The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-10-11
The Inevitable Conclusion.

Inc inevitable Conclusion.
OF the scores Of indignant comments
on the state textbook job for which the
Rogers administration stands sponsor
we select the following as driving home
the charge and drawing the conclusion
that presents itself as inevitable to the
minds OF parents and taxpayers
throughout the state. We choose It be-
cause the writer did just what we ask
every man to do; to examine these
wretched books for himself and then
form his own unaided conclusion Of
the influences which could be sufficient
to foist them on the public schools Of
Washington:
After being cIoyed with editorials on
the school book question the editor OF
the Chronicle hunted UP one Of the now
famous Biographies and examined II to
the best of his ability: and on the
strength OF that book he is now convinced
that State Superintendent Browne must
stand convicted OF being either a 'knaye
or a fool" for II he were not to receive
some pecuniary reward for introducing
his sanction to It's adoption had he been a
man OF ordinary intellect.-El Chron-
icle.
The utter condemnation Of these
books rests upon an examination Of
them. They are irredeemably bad in
every respect. In addition to inaccu-
racies. the Hughes speiler 10 SO badly
put together that 1t will 60 to pieces af-
ter a short use. The cost to the public
OF renewals, the unavailability OF the
books for exchange, win amount to
thousands On thousands OF dollars.
Two facts are now made appar-
ens' one that II Is crime
against the children OF the state
to put these unfit books into their
hands, crime whose consequences will
not cease through all their lives; the
other that. instead Of saving money to
the state. this award OF favors by public
influence to the friends and coadjutors
of superintendent Browne win be. in
dollars and cents, a heavy burden on
the people. Aside from the merits Of
fered In competition would be actually
cheaper In cash than the trashy prod
ucts Of the Rogers Browne w estiand
trust.
In the chorus OF bitter condemnation
that has arisen from every part OF the
state. we wish to advise the public that
there is one discordant note There are
two apologists. among men engaged In
educational work. for the Browne afro
cities. One Is county superintendent OF
schools in Yakima county. and his name
is Plumb. Even he admits that the
geography contains some errors but
as whole he swallows even Harr
Wagner. Plumb Plumb Where have
we heard OF him beforey II seems 10
us that this was the name Of the per
son who contributed the third and nee
essary vote In the state board when
this deal was consummsted. II was
a T.
Joined with Meredith and Browne to
saddle THIS lob on the state. II was
Plumb, moreover, who found himself
open to conviction overnight: and whose
vote could be secured for the. state
house trust II an adjournmeSt could be
had long enough 20 reason with him
sweetly. No wonder that Plumb. look
ing on his own work. declares that Il
Is coed The other apologisi is Friars.
And his name. too, on the ron call, win
be found generally recorded with the
home trust" The state board OF job
bsrs approve OF themselves.
In one respect we have done the board
of 1895 an injustice. ana withheld from
browne the credit for one &C, Of his
term. This error we wish now to rec
tify. We stated. as has been generally
believed. that the board Of 1885, which
Il represented by the fusion conspira-
tors "a the willing tool Of the book
Trust" ADOPTED but one book publish
"a BY the American Book Company. II
vas a mistake. That board adopted no
trust book whatever; aud the enc sub
seQueauy introduced was selected by
the Browne regime, three years ago.
Fer the one trust" Textbook. tn use
in osr schools. Browne Is directly re-
s2onsisle, The law governing the ac-
ton Of the board In 1885 limited the
price to be paid Tor any rev book ADOPT
ed 20 s. - per cent Of the price under
the old law. As no books offered FOR
Atgh school use came within this re-
striction. none were adopted by the
hoard. whits's algebra, the only book
In question. was chosen three years ago
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