Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-02-14
The school Book Question.

The School Book Question.
State contracts for furnishing school
books are delusion and snare. The system
of supplying school books, which has come
TO be known as the State Contract
System is contrary to the political tenets
and historical traditions of our people. The
direct and immediate results of this system
would be to bind our state, all the schools
and people of the whole state IF Texas TO
purchase and use one series or kind of
school books. This perSe would make and
legalize a state monopoly and would make a
dangerous precedent which would return to
plague its inventors at every turn in future
state legislation. To compel people 10 use
certain class or kind of textbooks or
certain brand of goods, or a certain any
thing, is such q species of legislation as
would be condemned by free and IN
telligent people anywhere. Such a state
contract and monopoly would not only be
odious in form and character to our people,
but would be seriously detrimental to the
schools and the general educational in
terests of our state.
The only other system for supplying
school books is the local or volunRafy
method, which is now in satisfactory use i'll
our state, and in nearly all the states of the
sountry. After the authors work and pub
Tkhers' work have been done, and school
books are finished product and ready fsr
uSGAu6N uluSb Nc S64tCLGu Vi luOplCu OSe.tt
proper board of authority, ana then must
be distributed to the different business
centersk of the state, and from thence
brough1Snto convenient reach of pupils and
school pakrons in every locality and neigh
borhood q the state. The question first
arises how.shall we select from the large
number of nod books in the market and
offered to usRt very low and reasonable
prices, as thehesults of business enterprise
and competitidb, the books best suited to
our schools, an&who shall make the selec-
tion2 In whaN body shall be vested the
legal authority ia adopt or prescribe the
textbooks to be ised2 Obsery alton, edu-
cationalshistory and experience. and COM
parison of the different plans for adopting
books in different states and countries
all unite in showing that this power and
duty should be in that school authority or
body nearest the people purchase the
books, and the teachers and children who
use the books so selected and adopted. And
it should be that local board ort authority
nearest to the schools and~peeple for many
Just and evident reasons. ESuch school
officers or authorities are near tp and closely
represent the people they know or can
easily ascertain the views and wishes of
every parent in the1istrict. and the parents
who have to. pay for the books are ready to
see that no jobbery is practice upon them,
aud that the best books and only such as
are needed are chosen. Even the children
know hawk from hand-saw" in school
books, and can veto poor or unnecessary
textbook
After the school books have been selected
and adopted by the proper local authority,
they must be distribpted3o or supplied to the
people. How car This best be done, most
conveniently, most economically and with
certainty and Dispatch Either the states
must undertake to distribute the necessary
supply of school books, or they must be
distributed by private citizens in the usual
way. If the state undertakes to do this
work, she can only do it, by Official means
and machinery; that is, by the use of pub
lie funds to purchase the books and by the
employment of state. county and local
officers, as agents, to handle and distribute
the books. These officers have been elected
by the people to fill certain official positions
and discharge certain oficistduties IN the
state, county or local government. They
are not elected to engage in business voca-
tions, or to employ the public funds in any
kind of business enterprises. And for the
state to engage in the school
or purchase, or distribute or seil<l
them is just the same.as to engage in any
other form or kind ofbusiness and for the
state to engage in any business enterprise
or function is exceedingly hazardous and
unjustifiable. And there isno reason or ar
gument for the state government conduct
ing, controlling and managing the school
book business for the state that would not
equally justify the national government in 1
doing the same FOR the whole country The
advocates Of state. contracts and state con-
troll Of school books should have a care as
TO the lessons they are teaching the risingz
generation, by their communistic schemes
and speculations.
The other-svstem for the distribution and
supply Of school heoksis throughlthe regu-
lar channels of trades ard business in the
hands Of private citizens. aFFfis may be
called the local free and voluntary method,
because it is left, as business, to the nat
ural laws of etradeS to pri-
vate investment individual enterprise and
free competition without oppres-
sive restrictions or control HThis natural
business method Of supplying School books
to the schools and people is'Rpproyed by ex- ]
perlenceyds the slmpleSt.-laost practical, !
most convenientps aud mostV economical. |
Compared with itsSthe state or govern
mental system isfncoitYenient, burdeusome
and In the eEi0 more exgensive. We feel |
sure that our state has. no experiments |
to make in such simple and plain frnatter !
as furnishing school books 70 the school |
children, that she will nevernielEe her pub
lie officers publishers, or keepe1x or dealers |
of school books, but will leave Tue whole |
business, as business. to her own citi- |
zens, satisfied that the rights, interests and |
welfare of her schools and people will be |
honestly served and faithfully mainhi
in the future, as they have been in the |
past Mission Journal