Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-10
UNIFORM TEXTBOOKS.
How the Relief Demanded by the People Is to
be Obtained - Problem that
Should be Solved.
ABILENE, Tex, Aug. 7, 1890.

! ABILENE, TEX, Aug. 7, 1890.
! Recognizing in THE GAZETTE true
| friend and champion of the people, de-
sire to discuss briefly through Its COL
umns the question of uniform textbooks
| for our public schools. The teachers
association have expressed themselves
| as favoriug a uniform system of text
| books for period of three years, the
same to be adopted by the superinteu-
dents of districts respectively. Such
system would not give the relief desired
and demanded by the people, as evil
denced through the press and through
the Alliance, Grange and other
organizations of the state. This ques-
ton has been overshadowed during the
present campaign by the Hogg and COM
mission tidal wave which has coverted the
length and breadth OF the state and will
eliminate next week at the Alamo city
in the greatest victory for the people
ever recorded IN Texas history. The
next thing in order will be the consider
alton of other questions looking to the
general welfare of the people. the ad-
justment of the every good of our great
state craft so as to Tighten the burthen
| of taxation and at the same time i'm
| prove present methods.
The question OF text books is one that
concerns the masses of the people more
than any other. The cost of text books
for the public schools of Texas will reach
ut minimum, 81 $50 900 for the scho-
Iastic year. Under the present system
OF change or partial change In text
books with every year, burthen Is
placed upon the people which Is mex
cusable, but which can only be
remedied by laws requiring uni
form system of books in all
the public schools of the state
for period of not less than five years.
The district system recommended would
not give relief to a verv large class of
our most worthy citizenship. Seventy
five per cent. of the farmers and laborers
| of Texas are of non-land-owningc class,
tenant farmers, etc. and majority OF
this class move from district to district,
county TO county, but few of them resid-
ing in the same district for more than
one or two years. These are OF the
producing class and are of the bone
and sinew of the land. With every
change of location under the
present system or under that re-
commended by the teachers convention
these people are compelled to procure a
new set of text books, and will UNDER
take to say just here that there is to-day
different system of text books in every
public school in the state-no two just
the same; and l estimate that the uu-
necessary changes made in text books
each year together with the changes
forced by the removal of trancient peo-
pie from one to another district Is costing
the patrons of the public schools ST ,000,-
900 each year. This being the case why
not have q change and have it IN way
that will be beneficial to all classes?
If uniform system of books Is good for
Il school district It is good for county;
if good for q county it would certainly be
good for the entire state. With state uni
formity the transient class would be able
to use their books until worn out and move
every year if they so desired. There Is
very little difference as to the merits of
the different text books in use in Texas.
One of the most distinguished educators
IN the South-a man who has been super
intendent of n system of schools mum ber-
ing over 80 900 pupils for the past ten
years-says any OF the books in use
in the schools of to-day are good.
one about as good Us another.
The changes of text DO ks oftener than
once in FIVE OF ten years ought not TO be
tolerated. Besides unnecessary expense
on the people it retards progress in
study, By all means Texas should have
q uniform system of text books Tor the
en- tire state. A uniform system fer the
entire state adopted by competent
board. The selections to be made under
competition of all publishers of text
books would give us a reduction in price
of so per cent. or more on present prices,
which would add another saving item or
$500 900 per year while the district sys-
tenn would not. the inducement from any
school district being too small
to enlist the competition from large pub
fishing houses, while for the contract of
furnishing the public schools of Texas
with books for all classes for period Of
Ave years, every publisher would be
eager and give his lowest bid. A contract
for Sl3, $50 200 is worth competing for.
The State Grange and the state Farmers
Alliance have advocated and de manded
the passage of u law providing for uni
sorm system of text books. and
bill providing for the same in
troduced during the last session
of the legislature was advocated by 80
per cent. of the newspapers and other
Journals of the state. That bill was de-
feated by substitution of bill providing
, for uniform text books for school districts
and communities. and the substitute was
, defeated by g. large majority when Ii
came up, being recognized as measure
, strictly in the interest of publishers. and
not of the people. Why will teachers of
Texas try to defeat the popular will in
, this matter? viii they or any one OF
, them give any tangible reason why we
should not have a uniform system OF
books for the entire state!
We have read in a teachers journal
an article opposing state uniformity, but
, the writer gave no grounds of objections
except that the teachers were opposed to
it, and that teachers ought TO know what
was best. Perhaps IL they will give thei!
object ous to the pnblic the public may
, see wisdom in them and adopt their SEN
, timents in the matter.
, ALT. II. a. ToLAR.