The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-09
SUPPLEMENTARY SCHOOL BOOKS
Mrs. Margaret Hill McCarter Takes
Issue With Mrs. Evans.

To the Editor of the State Journal:
In a recent issue of the State Jour
| nal, there was a letter signed by Mrs.
Z. j. Evans, a member of the board
| of education, relative to the late un-
! pleasantness' in the matter of sup
Elementary reading books. The writ
er of this who is also sentenced" to
i the school board for a brief term,
makes no criticism on Mrs. Evans let
! ter insofar as it represents her own
opinion as a board member, and this
doubtless is all that Mrs. Evans in
tended to represent. However, the
sub-headline and some sentence con-
struction seem to suggest that she is
speaking for the whole board which
would be an entirely wrong impress
sion to give out. No authority has
more than an individual opinion; and
that is what I, as one m en- Der of the
| board, propose to do here.
Any contention as to the literary
merits of these books or their useful
ness, or the propriety of seeking their
legal adoption, will not be consid cred
here, since such contention, it is plain
to the average intelligence, has no
part in the controversy.
In 1903 when nearly 500 children
lost their books by the flood, the
problem of supplying new books. Supt.
Davidson declared, troubled him all
summer. There was, he said, no pos
sible way by which the board of ed
the Federation of Women's clubs gave
from its treasury money enough to
buy books for more than 500 children,
the superintendent and board were
Immensely relieved.
II it were even excusable to ignore
school law, surely it could have
been eXcusable in such an emergency
as the disaster of 1903 created. But
the law was too plain. For several
recent years, however, pupils have
-4.,,-r
books. In many instances complaint
has been made that the books pur-
chased were not used often enough to
warrant any outlay of money, and
this complaint could not have been al
together groundles. Mr.. White
more, who ordered the purchase of
these books has testified that the buy
ing was not obligatory on the part of
the pupil. Many parents, however,
never understood that it was not OBJ
igatory Many other parents to
whom the cost meant sacrifice of
real needs bought books rather than
have their children shamed for their
poverty or criticised for being unable
to keep UP with their grades.
In simple English-those in author
ity had no legal right to force the pu-
pills to buy these supplem entary
books; and no moral right to place
upon the children the badge of pow
erty, or to embarrass their progress
by allowing some to use what all
might not possess.
When public sentiment finally had
a hearing this method of acquiring
supplementary books was abandoned,
and the plan to have the school board
buy them with city taxes was attempt
ed. This action has been restrained
by the civil court as illegal. Judge
Whitcomb. whose judicial mentality
and unimpeachable integrity give him
exceeding fitness for the bench, has
rendered a clear judgment based on
q clear law.
Much harsh criticism has been
made against the plaintiff in the case,
DR. Harding. This criticism is so man
ifestly unjust, and DIR. Harding's pri-
vate and public generosity are too we'll
known to admit of spending energy
in refuting it.
AS a representative of the city on
the board of education, I am for the
law first, and for a quick legal crea-
tion of a new law if the childrens
needs demand it But this new law
can not be made by the school board
nor one or two members thereof. Law
is too sacred a thing for examples of
ignoring it, whether consciously or
unconsciously done, to be set before
the children of a community by those
placed in authority over them 1t
might be better to limit a little the
study of fine literary sentiment in
the cost of a concrete example of law
evasion.
MARGARET HILL McCARTER-