The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1891-06-04

publishing house.
The editor Of the Biblical Recorder
quotes from preface in the Union
Series Of Temperance PtysioIogies
the statement that .these books have
been more or less prepared and
wholly supervised by Mrs. Mary
Hunt" and from that jumps TO tho
mistaken conclusion that | am there
fore in the pay of the publishers o.
the same. The facts ia the case
about the books on this topic are as
follows:
The Science Of Temperance was
new branch and its school litera-
ture unprepsred when the first laws
recurring its study enacted eight and
half years ago. If the study
was 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 eX-
pended by somebody in order to
secure such literature that is re
liable | make no aplogy for having
expended my time. money and labor
to that end. 1t would have beer
perfectly right for me to have kept
copyrights of other forms of rem
urneration on books thus prepared, g,
but did not becauae | felt called to
work for this education for the child
hood Of this and other lands; and
that there might be no possible
ground for charges that my labors
emanated from the interested mo-
lives and my work hindered thereby
[ declined to take the personal re-
compense for my literary labors in
this direction that was justly my due.
NV name can be found in the pre-
face Of books on this topic published
by other houses than the American
Book Company freely grated te-
cause such books CuItaln tie truths
we desired taught and the publishers
wl5he them to be sustained by what
ever reputation for scientific accnra-
cY on this topic my name represents.
When the North Carolina Legis-
lattve Committee on Education at
Major Fingers suggestion, asked ne
questions about books, publishers
and prices, that Committee will re-
member that | tod them that | knew
little or nothing about the business
side Of these text books that are on
our lists as indorsed by US, | did not
k1ow that the Dulanv books could
not be sold in North Carolina and
ONLY know it now from Majo Fin
gere published statement IN the
North Carolina papers. AS | an
not the business agent Of these
houses it was perfectly leglumatt
that l should not have known tha
fact. A book on our lists simply
implies that for doctrine and genera
educational merit we commend 1t.
1t is a little surprising that in tb
interview reported with Major Fin
Ger no Eention is made of othe
hooks that comply with the law pub
lished by other houses besides Du
| Ianey & Co, and the American Bool
: Company as though these last are al
, The Biblical Recorder isright a
to my interest in the enforcement
Of this law. With the same cal
f nestness that plead for its enact
| ment. and from the same motives
3 namely, that the children OF Mort
: Carolina may be intelligently warn
= ed and saved from thralldom ofstron
e drink. | now hope that no mlsreE
. resentation or miscoaceptl1n wi
: mislead the parties entrused wit
t the enforcement of this law from tn
+ real question at issCe-the duty
r selecting the books that contain IL
T. topics the law requires taught.
e Edgucational statististics prov
i that 60 per cent of the children
/. the publtc schools never 60 beyon
= the primaries and that less than
!, per cent ever reach the high schoc
,, Therefore, the great majority of tt
e poor people of North Carolina VI
o haye to buy but one, or at I. st tV
@ ooks. on this topjc aad those inc
It .ensiye primary o..s. ! tho
It hooks are so wisely selected th
IS they warn the Child studying the
against all forms of alcoholic drln
It will be the wisest inve-tDe
N that any parent could make, savil
le 10 the end both money and the chill
,e MARY 81. HUNT.
n At all times, in all places on