New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-27
THE AINSWORTH BILL.
TUE ADVOCATES OF TEMPERANCE IN
STRUCTION IN THE SCHOoLo AN
sWER MIR. SKINNER
THEY DENY TIE INsINrATIoN THAT sChoo''
BOOK ptBIsiIrRs ARE BEHIND THE Mo'r
MINT FOR sTHicTER ENFORCE
MENT OF TIE LAW.


MENT OF TIE LAW.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: As an attempt II being made To create -
dice against the "Answorth BILL. now peh""s -"
Governors signature which provides FOR the s''',
! in the public schools Of the nature anu ell'V'' -
alcoholic drinks and other narcotics IN 'o"'''''
with physiology and hygiene. justice ue"'
the following facts be published -.
Among the representative members OF the New
York state Central Committee for Scieh'l'0 ~
perance Instruction in Public schools VINO 49,
Gated this bill IA PERSON and by letter at the TOUR
hearings had for it wher the ~ was p''o'' VIZ
Assembly and senate Committees were III" ''"'"
ing: The Rev Josiah Strong. the weA-kho"" "u-
thor OF "Our Country. the Rev. Dr. JohH nan
Bishop Edward G.. Andr 1--WE. the KEY III no.
l. Thomps,u the Rev. Dr. David J. Burre"' the
Pov William F. Sabine Mrs Mary J.. IlcKihs'n'
president OF the Woman's Council MrS ""'e
Hottone president OF the kings Daush'e'S "'''
tho Rev Dr. II T. McEwar all OF ~" I'm
Hlshop r. d. huntington OF Syracuse bsho9 OF the
Diocese OF Central Ncw-York ana '"@ nv
pr T. " Packard. or Syracuse chairman oil inc
Temnerance Committee II the state Association OF
Conversational Churches Of New-fork STATE f'u-
,ons for the enactment Of this bill poured Into the
Legislature from every part OF the stare. rNp'''
enced Legislators say that in all their legislative eN
perience they never received 50 many petitions ana
l.,,ers for any biz as for this. The insnuations III
the circular sent out by Mr.. Charles IL 'nl''''
Superintendent OF Public Instruction OF inns '"',
stating that THE Inquiry Is natural DOCS inns o''i
renresent book publishers" and his assertion 'ha'
rs advocacy comes chiefly from outside the state
have not I'm view Of the facts jus; stated shaHo"
OF truth for their foundation. tn" 'hr's""',
churches OF Ne~-York state are IN" authors "' anu
petitioners for the passage OF THIS oL II any '''
Is In league with the publishers about IL iof Se'S
interests II must be these Shuie"'S' gnu ' ~
person Will believe that
Recause some person must look after the interests
OF this important public measure IN Us various
stages Of passage through the leFSm'"'"' 20"
Nev-York state central Committee ht"ihei 'S''.
fortunate in being able secure the services OF
Mrs Mary H. Hunt She has been In TINS S'"''
a. tho call OF the people Of this state 10 represent
them and as she Is the author OF ths FORM %
moral education and Is its chosen advocate III "a"
tonal and international educational. fe"s'o"' anu
phllanthropic organizations OF which she u mem
h.- she is no more an outsider OF New-fork STATE
than OF the many other States In THIS country az
vol as those OF other lands. where her laboTs IN
this behalf have been recognized ns benehceh'.
