The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-07-28

their cleverly trained agents. the
books themselves so attractive in
makeup, the exchange rates so tempt
ing, that Catholic educators have pass
ed from book to book, from company
to company in the anxious hope of
finding a satisfactory presentation.
At rare intervals and for short time
only book meeting most require
ments is adopted. If its source is
completely Catholic it has but limit
| ed patronage since it lacks the special
advertising facilities of the regular
agencies. If it is done-over-book,
some pages have been busted with
pale gold, others remain leaden.
The need for concerted action is an
urgent one. Our Catholic schools
should be furnished with a complete
series of texts written by practical
teachers of Catholic training. 1t is not
enough that they be Catholics. They
must be nourished in the atmosphere
of the faith. There is certain atti-
tude of mind, to be found in those
| educated in state schools, that makes
a systematic treatment of distinctly
Catholic epochs quite impossible.
The representatives of our Catholic
teaching forces gather together each
year in convention If they think
well of it, some plan may be adopted
to begin the great work of providing
suitable textbooks. The essentials
are agreed upon. The Catholic peda-
gogical system is right because it
| rests upon true psychological prin-
ciples. Catholic teachers cannot fol-
| low fads; they are especially distrust-
| full of the expert innovator who advo-
Gates breaking away from the wis
dom of centuries. A diacritical mark
more or less cannot blight set of
readers that offers wisely chosen list
of narrative, descriptive and religious
| selections.
Practical Plan.
Speaking broadly, then, Catholic
educators are a unit in regard to the
text-content of every branch of learn
that some way be found to secure an
expression of this choice The follow
ing plan is respectfully submitted.
| l. If ecclesiastical authority ap-
prove, the educators of each diocese,
lay and religious, should meet together
to exchange their views upon the text
book problem.
2. Representatives elected from
| such an assembly of diocesan educa-
| tors should meet in the Metropolitan
See city with similarly selected repre-
| sentatives from the other dioceses
making up the Province.
3. From this Archdiocesan assem-
bly, several members should be elected
to attend the next convention of the
Catholic Educational Association.
4. A Textbook Department should
be formed, and standing committee
named, to outline the wants of each
section of the country in the matter
of books.
i 5. The membership of this COM
mittee should be composed of expe-
! rienced, successful teachers
i g. Subcommittee of specialists
should be named for the intensive
study of each subject. The day is past
when an ambitious book-hack could
write a textbook for every grade, and
round out his career by compiling a
dictionary.
Z. Some means should be found to
give suitable recompense to those Sc
lected to prepare texts.
i 8. This does not mean that a closed
field is advocated. The committee
should be ready at all times to receive
subjectively honest work coming from
whatsoever source and judge it accord
ing to Catholic standards.
The unity of action sketched in
some main points in the above brief
outline cannot be had unless compe-
tent authority approve and direct the
plan. The executive committee of this
convention may see fit to petition
Episcopal authority for the necessary
sanction.
. If a program can be followed out
that will give to our students proper
system of textbooks a great step will
have been taken in the unification of
our purpose for the spread of Catholic
truth. Materialism, agnosticism, in
differentism can find no Judgment in
the hearts Of youth who have been
directed along the true paths OF
knowledge, religious, literary, histori.
cal and scientific, with the aid of hon
est textbooks explained and correct.
ly commented upon by teachers con.
secrated to the furtherance of the
) soul-saving cause of Catholic Educa-
| ton