Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-02-19

Teacher--The Merrill Bill Did Not Break |
Up the Ring--A Close Corporation for Eff
teen Years--Proposition to Make Merrill
and Appleton Wrong in Prin- |
ciple.
To the Editor Of The GLOBE.
A pamphlet has been extensively circu-
lated in this State, bearing the signature of
G. p. Quackenbos, the author of some of
the school books chosen by the Minnesota
text book commission. This pamphlet
claims to be vindication of that authors
literary character, which it is stated has been
wantonly assailed by School Superintendent
Burt, while in reality, it is itself an insolent
attack on that worthy gentleman's rights as
citizen and public officer.
Exercising all due charity for that natural
sensitiveness of disposition which most
authors possess, one must still condemn, in
the strongest terms, the language
in which Mr. Quackenbos presents his plea
to the people Of Minnesota. Does Mr.. Q. or
any other person think the Office of State
Superintendent a sinecure, that the incum-
bent must not express either private or Off
cial opinions relative to the educational we'll
fare of this State? To judge from his too
fervent expression, his principal complaint is
that Mr.. Burt did not recognize in him
universal genius, not to be criticised by or
binary mortals, like superintendent of pub
lie instruction. What then? 1t was enough
for Newton to be a mathematician, and
Humboldt to be geogapher, and it is
enough for most literary men to be, like
them, specialists; but this G. p. Q. would
compel the world to concede his transcend
ent and illimitable genius as COM
passing everything in the realms
of modern art and science, permitting him
/ to write books on all subjects, which not
only Superintendent Burt, but such men as
| Prins, Kehle, Morey and John, and Profs.
Campbell, Thompson, Goodhue and Payne,
seconded by hundreds of experienced edu-
Gators, must tacitly concede as the ne Plus
ultr0s of educational literature. Now, we
assume that the teachers of Minnesota oh
ject to either their superior officers or them
selves being made nonentities in any such
way; and would, moreover, have Mr.. @.
plainly understand that his books are as well
known by the instructors of this State, as by
himself. And we can add, further, that long
before they figured in the cursed book COM
bination of Merrill, Appleton & Company,
many an unbiased, yet adverse criticism,
had been passed on their merits. For in
stance: "Hadley's Language Lessons has
been considered infinitely superior to his,
having been used by many of our best teach
ers, both as text book and as hand book,
while his history has been deemed far inferi-
or to those of Anderson and Barnes.
! let nd innniro IF Mr. Onaclyonhoc Nth
due Difference to his lofty estimation of him
self, who are better able to judge of the
merits of text books, than they whose days
and years are spent in using them in the
school room2 Again, an authors personality
should not be bound within the covers of his
works, and he should feel in placing book
before the world, he of necessity throws it
open to literary criticism. Has Mr.. Quack-
enbos written for thirty years or
more without finding out this
truth? If SO, we are forced to conclude
either insignifcance or marvellous merit has
hitherto placed his works beyond the pale OF
criticism, until the audacity of Minnesota
educators made onset against them. We are
not left in doubt, however, as to which phase
of our dilemma the author considers cor
rect; for with style of nGioetc, which we
are startled to find in one who claims to
speak O1 u1l1lSel1 WtONLSGe, uc 1uIOTuS ue
that his books have gained a national reputa-
ton. Shades of photographers, if such be
the utterances of modesty, how shall we
hereafter define egotism? Then, too, with
the occult intention of drawing parallel be-
tween the purity of his own motives and
that of the motives which actuated Mr.. Burt
he says it would be s'ingracious'' to speak
of fellow authors N1r. Clarke works
while. at the same time, with suave but
bold effrontery, he insinuates a marked gu.
periority of his grammatical works ovel
those of that author.
Now Mr.. Burt has ever and still continues
,, to refute the structures of those who count
him an enemy with diction brave, ingeni
Gus and temperate, and yet is to be credited
with the spirit of the low-lived; how Mr.
Quackenbos retaliates in angry and unjus
terms, and yet is to be considered
the highest type of gentleman
how the superintendent, working under 8
pressure of multifarious business which
would astonish New York reporter, sue
ceeds in compiling a voluminous report in ,
brief space of time, which, withou
, allowing any latitude for typo
graphical errors, contains few mistakes il
language, and yet is to be styled, indirectly
, an ignoramus and unfit to preside over tn.
! educational welfare of Minnesota children
how the scion of metropolitan literati, sitting
probably in gown and slippers, in his quiet
cosy library, abundantly supplied with works
of reference, complies during months, (sav,
when engaged in padding"), bool
; whose manuscript he cons and re-cons, ane
whose proof sheets he reads and re-reads Il
his hearts content, but in which he makes
more blunders than the superintendent il
, his report, and how he often criticises tn,
language of the latter, when correct, as GU
. common school children could inform him
q and yet is to be styled savant ant
a an oracle of learning for thos
: same children; we say al
{ these things are philosophical enigmas to u
: which, perchance, we may some day solve, i
q Mrs. @. be our monitor, furnishing us work
on ethics and logic respectively. We desist
! for the sublimity of Mrs. Q.'s closing TRAD
a overpowers us quite. We behold him SEN
): the barbarian scholars of the Northwes
''howlng in eclipse, as he informs us he j
: done with this subject forever-m mental
!, adding. no doubt, La Jack Horner, &C
what a big boy am t. or with the NOR
! classic Pollock's Byron, s'Great man, the ns
:, TONS wonder" including the one in whic
Stubs stands famous among educators
A MINNESOTA TEACHER.
= MADEI1A, Feb. Is, 1873.
IA, Incisire Csiticisn.
). LIE Sueur Sentinel.
q There appears to be peculiar combin,
fion ,f o;ro,,,,oc4o,,<,, :,.,.,,11:-,-.