The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1891-11-20

This new movement that is spreading
over the entire Union is fast opening the
drowsy eyes of the people, and the screw
and pulley methods will fail to work in
many instances. There is an idea abroad
that a national uniformity of school
books should abound. Just SO long as
the systems of public school instruction
are not all uniform in the various states
in the Union, it is at once obvious that
no one law will be found best for each
one of the states. No use pressing the
thumbscrew. 1t is potent that the best
law is the one which brings directly to
the people in their homes the books they
like and at the cheapest rate. Uniform
ity of schoolbooks will always be de-
pendent upon a uniform course of study,
| controlled by local officers, who employ
teachers, regulate school hours, plan the
course of study and SO forth. In few
of our states this control is vested in the
districts; in others in the townships, and
in some of the southern states in few
counties. Not a state in the United
States has been placed under one board
i'll all these particulars. California tried
the experiment of manufacturing her
own books, but it failed totally.
Minnesota, Indiana, West Virginia,
Virginia and Louisiana have contracted
for a series of books for the whole state.
This makes the books very expensive;
when the taxpayers proportion is added
to the pupils, it is vastly more than in
states where no such law exists. An
international series of Sunday school
books may work, but an establishment
of day schoolbooks will not. yhere are
| thousands and thousands of SCHOOLGIRLS
already in the hands of the children
supply is more than five times the amount
annually to be purchased. If there is to
be any saving to the people by this uni
formity of books, it would be necessary
chat this saving should be more than sc
per cent. of the present cost. This is
practically impossible. The children
throughout the land, on an average, have
two dollars worth of books in their hands
and they have to purchase less than forty
cents worth annually.
10 have books at the least expense
there should be q law to provide fol-
local control. By local control the books
already in use could be kept if desirable,
or a newer and more progressive series
may be adopted. By contract they could
get books from any publisher ON as ia,
vorable terms as the biggest state in the
Union. This is free country to Il large
extent. That was the primary reason
that it has become the home of G0,000,.
900 people. Let the states, districts,
counties and neighborhoods have thei1
own minds, will and way, and deter.
mine their own taxation in this matter
This monopolistic schoolboolz system
would prevent competition, and com
petition means progress, development
and inspiration. The only way the mo
nopoly on the schoolbook system will be
created is by direct act of legislation
contracting for one series for state anG
excluding all others. This screw an6
pully will be strenuously opposed by the
people, and the lnonopolists must know
it. Let there be competition, a free ant
fair examination and open comparison
of prices.
This is childrens day. "a little chilt
shall lead them" The whole world il
led by them, no one denies. Books O
all kinds, bindings, print and prices are
provided for them. America realize
that they are the country's future, ant
wise provision is being made for theil
development into wiser and better mel
and women than their sires. They arr
the heirs of ages and will reap the ben
eft OF the finds in art, science and liter
allure. This monopoly system would
stop the wheels of development, ant
their own pockets would be filled will
shekels born of their own seltishness
Therefore, the children shall grow a
long, as tall, as broad as they can, ant
the old Procrusteoa couch will be grount
to powder in the mill of common sense
and justice. MRS. E. R. DAVIDSON.