Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-19
FREE TEXTBOOKS.
Professor Cooper's Ideas Put Into Practice
Would Bring Us Almost to a Realiza-
ton of Bellamy's Dream.
FORT WORTH. TEX, Oct. 10, 1890.

Editor Gazette.
A recent editorial in your paper has
| directed my attention to Profe ssor
Cooper's last report, and as it touches
upon some matters that will probably
engage the attention of the next legisla-
ture l ask for space to discuss what
believe to be most fallacious theory ad-
vocated by him, viz. the theory of free
textbooks which, he thinks, must be
the finpl solution of a very much magni-
fed evil.
He says: ga careful study of this text
book question leads me to the conclusion
that its final solution Will be free text
books, that is to say, the school authori-
ties of each district will be required or
authorized to purchase the books from
the district school funds and furnish
them to the children free of charge.
The argument for free textbooks is I'M
ans cradle
Tten, without giving any reason of
his own, he quotes what he terms a
terse and conclusive argument, dogmat-
icaliy and immodestly lauded by its
author, Mr.. Wickersham, who, 1 be-
lieve, is Pennsylvania teacher This
argument is as follows: ''To make a
school free, you must make all free that
belongs to it. To the school belongs the
house, the furniture, a teacher to impart
instruction and suitable apparatus to aid
him il this task. In the same category
must be placed text books, for they a-e
the necessary tools with which the
teacher works. free school, there
fore, implies free text books, as we'll as
free school house, free furniture and
apparatus and free tuition. From
or nd nf n
can be drawn that will place text books
on one side to be purchased by private in
dividuals, and all else belonging to the
school on the other to be bought and paid
for by the public. The pupil needs a
book with which to prepare his lessons,
about as much as he does a seat to sit
upon, or map or black board to aid him
in his studies, to which MIR. Wicker.
sham adds, "The logic of the case is
without break
If Mr.. Wilkersham had put his arpu-
ment in the shape of a syllogism it would
read thus: A teacher cannot work with
out the necessary tools-a text book is q
necessary tool for the teachers work
therefore a text book should be furnished
the pupil; and again, "each pupil needs
a book with which to prepare his lessons
about as much as he needs seat to sit
upon OF map or black board to aid HIM
in his studies, or, vice versa, each pu-
pill needs seat to sit upon and a map or
blackboard TO aid him in his studies
about as much as he needs a text book.
therefore q seat, map and black board
should be furnished free of charge to
each pupil, as well as text BOOK.
Continuing the argument: Each pupil
does the greater part of his work in the
preparation Of his lessons at home in the
night time. Therefore each pupil should
have furnished him free Of charge, at
home, free text books, free lights, free
blackboard, free map and a free seat.
Each pupil who attends school from a.
m. to p. m. is compelled to have a
lunch, therefore the state should furnish
u free lunch.
Mr.. Wickersham's logic breaks when
he makes the book belong to the school |
instead of to the individual pupil.
Whether the pupil buys the book, or the
state buys 1t and gives It to the pupil, in
either event 1t is the pupils. Not so |
with the blackboard, the desk and APP |
paratus. This belongs to the corporate
entity, known as the school, and is sub |
lect to the management, exclusive con-
troll or use OF no individual pupil, and |
subject to Just such enjoyment as pub
lie road is by the citizen.
The line can be drawn. and will be |
drawn, between property which in its |
nature is subject only to the corporate
ownership of the school and property |
which in iis nature and use is susceptible |
of individual control only OF the pupil. |
whenever we overstep this bound ia the |
Of school affairs we are but |
. short distance from Edward Bellamy's
iream. PLAIN yuw.