Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1907-10-16
Our School Books.

idm odOS, ulc mlpOSiuOn OF tne tax law,
the imposition Of the last legislature, the
imposition Of licensed Sabbath dese1a-
hon, but all these combined will not
equal the imposition placed upon our
State by the Text Book commission in
the matter Of school books. They have
become towering Titans and parents Of
abiect dwarfs at their feet. They have
with impunity transposed thousands of
dollars Of hard earned money to the
rich book concerns without any just
equivalent They have demoralized ev-
cry school in the state. Our public schools
have been on the wane since the estab-
lishment Of this colossal hoax-as shown
by the dearth Of teachers the last
innovation is such stupendous farce that
Lord Berkley. perchance. will rejoice in
his grave. Of course, Berkley and this
commission were actuated by different
motives, the one we know, the other we
surmise.
In making this arraignment let us look
at their work seriatim. Take the book
called arithmetic, you begin with polit-
cal economy, some geography, some
drawing. some arithmetic, some algebra,
some more arithmetic, more algebra, some
philosophy. more arithmetic, more alge-
bra, some geometry, meter6logy. carpen-
try and wind up with more algebra.
You have useless tables from almanacs
and scrap-books galore. You have near
ly one hundred mistakes, and some seri-
Gus. as on page o5 there are eight prob
lens wrong; page 90 the 30th is wrong
SO is the 23rd; page o5 figure "a is de-
fective. One entire collection Of ramb-
ling jumbles. spattering Of this and that
but generally more Of that, and your
poor old arithmetic that drills for accur-
acy is consigned to hades, clear cut prob
lens are thought to be merit, but in
this book one problem may depend for
its solution on half dozen others thus in
curing great loss Of time to the pupil.
Subjects are i'll arranged and poorly
classified; one subject mhudes upon an
other. When Gitteau was on trial for
the ASSASSINATION Of Garfield, the oppos-
ing lawyer kept calling it murder. "Oh
don't use that WORD" said Gitteau," mur-
der is too harsh, call It removal" So
this book certainly ought to have 8 f1e-
movaI' for its title.
The teacher asked a boy to define
ratio. Ratio is proportion, said the boy.
What is proportien then, asked the
teacher. "Oh proportion is ratio, sir.
We'll then, what is ratio and proportion"
asked the teacher. 81 cannot define two
things at once" said the boy. Like the
boy, one thing taught at a time is enough.
If you teach algebra you lose sight Of
arithmetic and if you teach arithmetic
you lose sight Of algebra and when arith-
metc ceases to be taught, you would
better lock your school up. You may
get some principles out Of it relating to
arithmetic but it is like hunting for grain
Of wheat IN bushel of chaf.
There is such an immeasurable differ
ence between this text book and such
books as Payne S, Rays, Brooks Whites
Wentworth's, ETC., that the trite simiIe Of
the huge pyramid and the fly on the
dome would not be mapt. Our judgment is,
that after considering the interests of
school children. an honest, upright board
would have adopted Davies Legendry as
soon as this book. There must be a
personality pervading any book. The
spirit OF the author stamps itself indeGbly
on every page to make the book inter-
estmg. Hence two cannot write good
book. They never have. So when you
see two names given as authors. be as
sured that neither has the ability for an
author. Myres & Brooks arithmetic is
merely lot Of copied Stuff and there is
not. probably, single original thought in
the entire book.
Take, also the readers, and you find
talry tales, snooks, goblins, spirits and
tables. interposed throughout the series.
Why not have adopted Anderson's
Fairy tales at once? Why not, or was
there no rich book concern behind ita
Hoenshel landed his grammar with
rch book concern which let him out yet
he failed to rewnte it and bring it up to
the standard Of modem authors ike Whit
ney. Balm ETC.. so this antquated
thing for another FIVE years.
his commission might as well try to
dip the ocean dry with clam shell as to
try to give reason why they changed
algebras and biographies. They have
none. Neither have they for physiology
and constitution.
Our writing is the old German hand
OF 50 years ago which was supplied by
the Spencerian. The system Is mol much
IN vague and it is tabooed by the COM
mercial world. OF these books we shall
write more anon.
S. Robinson.