The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-01-02

STATE
is no use for us to contend against them.
Superintendent w. b. Howard of Stanis-
laus:
would favor the State books II we can get
them free, but otherwise would prefer free com.
petition; e.. II we are 10 pay for them we can
get better books from the publishers; IN INV
county they have given fair satisfaction; the
Readers are not liked; Language Lessons good,
Grammar not so good, 1t is too full; have not
heard much criticism on History. / would not
favor adjustment; it would br so expensive IL
would be unwise 10 do 1t now; favor revision
strongly; there Is much complaint of the binding;
printing iair; have not noticed any improve.
than The old used 10.
Superintendent-ele o. F. Seavey, Placer
County:
/ am against them; we expect to get I'm
COMMITTEES and criticize and ask for a revision;
The Arithmetic Is mere compilation OF prob.
lens, and the History better fitted for High
School or State University than for common
schools; the Grammar is too technical; the Ian.
guaee Lessons and Primary Geography are well
fishers.
Mrs. Alice Welch, Superintendent Modoc
County:
We were the first county to adopt them; AZ
whole they are good; the Readers should ne
supniemenied; there Is too great step between
Inc FIRST and Second, and between The Second and
Ihhd; language Lessons are good, also Gram
mar; distinctions are finer than In other books:
there Is considerable fault found with the AID.
vanced Arithmetic; in History we have 10 sun
PIGMENT with Barnes IN primary grades, as tile
| state History is not altogether suited to thai
| grade. think revision would be advisable.
| Miss Z. g. Welsh, Superintendent Shasta
| County:
| Generally don't think them as good as the
| textbooks of private publishers; with the use
| OF supplementary books good work can be done
| win them, but without the supplementary books
They would not be sufficient; they cost less than
we formerly paid for private books, but they are
also cheaper IN quality; at first the biuding was
| very poor, but II has been Improved.
n
| County:
. Unqnallhedy against them, both as to educa.
tlonal and mechanical quality.
| :, SUPERINTENDENT j. p. Greeley, Orange
| County:
am not particularly opposed to State publ
oatlon; we should make the best use of what we
nave by supplementary books. Ii we can get
Dettel we should do SO. l favor revision OF those
| In use.
| w. W. Seaman, Superintendent Los An
| geles County:
am not prepared to criticize these books; I
nave never taught with them. The readers are
not up 10 slandaid thorough revision might
make the books answer, but 1t wonld amoiint
10 rewriting in many cases.
Superintendent Win S. Monroe of Pasa-
dena:
With proper regulation of the book trusts
state textbook publishing would not exist. The
| with these trusts.
| In order to understand the exact situation
let us briefly review the history Of the
| scheme:
THE ERA OF SPECULATION.
For some years succeeding 1877 California
was in ferment. The peculiar circum
stances OF the early settlement of our State
had attracted an unusual proportion of the
| restless and even the lawless elements,
| winch in earlier years had 10 be dealt with
| by an arm stronger than that of the law
the com plete collapse Of mining speculations,
| which had affected all classes of the people
| had rudely dSsipated dreams of wealth
the magnificent fruit and wine Industries
| which now give ample employment TO all
| who are willing 10 work had not then been
! created, and thousands of honest and will
| ing men. and women saw themselves sud
denly reduced from imaginary aftiuence to
| grinding poverty.
I Upon this congenial soil was rapidly de-
| Veloped Virulent form of social discomfort
| which became widely known as "Kearny-
ISM" The center of this cancer WAS San
| francisco, where each Sunday widowed
| demasogues harangued bowling mob, and
| melted 1t to deeds of violence. But the
| better class of citizens comprising, OF
| course, an immense majority of the Jpula-
| tion-were by no means intimldated; some
| leaders OF the mob seem to have been bought
off, probably as the cheapest course, others
| disappeared. Returning prosperity removed
| tho real causes of discomfort, and after
lew years society resumed its NORMAL course.
| But during these years of excitement
grave INJURY was done TO the State by the
many attacks under the form of law or of
| proposed law. upon all forms of capital. A
| new Constitution was adopted, which eX-
perlence has proved to be innocent enough,
| but which was intended by its authors TO be
an attack upon capital, and which, in fact,
| did drive millions of capital from the State
and deferred for gears the estabiishm ent of
those industries which alone could give en-
ployment to the idle, and prosperity to the
"a DO l.tNl b i.,.arr
| panies, were in turn the subject of attacks,
| sometimes, doubtless. deserved, and The
| State was the paradise of those demagogues
| who pander to popular prejudice and pas
| sion In order to secure legislative positions
wherein they can introduce bills which bust
ness men will pay them to suppress. Dur
| Ing the period OF ferment the Introduction
OF such bills was an absolutely certain
source OF advantage to their authors; if
they were bought off, their real point was
| gained; If not, they might pass the bills
| and get great glory with their constituents,
| and, at any rate, their very introduction
would bring some credit. They had genuine
| sure thing, with the chance of bonanza
THE FIRST TEXTBOOK RESOLUTION.
In 1882, when the effects of this mschiev-
GUS force were at their height, there was a
| general election, in preparing for which the
| various party conventions Wed with each
| other in declarations and promises which il
| was supposed would be popular with the
unthinking and prejudiced. In the Repub-
| lican Convention succession OF mere chances
| brought the one man who for the moment
| had the ear Of the convention, and who had
| political motive for carrying some measure
| over the heads of the Committee on Platform
| into communication with some crank, whose
| special hobby was the publication OF school
books by the State; the aStute politician at
| once seized upon the idea, and with M
knowledge of the subject and no thought
| beyond scoring an immediate point against
| his political opponents, introduced the fol-
lowing resolution, which he prefaced by a
iervid and telling denunciation of "monop-
| ollSts, ana which was unanimously adopted
| by the convention with thunders of applause:
| Werecommend to the Legislature the establish.
| ment OF some system by which the State shall
print and provide the reading and other text
books used In the public schools, supplying The
| same TO the pupils al actual cost.
| UNCALLED FOR EXCEPT BY POLITICIANS.
TIE name of the real author Of this reso-
luton must slumber in obscurity; the dis
tiDgushed gentleman who introduced it
conld net recall the name half an hour
later, II indeed he ever knew it, but he told
the writer that he was pretty sure he was
not teacher, or in any way connected
with schools or with education. This was
the first public mention of State textbook
publication ever made in California; no
teacher, no parent, no school officer had
called Tor 1t; no human being except few
unknown. enthusiasts had apparently
thought of it; and the first public utter
ance upon the subject was the resolution of
a tumnltuous political convention practi-
cally pledging great party to see it done.
Among the very few people in the State
who had ever considered the subject WAS
one teacher, of undoupted honesty and
vigor, with whom it was the dream of
ms NE. AS the teacher for many years of
a small ungraded school in the outskirts of
San Francisco he had become so Impressed
by the abject poverty about him as to be
willing to sacrifice everything else to chean.
cheap textbooks he had been for vs.rS NV ar
ardent and Ontspoken advocate OF Sfata
publication. The earnest and mnselGSh
devotion of this one man to what he beIieved
b tns interests OF his poverty-slrcken flock
dlgnifed incident of State nbIicotjo anu IN
oaliornla. Happening at the time to hold
leading official position among the Koig Iia