The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-09-17
IuAgnavE spAstss
EDITORIAL Rooms ssa csuannE Roam So,
acknowledgement
wnEELMo. sNrIEnNEn y. Ig0s.
9ho school Hook BOARD aud It's
Duties.


1ho school Hook BOARD aud hs
Duties.
Two or three state papers have cfI'
tcSed tbs governors selections for tho
state school book board, aIlsaing that
the three appointssa arc ansssoniadc
10 tho school book law aud are there.
fora morally ineligible. Tho ISrgLut.
daEcER ID not aWpro what the private
opinions n ths msmbsrI Of tho board
arc regarding the wisdom Of the new
law, but il docs know that they are all
men Of nigh character, who will per-
form the duty Of their positions con-
scienciouIIy. In addition, they arc
competent In every way, two OF them,
Professors Hodges and CragO, being sx-
perienced educators, and the third, eE'
Governor Fleming, being man OF rare
determination, an ardent friend OF the
isse school system aud lawyer Of
sound Judgment.
The ParkersbuER Sentinel concludes
an attack on the governors appoint.
monIs az follows:
Tao board system, In the event Of failure Of
tho publishers 10 accept the provisions ni the
law ls good or bad according 20 The mem bershiD
Of the board, The present board ~ oppOied 70
the law therefore the board system Is not good
Que. hut wiih d board whose mombers were all
Interested In the welfare OF West Virginia and
not In the financial success Of school book
trust Ii would BIO good thing. The night for
cheaper books and better books Is inlt begin
ming
The merit Of the board system i'
not involved aud at this particular time
1t can scarcely DO regarded as an Issue.
II is provided for by law aud must be
carried out until better system 10 sub.
stIEuted. The law prescribes the duty Of
the board, which lie simply to contract
with book publishers for readers, arith.
mstics, spellsrs aud grammars to bo
used in the public schools, and nobody
doubts the ability OF the members Of
tho board to execute the trust
There ls no possibility that, even II it
were disposed to favor what tina sSnti.
mel is pleased to term "school book
trust" the board will have any oppor.
tunity to do go, since that organization
1--WE presume the Sentinel refers to tho
American Book Company has already
refused to contract for tho text books to
be selected. Moreover. the law specia'
cally fixes tho maximum price at which
the books must be contracted for and
the board cannot 20 beyond that price
Tho board is appointed to perform a
specific thing, and the manner in which
1t shalt act ia laid down in the law
What the board ia to determine is not,
as the Sentinel seems to suppose, solely
tho prices that the people must pay for
the books named, but what au.
thor's books shall be adopted, 1t
is to receive bids from publishers who
are willing to furnish what is wanted at
or within prices adopted by the loEiSla.
turo. The members are 70 use their
judgment as to Whist books offered at
those prices arc the best for the school
children, aud accept them.
The corporation which the Sentinel
foara may wOavo Homo magic spell about
ths board cannot be bidder unless it
takes back its refusal and is willing to
accept tho prices offered it by law Ii
it should do SO. then, aud then only,
can it secure the contract. for the law
which names the pace also names tho
books Of tho American Book Company.
Except in the matter Of determining
what bidders books arc most desirable
for tho public achools, the board has no
powers, aud even il it ware opsn to the
charge Of bsing opposed to the law, its
personnel Is such that tho people have
confidence in it, and tho people will
likely be- satisfied with iLs work. II
acceptable text books are not secured,
tho tauit will no. be tina. OF the board,
nor Of tho governor who appointed the
board. 1t will simply be the fault Of
tho law that placed tho price lower
than tho standard books can DO fur.
nished. Perhaps, however, acceptable
books can DO furnished at that price to
take tho place Of those now in use.
That romans to DO seen. Let US hope
that tho outcome will DO as satisfactory
az tho character Of tho board warrants
US in expecting Its conduct will be. -