The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1901-03-11
Some Of the Textbooks that
are Offered the People.

( bids from All the puDilsnera, and Al
they are au able and competent set o.
business men they will no doubt secure
a set Of textbooks at prices that will b
fair and reasonable to the people
One point they should guaran.
tee 10 the people-1hat the Textbooks
chosen 10 literary quality and in sci'
enlifc value are at least up to the stand
ards Of the best common intelligence
Of the age we live in.
The first book to notice 10 an ele.
meDtary history Of the United States By
D. G. Heath < Co., Boston. This vol.
ume seems to be frstc ass In respect tc
binding, printing, maps and illustrations
ike all such one.volume Textbooks
about our country, it should be preceded
by book on general history. For a
child to study only the history Of the
United States leaves it suspended in the
air. Germany and other countries teach
first the ancient Mythologiee. Then
ancient histories, then the history oi
| hpANih 1vuuhiiN1t anu hholiy Nhe
history Of their own country. We teach
the history Of our country hrst, While
tnis may stimulate certain kind Of
brass.plated patriotism, it leave the
chid without a broad foundation Of
information, knowing nothing Of the
origin and continuity Of historica facts,
the relation OF our country 20 re oId
world, or the real character Oi the
composite elements that constitute the
nation. This is probably as good = one
book history oi our country as can be
founi.
writing in English2" by Mapwell and
Smith, American Book Co.,, New York,
IL the fourth IN the Maxw we'll English
soiies. This state has used the Maxwell
books aud they are not in great favor
witn teachers. II there 10 any point our
public school is weak, it is the study OF
English. Original essays and oratiOns
are seldom heard in our pablo schools.
The number OF good writers ia prose
Or verse is absurdly small. Boys and
girls who come from the public schools
are culpably weak in their knowledge Of
English-at least when they come 10
work in a printing Office. This MAJ we'll
book may be better than the thr =
preceding ones, and the low condition Of
tie study Of English may not be due to
these Looks that have besn in use
THESE many years. The state extbook
board may we'll consider this their most
important asE,-tue selection Of text.
books to teach English from. This
work seems to be kind o. condensed
rhetoric, prosody, b'stOfy OF the language
aud Literature, polite letj3r writer, logic,
guide .or proc. reading, etc. A httle OF
oyerythmg,and nothing thorough.
"sIores OF Oregon" by Eva Emery
Dye, published 10y The Whitaker and
Ray Co., san Francisco. This little
volume is one Of the Western Series of
readers aud IL intended Tor school read.
iug book, either In regular class WORK, or
ior supplementary reading. IL has great
merit from a literary and historical
standpoint, and narrates In graphic
aud entertaining manner tine great
stories OF e'ents ard individuals con.
nected with 'the founding Of the sta1e,
the explorations and discovery Of tls
northwest, The pages are stored with
isc's, rich with accounts OF O,egon
heroes aud the traditions Of the Indians.
IL has been prepar especially 10
lamihariEe the school children with tue
history OF the founding OF a common.
wealth OF which they may be proud.
TINS work 10 small and in,xpeusiye and
viii probably bo adopted for sup.
Elementary reading.
"Cho,ce Literature, by Butler. Shel.
don a Company, Philadelphia. lnis is
aset OF i've readers for the primary and
gmmmar school grades. Examination
OF them convinoes as that lhey are not
worthy Tot me purpose OF being placed
before our children. They are ul oil
ertlQuated mate, ials like The D,ath Of
Lizzie Nell' and other tearul and ma.
thctic death bed compos,tcns tbat use
lo. y harrow up the feel ags of H,tle
children aud burn the idea Of dea, h into
their Young minds until ID beco mes a
nightmare Of their existence. Tners ara
plenty OF pleasant and useful eomnos,.
uons' and these reading hooks are n.
most committed 10 memory by the ehu.
dreo' For instance, there Is the LONG
aad srnesome account OF the devil tsh
lrom Victor Hugo. Il gives An a1rl,
THE se'vers to read it Why was il ever
pat IN reading book ior children Tha
hrs' grade book contains the story "a
bluebeard and his chamber of ho,ro,.
TINS choice literature is largely made up |
OF selections irom foreign languages m .
translation that have little or mo- Dl.,s
Ia English readers. 10 parphrase f,,,,
fortia. In the Merchant OF veni,s, NJ
easc OF the worst iall that ever tell il /.
TO ~ hoped that the Oregon text h,,k
commission shall make shift 10 N .i,h
oa' hese readers, and under no eirrum.
stances be inveislcd by Willy book agents
into accepting ANY such books in, o,,
ohnd'ea TO be thrown into melancholy
over them, by any blandishmen,s j,
eheapness, irce exchanges. o. low in,,,
daesion prioos. Il WOod east a sloom