The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-12-18

the benfits Of education stands and
must be arr ed out in utmost good
faith. An additional qualification will
60 into effect IN July. 1902. for all
voters. The state must furnish the
means by which the electorate may be
educated. and thus qualified to vote.
Ample opportunities and advantages
must be given to all children of school
age. To be educated to read there
must be books. and this should not
be used to benefit a class OF book
sellers or to Cypress the parents. The
best books at the lowest possible
prices should be the slogan and the
conduct. Let prizes be reduced ON all
books that are too high.
It is easily demonstrated thai the
system of county adoption is the worst
for schools. AS a business proposition
1T is natural to presume that a pub
fishing house. securing a contract TO
furnish the school books for an entire
state. "a sell its books at a much less
price than If the same were sold to
only one county. the difference being
that in h one instance it woud be at
a wholesale price and in the other. re-
tail. Observation and experience of
those who know how vigorous and ex-
pensive a campaign becomes when
books are being adopted is sufficient
evidence of the vast amount of money
expended by the trusts and publishing
heuses in the contests to C the
adoption of their books. Where e
this expense fall and upon whom?
There Is but one answer. the children
who have To purchase.
The rich publishers have great adj
vantage over the smaller or less
plethoric rivals. So this system makes
1t possible for a very few houses TO
monopolize. This cuts OFF the people
from beneffting by town prices. as the
rich houses spend no little in a book
anvas and win the day In many If
not all the states.
How do the several states operate
in this really important matter that
concerns millions Of people? Some
states act through a commission an
pointed to select the books. Others
leave 1t with the board of education.
composed of the governor and other
state officers. as was the law of North
Carolina. prior to the famous and his
toric legislature of 1895. who in their
wisdom saw fit to upset the we'll settled
| policy of the state inaugurated by the
best men of the past and fostered by
the wisdom of Vance. Jarvis and 9TH
ers. By the fusion act of 1895, uni
formity in school books was destroyed
in the state. and the various county
boards were permitted to indulge their
taste in the selection of book and
thereby entail the evils above mention
ed. that must necessarily accrue when
ever uniformity is departed from.
1t is possible to illustrate the unfor-
innate working of the system referred
to by citing the results i'm many states
But this would consume time and
trench too far upon QUIZ space. 1t can
be established by facts that when the
school o are selected by a commits
sion instead of leaving the matter to
ninety-seven counties, or other numbers
as in cher states. that the prices are
nue. lower than in the county system
of purchase. 1t is said to be from
twenty-five 10 fifty per ant lower IN
some OF the states than it is in North
Carolina under the present system fas-
tened upon the poorer classes who are
benefited more than any others by the
public schools. Is there any fairness
or propriety or wisdom in forcing the
4 parents of North Carolina to pay much
in excess of the prices prevailing else
where and that should prevail in this
state? Is it is a wise and just thing
by legislation to compel the pa
rents of North Carolina to pay far NOR
for the school books for their children
than Texas. South Carolina. Kansas,
Tenness see and others pay-they paying
So for what North Carolina must paw
So to SO, and even in some instances $40?
Let h Legislature look carefully into
this matter. If the grievance is we'll
based then it is both its privilege and
duty to bring the needed release from
the greedy publishers and the protec-
ton hat only they can afford against
ravening sellers.
CONCERNING RELIGION.