The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-06-02

the first laws requiring its study were
enacted eight and one-half years ago.
If the study were to be pursued, well
graded text books were as necessary
as spelling books or readers. A vast
amount of work and money had to be
expended by somebody in order to
secure such a literature that is reliable.
| make no apology for having expended
my time, money and labor to that end.
1t would have been perfectly right for
me to have kept copyrights or other
forms of remuneration on books thus
prepared, but I did not, because I felt
called to work for this education of
the childhood of this and other lands;
and that there might be no possible
ground for charges that my labors en-
anated from interested motives and
my work hindered thereby, I declined
to take the personal recompense for my
literary labors in this direction that
was justly my due.
Ny name can be found in the preface
of books on this topic published by
other houses than the American Book
Go. freely granted because such books
contain the truths we desired taught
and the publishers wished them to be
sustained by whatever reputation for
scientific accuracy on this topic my
name represents.
DULANEY & CO. s BOOKS.
When the North Carolina legislative
committee on education at Maj. Fin
gers suggestion, asked me questions
about books, publishers and prices,
that committee will remember that 1
told them that I knew little or nothing
about the business side of these text
books that are ON our lists as Endorsed
by us. [ did not know then that the
Dulaney books could not be sold in
North Carolina and only know it now
from Major Fingers published state
ment in the North Carolina papers. AS
l am not the business agent of these
houses it was perfectly legitimate that
| should not have known that fact. A
book on our lists simply implies that
for doctrine and general educational
merit we commend it.
1t is a little surprising that in the
interview reported with Maj. Finger
that no mention is made of other books
that comply with the law published
by other houses besides Dulaney & Co.
and the American Book Co.. as though
these last are all.
RIGHT AT IN POINT.
The Biblical Recorder is right as to
my interest in the enforcement of this
law. With the same e~arnestness that
l plead for its enactment, and from the
same motives namely, that the chill
dren of North Carolina may be intel
Egently warned and saved from the
thralldom of strong drink, [ now hope
that no misrepresentation or miscon-
ception will mislead the parties in
trusted with the enforcement of this
law from the real question at issue
the duty of selecting the books that
contain the topics the law requires
taught.
A WISE INVESTMENT.
Educational statistics prove that 60
per cent. of the children in the public
schools never go beyond the primaries
and that less than 5 per cent. ever
reach the high school. Therefore, the
great majority of the poor people of
North Carolina" will have to buy but
one, or at most two books, on this
topic and those inexpensive primary
ones. If those books are so wisely Sc
lected that they warn the child study
ing them against all forms of alcoholic
drink, it will be the wisest investment
that any parent could make, saving in
the end both money and the child.
MARY Fl. HUNT.