The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-10-15

world oxsz them living and they vii
aaen settle into a state % Satisfaction *
Just the living Il theirs But teach a child
fis2t be iH 20 d for fne z0rid al ne can-
and thai he re3urn 20 hlas VIII y n uIFset
ratio 70 the Efforts be puts ioTia = &c
right directlcn. and hs a. once has an II
sriraftgn 70 % his best ard make the Eross
o. every opportunity.
4 have rar7oseIg svoI6s1 al reference
"a the cost have not CONSIDERED TIE re-
iatisn OF the taxpayer 70 the Improperly
owner There +. principle involved =
this matter q greater Import than ooEleFs
ard cents. K IS TIE question o the Fela-
ton Of re citizen 20 the state. a question
ri tire wisdom Of doing for the people
what fae people should be enabled ufifief
proper conditions 20 do for themselves
Traf which costs nothing ~ often lightly
esteemed. therefore. I believe every parent
should have a money Investment y ne
public school"
In Favor of ~.
Prof J. D. Curtis. IN favor Of the propo-
silIon. said.
The views which an individual holds en
the free tex book question are @P- - -
largely determined ny his views reEaIoli.s
society generally Those N1o f@afH 80
community as q a.sorSsuiz mass - -
digidgais with opposing interest," Bal ~
Weed among tine population acGof4lAS -
fneir lnferev 81 the community. Whlcn ~
theft minds Is repEesentsG - ne dEilD1il- -
property owned To those. however. VINO
reztrd ne eosur1t.nItv as an organism. tae
interests OF whose members are ieteels
denflcai the question q proFl0tnA = -
text books is one wnicn scarcely nseus as
CGssion
'sff b automatic 1i.h tha latter class that
the duty Of educating the child bes Via
ire state and not with the parents. ne
state reapa the adyantaEe. therefore ne
stare should provide free schools I0f every
child WITHIN It's limits ana no &cAfel =
free without free tex books Free states
are as necessary IS free black0oafos; Tree
pencils and free chalk, and free DOORS as
The advantages OF the free text book
system are 50 numerous that one scarcely
knows where - Gezin. One OF the most
important 81 81 gbe matter OF expense
Granted that & Is TIRE duty 81 the C1mnls4-
nifv 70 provide 4 free education Tor ail.
then 40 one viii deny the immense SAVING
over tne Old plan First. Inc BOOKS ar
bought AZ wholesale prices. and, second.
Instead Of being thrown ASIDE after a snort
use they give 1T least three and often
four times much service ne hEuFes
given IN yesterday Pos inieillSeneef -,
resent the cost u starting the plan, ana
DO not take this continued nse into ac-
count II seems strange. too, that teach-
er should try TO prejudice the pubic mind
hy the cry Of expense when the same ar
school In the clgy. This question IS one OF
principle. and the Seattle spirit, which has
raised hundreds OF thousands OF dollars Tor
the furtaerance Of her material interests.
will not faissr when the raising Of only
tifW 81 necessary to make the SCHOOLS az
solutely free Let those who own Falua-
Die lots remember that + Il the presence OF
an inteliigent community which makes
their properly valuable. NO man hFeth
unto himself alone-even IA material
sense.
Another great advantage OF free text
books which. IN the minds Of most educa-
tors and supporters OF the public school
system. completely overShadoWs the ilFst
advantage. is the Increased attendance.
II We adopt free text books, according 20
perfectly reliable statistics We NAV expect
an Increase OF per cent at the very least,
OF 90 more pupils. The attendance IN
some places has increased 70 per cent. ana
even more Any one who cannot see this
point should be promptly disfranchised Tor
general incapacity. our own high school
receives less than per cent Of the total
number attending in the city. Pupils al
home. and the family loses their help.
Many a poor family In considering these
things. finds that the additional sum re-
CURED for expensive books s. the last straw
that turns the scale. and the boy or girl
who might otherwlse have been an oTna-
mgnt and blessing 10 the community. re-
mains unknown for lack OF opportunity TO
develop, The world owes every child an
education and Il owes every man-not
Twins. bat an opportunity 10 earn living.
We have many pupils IN our high scaool
who are paving their own Way and the adj
ditionai tax upon their slender resources
forces many out pTematurely. and prevents
great numbers from coming az all. The
high school will not be the peoples school
until e II absolutely free and within the
reach Of the humblest.
Free text hooks enable the work Of
the school 20 begin Immediately Instead
% waiting for pupils TO get bOoks-some
nil ksF4#t fafsfat far
gives the teacher more influence and the
school more Importance Ia the mind Of
the pupil. and & increases his obligation
10 the state. thus making him better
citizen.
''rhe system Of furnishing free text
books is no new experiment. but Is in
operation In ten states. and is optional 20
districts ~ eight others, and the unani-
nous verdict IN every case rs one Of ap-
prevail Books can he protected by re-
movable paper covers, Those who are too
fasfidious 60 use secondhand books are
not deharred from purchasing their own
II has been demonstrated repeatedly that
pupils take better care OF the books and
develop much more the habits of uestness
and order thar when they own the books
themselves. We have teachers in our
high school who VII testify 90 this from
experience. some people take books out
Of be public library and then move away
with them. but we have never heard this
used as an argument against its support
ia fact. the only objection against free
text books which seems 20 have any
weight is the one in regard 20 pupils keep
ing their hooks for reference and this
only applies 20 the higher studies Well.
to-do families generally have reference
books. ara this question does nor concern
them primarily. This single objection
must weigh as nothing against the grea ?
advantages of q perfectly free school spS-
tenn. We are also fojd thar The people
should support The government and not
the govern menf the people Wha+ g. the
government + e nor the people, Put
ting then. the word people iD the place
az the word government We have the foi-
lowing ahsurdiJy. The people should sup
port the people and nor the people the
people.
II the people support the people Ira the
coming election. another great step VIII
have been taken ln ihe cause OF eduel-
ton"