Mexico weekly ledger., 1915-09-16

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-srn4s nzn the zA4a sqak sse<-
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rruzak shea Jshn cszss buns s1A
a zn uf boOts that neans Al ezpeDdi-
ue 81 several 5sI1sr. bat Be nessr
ingdres abosf the merits o. ds1srits
& tie sTstsz 70 TIE POor nsn with
= large fazzily. school uze SezzE real
~hzr5ship& Several sclizrE nssss be
paid for bsoas sz ~hea the ehii6rsn
are hsediag shoes ard cs0thing- II
takes scrimping ard saving 10 raise
the neresEsry sum for the dealer Hna
have cash HIS prosf il szaan Il i
amly = matter q scconOGztion that
the books are handed Yea emit
blame the dealer. There j. : man
higher uR
hare read rot 20 bsng ago ef fzmH-
les Sho live right here IN Great
Grand Oaa Missouri. xbo have been
compelled ts send their children to
school not suEriensly clothed because
there was zst nOaey eaoagh for both
bsek and eIesksg- There Is % M
common thing 10 ind children kept
cut q Ehool ia the rural districts -or
tgun ether because there was no
money to buy books And County Su-
peEintendent, who was the truanry
oEcer, called On a family and demand
ed that they send their children to
school Tkere had been sickness in
the family and the father could not
even bay clothes at the time, let alone
books. To the superintendent de-
mznd the man replied that ii was i'm
possible to pay the price asked for
text books. Therefore the children
must stay at home. The officer said
the county would furnish books, but
the man answered. @We are not paup-
err" A threat Of prosecution was
met with defiance. The matter was
dropped and the children stayed at
home until deeently clothed and with
books Of their v buying. Weeks
later they took up work in the little
room.
Who was right? Should that man
have been forced TO accept charity
and lost, in q measure, self respect
that could never be regained? Is the
superintendent to be eensured be-
cause be failed to enforce the law
1t is a tangled question, worth the
best effort Of Missouri men in the sol
wing.
On whom did the punishment fall J
On the poor children who were in nc
wise to blame for passing time can
never be Won back. In each heart Ii
implanted q gem Of bitterness that
future prosperity cannot eradicate foi
some wounds Of childhood do not heal
You ~ to your dealer. He will hole
two books in his hands, both the samt
size. @This one" he says, you car
buy II you like for 10 cents, but the
other book you are compelled to buy
and the price Is sl00 or sI.25, and m,
my profit is about the same on either
sale. Now, why should we pay ten OF
twelve times Al much for a text booE
no larger than the one for 10 cents !
Then, before ] am through with it,
am compelled TO buy q similar ont
at another such price.
II we must pay enormous prices fol
our text looks, why not fiji the treas.
ury Of the state instead of individual
pockets? Why not have uniform
books7 If one Is unfortunate enough
70 move into another county, VII,
should he be required to buy another
supply Of text books? Is our prog
ress toward economics or foolery
May ! also ask are we raising tn.
standard Of u present day schools
Who caused the present change O
our text books. and brought such 1
hardship on every school parent il
the country? think it an outrage
a broad daylight robbery.
Briefly submitted,
Theo. H. Selb.