The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-01-31
County Adoption Favored.

To the Ec;tor: May l ask space to
state the c)utention of those who are
opposing the bill of Senator Aycock in
regard to the selection of textbooks
for the public schools?
The intelligent and industrious agents
of the publishing houses who have only
a small proportion of text books now
in use in the public schools, have made
by their put LEGATIONS considerable inn
preston upon public opinion. Very
little has been said in the newspapers
to give the views of those who enter
tain opposite opinion.
The adop ion of textbooks by the
State Board is called 1.-The old Demo-
cratic way" regardless Of the fact that
it had its birth in the Republican con-
| stitution of 1868. I can truthfully be
| said that any system. tending to cen
! tralization can never be the simon-pure
| Democratic way. The formation and
/ regulation of county boards of educa
| ton rests entirely in the hands of the
| Democratic Legislatures. If such boards
| do not represent the best educational
| forces of the counties, the General AS
sembly is solely to blame. If the
county boards are truly representative,
/ as they must be, unless the lawmak-
! ing power admits its inability to create
! such a board then viii not local board
| in close touch with the teachers, be
nearer the people than a central board
can be? VII it not be able to select
! text books mere in accordance with the
| capacity of the teachers of the county,
| and the requirements of the scholars,
| than a simple board of non-teachers at
the State Capital?
| We have eliminated the negro, and
hence-forward we a.c promised more
! local self government: is this not a
| long step backward?
| If we take the example of other
| States, only about eleven States in the
Union have State adoption of a single
| list, and two of these are probably
about to repeal it. Not one educator of
| prominence in the United States is an
advocate of State adoption; not single
| State which is held up as model to
| others selects by a central board. From
| the Atlantic coast to the Indiana line,
not a single State ha, adopted such a
system And in those few States which
are making the experiment, Texas, Mis-
| souri,, and otherS-in all, except Ten
nessee and Kansas, cities and the larger
| towns are exempted.
The constant repetition of the state
ment that the publishers now having
text books in the State list have made a
voluntary reduction OF twenty-five pei
cent from prices now charged cannot
mislead intelligent legislators. Mr. Me-
bane late superintendent has shown
this beyond controversy The offer is
to sell to any county depository or 9TH
er distributing agency, books at the
same price as those sold to dealers
which is twenty-five per cent discount
from the list prices. South Carolina
has such wholesale price stamped or
the outside OF its books, Gas any pub
Usher would be willirs to do in NORTH
Carolina), but more than half the text
books sold to school children in South
Carolina are sold by dealers at a price
equal to, or greater than, similar books
sold in Norsn Carolina.
Georgia has gone thoroughly into this
investigation, and five successive Leg
islatuTes have rejected such legislG4.o on
am an attorney for the American
Book Company; yet under no circum
stances would / agree to advocate any
measure which | did not believe to bt
for the best interests of the State.
paid attorney is not responsible
for the merits of any case in the courts
in which he appears; but no one ough
to appear before any legislative com
mittee advocating or opposing legisla
ton, unless he is thoroughly convinced
that the course he advocates is for TIL
best interests of the State.
The challenge remains open to an,
one to quote single prominent educa
tor not including superintendents il
States who are upholding the system o
their own introductory. who favo
: State adoption. It. I'll. BUSBEE.