Waco evening news. (Waco, Tex.) 1888-1889, 1889-03-16
UNIFORM TEXTBOOKS.

There is bill pending before the
state legislature providing for uni
form series Of text books for the public
schools throughout the state. The
exact details Of this bill We have not
examined, but the object in view is
most worthy one, in that it promises
relief to our people from serious bur-
den, and hence our sympathies are
strongly enlisted in favor Of the bill.
Under the present system the cost OF
text books is, to the poorer classes OF
our population, burden compared
with which that Of taxation sinks into
utter insignifcance 1t is upon the
laboring classes, whose children attend
the country public schools, that the
present system falls with peculiar
weight. True, patrons Of the town
and city schools are not exempt from
the text hook Affections, but it is the
countryman who suffers most. Coun-
try public schools suffer change Of
teachers at the beginning Of almost
every term. Each teacher has his
preference as to textbooks, and hence
the patron is called upon to purchase .
new set Of books for his children, at .
great expense, to take the place Of
those purchased the year before.
This thing repeated year altar year
imposes most serious and unnecessa.
~ burden upon those Of our people
who are least able to bear it. The ex-
pense thus attached to educating their
children, doubtless, prevents many Of
our poorer people from sending their
children to school. Many parents find
it difficult to spare the assistance Of
their children from the labors Of the
farm In order to attend school much
less to meet the heavy expense neces-
saiy to equip them, term after term,
with a new set Of text books. 1t is
this portion Of our people that the pub
lie free schools are designed to benefit,
and If they fail to bring a common
school education ,cithin the reach of the
children Of this class, the public .tret
school system Is a failure and a farce
The free schools will never accomplish
the purpose Of their creation among
this class Of our citizenry as long ii
their children are shut out from thu
privileges Of the schools, on account Of
the inability Of their parents to pro
vide them with the frequent changes
in text books demanded by the teach
ers. This state Of affairs will exist, t.
large extent, SO long as the present
practice Of frequent changes Of text
books continues. The remedy, in oul
opinion, is to be found in q law pro
viding a uniform series Of text books
We are aware that it is charged that
this measure will create monopoly il
the manufacture Of text books for tn,
state. Our answer is that we hsye nj
reason to fear monopoly that is thu
messenger of such relief to the peopl
as this will be, and one that can b
kept in such perfect control by GU
state board of education.
A monopoly in the interests Of tn
people is novelty and should NEE
the hearty support of the peoples rel
resentatives in the legislature.
It is also claimed that the teacher
Of the state are opposed to the bill
This is true to some extent, but is =
formidable argument against the mea
ure.
While we do not endorse the chan,
made in the legislature that "there
Z job in the affair" between the teac
ers and text book publishers, yet !
know, from experience, that super
tendents and principals Of schools 9
made the recipients Of various sedi
tive s'courtesies'' from publishe
through their agents, that are cali
lated to incline the teachers to be {
orable TO the interests Of the publ