The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-12

4 sIssaD sH m endable
Il .sntiment that cherishes the heroism
5 3 OF the soldiers of the Lost Causc,
but this sentiment is sadly perverted
any attempt to substitute section
SD I'd for Patriotism in the minds Of
ssSls ilslfen.
ssis outcry against "partisan
istn tns;ee I'm tho sohoolsf I'll tell
he time is drawing near for
s eatsd School books for another
Of years, and booksellers are
king sonthern sentiment for all it
iA worth to them. Circulars written
by aens aordon against BIPARTISAN"
y = lslIss are being scattered broad
Z ssssst pablishers and agents who
aAy school history they are trying
g 9 t8ays ~ adopted by State boards of
siS,n. a Mass meeting was re-
& hasesl4d in Richmond at the in
of Lee Camp of Confederate
stterana, to protest against "parti-
Bohool histories. Virginia is
ion TO select school books for four
ysars Prominent in the mass meet
I'D ii & gFHsa man who has lately writ
enc sohool history that he would
Is like TO- have adopted. A mass meet
lss been called at Nashville by
LOT !of people who are not educators
ito protest against "partisan" histo-
RIOS in southern schools. There is
no doubt hidden hand in that pro-
posed meeting also.
g$s Do these people who are making
much much stir about "partisan" histo-
n riest really desire non partisan histo-
y y ries non partisan from every stand
s&apoint2 On the contrary, they are
Il agitating for histories that arc in
tsneely partisan-partisan to the
SSsontli There are just two classes of
people agitating this matter: Those
IS s9hoshave books to sell and those
no. are being used by them to help
sslI Them.
sIs there any real sense and reason
instbis cry for southern histories for
6Bputkern schools? Must we have a
sDnthern history because it is south-
8rn2 I know four school histories
southern authors, and not one of
Ahsm is good text book. OF the
s Two now most clamorously and per-
tinaciously before southern State
hoards of education for endorsement
SRnd adoption, one is now in use in
the public schools of this State; the
}other, recently issued, is written by
Ssthe So called "hghting parson." The
efirst named is undoubtedly partisan,
@but not inter- 80, SO; It's chief fault
Is" its~ extreme heaviness of style,
which renders the. reading of it la.
Dor to any one and the study of it a
positive weariness Of the flesh to
school children. cannot SO tres
pass on your space as to show this,
but let me quote here one or two
representative sentences:
"The domestic tranquility guaran-
teed by the constitution had not been
enjoyed (by the south) for many q
day, and an interminable continuance
of strife and discord seemed to be in
store for all. The idea had been
SLOWLY shaping itself IN the southern
mind, that, notwithstanding the
affection for tho Union that the south
had felt and manifested since the
founding Of the government, tran
= 'quil existence without the govern
!ment was preferable to continued
disturbance within"
The "fghting parson" is intense
ly and bitterly partisan. He dis
'cusses the "causes of the war" at
great sslength, rehashing arguments
ESrat have been stale for 80 years and
are about as interesting to schoo
boy as last years birunest. Out of
424 pages he gives 1873 to the civil
war. His style is totally untitled for
Il text book for children. His sem
tences are long, involved and obscure.
Imagine children IL to Is years old
making creditable or even intelligent
recitations from extracts like the fol-
lowing: ...-
"Yet even after this plain declara-
ton Of the President to coerce soyer-