The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-18
BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETS.
General Boynton's Reply TO the Pub
fishers of FisIse,s History

At the meeting of the Board of Educa-
ton I'm the Franklin School building last
night the agitation over the revision of
certain parts of the histories in use in
the schools was again in evidence This
time 1t came up in connection with a let
ter which General Boynton, President of
the Board, had written in reply to one
from Houghton, Miffiin &c Co, publishers,
of New York, who had taken exception
to his criticism of errors in the chapters
on the civil war contained in Fiske's
History of the United States, which they
publish and which was used to consid-
cradle extent in the schools General
Boynton's reply to the publishers is as
follows:
You express regret that my criticisms
of Mr. Fiske are based on an old edition
of the book, and that four editions at
least, each containing revisions, have been
published since the one to which / refer.
1t seems Strange that four editions. each
now admitted TO contain errors sufficient
to call for a revised edition, should have
been published by your firm without any
notice to our board that the edition in
their hands had been revised. 1t was
more surprising. after reading your letter,
to find that with one exception. namely,
the statement OF losses at Gettysburg,
the matters which / criticised remain not
only not corrected in your last edition.
but the same in the old edition. which
we have in hand in our schools.
"The one correction which you note, and
inform me that Mr.. Fiske changed a
long time ago. is ia: 'Ae figures of Con-
federate losses at Gettys.arg. His re-
visions have scarcely improved this mat
ter. although you enormously say these
figures now agree pretty nearly with
mine. Your statement places these losses
at 5000. besides 5000 prisoners The to-
tai losses OF killed. wounded, captured, or
missing We're 20,45l. The killed and wound
ed We're l5,SOl, and the captured or miss
ing were $50.
"You note that my recommendation to
the board was not voted on by the board
and ask TO be informed how the matter
stands. The situation is this: The chap
ters on the civil war are not being taught
In the proposals for next years supplies
bids for Fiske's histories are only to be
received If corrected to date. There can
be no further purchases of any OF the his
tories involved until l sign the requisi-
tions. which. of course. ] shall not do un-
Ill such corrections are made, as | am re-
sponsible; both to the Commissioners of
the District and to Congress. which makes
the appropriation for the purchase of
these free text books
In speaking last night of the matter of
the revision of the histories General
Boynton said that CHM & Co. were
making every effort to correct the errors
which existed I'm ''Montgomery's School
History"
The board received n communication
from ID. ]. Murphy, Secretary of the
Union Of Catholic Churches of the Dis
trict of Columbia. which requested that
the board provide the union with a copy
OF the histories and readers now in use
In the public schools. These copies are
desired for inspection TO see If there is
anything of sectarian nature in the
texts The secretary of the board. Major
H. III. Twombley. was directed to inform
Mr.. Murphy that the board had no author
ity to give away books which were the
property of the Government.
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