The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-01-10

As for expressions OF educational asso-
Citations OF our state-express entitled
to great weight as emb0dying the convic-
tons and the practical experience OF the
great mass Of practical teachers these
have been 50 numerous and so foreibIe
that il is unnecessary TO review them
A single example, however, may be given
In the following resolution passed by the
Southwest Kansas Teachers Association
held al wichita:
I'VE the teachers Of Southwest Kansas
DO
Resolve, That we DO not believe shat
the present textbook law IN Kansas set
ties by any means the text book question
in our state we are not disposed ID be-
Heve that the present textbook law is
satisfactory and conducive To the highest
efficiency Of tae Kansas public schools
We demand better books. we ask .hat
the pupils of Kansas be provided Hith
the most modern and best books pub
ished and at the lowest prices possible
consistent with the highest art and best
workmanship
The press Of Kansas. rejecting the
popular unrest and dissatisfaction. is now
discussing the uestion seriously
The Fort Scott Monitor. referring to the
statement of C. O. Smith. of Belle Piaine
as mentioned above. says. "He made the
best criticism OF the system of school
books now in use which has yet ap-
peared. They were adopt
ed because they were cheap. and they
were cheap because they were OUT Of date
The books are the teachers tools. and he
rightly insists that. if he is To do up-to-
date work. he must have up-to-date
tools"
The Topeka Daily Capital: ''The fol-
lowing ringing utterance is significant OF
editorial trend and win be echoed by
right thinking newspapers throughout
Kansas. "One Of the most damasins ef-
fects of Populism in Kansas is the school
book law and the uniformly bad school
books purchased hereunder. with a few
marked EXCEPTIONS. Under this law the
prices fixed are So low. as q rule. cheap
publishers have had to be patonized. A
P0puIst administration selected the text
book commission Cof low srade ability
for such work.. and it proceeded TO fasten
Cp0n the public schools of Kansas for
period of five years. set OF textbooks
that only need to be continued i'm use
few years Iosger 30 place the standard Of
this great educational state on a par
with Arkansas"
From the Times: The following edito-
rial from the New York Times is a re-
Election of the best editorial sentiment OF
Kansas: kansas school teachers are on
the verge Of a desperate revolt against
the textbooks that have been imposed
upon them by the educational authorities
of the state. We have already made some
mention of troubles caused by mistakes
in the histories specially prepared for use
in Kansas schools. but it seems that the
evil IS a general one, due to no local
prejudices in regard 10 recent events. but
TO ignorance and Incompetence on the
part of those who write the textbooks.
and to the exercise Of political influence
by those who control their selection.
The responsibility Of the present time
should be felt 5y every citizen of Kansas. !
Never win there be better opportunity
TO judge Of the textbook matter fairly
and upon its merits, divesting oneself OF
the bias Of partisan prejudice and all ape
peals of party eXpediency. There is no
campaign ON. and nothing is to be lost to
party advantage 10y Republicans or Demo-
Gratis from dealing with The question upon
its own merits. from the standpoint OF
good to the schools and 10 the people
The experiment has been Fairly tried
Those who Loyalty acquiesced I'm the trial.
and even those who We're prominent in
favoring it, can now with perfect com
sistency admit that the trial-from what
ever cause or causes-has demonstrated
the fact that such a scheme OF state
books is not desired by the people Of
be state. For years to come there may
not be such an opportunity as is now Of
fered to take up the matter indepeDi-
emily of politics. and to consider fact
rather than theory. In the present status
Of affairs the school book question is now
out of politics So let If remain for ever.
The training which is to prepare the Dove
and girls Of today for the exacting re-
sponsibiliues of future years must
given consciendously faithfully. and M
orally, or the present generation OF pupils
win be handicapped in al their after-Hfa
Tt has been wei said that good text
book is second only ia inheritance 10 a
goo dteacher and that the best is nom
too good
let the present law be sensibly mod. .
fed Give us district ownership.