The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-11
LONG STATEMENT
BY MR.. ECGLESTON
Superintendent of Public Instruc.
ton on Stand During Morning
Before Book Committee.

BefOre BOOK committee.
The committee convened Mt 1885, Chat
man Byrd presiding, and Superintende
Joseph d. Eggloston, Jr.. took the stan
t"Mr. 1Eggleston, are you in favor
the single book list?" asked Mr.. Byrd.
t 3"Yes, sir"
l"Have you always been in favor of Il
single list?"
~ hav not always been for the sing
list. When ! was city superintendent
the school of Ashcviile, n. c.. / va
opposed to the State Board of Education
which ut that time consisted of Stat
officials, selecting the textbooks to /
used in the Asheville schools. / though
that I knew more about selecting book
than they did. l had given very littl
thought to the matter, in so far us
applied to making n contract Will til
publishers for a State list, in order {
get n wholesale price. / should state tina
the cities of North Carolina were at tina
time exempt from the uniform law. Whei
the Fusion Legislature met / used wha
little influence l mad to upset the law al
1t then existed"
Shameful Conduct.
Witness continued Mt great length tc
show why he had been convinced. He
said the law was changed, and North
Carolina was given, n system practically
the same now In vogue in Virginia. He
saw the "debauchery" to which the sue
ceeding book campaign led. and the
shameful conduct OF some of those in
terested in the campaign.
Here the witness introduced a part of
an argument prepared by himself in favor
OF the single list while the Constitutional
Convention was in session, and it appeared
very strong.
You have changed your mind. Mr.. Egg
gleston, with reference to the method
of adoption. Why do you now oppose the
multiple list2"
Like all reforms that come up from
the people. the single list. Or uniform
principle, has had to fight It's way through
years of struggle. From the list given in
Mr.. Hammond's statement in the
last twelve years there has been a steady
drift toward the principle for which I
am ~contending. 1t is safe to say that
unless the six States which now have
county uniformity adopt Il free Textbook
law. they will join the twenty-five States
which tand for State uniformity. 7 should
say In regard to the above list that there
may have been In the last two or three
years some shifting OF position, but it is
undoubtedly a fact that in States where
Tree Textbook law does not exeist the
drift of opinion is for State uniformity.
IL should be said for the benefit OF those
"'V IAN ~ dNdIp VI IlS EtcI tlat or
the twenty-siN States in the Union which
have free textbook laws. only one State
gives money from the State Treasury for
furnishing books to the children; In all
the others the law provides that the
school districts may or must purchase
these books"
Local Self-G Government.
Mr.. Eggleston. some of the advocates
OF the multiple list base their advocacy
on the principle of local self-government.
What have you to say about this?"
If local self-sovernment must amply
here. why should it not apply in all laws
affecting local communities? Why have
q State Law for petit larceny. or burglary
or murder? The administration OF these
laws is left to the local authorities.
Likewise the administration of the school
laws is left to the local authorities. The
local authorities, such as teachers and
trustees, are chosen by the administrative
units, and these teachers and trustees
administer the general school laws, as
laid down by the General Assembly. in so
1ar as these laws appertain to these
units. But 1t is a sufficient answer to
this argumen of local self-government to
say that In this State we have not local
self-government In the selection of school
books; very far from it. In Augusta
county, for example. there are about
70 schools; in Rockbr!dge county about
80; In Richmond city about 2z6; in Pitt
sylvania about 240; in Halifax about 2o0.'
What do You think of the constitutions
al requirements upon the question of
single and multiple adoptions?" i
"fhe constitutional argument has al
ready been threshed out here. and as /
am not a lawyer, | can give my opinion
only from the standpoint of a iayman.
10 me the meq.ntag of the Constitution is
that the state Board itself must select
for this State de lege and de
iacto. | respectfully submit that while I,
The State Board may have selected book; +
de iese, it did not do so de facto." +,
Another Argument. /,
Mr. Egsleston, another argument used :
the multiple gentlemen is that because
In the various localities the educational '
differ, that therefore the list t
If possible, should he extended I
and flexible" c
That argument is close kin to the local I
elf-soVernment argument. 1t is that be- .
cause educational conditions are not uni g
,orm throughout the State, schoolbooks I
mould be chosen to meet these local con-
1ltlons, and thai to the local authorities '
aione should be left a selection of the /.
as they alone understand these I
local conditions that seem to rise +"
Up at every county crossroads, No ona q
lenies that conditions are different but '
We 90 not admit that there are as many =
peculiar conditions as have been indi- .
,ated. and we ernphatically deny that the =
ocal authorities in a great majority OF !.
ne recommendations had an idea OF any ;,
'uch conditions. The examples lust cited !,
rove that the local committees had mn II
'uci ideas. II We accept the statement .
a mere before Your committee that =
ne Frye Biographies are superior for =
more progressive communities, and that h
ne slaufy Is more suitable for less pro- n
and more backward communities "
-and |. or course, refer TO the schools n
notable exception may be found IN /,
sorthampton county, who're. in harmony q
YIN TINS theory, The Frye Cfeographies ~
sere adopted for the graded schools Of b
ape oharies, and the Marry Geogra- S,
Mes were adopted ror the uneraded ~
choois OF northampton county. N
i could Gle many examples provin, a,
1S contention that the local committnns in
ID not. according to the theory NJ tbo b,
tate Board, rise 10 an appreciation ~ &c
peculiar conditions and wn y g,
10 10 one of two conclusions: elther no, II,
hose peculiar conditions do MOI os .m' hi
! SO far as the choosing OF -bool.g y, re
ohcerfied, or that tho local eomn1ittaas L,
J the large majority of cases ala y. m
the fact In ai+ha. ~ ST.