Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-03-04


book discussion, / did SO with the firm
resolution to be honest, fair and con-
servative in all my statements. My
purpose was, as / said in my first arti-
Gle, not to antagonize anyone but to
give to the public facts founded upon
actual experience in order that the
question might be considered in its true
light and thus aid the people to come to
q correct conclusion when the time came
to decide the question. In assuming
this task, felt that knew more about
the question and had better means and
opportunities Of procuring correct data
than the general public because of the
position / hold. have not swerved
from that resolution. / know that l
am right. / hesitate to make any reply
to Mr.. Branson's article in last weeks
paper for l cannot commend him for
fairness, but having attacked me first
deem it no more than Just that | should
have the closing argument in the debate,
besides he made some Misrepresentation
in his efforts to make strong point and
these should be corrected.
In speaking of what the educators
say about the cheapness of free books
he says: 81 think | can prove to the
satisfaction of the voter that not one OF
them bases his statement on anything
tangible. J. A. Callison, of Des Moines,
says free books will last eight times as
long, Prof, Hooker says three times as
long and w. III. Lancelot says nearly
one half longer" In the above state
ments Mr.. Branson has been unfair and
made Misrepresentation. Supt, CALI
son never said that free books will last
eight times as long nor anything like it
ana | never said in any of my articles or
elsewhere that icy would last three
times as long, Come, Mr.. Bfanson, be
fair. Supt. Callison ranges the dura-
bility of free text books from five to ten
years and makes the cost under the
system of individual purchase 1886 be-
low the high school and under district
purchase $l63 In this calculation he says
that no account is taken of the fact that
a book purchased for one child is some
times used by other children of the same
family, and further state this fact is
more than offset by other conditions.
1t must be remembered that all Of
Mr.. Collisions statements are based
upon his own actual experience
in the Capital Park schools where
they have free books. l said in my
former article that "actual experience
has proved that the cost Of books by
our present system is at least three
times as much as by the free book plan"
l wish to say here that all the statements
1 have made in favor OF free text books
had their foundation in actual exper-
fence, and that is far more than Mr..
Branson can say Who is talking
through the hat?" Who is "basing his
statements on things tangible" Voter,
answer. Again he says, II do not be-
lieve books on the average will last u
day longer than they will under the
present system. Whether he believes it
or not experience has proved that they
will last longer. Then to substantiate
his belief he says that ''we have the
same teachers to care for the books now
that we would have under the new plan,
and the same children to destroy them
under the new that we have under the
present law" He forgets that teachers
at present have no control whatever
over the childrens' books. they can only
advise in the matter of care, when, on
the other hand, the books become public
property and the teachers have the right
to demand that proper care be taken OF
them, and If children fail to do 80 they
can be made to do 80 just the same as
they are made to obey any other rule OF
the school. In Audubon the children
who destroy the property Of the school
unnecessarily are required to pay for it
or be deprived of certain school privi-
Ieges until they do so. How much easier
could similar rule be enforced in care
of books where there is no difficulty to
find the one who destroys them. III Mr..
Branson will visit the Audubon schools,
| shall be glad to show him some OF the
effects of parental oversight" l could
show him that not one book out OF
thirty is free from unnecessary pencil
and ink marks, and Audubon is just as
good as any other town in this regard.
I can assure the public there will not be
so much trouble in this regard as Mr.
Branson imagines. True books are lost.
Supt. Dan Miller, of Fremont, Nebraska,
says in one year they lost 10 books out
of 10000.
do remember that all the school adj
vantages we now enjoy are furnished by
the property owner but / remember,
too, that our free public schools make
it possible for the property owners to
own and enjoy property. also know