The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-06-17

! freely in connection with the campaign OF r.
! II. Wilson for the democratic gubetnntorlal
! nomination. with the merit or demort Of
! these matters so fsr as Wilson IS directly con-
! cerued The world does not purpose concern
| ing l,scf But the debate has proceeded far
enough to prodlae some figures which loan
themselves handily to general discussion Of an
exceedingly important subject.
Thus we nnd that tho state law makes It i'm
perative on the textbook commission 20 adopt
an official lls' Of textbooks every nvo years
Any changes made between times are the work
Of local boards governing high school courses
TO the exclusion OF the state textbook COM
mission.
We also find that since 1910. during all Of
which time Wilson has been state superlntcn.
dent of education and one member OF tho
ard of seven constituting tho state commits
sion, thcre have been for,y-thrce changes in
textbooks twenty-five ~ which wilson voted
for.
Now tho point we particularly want 10 s'rcss
s embodied in the question: Aside from his
tory ana geography why should any change
havc hccn necessary Each change made IN
textbooks is terrific imposition upon the
parents and guardians, resulting IN no possible
benefit savo TO the suoccssfu publisher or his
political friend.
For VIC assume that no cducator win for n
moment honestly maintain that the book Itself
IA ne important, or Of ouc.tcnth 90 much I'M
portnncc as tho method Of giving instruction
in the book. We would not venture the osser-
ton that the original bluo-back spclcr was
tho best work ever published on that particular
suhioct, yet thousands and hundreds Of thou
sands OF successful and oven highly educated
folk used that book exclusively In learning
to both spell and read.
Bat we do assert It TO be fact that he
tween the general offering OF all tho various
book publishing concerns any difference that
exists in quality Is mere matter OF opinion
and not Of sufficient importance to Justify
change from one which has already been adopt
ed TO one which Is merely trying to get itself
adopted.
when one comes to appreciate the fact that
forty eight states in this union are playing
similar and fast and loose game with the pa
irons OF the public schools exposing them to.
tho cupldltv and positive graft of the various
textbook publishing concerns. one wonders
why the people tolerate It.
The fundamentals or education nav" not
changed In a thousand years; nor will they in
the next ten thousand. History and geography
are two subjects that are changeable. and oc-
caslonnl revision Of such works are OF course
necessary, But In respect'to courses in English.
foreign languages. spelling writing. arithmetic
and It's various branches both upper and lower.
the textbooks Of fifty years ago are MS service
able and sound os those offered by publisher
OF the present year.
We think the tlme has come when the people
OF oklahoma should in some manner manage
to impress upon local school boards rs well
ms tho state textbook commission that their
interests are TO be considered first OF all; that
the schools are being maintained for the purpose
of imparting necessary learning TO our youth
and not as a means of fattenIng the Golfers
OF the textbook publishers ana their friends.
the politicians.