New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-11-07
TT WILL BE STRICKEN OFF
THE OBNOXIOUS AMERICAN LITERA-
TuRE" ON BROOKLYN'S BOOK LIST.

nprAr SURPRISE CAUSED WHEN THE FACT IS
.scrnrAINED-NoBoDY KNOWS HOW 1T GOT
ruERE-HAwTHoRNE AND LEMMoN's
BOOK TO DE RETAINED IN FLUSH
ING. BUT DROPPED BY THE
BROOKLYN BOARD OF
EDUCATION
crea. astonishment was caused in Brooklyn
~ tho interesting fact leaked out yesterday
49,. Tho hook on American Literature" which
60. caused so much stir In Flushing. was on the
ste, list of text-books recommended for use
=, tho BROOKLYN schools. No one connected with
- recruitment of Education in that city had
- ,daa that II was there. and every one to
-ross attention 1t was called expressed the ut
.,n.t surprise. Some could scarcely believe 1t
,,t,, they had seen the name OF the book IN the
.r,rted list with their own eyes. The much
..,ked-of book will not remain on the hst
,o,g in all probability. Professor Hooper
,,.mber Of the Committee on Text BOOKS. IS
.r,horty for the statement that at the next
nast,ns Of the Board Of Education on Tuesday
go, week a resolution will be introduced to
have It stricken OIL
This Is the book Of which Julian Hawthorne
.,d one Leonard Lennon are the joint authors.
uawthorne is a well-known literary man. the
or,v son OF Nathaniel Hawthorne. WHO has re-
s.rtv been clarifying Bryan and free silver
.x,orch the columns Of THE New-York Jour-
- Iemmon is said to be the superintendent
=, schools in a Texan city. but no one seems TO
nave heard of him. at least in this part OF the
.,,,-v before his connection with this work
=, american Literature"
UNFAIR AND PARTISAN.
n. book is regarded by most Of those who
oir and
Characterization of many well-known Americans
md especially in its exaltation OF certain
southern writer's to whom undue space Is given
a. compared with Northerners Of higher rank
II IL written in a slap dash style which has COM
uended II to some folk who think nothing worth
reading that is not snappy and breezy Its un-
literary and commonplace tone may be Judseo
from the remark with which the preface OF the
book opens: American literature has OF late
been receiving considerable attention. Inc
preface also says that the authors have received
Kindly aid from several sources Here are
tNs sources from which the firm OF hawthorne
Lennon received their inspiration. as
mentioned by them: Charles W. Stevenson OF
Warrensburg Mo. and H. c. Davis and Z. Z.
Hemming, of Gainesville. Tex. have lent vaiu-
able books and papers. Dr. Leslie Waggener.
chairman Of the faculty Of Texas University
has given friendly counsel"
WELL-KNOwN AMERICANS CHARACTER
IZED.
To understand the criticisms which have been
levelled at this remarkable textbook. few ex-
tracts from the body Of the work must be gwen
OF the greatest American since Washington. this
remark Is made Abraham Lincoln. the war
President admired and respected by both friends
and foes. who. though anything but literary
man, was among Americas history makers
Over AGAINST this note what is said Of Jefferson
Davis President of the Confederacy, trencnant-
controversalist. a man Of culture and scholar
ship an eloquent speaker and good writer" or
Davis's history of the Confederate Government,
Hawthorne e. Lennon say: THE book Is wrl.-
ten with candor and reasonable impartiality
and the reader Is made to recognize the personal
integrity and devotion Of the Southern leaders
and the heroism Of her people.
Emerson is characterized thus: He never
showed marked intellectual power. He had no
rationative faculty. He ignored the hnaiity OF
Individual bounda.y lines; and OF Lowell II IS
said His naWre has vein OF coarse1ess "nich
appears occasionally in his writings. but wnlcn.
ordinarily, only serves to give character ana
flavor to his culture . ~,,..,
II is not TO be expected after this that Whittier
would please these fastidious writers. They set
down their condemnation OF him IN these terms
"Uneducated. narrow and prejudiced MS neau-
long zeal was in harmony WIFI tHoSc Hc'y '.''NS
when men wished TO act rather than TO renect.
To Whittier the Southern shareholders were OPP
ponents Of civilization.
FLUSHING RETAINS 1T.
When Il was found that book OF this cnarac-
ter was being used in the High School In fiush-
inr a protest was made to the Board OF Educa-
ton. The matter was then referred to the Com
mittee on Studies and Text Books. which. a1ter
examining the book again. recommended tnat i IL
he Itch
Ing OF the Board. TIE commuters report "ds
unanimously adopted: so II is settled that as iar
q Flushing is concerned; the opJec'.'I taxt'
book for the remainder OF the present schooi
year.
BROOKLYN could not be exactly ascertaned yes
terday but 1t is evident that II was accepted
without having received any careful attention
Schools of BROOKLYN ~ T." has the date July.
1895 on its cover. but just below appear the
words: Revised February, 1886" on page ~
near the bottom. under the head OF Literature
II found this entry:
Hawthorne & Lernmons American Literature .
d. C. Heath ...................'..'''''''. ~
The figures denote the price Of the book. IT Is
IN good company. The Committee on Iext-
Books In last February, when this list was re-
vised. was composed of Edward Rowe. Charles
E. Teale. Franklin W. Hooper, Mrs: Mary y.
Jacobs. Mrs. J. NJ Powell. Richard Young anu
Edward L. Collier. When reconstructed az tne
middle Of the year DR.. J. H. Raymond took the me
place Of Charles e. Teale. but as he has recently
resigned from the Board there Is one vacancy ia
the committee
PROFESSOR HOOPER WILL ACT AT ONCE.
When seen yesterday Professor Hooper couid
oYer no explanation Of the way In which this
book came to be accepted by the Board. Like
everybody else. he was astonshed to find that
1t had been SO accepted. "Of course. 1t must
lave been passed on by the committee" he said.
but do not recall anything about It, The Gus
tom Is for some members to examine certain
books while other members take other books l
never saw a copy of this book. and know nothing
about II except from what / have read In the