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A Uniformity Of Text Rooks

A Uniformity Of Text Rooks image
Parent Issue
Day
9
Month
February
Year
1877
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Senator Burleigh has kindly sent us Senate Bill No. 26, introduced by Senator Perrin, and favorably reported upon by the Coiumittee on Education and Public Sohools. It is of so much iuiportauce that we publish it entire : " A bilí to próvido for a uniforinity of text books in primary and graded schools. Sec. 1. The people of the State of Michigan euact, That the State board of education ia hereby directed to select, or procure to be selected, a list of toxt books to be used in the pnmary and graded schools of this State, and to contract with one or more parties at the lowest price obtainable for furnishing the saine in sufiicient quautities, in each county in this State, to supply all of said school for the term of five years trom January lst, 1878, and such selection shall bö authoritative and binding upon the State board of education, district boards, superintendente, and teachers, trom January lst, 1878, until January lst, 1883. W henever new books shali becoine necessary after January lst, 1878, in any of the primary or graded schools in this State, district boards, superintendent, and teachers shall require that only such books as are herein provided for shall be used in the schools with which tuey are connected. Sec. 2. The State board of education shall, sis mouths previous to January lst, 1883, aud every fifth year theroafter, make selectiou ot toxt books for the primary and graded schools of this btate, aud coutracted for the samo as directed in the preceding section, which selection of text books shall become authoritative and binding upon the said State board, district boards, superintendente, and teachers, for five years froni the flrst day of Jauuary following such selectiou and contract. Seo. The State board of education shal!, within three mouths after entering iuto such contract or contracta as directed in the preceding sections, cause to be sent to eaih and every school district board, citv and township clerk in this State, a printed hst of the books selected, with the price of each, aud the name and address of the party or parties furnishing the same. Sec. 4. Any member of a district board, superiuteudeut, or teacher who shall purcuase for any scholar, or cause to be so purchased, or who shall permit the use of any school book other than contracted for aud purchused as provided in this act, shall be puuished by a tiuo of not lesa than five dolíais aud uot leas than one huudred dollars." We propose to suggest interrogatively a uumber of what seem to us serioua objections to the bill. I. Are the three officers nained thoroughly competent to select a set of text books, in languages, higher mathematica, etc, suited to each and all the graded schools of this State, or will they be likely to delégate the selection to a thoroughly competent and disinterested party 'r1 II. Can a single series or set of text books be selected fitted to the circumstances, needs, and oourses of study - courses varied and not always parallel - of each and all of the graded and high schools of this State, or must the schools all be reorganized, and their courses of study changed to fit the uniform series of text books, regardlese of the wants, needs, and requiremeuts of individualschools, or of the oomiuunities in which the schools are located. III. If the list of text books is to be selected and adopted before contracting for a supply, as tho bill literally provides, will not the fortúnate publishers - text books being copyrighted - have the board and book-buying pupils of all the sohools in the State entirely at their mercy ? And if the letter of the law be evadod and contract prices agreed upon before the list is selected, will not price alone and not merits or qualities of the text books govorn the slection ? IV. If uufortunately worthless text books shall be selected and foisted upon the sohools of ;the State, wou't five years why should three, men chancing to be in office five years henee, have the power to throw thein out and put an entirely new set into all the schools of the State ? V. Will the last clause of sec. 1 require a change of text books on and after the lst of January, 1878, because new scholars may enter a school unprovided with the books in use, or may the books now used in any school be continued in use until boards and teachers deem a change neeessary ? VI. Is n't there a very a bigcat snugly concealed iu the meal bag, and is n't some shrewd publishing firm puiling the wires, hoping to crowd out all the books now in use, and make market for their own ? It will be woll for the members of the Legislatura to drive slowly in this matter. Concluding : frequent change of text books involves unnecessary expense and is, unquestionably, a nuisance to be abat ed ; but a uniformity of text books in all the schools of the State, regardless of their courses of study, location, and surroundings, and the work required of thein, would be a cramping and leveling down process to the schools now occupying the highest plane and aiming at the broadest culture. The Electoral oommission on tri buual has not yet reached a decisión in the Florida case. The case was presented and argued in behalf of the Tilden electors by Messrs Field and Tucker as protestants, and by Messrs Black, Merrick, and O'Conor, of counsel : and for the Hayes electors by Messrs Kasson and McCrary, protestants, and by Mesara. Matthows, Ntoughton, aud Evarts, of counsel. After a secret session of two days, the commission dooided on Wednesday to receive or consider no evidence not submitted to the joint convention of the two houses by the President of the Senate : that is to let fraud known of all men work its perperfect work uniess officicially certified to by the porpetrators on their returnsThe vote stood in favor of the order, Messrs. Bradley, Edmunds, Frolinghuysey, Qarfiold, Hoar, Miller, Morton, and Strong. Against it, Messrs. Abbott, Bayard, CliÉFord, Field, Hunton, Payne, and Thurman. An order was made by 8 to 7, Justice Bradley votiug with the seven voting no as above. to receive evidence relaiing to the inoligibility of Huiuphreys. If the certifícate of Gov. Stearns, of Florida, can sanctify a fraud how can the commission go behind the certifícate of Gov. Grover, of Oregon. - Sanguine Democrats at Washington do not give up Florida even uuder the rulings of the commission. Tiie House passed the bill abolishing the Board of Metropolian Pólice Commissioners over the veto of the President, but it was lost in the Senate, - yeas, 33; nays, 22, not two-thirds voting for it. The Adrián Daily Press has , ad, - for want of patronage. It takes moaey to run a daily. '

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Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus