
coming too frequent and its purpose Il
apparent to receive anything like II
vorable or ever polite considerable
among disinterested and intelligel
people.
WHAT a comfortable time the Frenc
public has of it going cut on the trar