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

which they were being sold was much less
than the cost of manufacture; the loss on
books sold below cost was about ST., goo.
The State series of books received severe
black eye, SO to speak, because OF being
printed on paper of poor quality, and
bound In an unsubstantial manner, the vol
umes fall apart after very little use, and
the complaint against them was universal.
| have had the interior of the bindery re-
modelled, but it is still too small for our
uses; we have added somewhat to the
machinery; the mixing machine has broken
down, and is too small for our use"
A little later, Superintendent Young goes
at it again. He says: 1.-The Office needs an
other press badly, and in fact, we can
not do without it; 1 fear we will be una,
BILE to issue the Elementary Grammar and
Physiology In time for the next school year.
The appropriation for the support OF the
State Printing Department is nearly ex-
hausted Qhis was SIX months before tile
close of the fiscal year; there had been
similar deficiency two years previous.
The linking machine broke down again last
week. L Will have to ask the Legislature
Ior an appropriation OF S65, 600 to carry the
department through until next July. The
biographies cannot be issued until more
people can be employed in the bindery, and
that cannot be done without au addition to
the building. l think about $500 will pay
for an addition to the west side"
This l S the last report; what new necessi-
ties the one now nearly due will disclose it
would require lively Imagination to antici-
pate
HOW THE SCHEME WAS ADOPTED.
In the light of these amusing official docIl-
ments it seems astounding that such
scheme could have been worked through
the Legislature. Nothing but the excited
condition of the public mind, with the re-
suiting reckless and yenal character of the
egislature, can possibly account for 1t.
There were not wanting thoughtful men
who foretold the progress Of the scheme with
great accuracy, and the teachers of the
State were substantially unanimous in their
opposition. But no words of warning were
needed; the STATE Printers had the ear of
the Legislative committees. The operation
was very simple; the one honest supporter
of the scheme among the teachers was in
vited to Sacramento in his dual capacity of
antl-monopoliSt teacher and an officer
of the Knights of Labor, and he RECALLED the
committee with estimates which he
doubtless believed correct, but whose char
acter may be imagined when it is stated
that they were so low as to make even State
Printer Ayres' first official estimates seem
startlingly high. The State Printer astutely
/ worked the enthusiasm OF his one honest
co-laborer for all it was worth. The newly
elected Superintendent of Public Instruc-
tion-an honora BILE man, totally Ignorant of
any buSlneSS-was converted and report
was brought in, recommending the submits
sion of the necessary amendment to the
Constitution to the people.
AT this stage of the proceedings the yari-
Gus publishing-h0uses interested in the Cali
fornia trade stated that they were ap-
preached by persons assuming to represent
influential members of the Legislature and
urged to take hold and stop the thing"
| Various sums were mentioned as likely to
be sufficient for the purpose. ranging from
$500 to $4,000. The publishers believed
these propositions to be fully authorized,
but they did not even send an agent or rep
resentative of any kind To the Legislature,
or raise hand or spend dollar to inter
fere with the scheme.
OPPOSITION OF sUPERINTENDENTs.
Under the laws of the State of California
the County School SuperintendentS of the
State meet as a body at the call of the State
Superintendent, usually in biennial sessions.
This is an official meeting held at the cY-
pense Of the public with the avowed object
of discussing questions affecting the public
schools and making recommendations to the
Legislature. This assembly is an official
bo0y, elected by the same constituencies
that elect members of Legislature, and is
certainly more competent than any Legisla-
ture to judge of such q question as that of
State publications OF textbooks. AT the
biennial session of this body in December,
1882, just previous to the meeting of the
Legislature of 1888, the subject was
brought up for discussion in view of the
late declaration of one political party In it's
favor and the subsequent limited discussion
in the public press. The calling of the roll,
| alphabetically, for opinions, showed the
Superintendent to be practically unani-
nous in their opposition to State publica-
| lion, and committee of five of the ablest
| Superintendent, representing some of the
| populous counties of SonOma, Los Angeles,
| San Mateo, Contra Costa and Iehama, was
| raised to prepare report On the subject,
| to be laid, as intended by law, before the
Legislature. Two days later the committee
presented tremendous assault on the
system, which was unanimously adopted.
HOW THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.
This report, backed up with an appendix
of tables, giving the details from which the
| conclusions OF the committee were drawn,
| was laid before the Legislature but it re-
ceived no attention whatever. 1t is not
| probable that it was ever read by a single
member. In due time the proposed amend
| ment received the necessary two-thirds vote
| of both branches Of the Legislature, and was
| laid aside TO be voted for by the people in
the autumn OF 1854 Had each voter been
obliged to write for" or against" the
amendment on his ballot not i've in hun
! dred would ever have voted at all 1t would
| have been defeated, however, in that case
as the more intelligent citizens so far as
they thought OF 1t at all, were opposed to il.
at the same time. These were designated
| on the ballots simply by their numbers, and
| in that way attached 10 a long ticket con-
tanning long list of State, Congressional,
county and municipal officers. The County
! Committees of the various parties printed
For OF Against" as they saw tit, against
each OF The amendments, and the electors
voted them Just as they got them. The pub
Tic feeling was such that The County Com
mittees of all parties printed their tickets
For the text book amendment. The
teachers generally scratched For" and in
serted Against" The public voted straight.
In one or two counties-Tuolumne and Te-
hama-some enteIprising teacher got the
committees OF one or more parties to print
the ticket Against the Textbook amend
| ment, and the. people voted them just the
same The general result was the almost
unanimous adoption of the amendment by
the people IN November, 1854.
PROTEST FROM THE TEACHERS.
Before this was accomplished, however,
there was yet one more earnest and digui-
fed protest from a competent and intelligent
body-the California State Teachers Asso-
clatlon-which it would seem ought to have
produced some effect. AT the meeting of
this association in December 1884 the
amendment being. then before the people to
be voted Tor in November, 1885. the subject
was brought up and referred 10 a committee
OF eleven OF the very strongest educational
men in the State. Their names will be
found appended to the report, which was
unanimously adopted by the association.
The opinions OF the teachers as set forth
In that report are the opinions OF the teach
ers OF California to-day. Despite their pro-
tests the system was established by the
/ State, and the time has hardly come for any
full expression from them. When the
proper time comes the educational men will
again make themselves heard, ana that in
no uncertain or ineffective manner. A few
of these men have been employed by the
State board i'll the compilation" Of some of
the books; still others have been freely
consulted" in the matter; some others
hol to be so employed or consulted in the
future. These few men and their special
friends must, IN common gratitude and con-
sistency, speak we'll of what they have
helped to do, but whoever will mingle
among the teachers at their large gatherings
or listen to the discussions which frequently
spring up in the Teachers Institute, can
have any doubt Of the overwhelming CON
demnation which is in store for the system
when the time comes for the teachers to
speak their mind.
TOTAL EXPENSES OF THE SYSTEM