Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-10-31

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unbiished In the country. They may select
on any principle that should govern men
having public interests In charge. Price,
quality, adaptation to the schools, may all
have due control; but it is not conceivable
that the four thousand School Boards,
elected by the people from their own num-
Der, shall not have the interests OF their
own neighbors, friends and children at heart
more nearly than the interests OF any
publishing house. :.
The insinuations sometimes made that
Boards of Education, Superintendent n
Teachers are actuated by improper mer-
cenary motives in selecting these books In
preference to others is an insult to them n
to the people who elect them to important
trusts. These ISLANDERS always emanate
from persons who would seek by falsehood
and libel to obtain some advantage which
they fail to secure by honorable, open COM
petition. Boards OF Education are usually
composed of the best men in the country,
men of honorable standing among their fell
low-citizens, elected for their knowledge OF
educational affairs and their fitness fol. the
duties of the office. The superintendent
and Principals of schools are men OF high
standing for their integrity and honesty,
and such impuations upon their charactert
deserve the r%eprObation of all honest men.
To transact our business we employ
agents-so do the grocers, the hardware
merchants, and all extensive business
houses of the world. We believe those
agents to be honorable, intelligent gentle
men. We intend to employ no Others.
1t is the dnty of our agents to keep us
thoroughly informed of the progress OF he
~schools-what new methods of instruction
are being developed, what new processes
are on trial, what the tendecies of the
schools are. We must know precisely the
present condition and the probable ten
denotes of educational movements in order
to adapt our books properly to the needs OF
the schools. A successful school-book
must occupy a position in the direct line
of advance; the schools will not readily
adapt themselves to a book that is not in
accord with the best thought of the best
teachers.
1t is also the duty of our agents to call
the attention of school officers and teachers
to the merits aud low prices of our publica-
tions, and to recommend their adoption
and use.
We also send out sample copies of our
books for examination with n view to in
PRODUCTION, and We advertise our books in
the professional periodicals and by circulars
with the intent to secure their introduction.
The question of too frequent changes Of
school books is one that is entirely within
the control of the people. In nearly every
state the law provides that a book, when
once adopted, shall remain unchanged for
a term of years. 1t is our eXperince that
books, if worthy of use, do remain much
longer than any legal enactment requires.
In the spring OF 1874, we sent out blanks
to the clerks of all the School Boards OF
Ohio, asking for information on this point.
We received answers from two thousand
towns and townships, showing:
l. That it is not true that books are fire.
quently changed; hundreds of these reports
show that the same books have been in use
from ten to fifteen years.
ii. That the law forbidding changes
oftener than once in a term of five years, is
generally observed.
III. That Boards of Education and
teachers prefer the books they have selected
and adopted.
". That there is as much uniformity
in books as is practicable or desirable.
1t is continually charged upon the
authors and publishers ofschoOl-books that
they make frequent changes in the texts for
the purpose of compelling pupils to buyth
new editions and throw away the old
thus securing increased sales of the books.
If the assertions were true, the results
would be the opposite of the end desired.
Those sc~hool-books which nave oftenest
been revised, have for that very reason
soon lost their popularity; and wise pub
fishers have been taught by such examples
to make their books as perfect rs possible
at first, so that changes will not be ncces-
sary for many years.
We attribute the great popularity and
long continued sale of our own publica-
tiOns largely to two facts: % Practical
and experienced teachers, men of accuracy
and sound methods, were selected to write
the books, so that they should exactly meet
the requirements of our public schools; and
(2) No changes have been made in the
texts except in the correction of errors in
typography and statement, or TO make
them accord with the progress of science
and discovery. Such changes rs these are
absolutely necessary, and no san man cal
object to them.
McGuiley's Readers and Rays Arith-
metics remained unchanged for twenty
years, and many schools have used these
books successfully and satisfactorily all
that time. Quite recently both series have
been thoroughly revised; but this was de-
manded by the best educators all over the
land, as is shown conclusively by the
marked favor with which the new and
beautiful editions have been received.
The former editions, however, are kept in
print, are still largely used, and will be
published rs long as there is a demand for
them. Such is the case whenever it is
found necessary to make n radical revision
of any book on our list.
We have attempted to place before the
public our manner of doing business. We
have to the best of our ability, placed our
publications in as many schools of the coun-
try as we could. We have, in face of the
most persistent competition, established n
publishing business second TO none in the
world. 1t has been our ambition to make
the best books at the cheapest prices, and
we ask from the public their continued sup
port so long as the merit of the Eclectic
Educational Series remains world wide and
unChallenged, and so long as no cheaper
texts are Obtainable.
Very respectfully,
VAN ANTWERP, BRAGG Il Co.
Cincinnati, o.