The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-01
Cetters to tI,e editor
State Teaching of History.

Editor The Advertiser:
 The Text Book act ordains, Section l, officer. director or teacher to use any other books upon the same branches CD other than those adopted by said TeAt Book Commission
 tenn for the examination and licensing Of teachers of pubic schools ordainlL z Section 10. That applicants for third grade certificates shall be examined m plicants for second grade certificates shall be examined in all the foreging branches and also in history of Alabama" etc.
 has apartments in the capitol and the work has been thoroughly studied by the members of the Board and syste- ,Enatized to the great advantage of com- teachers in the public schools Certain ly never until now in the history of public education in Alabama has the scheme been so much of a science reduc- ed to established rules of propagation of
 have before me the series of leaflets of printed questions which are placed in the hands of applicants for positions as aminers. One of these leflets of ten questions to be answered by the applt- cants, relates exclusively to Alabama fis- tory. Questions is this: What two IOHEHcT NuGtHUcTS OL buC -OnAlCO ONdICo Supreme Court were appointed from Ala bama3
 This apparently innocent question, capable of but one true answer and the true answer well within proof from the direct knowledge of living men and wo- men in Alabama, is nevertheless in open dispute with one or more of the text books on Alabama history ordered to be used by all teachers fin the public schools
 To come to the point, the Text Book Commission named Browns History of Alabama. for use in the public schools Browns page PA gives portrait of that great Alabama jurist, John Archibald Campbell. and alleges that he was tho only (sic) representative Alabama ever had on the bench oS the Supreme Court of the United States.
 error of the text must not be propagated broad cast over the land by the Board of Examiners of Teachers. So much for the Board The opportunity Is open to 1t to instruct every one of the thousands of applicants who answer question num- Der G. on Alabama history, that the text is in error in this case.
 Nor Is there need to set aside all the text books on Alabama history designar- ed by the State for use in the public schools to prove that Mir. Brown slept on his work. Teachers are authorized to use MIller's History of Alabama as supplementary to Brown. Miller's page I1l tells us correctly that: During the year 1887, Hon. John Mckinley of Lauder dale County, was appointed Justice Of the United States Supreme Court by President Van Buren," To illustrate the importance of the appointoe among his fellows in Alabama the text says: "He had previously represented, this State in both houses of Congress"
 If the skepticai teacher be so disposed, the Representative in Congress from his District will verify Miller, If applied to-. by citation from the record of the Court in Washington.
 The world Is wonder struck over this late disinterment of remains of great cities of Chalden. of Mexico and Central America. The dlsinterment of Alabama history, less than a century old, is vital to the self-respect of. the e3ucationaI sys- tenn. There are many names of men entitled to the veheratlon of our people, who walked before their generation on our streets and wiso taught science. the immortal science of politics, of law, Of medicine. surgery. astronomy. geology, pedagogy. which nobody now kaows If mentioned. There is a pleasant village in one of the noblest counties of Ala bama, Mckinley, in Marengo County, and doubtiess not a dozen public school chill dren in the township know that the dis tinguIshed man in whose honor 1t was named, is consigned to oblivion by the text book law, his just rights to fame ''unsyllab bled and unsung" In the page of history the schools must teach.