The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-06-29
BAMBERG, S. c., THURSDAY. JUNE %, 1911.
CHANGES USELESS.
Supt Swearingen Talks About Text
Book Matter.

| Mr.. John E. Swearingen, State
sapEF5n ntendent of education, made
MoHday the following statement of
his position in respect to the adop-
ton last week of text books for the
public schools of the State during
the next five years:
ITO protect the interests of the
people and to keep the record
straight, 1 protested against the re-
cent text book adoptions made by the
| State board of education. Though
my protests were disregarded and my
wishes ignored, I desire to make a
brief statement of my position.
Eighty per cent. of the books now
in use have been thrown out of the
| schools. Not one word of explana-
ton, reason, or excuse for this revo-
lutionary action has been offered to
the public. Such sweeping changes
are without precedent in the text
book history of this State or any
other State.
Magnitude of Matter.
The books sold in South Carolina
during the last five years cost more
! than $500,000. These books have
been in the main displaced, and now
have only an exchange value of so
per cent of their original cost. The
new books adopted are higher priced
and every time pupil or patron is
required to exchange an old book
there must be a cash payment in ad-
| dition.
This cash payment will be a tax
on every citizen of the State. 1t may
| be small in the case of any one book,
but will amount to thousands of dol
lars in the aggregate.
The Loss.
IF Winthrop college should be
burned to the ground there would be
universal lament from the noun
| tains to the sea. The State board
| of education with an absolute dis
regard of the property rights of the
people has destroyed values and i'm
posed taxes representing an invest
ment equal in value to the cost of the
magnificent college at Rock Hill.
Every exchange of books also i'm
| poses labor and inconvenience in ad-
dition to expense. Any man in charge
of text book depository knows what
this inconvenience means. A num-
Der of the repositories are conduct
ed by county superintendents of edu-
cation, and these officers will feel
the strain before the exchange period
has passed.
Wholesale Changes Unnecessary.
"I do not believe that changes
should be made unless the books in
use have proved inferior or unsatis-
| factory. The State board of educa-
tion declined to indicate in writing
the unsatisfactory books on the pres
ent list. The adoption of 1906 was
little short of a crime if inferior
books were imposed upon the chill
dren of the State. Three members
of the present board took part in that
adoption and must have voted for
the books then selected. The change
| of heart that has taken place in
these gentlemen is not questioned by
me, but it would be better under
stood if it were fully explained. If
any city superintendent in special
district exercising the right of inde-
pendent text book adoption should
enter upon his work by changing 80
per cent. of the books in the hands
of the pupils, I do not believe his
action would go unchallenged. How
much more, then, should explanation
be offered when the changes affect
the whole State rather than small
municipality!
No Record of Votes.
81 had prepared for the use of the
board a ballot showing the name of
each member voting and the title of
each book voted for. This ballot the
board declined to use, because the
members did not wish to offend the
sensibilities of the various book
agents with whom they had estab-
lished and wished to maintain pleas
ant relations. This is a laudable
sentiment, but it leaves out of the
reckoning the sensibilities of the
people, 1t is we'll established prin-
ciple of representative government
that the record of public servant
belongs to his constituents. AS
1