Mr. skinner in this circular says further. IN
plaintlvc way. that the suggestions ne H''l' lou
amending this bin were not consiieT'1 ~ inc i'h'
lat,r. This IS not strange. for when ne trlei 10
convince Legislators that the bill rcpresent'l Hn-
worthy motives they knew that the best P'o''' j."
their constituencies wanted II. ana Tor 'h' pu"'1
good and were too intelligent To ask i'' " " "
vas no; needed And. when he treI 10 urge '"''
| unnecessary.
being pursued. the legislators replied y cry "''''
4, tho s,uIv is now pursued faithfully "a tn.S
hill requires IL will not hurt. Tor IN" Ie""''y ~"
hi, only the law breakers. and II there are 10 law
breakers nobody will be hit.
rho o,tenut that Is now being made to make u
anpear that the bill calls only for the study OF the
nature and effects OF alcoholic drinks ana other
narcotcs' IL r-fu,ei by the language OF the hill
itself which distinctly says that those subjects
| shall be taught in connection WIN 'he '"''''S
divisions Of physiology and hygiene ihat H. as Il
mart OF physiology and hygiene. The minimum
number OF lessons called for includes IN" subjects
| OF PHYSIOLOGY and hygiene. az we'll as the other
| matter In further refutation Of this mssatem"nt.
| the requirements OF the bill allow the DOCKS TOT
pupils below the high schools to give iour-hithS OF
their space to physiology and hygiene ana one-hfth
10 the subject OF alcoholic drinks and other mar
cotics and requires only twenty pages VI" '"' S"'
| ject for the high-schoo books
While this bill provides for a minimum rumper
OF lessons for all pupils. 1t does not require ua'
| the study be continued In either the primary
| intermediate high-schoo grade AFTER pupils nave
| passed the tests which show that they are pro-
hcient In 80 much OF the study as Is adapted To each
OF these grades. Therefore the assertion OF Prln-
| cipa James ". Milne, one OF Mr. SINNERS APP
pointees hat the time required for the study OF
physiology in this bill Is several times as long as
| that II any medical college" Is another mi5repre-
sentation OF what the bill calls for.
| Mr. Skinner asks "Who are TO make the tests
The bill leaves that TO the same school authorities
who make the tests in other branches The EFFORT to
| interpret this bill requiring textbooks to be
prenaturely used by little children Is another In
stance OF clear misrepresentation The lin does not
| require textbooks until the pupil Ii old enough to
| read and therefore able TO use textbooks. and
leaves the school authorities to decide when that
| is The language used here Is Ike that In statutes
of other States and has never been interpreted TO
require textbooks before the fourth year OF school
| life
Mr. SINNERS circular complains that this bill
does not provide for the "quallty OF the textbooks
| 10 be used this subject but rather Tor the
| quantity" of one kind of the matter. We reply
This bill leaves the selection OF textbooks Tor THIS
branch to the same school authorities who select
the readers. spoilers. grammars biographies etc
And these authorities are supposed to decide upon
the quality" OF the matter contained In the books
referred TO in the bill just they do in the case
| OF books other subjects.
| The skinner circular asks again: why should
penalties be put upon this subject rather nan any
otber?'' That question answers itself. No VIII
| deny that lack OF knowledge as to the danger OF
beginning the OF alcoholic drinks ana other
narcotics and ignorance as to the evil results OF
other genc habits often lead TO the use OF those
| drinks and the consequent vice OF ntemperance.
| Now II the lack OF knowledge Of geography or any
other branch taught in the public schools led to
| such habits as III our insane asyums. poorhonses
and prisons AZ me rave yery yha the Would o. agree ba
good morals would require n penalty for failure 10
teach those branches. go
| The only persons who appeared against the bill
in anv way have been the state Superintendent OF
Public instruction. and the school employees who re-
| ceiye from him their appoln tments. and others
| whom ne has been able to influence. the teachers
| OF This state were not opposed TO this measure
until they we're aroused against 1t by mssatements
| concerning H. Mr. skinner with the great infiu-
ence OF his position sends out his circular with the
order: Request teachers TO unite with you IN pre-
senfing affections and. In obedience 10 this man
date petitions from teachers are coming III against
the bill but their numbers are very few IN com
| parison with the hundreds OF thousands more
than 10000 in allcitizens. parents patrons or the
schools taxpayers and voters. who have retitionei
the Legislature and through II the Governor FOR this
| pending law. .,,,, ,h,.
bill is based upon misrepresentation, we are SLOW 10