The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-09-20

supplement the State text books with oth- CTS, of other sources of selection, in or der that truth and juseice may be main tained.
 Our appointed Alabama public school history is unfortunate. at times, in its definitions of the province of political in- stitutions and agencies. On several pages, between 2s2 and 2s8. inclusive, we ind ex- amples quite remarkable in confusion of technical terms terms so essential to clear apprehension and correct teaching. Referring to the tie vote of the election for President in 1900 which placed the names of Jefferson and Burr in contest before the House of Representatives for lowing misleading language, p. 2s2 'Ac- cording to the Constitution, 1t was the duty of Congress tsic) in a case of a tie to choose between the candidates." This astonishing Allegation upsets the whole theory of government by estates. or divis- ions, or departments of power. The theo- " is in three cor-ordinate powers of gov- ernment, and this coordination could not exist for a moment if one of the three, to wit, Congress may, under "tie" or other conditions. elect another of the tuTec. u Wit, tnS hACCuaNCs tO otAhSC.
 Congress" brought no function of its own into the election of Jefferson over Burr. There were no proceedings of Congress in the process. The Consti- tution makes substitute of certain men for other men to elect President in case of tie, for instance. If the men, called Electors, originally contemplated, fail under conditions named to accomplish the fixed result, then the men called Rep resentatives in Congress, all from each State having one vote only. take up the unaccomplished work and carry 1t to com pletion. The factors of time and conven- fence seemed to require the substitution of the Representatives for the Electors, the federal principle rmaining intact in the change of agencies.
 The record made of the treaty of 1903 D. 2S6 that "the United States should pay $11, ,250. coo to France Gin the purchase of Louisiana) and $3,750.0O0 to citizens who had claims, called Spoilation Claims" etc. ought in the interest of historical impar- tiality, be extended to express the prin- ciple in law that failure to pay the stipu- lated purchase money invafidates the treaty. The United States. by treaty, admitted the binding character of the debt of Napoleon to it's own people. and, as trustee, sold the claims on him for land. The American claimants are the victims to this day of the sharp practice, having lost the French debt without acquiring d foot of American land in exchange or the value of 1t in money.
 History in its parts may be likened to a time-piece; the small wheels are indis- pensable to the design. A panel note, p. 2S8 reiterates the preceding textual error, that Congress chose Jefferson Presi- dent, adding another strain on truth, as of Burr's history, that he was after
 wards engaged in a reasonable scheme to invade Mexico" etc. Inasmuch as Burr was tried the Chief Justice, John Mar shall. presiding, and acquitted of having | been engaged in a Unreasonable" scheme | author. more careful of his high theme ol | political science, would be inclined te
 employ less arbitrary language. Nor 1, the spirit of the age correctly described | in throwing on Burr alone, as this au
 thor seems to be willing to do. the burder of the duel in which Hamilton fell, |
 so exalted character as Hamilton coule reconcile himself to become a voluntary | party. to the duello, the mere fate or | the field of one or the other combatant | is not the ethical question. hach man | in this instance, represented the spirit oi | the age in which he lived. Men have in. vented some way of killing each other | from the time of Cain down. The plar
 chosen by Burr and Hamilton had toe
 much of fair play in 1t to recommend it | The office of history in the premises is
 to exhibit the habits and customs of SO ciety, even in the examples of the great | est of men. A fair consideration of the duello, of the tine of Hamilton and Burr | would involve various co-incidences o | society then prevailing, the rules of clas sifications of men, the rank, and station and influence of women, and the compar l ative value of the modern substitute fol
 the duello, assuming a substitute mus
 exist. Possibly such consideration woult
 lead to an apology for the revolver anC
 the hip-pocket, not known in the earlie | time and not less potent for murder thar | the duello of that time.
 There is a noticeable disposition in tn later school histories to desist from tn
 favorite ancient bombast, praise of Pres Lident Jackson for the alleged suppression IA?l$ of South Carolina. in 1883, and witl this reform Chambers Is in full sympathy
 He loses his opportunity here, however, t, | n ake record of the powerful, historic ant
 revolutionary counter-movement tn
 founding of the present Republican party
 to offset the victory of South Carolin;
 over the protective tariff. The Abolition
 ists. now Republicans. succeeded to tn
 policy of the tariff men. New England
 as a commercial community, was tn
 founder and repository of the federal
 as against the national school of poll
 tics. When cotton began to move by tn
 coast fine trade. free from import taxes | New England transferred her "propert In the waves" to cotton mills on Fal River: England built Manchester and tn Fall River mills wanted the national dogma of protective tariff, wanted quick and wanted 1t badly. South Caro- lima, at that critical time, saw the ad
 vantage of raw cotton in free trade |
 dernier resort the protective tariff me
 struck at slavery. When slavery ha
 been disposed of, the protective tariff. a
 now, returned. Our school history pre- | termits these facts.
 Thus our school history comes alon
 the line of events to a section of man chapters. which the author denominate
 'Disunion." As the custom prevails, h thinks there was no ''disunion" until tn | Secession of certain States. althoug
 every State, east Of the Rockies, tha
 helped to elect the President. in 1S6I
 was then, and had been for years. i
 bouyant, blatant and successful disur ion, called nullifcation, with arm against the Union in its hands. Ther is nothing saleable on the market, bu such information we must take fror our school books, and so we have it a : history.
 There is a good deal of space an many pictures given to war history. tn : great war. No mention in text or pane { note is found of various easily asceI tafned facts aItORether vital to coT