The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-02-25


firm resInql.sa its right - = voice n the
management OF its 3wn bus.uess'' To
whicA desire % accord with son. and %
say. t1at a business firm Should control AMI
manage Us awn business. But SapeElnken-
dent Barnard. wao : he fra o. Turn %
the enabling act. am you will rna Jhas
the United States accepted the state 2s
thA firm. and turned Uvsr the school
lands 10 The ssate for a sesa0ol fund. Read
The constitution ard learn that il s me
paramount duty Of the state 10 make pro-
visions. etc. and the legislature IS direct
FL % provide for a general and Uniform
system Of pn5lc schools" As a gesusl.
TOW have q statute w1ica provides ta.s
uniform system. is taxation. in cualifics-
ton u teachers, IN text books. and IL
course ~ study. The state = The ''b1isi
ness firm. and the school district Is buI
an Instrument N the hands u tire STATE ~
execute the constitutional duty Of tAe STATE.
You again say For The purpose OF
,ae argument. suppose al the election ot 4
governor j. thoroughly corrupt r.ngster
had been elected, and lad appointed his
oWn tools on the s.ate beard. 20 C0Gtrac.
for million dollars worth OF books 5
b 81 or II. Z. fs3 would pass very quickly
Now, Superintendent Barnard, II yoH
wish IN refer 10 corruption "a school mat
tiers desire ~ refresh your memory 0y
adopted state uniformity Of text books. be
cause Of the notorious corruption rspuJed %
exist in the counties and the cities % The
state. OF course il ia possible - be cor
rupt and corrupt men viii be 80, even az
ter your hill becomes d law. II Will not
be stopped By going 70 eli. adoption II the
experiences 0f late years IN syracuse. De
sroit. Toledo, Omaha, Newark, 81 Paul.
Reading Los Angeles. San Francisco. Kan
fr T]x Asre
home. have been reported correctly IN the
press You viii also note that for the past
eight years she state OF Washington has
been fFeer from charges NJ corruption thaa
some cities of the state.
In speaking fox individuality as Inc means
for progress. you say. From an e1uca-
.0nal standpoint, state uniformity Is ma
chine. one measure. one standard one
me-. bod one idea. one book and one mar
row rut for every pupil teacher and school
in Washington. Il means death for IN
aiv5dualiiy and dry r0t for progress.
DO you wish for two measures The
Iaw gives you the rigat Ia Use them D.
YOU wish for two "standards2' Yen may
establish them If you wish Is stass UNI
forrnity zone idea p" You remember that
enc ~ TIE strongest arguments made for
yoar bill Mas by Principal .. :. jones, Who
clearly explained The necessity for city
SUPERINTENDENT 10 choose his :ext books that
he might better work out his fad or one
idea experiment. The state does moi exact
az Won any "one-islea'' method. but You
ak privilege to apply such If you 80 de
sire DO you wish moro than one BOOK
The law gives you the right
Uniform textbooks kills Individual
itv?r So far as am able 10 discern It
has not been the state course OF study,
nor the machine" not uniformity OF
books which destroys individuality. Mel
Their the hook nor the subject hampers
a good teacher. bat there Is one kind OF
uniformity that does destroy individual
!ty and that is the uniformity OF method
which some SUPERVISORS desire 20 be fol-
lowed in presenting a subject 20 class
and IN coming into harmony with the life
Of pupils II Seattle desires 30 select text
books that they may assist in liking some
particular method upon the teachers then
the individuality Of some teachers VIII be
killed and the Seattle schools are open
70 an attack Of the dry rot for progress
Allow NE - quote again:
Il am informed that two big book con-
Germs which have opposed the bin TOW eS-
uitingly claim It's defeat, and also the Sc
quence 10 IT, the including II Seattle and
Spokane free text book contracts in the
state contract, whieh they fully expec; TO
secure"
on last Saturday I received an enoEyul-
Gus letter. mailed on the railway between
Seattle and Portland, which warned me
Of 70 expose" regarding my supposed
ARA geruents with G.nn K Go. and j.. {.
Heath for a mathematician contract al
the next book adoption. and | MAS advised
20 let cities have their OWN way with
bills -
Now. was prepared 20 learn that some
irresponsible party would start some re-
port on the street which would reflect on
nv official and personal conduct. but I
=
10 two biz book concerns, and ~ read
repeatedly your mention of million
dollar contract" and II seems that you
and the fellow that wrote the Anonymous
letter mus have received information
from the same source.
Allow me 10 inform y0u further.
SCne months ago the agent 81 n G.
Heath vas ia the state ard called II my
office and also ~ yours He made TO cor
rapt arrange nent with either IL Us Some
time ago Mr Green. cf New York Nj
Edwards ~ Portland. aad Mr.. Gum, q.
San Francisco. All agents - ire American
Book Corrpassy we're az various rlareS
in the state. None IF them called on ne
and DO not know that they called on
you. Some 81 them were ln Seattle
do not believe they entered into any cor
rupt arrangements with y"u or with nv
~ the recent convention - county suffer
irtandents ~ Olympia Nr : . Smith
in town and ralicd ~ my office and spens
his tine chiefly arguing for some law by
which state uniformity would be changed
advised against T. Tie left Olympia
and vert ~ Seattle His condition ~
mind when / saw him. would make him
an advocate II the b33 - which YOU
write Before the week rassed Nr
Barnes another agent az G!1n * Co
cane - Olympia and after a h~5ef stay
~ ere night he iett. being informed % nv
position 80 oppose any attempt BY hlru or
other book ren 20 influence legislation
against state uniformity.
thus all tha influence - book men q
Y h.ch ! am aware. on legislation were
tha statements of VI Smith against
STATE uuffag f.isy. 7 an therefore az
}ex& 81 know. how xou and that anorv-
nous letter writer fruEs9 oUt about al ar
Targt Tnenf with I'VE book hoss@S for the
nexf contract and await further deYelop-
Taeats 81 1ae expose