The record-union., 1892-12-12
THE RING IS AT TT AGAIN.

W PAO9SdUeo W II sweeping general
and indefinite resolutions condemning
the State series of school books. The
resolutions were referred, and showed
under by committee that knew the
thing could carry. These resolutions
were as full of talsehood as a book ring
agents pockets are of Doodle supply.
The Teachers Convention, soon to as
semble at Fresno, is to be asked to take
turn at the wheel and condemn the series,
as 1t has done before, IN obedience to the
power that turns the crank and buys lies
into the columns, of the press at 81 a line.
assailing and misrepresenting the system.
All the small fry and purchasable
means of influencing public judgment
will follow suit in a common yelp. and
when the Legislature meets the sleek and
fat keepers of the opposition will slip the
Ieashes and the whole pack will advance
with well-timed and metallic bay.
The assault thus far is quadruple-that
the books cost more than better books
can be had for in open competitive
market. This is mendacious. Some
book ring books have been lowered in
price to the California level of cost. but
solely because the California system
forced the prices down. Abandon the
California plan and up will go prices of
school books. Second, that the books are
inferior in matter and arrangement.
To the intelligent, it is obvious that
such generalization is easy, and reply to
1t is useless because it lacks specific Quail
lty. Opposed to-, we quote Professor J.
p. Garlick, Principal of the Cole School
ofOakland, one of the oldest and most
successful school principals in the State.
and an admitted thorough critic, who de-
clares the series of the State textbooks is
superior as a whole to any ever used in
his school, and that at the worst they. the
books, will compare favorably with any.
Silas White, one of the oldest of San
Francisco principals, concurs in this
Judgment, and others'of equal eminence
can be named, who are free from strings
and book-ring influences.
But if we condesend to consider gem
eral statement suchsas is contained in the
assault referred to, it is an undisputed
fact that no books were ever in use that
competing publishers and agents with
books unadopted did not criticise them
more severely than our State books have
been assailed, and that they did not find
them far more faulty than the enemies of
the California series discover it to be. 1t
is only necessary to ask readers to recall
the stirring times of 1880, when the pub
fishers of McGufey and Appleton's
books criticised each others issues in
pamphlets scattered all over this State,
almost equal in size to the works them
selves, and when, to have believed either,
would have been to Judge the other books
to be veriest trash and the sum of
blunderfng idiocy. To say then that or
the other is error is one thing; to specify
and prove it is another.
Third, it is set out that the editor of the
series is chargeable with alleged weak
nesses in the series; whereas, whoever is
honest enough to ascertain the fact
knows that the editor does not create the
textbooks; his duty is that of an en-
ploye of the Board of Education; he ad-
justs pages, fits matter to cuts, makes
section references, sees that words need
ing definition have it, and those neces-
sary to have pronunciation indicated are
distinguished; he reads proof, and carves
authors matter into form essential to
and great deal of similar duty in
the management of work.
But, let the people for a moment as
sumo the position that it has been proven
that the series is not all it should be, to
a vital point of error; let it be conceded
that, like all human institutions, the
series is faulty; that like all the products
of human intelligence the series can be
bettered; still it remains that the system
is sound, and that mere administrative
openness to criticism is not an element Of
weakness in the system.
Admit for the arguments sake that our
authors have not done that which none
ever have, and made perfect books.
brains are in the market for California as
well as for private publishers. The one
great overshadowing, unanswerable de-
fense of the system is that it frees the
State, the counties, the cities, towns and
school districts from those vampires, the
book agents, with their corruption funds
and sophistical wheedling; their vicious
contentious, and their irritating inter
ference.
The whole trouble is that there is no
one standing forward, except here and
there q courageous interior newspaper,
for the State series or system. The State
Board of Education, in the face of con-
slant general charges against the text
book series, is as dumb as an oyster, be-
cause, doubtless it feels that its place of
response is before the Legislature,
and that it cannot afford to engage in