The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-02-26
SCHOOL BOOKS.

I 10 deprecate any of the good done by
either Of the books mentione ed. Some of
the kappiest recolleetions Of our school
days arss ssinseparably associated With the
very two books I'M question. We can
realize now almost sour exact feelings
when We got to 1Ba, ,ker,' : and can see
y the word now AIT stands at the begin
ming Of the first line on the right hand
pags iof the book. And often have we
laughed as the alacrity with which the
boy iii the back part Of the book cane
{ down The tee when persuaded BY tho
SJorc;5zs logic of the earnest old farmer
With these early Impressions fastened
upon 1ls, we find it difficult to lay aside
our prejudices long enough to make q
All criticism OF either the old orthe new
text books; The Medium speaks of the
valuable lessons taught in Webster's
{ famous old book, and caIludes to the fact
that / ,O0O, 900 copies are sold annually as
ssp;5,sitiye and unmislak kable evidence OF its
psodpa alarity and merit. Is be quite sure
hat the wonderfully large sale of the
book Is not rather an evidence of blind
6 ing ri preindics. and, q want of progress and
sppreciation Of merit in other books
And are shere not truths equally striking
! aud equally beautiful in many of the he
4 series Of readers now offered to the chill
sdren sof the land : We think 50. OF
sscourss achild may be taught to read by
:ksering him hammering away at Web
& atsrs M 8 old speller long enough, but isn't
the arrangement, the graded steps, in
4 stttI,e various series of readers much better
4 M ailap,ed 70 the wants and nature of the
Child? Do the pictures Of the dogs and
ssz,s reese e and. COWS mesn Dothing OF what
use are object lessons, upon which SO
4 much nj stress is laid by the best educators
Sofs dayf Certainly great progress has las
been made in tho art Of school teaching,
! ;sls mud. as . consequences progress: has been
made Id the ars'o writing school books,
sSmish, Grammar has served it's day;
aand Il served it we'll. Many Of the
brightest intel s;ts in our county studied
mo other ;fibut does that fact argue in it's
favor. to- tho extent Of discarding all
ssotkers q Does the factsthat the Rev. ].
I Kenneay, who educated many OF the
!: ablsst men not only Of our own State
/ bu. 81 other States, taught Smiths Gram
I mar Justify the conclusion that that
8 grand old scholar would, if alive to day,
.still hang tenaciously to that old book
Ne dare say that if Mr. Kennedy were
shsre to-day, with all:the visor and enerc;
4 81 Of his palmy days, Smiths Grammar
! and Webs.er's speller would not pc al i
lowed a place on his desk. he taught
She best books in his day, aud were he
50 alive aud teacher to day, he would use
sthe best thatare written.
We do not deny that parents are fire..
s;oDuently put to useless expenditure Of
money. for text books. Among so many
good books it is perfectly natural that
every teache-. have his favorite, and when
the s.ate Board Of Education adopts
more than one series Of readers or more
- - ~
than one grammar the way is opened for
the exercise Of his choice. We cannot
I agree With the Medium and the Courier
5 sas; TO the comparative merits of the old
and the new books. Nor do we concur
sswithsthem in the opinion that the RENE
sdysfor the evil of buying many books is
u uniform determination on the part OF
the teachers to return to the old books
; IN spite of their better judgment. No
gprogressiye teacher can afford to shut his
ewes to the merits Of new books; neither
could the Cacocetkes Scri6endi be choked
sotf by such q game. For the sake OF
economy let text books be changed only
when reason and deliberate judgment
dictate; but let not economy make n,
deaf to the demands of the rising gen.
aaration. Let the State adopt her books
for ten years-for twenty, if you please;
but What intelligent Board would think
sssof adopting Smiths or Mitchell's Geog
o.
srsphy over Harper's, Cornell's or Apple
ton'sf