Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-09-16
SCORES THE BOARD,
CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAoE)
lowing reply to the committee for publ

lowing reply W INC SoinlHltiee lor pupH-
cation:
I have read the report OF Mr.. william
L. Royal in the Evening Leader OF to-
day. criticising two OF the United States
histories placed on the official list of pub
llc-school books by the State Board Of
Education. The report is virtually an
arraignment of the Board Of Education
for putting these books on the list.
In the absence OF all the members of
the board from the city, 1 do not pre-
sumo to speak for them, nor have any
desire to engage In controversy about
this matter 1t is. however, due to the
members Of the board that few plain
facts be stated. Four years ago two
histories Of the United States-one by
Hansell, the other by Shinn-both south
ern men, were placed on the list by the
Board of Education at the request of the
Confederate Veterans.
Last April committee from the Grand
Camp Of Confederate Veterans Of Vir-
ginia, headed by Mr.. Royal. appeared be-
fore the board, and presented a series of
resolutions, endorsing the histories OF DR..
Jones and Mrs. Lee for exclusive use
in the public schools Of Virginia, thereby
utterly ignoring the two histories en-
dorsed by the Confederate Veterans four
wears before. The resolutions were ac-
companied by a report from a select COM
mIttee of five distinguished educators ap-
pointed by the Grand Camp.
ENDORSED BY GRAND CAMP.
This report. which was unanimously
endorsed by the Grand Camp, recon-
mended Jones's and Lees histories. and
gave the third place to the history OF
Cooper. Estill e. Lennon, which Mr..
Rovall now SAYS is unfit for use in Vlr-
ginia schools. The committee commended
"the excellent literary style OF Fiske's
History. but could not endorse It as a
suitable book TO give southern children
their first impressions Of American his
tory" and while they thought Cooper
Estill & Lemmon's history defective In
some respects. they thought It would be
"a good book I'm the hands Of an intelli-
gent and well-informed teacher"
The Department of Public Instruction
had all these books examined by able and
experienced teachers In the public and
private schools OF the State prior to the
meeting Of the board in July to select
textbooks for the public schools.
When the subject of American history
was reached. the board showed every dis
position to respect the wishes OF the Con-
federate veterans. They ordered Barnes's
History to go. and stand not on the order
of it's going. It was the only one Of the
discarded books that was not allowed
time to work its way out Of the schools.
In conformity with the recommendation
of the veterans the histories of Mrs. Lee
and Dr. Jones were placed on the list,
and Cooper. Estill & Lemmons history
was selected "as the third book"
HE ASSUMES RESPONSIBILITY
Whatever responsibility there Is for
John Fiske's History being on the list OF
textbooks for Virginia schools l willing
w assume 1t has been recommended TO
the board by some of the best teachers
| I'm Virginia. and / had taught IL for years.
I was aware OF some of its blemishes,
and before the book was adopted had
written TO Mr.. Fiske and his publishers,
urging certain notifications and correc-
| lions.
As Mr.. Royal makes the Brooks-Sum-
ner episode the only specification against
| the accuracy of the book, / am glad TO
| inform him that when Mr.. Fiske's atten-
ton was called to the manifest injustice
| Of his statement he agreed to modify II.
| John Fiske is the greatest of living his
| torians. but he is not so great as to be
| Incapable of error Mr. Royal writes at
| great length about this unfortunate oc-
| currence. but says he does not pretend to
| Justify the conduct of Preston Brooks.
He says the cane used by Brooks was a
small one.
So thought I till I examined the Con-
gressional Globe containing the official In
| vestigation of the matter. where IL was
proved by credible witnesses that ne
| cane was one inch In diameter at the
| large end, three-fourths in the middle
and five-cighths at the smaller end. and
made Of vulcanized India rubber. with a
specific gravity equal to that Of hickory
| T.. u xrrtl1 IN
inc the record he will find that he him
self, as well as John Fiske, Is capable oil
making a mistake.
REMOVE OBJECTIONABLE FEA-
TURES.
When the board was considering the
propriety of placing this history on the
| list. Governor Tyler asked me If it con
tanned any statements prejudcial to the
South. and when / assured him and tn,
other members of the board that tie few
Objectionable features could, and i'm al
| probability would, be corrected, they, il
| Difference TO the wishes of the many o.
| most progressive teachers Of the STATE
who desired d history of the highest lite
rary and pedagogical character PLACED
| John Fiske's History on the list. Th'
| State Board Of Education is composed o
gentlemen who are intensely loyal to Vir
| ginia and her traditions, and not one o
them would willingly do anything TO de
| tract from the glory that belongs to thi
State. They would not place any book II
the schools Of Virginia that teaches tina
the Confederate veterans were traitors
and defy Mr.. Royal or any other maj
TO point to one line in John Fiske's His
tory that teaches any such conclusion.
John Fiske is recognized, the wOrl,
over. as one of the foremost men OF tn
age. Twenty years ago, when he was
| young man. the great Darwin pronounce,
his work on Cosmic Philosophy equa
to the best productions OF Her
bert Spencer. But history is hi
special field. His monumental worl
on the Critical Period Of American
History, covering the time between tn
close of the Revolution and the adoption
of the Federal Constitution. is one of tn
best presentations in the language of tn
Jeffersonian ideas, and is a text i'm nearl
all our leading southern colleges and uni
versities He has recently completed
splendid work on Old Virginia and He
Neighbors. in two volumes, which vii
do more to perpetuate the fame of thI
ancient Commonwealth than all tn
school histories that have been writer
during the past century.
ADMIRER OF VIRGINIA.
As an evidence OF his admiration 70
Virginia and Virginians, he says, both fl
this book and in his History of tn
United States. that of the six men VIII
stood foremost in the work OF framing
our National Government. five were Vir
ginians-W Washington. Madison, Henry
Jefferson, and Marshall-while the sixth
Alexander Hamilton-was native of tn
West indies. Surely. Massachusetts an
Pennsylvania should complain that tn