The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-08-31
AT A SUGGESTION OF FLICK
Marion County Teachers, to Avoid Trou-
BILE, IndOrse Misfit School Books.
An Action That Does Not Represent Private
Views Of PedagOgues-A Mysterious Meet
ing of superintendent of City Schools.
A great many children take disagreeable

A great many children take disagreeable
medicines, but few who take them are so
disingennous as to smack their lips and say
they like them. When such a cherub is
found the chances are that he has either
received or been promised a gratuity for
keeping down his gorge and otherwise re-
pressing his natural nausea The medi-
cine incident suggested itself yesterday at
the meeting of the Marion county teach
ers' institute, when the committee on resO-
lutions. consisting of NJ. j. Wagle. ID. L.
Powers and NJ. Frances Moore, made the
following report:
Whereas, Earnest criticism from various sour
ces-soInc educational-have been advanced
against the recent legislation in our own state
relative To- the furnishing of our schools with uni
form textbooks; and.
Whereas, A more direct effort to create preju.
dice against the books adopted by the State
Board OF Education, viz, the Indiana Educa-
uonal Series, has been made by such critics;
and,
whereas, Such criticisms apparently SAVIOR of
a political nature, therefore,
BE 1t resolved, that Ii Is the sense of the
teachers OF Marion county, In institute assem-
Died, that while we favor such legislation as was
by Governor HOvey in his first
message to the General Assembly, we fully be-
lev our present new schoOl-bOOk law Is a step
In the right direction. That having examined
tHC pCOhT " W ilC ti1n
Company, viz; the Indiana Educational Series,
we find much 10 commend and but little To con-
denim. That the political criticism offered from
various sources upon the new law Is viewed with
great disfayor by us.
This resolution indorsing the Becktold-
Williams series, passed without any audi
BILE dissent. though a number of the
teachers had previously expressed them
selves adversely to the books, stating ex-
plicitly that they believed them to be in
feriOr. Several teachers, when the report
OF the came in, thought for a
moment of making some opposition to its
adoption, but from "a Discrimination to cause
trouble with the powers that be never
brought their purpose into action. Some
of these still have hopes that the proceed
ings in the federal court will relieve them
from the disagreeable task of teaching from
these Missouri textbooks. Another thing
tn be taken into consideration i'll cOnnec-
ton with the passing of the resolution
without open opposition Is the
fact that three-fourths of the teachers are
women. unused to parliamentary usage,
and had never seen the books. Besides.
the meeting had been a pleasant one and
they desired TO be amiable with the COM
mittee. The passing of the resolution Is
intended to go out as the expression of the
central county of the State as fav0rlng the
Williams school books, but when
the whole matter is understood concerning
the getting up of the report and it's adOp-
ton, it isshot likely that it will serve to
turn the strong popular tide of disfavor
which has set against this misit educa-
tiOnal series.
Professor Sanders, when the legitimate
proceedings of the institute were begun,
continued his talk upon the subject of COM
position. He gave topics, outlines and sys-
tematlc method OF arrangement. noting
carefully the punctuation. On the subject
of reading, Professor Beck reviewed the
lessons of the week. and then gave an eXer-
else in physical development of the chest.
Professor Sanders followed, occupying an
hour upon outline geography and history,
illustrating bis subject from printed tab
lets. 1.-THE Will and its Culture was dis
cussed by the institute. led by Professor
Beck, the branches of the topic considered
being the victory of mind over matter, the
human will, and the training of mind and
will. Professor Sanders came next, devOting
some time to "Arithmetic," in which he
treated of advanced addition, subtraction,
multiplication and division, ard gave a
practical lesson in interest. The conclud-
ing talk was by Professor Beck, in which
he treated Of school government, examina-
tiOns. reports and promotion. Training
versus teaching was also discussed at some
length.
A committee was appointed to prepare
bylaws for the organization OF a Marion
County Teachers Association. The insti-
tute adjourned after passing resolutions of
respect to the memory OF Miss LOttie
Springer, q teacher of Warren township,
who recently died, and of thanks to the
county superintendent and to instructors
Beck and Sanders for their services through
the week,