The record-union., 1892-09-27

with their fulhllment, and the door of
competition in all purchases OF supplies
IS carefully guarded, that it may be kept
open to all alike.
The exception noted is the State of Cal
itornia, the only State in the Union that
has sullied her bright escutcheon by en-
terlng the domain of private enterprise
as publisher of school textbooks.
by means OF false estimates and fraud
ulent reports of the immense sums Of
money to be saved to the public; by the
trucking work of tricky politicians who
pandered to the turbulent Socialistic ele-
ment; by thecunning ofayariciouss chem-
9rs, who saw in the plan new avenues of
spoliation the Ubiquitous system Of State
publication of school textbooks was fas-
tened upon the people, and by misleading
statements and promises, that were made
only to be broken, it was engratted upon
the Constitution OF the State.
What could be expected of business
that was entered upon as an experiment
by parties utterly lacking in the necessary
training, experience and knowledge
requisite to success as publishers? There
could be only one result-failure, inevita-
bic failure, and the publication by the
State OF school textbooks under these
conditions has but confirmed the predic-
tons of educators
When the State of California entered the
field as a publisher of school text books,
she went back thirty years, and began re-
tracing the paths long since abandoned by
successful private publishing firms, and
the public schools of the State would have
been retarded to this extent had not the
books published by private firms been
used IN the schools in addition to the State
series of books.
The promoters and managers of the
State schoolbook scheme, knowing their
own lncompetency as publishers did not
practlce the ordinary business precaution
OF employing those who were competent
to ill the position of author, but in a
spirit OF favoritiSm farmed out to the
members Of the Board of Education a
part of the appropriation made by the
Legislature for the preparation of State
textbooks. In another instance they ac
cepted as gift the work of an ambitious
pedagogue and Sand-lot orator and other
books were let out by the piece to parties
OF no literary reputation whatever. The
result is hodge-podge of matter in the
shape OF series OF school textbooks that
are disgrace TO the State from an edu-
catlonal standpoint. They never can be-
come any more valuable, no matter how
GOOD the paper, the printing or the bind
ing. 1t is useless to gid a cracked cup.
What can be said in defense of a sys-
tenn that at the very outset throttles COM
petition, that even precludes the POSSIBLE
ny VI previous 10 enforce
ment upon unwilling teachers and pupils
and retains an unworthy series of books
IN the public schools by the stern COM
mand OF law. Such is the system in force
in the State of California at the present
time.
That the State books may be revised is
true; but what guarantee have the people
OF the State that the revised edition will
be any better than the original? Consid-
crlDp that the series VI loto
the demand tor revision made by the
state schOol-bOOk ring comes before the
people with very bad grace at this time.
The scheme of State publication of
school textbooks has proved an ex-
tremely expensive one for the people of
California. How expensive may be
judged from the fact that under the pres
ent system of double payment for school
books by taxation and by private pur-
chase the people of this State have paid.
since commencing to use the State books.
sums aggregating nearly two million dol
lars (S2,000,000,.
The people are beginning to realize the
extravagant and prohigate expenditure
OF their money by the State school-book
ring in connection with the publication of
the State series Of textbooks But
there are many that do not so
readily realize the fact that. by
forcing teachers to use antiquated
books and faulty methods the schools
are crippled, the progress of education
hampered and incalculable injury in
flicted on the pupils of our public schools
For this the State is responsible, and for
this she will pay, dearly at some future
time.
The subject is worthy of the most seri-
Gus consideration by all classes, and it is
to be hoped that parents and guardians,
teachers and pupils, and all others inter-
ested in the welfare of our public schools,
will awake to the importance of the issue
and by united effort will free themselves
from the ba1eful system that sits like a
huge incubus on the educational interests
OF the State, c!ogging the life blood and
chilling the forces of our public schools.
A SACRAMENTO CITY TEACHER.