The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-09-29
GIVES FACTS AS TO-
TARR'S GEOGRAPHY
surrRrNTENDENT sTEARNEs RE-
PLIES TO CRITICISM BY PRES
BYTERIAN OF SOUTH
NO BOOKS ADOPTED
STATE BOARD WILL CONSIDER ALL
BOOKS BEFORE SELECTING
THEM FOR FUTURE
SCHOOL USE
SCHOOL USE

state Superintendent R. c. stearnes
has Just returned to the city from q
ten days trip to franklin, Montgomery.
Clarke and Shenandoah counties. and
WAS interviewed this morning In re-
gard to the comment of the Presoy-
terrain Of the south concerning Tarrs
New Physical Geography.
'sTarrs New Physical Geography.
said Mr.. Stearnes. '.has been on the
approved list OF text books In VIZ,
Ginta for nine years, or longer, ana
II during all that time none OF the
ten or twelve thousand orthodox
school ofYicials and teachers OF the
State has called attention to the OBJ
3ectlonable paragraph. II none or the
large percentage of taxpayers being
Christian man and women has opened
his mouth, IL 1t has taken the astute
editor OF the Presbyterian Of the South
nearly ten years to discover the lit
Gle fox that has been spoiupg the
vines, perhaps the State boardof edu-
cation AZ at present constituted may
be excused for a situation which Is
none OF its making. 1t Is doubtiess
known to every man In the State ex-
cept the editor of the Presbyterian OF
the South that the State board or
education refused to adopt text BOOKS
last spring because IT realized that
EGOEkn time Hh0 not pSSh ~ N'A@
many important questions involved
The selection of text books therefore.
was postponed until sometime this fall
or winter Should the State board vote
TO retain the physical geography ar
ter a full and enlightened considera-
tion Of ALL the facts now known or
70 be hereafter disclosed. then the
language Of the Presbyterian which
now appears to be 40 Incorporate
Meyer Called to Attention Before.
"In this connection" observed the
6tate superintendent. IT wish to say
that of making many books there Is
no end. and II / thought the people of
Virginia expected me TO guarantee that
no Objectionable paragraph could be
found In the hundreds OF books ] am
called upon to approve, or the thou
sands of volumes that am obliged
to consider. I should refuse the re-
srcnsihiiity. 7 yield not even to the
editor of the Presbyterian In my ortho-
dog views on the subjects of the ersa-
tion and the inspiration OF the scrip
lures. but 7 should be less than frank
X should fail to say that prior to
The publication Of the article in the
Presbyterian of the South my atten-
ticu had never been called to the par
agrnph in Tarr's New Physical Geo
Kraphy I fancy my brethren on the
STATE bon-a CO education are in the
sars1e position
The criticism. to which Superinten-
dent S-aHrrpg replies was contained tn
recent editorial Tn the Presbyterian
4Os the South. the UNCONVENTIONAL news-
racer Of The Southern Presbyterian
Ech.rch published In Richmond, Atlanta
and New Orleans. In which attention
~ay rallied to the fact thst '"Tarr'S Kew
Physical Geograph..'' in use IL the
schools % Virginia. contained unortho-
Cox ttachinCs as to the origin OF tho
human race
s.athusasstic Over Trip.
Superintendent Stearnes SPOKE en-
Enthusiastically of his visits to the coun-
ties named IN our opening paragraph.
In franklin county he was abe to
add one more to the long list OF large
counties in which the division supe--
irfendeN. row Fiyes hia entire tire
&c school work The county school
hoard Of Franklin county fixed the
sS-sss- On st,csi q basis tina, the incoming
sureeir te-dsnt. NJ. w r. Rucker
couli devote his entire tire to the
duties CT the cNice Superintendent
Military tnstituta- and win iraugu-
ratt a nav epoci, in the deveionn,ert
Df rIbiic education m Franklin county
Superintendent Stearneg srcnt q
DAY at Blacksburg comforting with
President ]. n. Egr,estcn and Mr. A.
* Lane. CT the United States depart-
ment Of agriculture. The cbjec. OF .he
meeting WAS to promote the tepching
of agriculture in the public schools OF
Virginia, and 1t IS cuits likely that a
new plan ~ suggested b. Mr.. Lane
will be announced next yea.
Thu lAst. four days Of the anperipten-
d&nt's trip were spent in lecturiHg on
educational topics before chatauqua as
semhics In Clarke and Shenandoah
eountieA II 10 quite likely that the
result Of one meeting will be a splen-
lid new school building in the town
" Mt jackson.