Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-08-22

titude towards the scheme. It is also engaging the attention of the people, and is likely to be the chief element of contention in the school election next month. The trades council has put It. self on record in favor of free books, which is likely to have an important effect in shaping the action of working people in the matter. Several general meetings of working people have already been proposed, besides numberless pri- vate conferences and caucuses, and ill fact the question has already become burning one in our sister city.
 Those who advocate free books for the scholars contend that education being furnished free the means of obtaining 1t ought likewise to be made free. There IS no actual expense to parents, apart from
 taxation, for school buildings and their equipment, school teachers, janitors or other appurtenances. Why then, they ask, should they be compelled to pur- chase books, which are as necessary a
 part of the educational process as build ings or teachers? Stationery and slate pencils are already furnished at the expense of the district, and is held that the reason for furnishing free stationery and free pencils apply to text books as we'll. Then again it is held that if all text books were furnish ed free poor parents would be spared the humiliation of having to acknowledge their inability to buy books and would be willing as a consequence to keep their children at school longer than they otherwise could or would. Again it is held that free text books would be a great leveler of class distinctions in that rich and poor alike would have the same books with no such appreciable difference i'll quality as now too often exists to the confusion and humiliation of the poorer children. Those who con- bat the free text book scheme claim that free text books would entail an un- warrantable and unnecessary expense on the district, that the taxpayers do enough when they provide school build ings and teachers, and that it is an in
 justice on taxpayers who have no chil-
 dren to compel them to bear the addi- tional burden of free books for the chil-
 dren of others. They deny that there is
 any humiliation i'll poor parents secur- ing free books under the plan now pro- vided. and claim that parents who would not hesitate to seek shoes from the town are not likely to balk at the asking of free books from the district.
 Then they claim that there is danger of l infectious diseases from books that are used through a number of years and
 find their way into different hands and different grades of homes. There is lit l tie to this argument, however, while the second hand book stores are allowed to flourish as they now do. The strong est argument of the anti-free text book advocates seems to be that free books
 are au ent ering wedge to socialism and | that free meals for the scholars will be
 the next item of expense entailed if the
 free book advocates are successful.
 | This question of free text books in the public schools Is not a new one, and we
 do not think it will be settled for New Haven whatever way the election may go next month. The masses we be.
 lieve are largely, if not entirely, in ia | vor of the plan, and it is not likely that
 they will be content until it has been
 practically tested. And as the plan
 furnishes fruitful soil for demagogues
 to work it is not likely to be neglected
 We may expect before many years to set
 the matter of free text books a burning
 issue i'll every school election where the question has not been definitely settled
 in one way or the other.
 Texas cattle fever has made it's ap | pearance in St. Louis.
 The premium on gold at Buenos Ayres has been advanced to S14 pel cent.