The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-07-12
TUESDAY. JULY u, 1895.
THE suoooh BOOK QUESTION.

,rhe Petersburg IndcI-Appeal III SPeah-
A. ~ the work before the Board OF
rducation. of selecting books for the pun
lie schools OF Virginia, says that 'he
rs,at,ve merits of the books seem to be
less an issue than the place OF their
making"
With some people perhaps that Is true
hut we cannot believe that the Board OF
Education will take that view. Our con-
eamnorary insists that the importance
Of the question which the board has TO
determine is far greater than any mere
consideration Of dollars and cents ana II
adds:
The board should, of course, see that
hooks selected for our schools DO not
blacken the memory Of Southern men VINO
took part in the civil war WIN chaFse9
~ treason. and that they do not mis-
represent the events and occurrences oil
tbat war These precautions Observed
che sole remaining question should oc-
c,,r ON the technical and scientihc merits
-of the books Themselves, regardless OF
where they are made or by whom lhey
are made. An inaccurate ana nhscith-
tifcally prepared book should derive
no advantage from the circumstance
NhHf IL ~ MIlILfu UN II NAANitNAtA ''''N''N+
and printed by a Southern publisher
1ssneciallv should the board guard
AGAINST that class OF publications
wbidh play upon the passions and pre-
iudices Of the Southern people by mis-
repre6entinC and maligning the peO-
ple OF the North thus keeping alive the
feelings OF sectional enmity TO the de-
friment Of a wholesome national spirit.
such Southern books arc quite as bad
as that class OF Northern books which
foolshlv vilify and insult the Southern
people Perhaps the time has not come
FOR a strictly accurate and impartial
history Of the evil war. but surely the
time has passed when there should be
any other feeling between all the sec
'tions OF this countrp than those Of
maenanimous forbearance. and for
elveness and obliteration Of everything
that Is disagreeable in the past
We believe that no paper in the South
has been more persistent than The Times
in urging that the children Of the pres
ont generation be taught the exact facts
OF the war without colorng from either
standpoint IN other words that they
should be taught history and not TO-
nance. We DO not believe in adopting q
Southern book. either a history or any
other book. simply because It IS written
by Southern author. or because il Is
printed by Southern publishing house,
We would not help Southern authors or
Southern enterprise at the expense OF
the educational interests of Virginia. But
The Times and many other Virginia news
papers have urged that. all things else
being equal. preference should be given
TO Southern authors and 10 the Virginia
Publishing house. which is row bidding
for the contract.
We repeat what we said in Sundays ar
tsdle on this same subject, that the ques-
ton OF merit is the first question to be
considered. But we do not think that the
commercial question is 10 be ignored. II
the Virginia publishers can offer books
that are as good and as cheap as any
others IN competition. we have no hesita-
tion in saying that the preference should
be given 70 the Virginia concern.
The pubhc-schooi system OF Virginia
costs the taxpayers OF this State about
miilioa year. and II ii can be made
to help the industrial interests OF the
state without in any way impairing the
efficiency Of the system. il IS good BUSH
ness and common sense TO 90 50.