The record-union., 1898-06-08
of books made that gave FUN satisfac-

of books made that gave full satisfac-
ton to everyone. I remember my ex-
periences Of past days, when I would
open school on the first day Of q term
and find almost as many different read
ers as there were children. And when
there was an attempt to obtain uni
formity. it was generally the poorer
parents who had to buy new ones. What
is the matter with the State readers
and the grammar, for instance? ]
know there is some objection to the
history, but for myself l believe a good
teacher can teach from any kind of
book, and that good teachers do so with
the State books"
Upon the same occasion Professor J.
p. Garlick, Superintendent of Schools
Of Alameda County, declared that
Through the system used in Cali
fornia, this State has the best books
of any State in the Union"
Professor p NJ. Condit, City Superin-
tendent of Schools at Eureka, declared
emphatically in favor of the system
whereby the State manufactures text
books for it's school children. He said:
The arithmetic, which is seemingly
so much sdespised, is all right If it is
used right. California school books are
not SO much despised in other States as
they seem to be here. Whoever con-
demns our history as useless, does not
know how to use it. Our history is
text book, and not intended to be
monument of literature. 1t is to be
used to teach facts, not style. l object
to the language Of this resolution, that
the State has failed to furnish good
text books You can't find books any
where on earth that will satisfy every
body, ard 1 for one am we'll satisfied
with what we have. We can get from
our grammar as good results as can be
obtained from any grammar published
I will go farther than that, and say
that we can get better results"
Superintendent Howard Of Sacra-
mento County said:
There never has been and never will
be system Of books that will please
ALL If there are any delegates here
who believe some of our books are de-
fective, let them say which are so, and
let us remedy the trouble. We have
spme books that are as good as any in
the world and our laws provide for
the revision of those which are in any
way defective. When such is the case,
why should we condemn the whole sys-
tenn simply because there are some
books which do not meet with our ap-
probation, especially when the means to
remedy the defect is in our hand?"
Professor p. w. Smith of Placer
County, one Of the most successful and
progressive educators in Northern Cali
fornia, in a speech defending the State
books, said:
Il believe the public schools of Cali
fornia are superior to any in the Union,
and 1 believe they have progressed to
that point Of excellence since the State
began to publish its own books"
These are but few OF the express
sions Of superintendent having the
courage to raise their voices against the
Vaccinations of the book ring, which
clearly prove that the State books, as
claimed to be defective may easily be
made perfect.
We desire to particularly impress
upon the public mind these facts:
First-That the school book trust
first attacked the mechanical construc-
ton of the State books. This attack
has been met and repulsed, and the
State is now producing the. best school
books published, from mechanical
point Of view.
Second-That the trust next under
took to make the people believe that
the private contract books were more
economical to parents than the State
series. This has been shown to be ut
terly untrue-the State books, in fact
having saved hundreds Of thousands
Of dollars to the parents Of children
in the past seven years.
Third-The trust is now trying to dis
credit the literary features of the State
books in the hope of creating popular
prejudice against them. This effort
will also fail, for the people know thai
the books are good, and that minor de-
fects can be easily corrected.
Finally, we ask the people Of Cali
fornia to keep an eye on the enemies
of the State school book system
whether those enemies appear in the
guise of open agents of the school book
trust, or in the persons of subsidized
teachers or school superintendents And
in order to give emphasis to the popular
will in defense of the State school book
system, we earnestly urge its friends
to vote for no one who may have in his
charge the preparation or publication
of the State school books who is not q
known friend of the system; nor for a
legislative candidate who will moi
pledge his support to the same; sup
port no one for School Superintendent
who is not known to be a friend Of the
books; elect no school director or trus-
tee who favors the trust and employ
no teacher who is an enemy of the
books.
If this be done, 1t viii be difficult FOL
the book ring to procure its agents from
among the servants Of the people.
F. r. DRAY,
President of the League.
Tabp Secretary