New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-23
SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLGIRLS.

THE Atlantic Monthly" has recently published
some confessions Of public school teachers which
abound in interes: for all who are concerned for
the success OF the common school system OF the
country. The experiences Of half a dozen teach
ers and superintendent are given. On the whole.
the confessions produce melancholy impress
sion on the mind Of the reader who finds HIM
self wondering whether. after all. our boosted
schools for the free education of the people are
the unmxed good they are commonly supposed
to be- The teachers who write the confessions
were selected at random end rank among the sue
cessful, and 1t is fair presumption that their
experiences are typical Doubtless they can be
nearly or quite duplicated In almost every city.
town and village Of the land. Two things stand
forth with special prominence In the dozen pages
covered by the men and women who have laid
bare the record of their lives as teachers One
Is that. despite all The progress made in apply
ing the merit system to appointments to public
places selections of schOol-teachers are still TO
a deplorably large extent dependent on pulls
and Influence" The other is the important part
played by the publishers Of textbooks In the Sc
lection and retention Of school officers. 1t Is to
the latter point that we now wish to direct at
tenton.
One of the teachers whose confessions are be-
fore us writes on this subject as follows: LAS
now conducted, the schoolbook business Is
"portentous evil. Few people know Of this or
"are willing to acknowledge IT, There was
"tlme when textbooks were selected upon merit
"If one had confidential information upon this
point today from superintendent throughout
1.-THE country, | believe that II would be clear
that merit ia Of secondary Importance {.
81 could unfold n startling array OF facts to sus
tain the assertion that a majority OF supern-
"tenlents of small cities and counties owe their
positions to pulls organized by publishing
houses TO whose books they are friendly" This
testimony is confirmed by that Of another,
superintendent who deplores his inability to
control the choice Of textbooks. and says that In
this matter 'the influence of certain publishing
houses was always stronger than the recon-
lamentations OF the superintendent; while a
third. likewise superintendent. declares: "One
"of the most difficult problems have encoun-
tered Is the textbook problem. The adoption
"of books for Il term Of years has uniformly
proved to be an evil. 1t opens Pandora's box
"of Ills, chief OF which are the unbuslnesSlike
methods OF book houses and their agents"
We have scarcely more than hints here but
enough Is said TO show the existence Of an evil
that may assume alarming proportions. The en-
tire truth in matter OF this sort Is hard to get at
Those familiar with our public schools. and who
have been permitted TO Sc. a glimpse behind the
scenes are well aware that the Influence OF
some concerns whose business Is the publish
ing Of schoolbooks Is widespread and demorallz-
Ing These concerns are bitter rivals of one an
other and their agents are constantly ut work.
The lnsidious influence which they exert Is by
no means confined to the smaller towns to which
the confessions mainly relate, but larger game
is eagerly sought In the big cities. The adoption
Of n certain set of books in the schools OF city
for period OF years means enormous profits for
the publishers and rich commissions for the
agents. How the evil Is to be curbed In exist