The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-30
Our British Literary Bureau.

The effort of Republican officials and or
gans to belittle as a matter fit only for
| laughter the recent exposure Of the Bureau
Of Education, in its secret distribution Of
| pro- British literature designed to prejudice
the cause of the Beers, will not succeed.
| 1t is a serious AFFAIR and will have to be
met squarely sooner or later. The Bureau
officials may attempt TO evade responsible
ity by unloading the blame upon the con
venient negro messenger, but the subter-
fuge is too transparent for liberation.
Aside from the merits of the unequal
| struggle between the British and the
Beers, aside from the fact that the war is
being waged by an Empire with the pur-
pose OF crushing and annihilating the two
African Republics. why should a Bureau
of this Government be used as an instru
ment to influence and prejudice public
opinion in behalf OF Great Britain?
| The Bureau of Education should be. of
all others. non-partisan In its character.
( Our teachers and college professors are
neither selected nor removed on account of
politics. Even the most politically par
tisan municipal government, whether of
city, town, or village, is above prosti-
tuting its schools to the base pur-
poses of proselyting in either Teli-
gion or politics. But the great Govern
ment of the United States sets a new ex-
ample and makes of its educational or
ganization a partisan machine, participant
ing not only in domestic, but also in for
egn politics. This Bureau is well suited
AZ
culated to bias, IL not mislead, the IN
wary. 1t has statistical information re-
specting the various common and high
schools and colleges of the country
1t has lists OF teachers and educa-
tors throughout the nation. In short it
has immense facilities for reaching and
either purifying or communicating the
fountains of knowledge from whence our
youth must draw their most eopious
draughts. To pervert the instrumental
ties of tfls Office into an engine of par
tisanshp is an example OF injustice to
the people Of the whole country that is,
happily, unprecedented in its history, and
it is to be hoped that no time will be lost
in administering the rebuke which this
outrage on decency deserves.
This Literature has been distributed, too,
with great discrimination, not so much
with view to the general enlightenment
Of the country at large, but in sections
and States where it will do the most
good" For instance, it is stated that
ninety thousand volumes Of this English
literature have been sent to Instructors in
the Middle West, and that thirty thousand
copies have been transmitted to the State
of Indiana alone.
But the worst feature Of the whole bust
ness is the extraordinary secrecy with
which II has been conducted, and the angry
surprise oecasioned when its existence was
accidentally discovered and brought TO
light. Information intended to really in
struct is not furnished in that way, but
is given out openly. and full opportunity
afforded for facts and arguments to be
adduced on the other side, SO that the truth
and justice of the case can be arrived at
after fair consideration.
II there is any sense OF justice remain
ing in the Bureau of Education, as now adj
ministered, it will furnish to the Demo-
cratic Committee a list of the names and
addresses Of the educators TO whom these
British tracts have been mailed, so that
they, the committee, may at least have
the opportunity TO present facts and argu-
ments on the other side. A failure to do |
this will be an admission that the British |
case will not stand the light Of investiga- |
ton and that our Commissioner of Educa- |
tion is using his official position to pro-
mote questionable cause.