Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-03-20
The rext-Rook Question Again.

The changes in textbooks continue t.
be matter OF interest to our readers anc
we receive letters upon the subject from
various sources. Agentleman from Barn.
ard writes as follows:
~ see that you have got your foot in il.
For years You have been all right because
you fell in with or passed by in silence al
the vagaries and shortcomings OF our ed.
ucational cranks. You have run your hand
the wrong way OF the fur this time and
there is war. The war whoop is sounded
and your scalp must dangle. / read that
four year old readers letter and all the ar
gument he can bring in support of the
change is that school books go out of date
in few years, that there are changes made
in their composition. Now the changes
that have been made so far as | know are
OF small importance and made for the very
purpose of creating a change, by both au-
thor and publisher"
This correspondent takes position with
ourselves in reply to Mr.. Davenport in the
matter Of Biographies. That this writer
voices the sentiments of the people of his
town appears from the following vote of
eensure passed in town meeting:
eve, the legal voters in town meeting
assembled do hereby condemn the arbitra-
ry change in textbooks by the t-boox
committee of Windsor county, as uncalled
for and unjust and not in the interest Of
either economy or education"
Another correspondent, who knows that
of which he writes, makes some statements
worthy OF attention. He commends all
proper efforts to advance education, and
insists that inasmuch as some one series of
books IL most of the branches predomi-
mates over others in nearly all of the coun-
ties, the county boards should have retain
ed these books in their selection, and thus
saved much expense. He says:
I'VE also understand that cne of the ar
guments in favor of county or state uni
formity was that when poor man with
family of children moved from one town
to another he was obliged to be at the ex-
pense of buving some new books which he
could i'll afford TO do. Now TO overcome
this obstacle what has been done? The
county boards have ordained almost an en-
the letter OF the law must buy an entire
new outfit for his children. To save one
dollar for the floating population, twenty
dollars must be spent by both floating and
permanent residents. This is saving at
the spigot and wasting at the bungholei
With vengeance"
He refers to Mr.. Davenport's statement
about the dictionaries, and asserts that an
would show that many 9TH
sr members OF boards were favored in the
iame way. He says:
"Whether any member was influenced /
~ this or any other improper way we do
lot say, each reader can draw his own con-
,lusion. The receiving of anything of val
ne by members is made an offense, punish
lble by heavy fine. II 1.-THE result wished
or in Washington county was not OBJ
aimed il was in, at least, five others, am
ing them Orange and Windsor. We do
lot accuse any member of being actuated
~ improper motives, we give the facts as
We obtain them"
In regard to the books discarded he says
hat in most cases they are in general and
satisfactory use in thousands of towns and
titles outside of this state. He declares
hat during the last dozen years changes in
looks have been more frequent and extern
i've in Vermont than in any other state.
Ie finds the same difficulty we referred to
n our issue of Feb. q, regarding the legal
" of the action of the county boards that
lade these changes. In any case the re-
ult Will tend to hasten the adoption OF
rec text books by the state.
J.