The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-03-16

DR.. j L. NJ. Curry produced a book.
s-SoutherD States of American Un-
ion," published at one time at the
North, but Dr. Curry's views were
not suited to the North, and the
book was about to fail, when B. F.
johnson & Co, of Richmond, took it,,
and put it in the South, where it ie
prospering
Ii must be borne in mind that biog
raphies, "reminiscences, memoirs,
sketches, annals, historic monographs,
etc , that have been written, and have
received more or less place in libra
riies and as reference books, collate-
rails, etc are not to be confused with
or considered as text books proper,
from the school book point The
South needs State histories. written.
by men who are capable of the task
and practically trained in education
al work.
The South needs history OF the
United States, written in an honest
manner, giving ali sections the just
portion of the common heritage-
truth. in fact But such book
cannot live ON wish you wells. y
..good thing" ..noble cause" and
such other pleasant sentimentalitles
If the South wants a history to live
it must establish it upon financial as
well as sentiment basis Northern
publishers lately attempt to get out
what they call Southern histories, !"
but they are not very old, when their
existence becomes unpleasantly noted
BY the powers that be, and the mat
ter sickles with a pale forgetfulness.
The Southern people cannot hope to
free the: schools from shis text book
bondage unless: the men and women
keep up constant, yigilant, never
Tagging warfare on false, poisonous,
harmful Northern written books
OTHER BOOKS IN SCHOOLS
are nearly as baneful in their effect
upon the mind of the pupil as are the
histories. Readers, for instance, are
all written BY Northern authors or
are filed with selections of Northern
writer's and scenes aud subjects For
proof examine tEem-for another
proof see that the publishers are all
Northern, and they never let South
ern school book live if they can
avoid il. Il is enough to give q
Southern child the chiibiains to look
at the icy, snowy. wintry pictures in
these readers they tell of everything
under the sun but of the South.
Think Of what vast field these
readers opens mp for the instruction
of ourchildren in stories of their fore
fathers, Of the lives Of the great form
era ef this Union, Southern men !;
Of the achievements of the South In
sH departments Of civilization What
grand lessons we can teach our chill
dren in these books-think of how
the readers now in our 1000 South
ern schools ignore the writings,
speeches. lives aud deeds Of our ten
thousand authors, orators. statesmen,
public beDefactors, inventors, manu-
facturers, merchants, professional
men If we had Southern written
readers we could tell them of Timrod,
Hayne, Simms. Lanier. Calhoun,
Davis, Z Yancey. Hill, Lamar, Lee.
Gordon, Hampton, Hains. Simontop,
Capers, MCGOWAN and host of other
men all over the South, whose lives
are worthy of example Of the greet
resources and ambitions of our coun-
fey and its possibilities l
would rather. write the read
ers for our Southern schools
than be the President of the Union.
Take up our geographies-the
great pathfinder, a Sontherner, Maury
is no more. In bis death the Sonth
lost q power, to the force of which
even Northern publishers had to
yield. Where is the South to- day in
geography? There, in an iris of
map Our physical geography is ne
elected, as is our literature
In books of composition, gram.
mar, rhetoric, etc. our children are
taught daily from the pro-
noun object in names not re
preventative of the men and women
we love to honor or have our chill
dren taught to remember But this is
not the only objection-grave, though
it be; but tie big book concerns are
combined, but the business is done
Under various firm names, and the
clamer of Southern schools for mod
ern books, up to date methods, etc /,
is as totally unheeded as have been
their protests against the false his
tories thrust upon the schools.
SOME SUGGESTIONS, FACTS
AND EIEHRES