The record-union., 1898-01-07
THE TEACHERS AT IT AGAIN.

AT their recent annual convention the
teachers of the State carried out the
old programme of denouncing the sys-
tenn by which the State publishes the
text books for its common schools. It
exhibited its ignorance also of the Con-
stitution Of the State by asking the Leg
islature to wreck the system, by such
legislation as will effect that end
Teachers in the public schools were as
sumed to know that the State text
book system is established by the Con-
stitution, and that it can be abandoned
only by amendment of that instrument
The operation and efficiency of the sys-
TEN may be crippled and impeded by
action Of the Legislature, but when
ever that is done members Of the two
houses who support such action do so In
flagrant violation of their oath of office
to sustain the Constitution, and make
its mandates effective. To such action
then the Teachers Convention advised
our legislators.
The friends Of the State school book
system expected this annual assault
from the teachers. 1t has been their
yearly custom to wind up their convoca-
ton with such resolutions as those just
passed Singularly enough, these de-
mandatory expressions always come in
at the tail end of the session, when
many members have retired, and when
there is small opportunity and less time
for their debate. To criticise the books
of the system was proper enough, en-
tirely legitimate; to assail the system
itself was treacherous and ignoble.
Doubtless the books as we have them
are not ideal: 1t is claimed by the con-
vention that some OF them are defec-
tive-deficient in requisites. But these
results are not chargeable to the sys-
tenn, but to its maladministration, and
that, too. by school teachers, since every
one of the text books, we believe, is the
output of the work Of men and women
who are, or have been, teachers in
schools, and are or have been intimate
ly related to the educational system of
California
1t WAS error to produce the books as
was done. The Record Union" from
the outset opposed the plan adopted. It
held, as 1t does now, that California is
as capable of employing competency to
compile text books as is any private
publishing firm. 1t is rank nonsense
TO say that the State. with her ample
resources and overflowing school fund,
cannot procure the devotion OF as high
ability to the production of text books
as can Harper Brothers, the Lippin-
colts, the Appletons, or the publishers
vate concern,
Instead of doing this, the very first
step taken on the adoption of the sys-
tenn into the Constitution was to accept
as free gift the manuscript for a
whole batch Of school readers from a
citizen who had the ambition to asso-
ciate Ills name with such a work. and
to impress the people with the magni-
tude and brflliancy OF his ability. That
act was so silly and ludicrous that it
W DIS &tOl AOiA6 DG1O1c IL d. PLeAIlAScAAS
revoked The next step was to parcel
out among the members of the State
Board of Education the work of produc-
ing the books. This necessitated the
employment of a representative Of the
board to revise manuscript, adjust,
adapt and edit generally. and finally
that official clerk and his aids we're in
trusted with the compilation OF vol
ume.
There is in all this. however, with
the resultant of set of books that the
convention claims is unsatisfactory in
several respects, though il is conceded
that some Of the volumes are excellent.
nothing whatever to justify assault
upon the system itself. We repeat,
California is as capable of securing
commanding ability for the production
OF a set of school books as is any pri-
vate firm II issued the books il has
and can continue to do SO, more cheap
ly than the cost Of school books to the
people under the book ring scheme prior
to the adoption of the State system.
But If the school books should cost TO
the purchasers something more than If