Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-02-20
DR.. GLENN's POSITION
ON STATE UNIFORMITY

Editor Journal
/ have read with considerable interest
the announcement of the candidacy of
State School Commissioner Glenn for re-
election. 1t is a remarkable document.
There are 176 lines of the announcement,
81 Of which are exclusively devoted to
showing that state uniformity of text
books is a cardinal principle of the Re
publican party. and only 90 lines are de-
voted to all other subjects, including his
own past record and future promises.
II is not my purpose to discuss the pros
and cons of state uniformity of textbooks
! in this article. but do wish to show that
the doctor has evidently gone wild on the
| subject.
He would have us believe that state
uniformity of textbooks is one of the pet
/ theories of the Republican party. Accord
| ing to the report of the textbook commits
sion written by DIR. Glenn when he was
| chairman in 1897, there were at that time
fourteen states having state uniformity
and one state that had state printing OF
school books. and naturally, uniformity.
Since that time three more states nave
passed state uniformity laws, making
total of seventeen in all. OF the eleven
Confederate states six now have state
uniformity and several Of these have had
it for great many years.
The six states mentioned are Democrat
ic' Virginia, Democratic North Carolina,
Tennessee, Democratic Louisiana and
Democratic Texas. The law was passed by
Democratic legislatures in every one or
these states.
Missouri. a Democratic state, one Of the
solid SOUTH" and Delaware, until recent
| ~ Democratic, and also part of the sol
id SOUTH" have for many years had state
uniformity. The only state besides Della
ware north of the Ohio and Potomac riv-
ers and east of the Mississippi which has
state uniformity is Indiana, which has
gone Democratic oftener than any of the
other states in this group.
West Virginia had state uniformity as
| long as II was a Democratic state. When
the Republicans captured the legislature
| in 1896 and elected a Republican governor
| the state uniformity law was repealed and
county uniformity law passed by the
Republican legislature.
North Carolina had state uniformity for
Is or 20 years, until 1895. The state unifor-
nifty act in North Carolina was passed by
a Democratic legislature, but in 1895, when
| the Republicans and Populists gained con-
| troll of the state, they Immediately re-
pealed the state uniformity act and pass
ed a county adoption law. In 1900, four
years later. the Democrats again secured
control of both houses of the legislature.
At the session year ago, in February,
| 1901, the Democratic legislature re-enacted
a uniform state school book law, which
is now in force. Yet the doctor would have
us believe that none but the rankest Re-
publicans favor state uniformity.
In 1894 Dr. Glenn, then plain Professor
Glenn" was appointed state school COM
missioner by the late Governor w. Y. At
kinson, than whom no purer, more hon.
est or more fearless Democrat ever filled
the gubernatorial chair in Georgia.
At that time Professor Glenn had had
no connection of any kind with the public
i H.
unfamiliar with them as any man who
had ever been teacher could have been.
He was practically unknown as an educa-
tor at the time of his appointment outside
of the patrons of certain female college.
1t is well known that Governor Atkin-
SON favored state uniformity of school
books and it was generally understood
that Professor Glenn, his appointee, IA
vored the same thing. Certain articles
written by Professor Glenn In 1885, while
he was editor of an educational journal,
strongly indicated that he favored state
uniformity. and perhaps even state print
| ing of school books. li
But every one knows that when the
book commission made it's report State
| School Commissioner Glenn was found to
| have "lopped" and was bitterly opposed
to state uniformity.
The implied reflection In DIR. Glenn's an
nouncement on Governor Atkinson's po-
Sitlon on the ScnoOl DOCK question GalIS
for a protest He would have people be-
lieve that Governor Atkinson. who favor
ed uniformity of school books was not a
Democrat at heart, but lover of Repub-
| lican doctrines. Do the people of Georgia
believe that Dr. Glenn is a greater Dem
| ocrat than the late lamented w. Y. At
kinson?
If DR.. Glenn had discussed this question
on it's merits, 1 should have had nothing
to say, but l cannot let these implied re-
Elections rest on the memory of one who
is now in the great beyond
w S. WEST.
Atlanta, Ca, Feb u, 1902.