LET THE PEOPLE RULE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1503, 27 July 1912, Page 9

LET THE PEOPLE RULE.

In response to tho request of a'professor at tno University of Illinois, eight thousand liiffii-scliool students or that uml luijoimng states have eonlessed their real leeling about tho books they have had to road in the list 01 Collego Entrance liefiuiioinents iu Kngiish. it is unnecessary lo explain his method oi tabulating thu results. The vital thing is tlio figures, and they are plain enough. At the top ot the iorty-ono classics considered stands A lale ot Two Cities," with the proud percentage of'eighty-nine. . .Next comes "The Last of the JHohicans," with a percentage of eighty-seven. These are followed by "Ivanhoe," "Hamlet," "Enoch Arden, Silas Jlarner," "Macbeth;" and "The lady of the Lake." • Tied for thirty-seventh place are "The Deserted Village' and "The Ancient Mariner," but they are pressed by "Sesame and Lilies" and Carlyle's "Essay on Burns," while J-Jmersoii's "Essays" Ings at the very end with a mark of forty-eight. , In between conn. "Treasuro Island" aud "The- Vicar of Wakefield,"- "Paradise Lost," and ' Craul'ord," I'oe, Burns, Chaucer.- These statistics make their- collector moralise, purely, he sighs, the record in the case ol "Tlio Ancient Mariner" is "a little pathetic when we consider for how many years and with what ■•enthusiasm we have been compelling practically all our high-school students to spend weeks on this book." One teacher's enthusiasm for it is evidently on the wane already, but he revives his drooping spirits by a look at the lofty eminence of "Ivanhoe" and "The Last of the Jlohicans." Interesting as the results of this literary referendum are, they cannot be called final, for the reason that the pupils were restricted in their choices to the Entrance ]{er(uiremeuts list. Before we are entitled to say what books high-school students approve and what they disapprove, we are bound to give them the right of initiative. AVlio knows how far down the list "A Talc of. Two Cities" .would: be found if it were forced to compete with Jack London and Kipling, and we know not what other writers dear to the liighscliool heart? 'Let another contest.-, be held, in which 10 per cent, of the pupils of any high school shall have the power to name a book for entry in the race. Then let all the selections be voted on. Only by permitting this range of candidacy can we be sure of the judgment of the pupil upon the work of his elders in their laborious compilation of- the list of books for his investigation, and haply for his delectation. It may occur to" the render that there may be differences of choice due to the sex or the age of the students, but the Illinois statistician assures us that these are negligible. Boys and girls, first year and last, in general display ljike tastes in these' mat'.ers. What wo need, therefore, is a nationwide initiative and referendum, among our children on the issue of what books they shall study. The election might well be_preceded by a short and dignified campaign, conducted in the high-school literary societies and student journals. And what of the Recall? Is the pupil, having tried Addison and Ruskin and Emerson; and having cast his ballot against them as reactionaries, to be still confronted with them ? Not if the Illinois professor has his way. Being the tribune of the pupil, he says in so many words that-if-he wore-himself at the present time in charge of a high-school r.nglish course, he would drop out the books in the lower group. On this platform-,, we believe,.. ho-could sweep 'the country, regardless..of- how many terms ho has already served. Certainly it ought to be within the legal rights of h'igh! school students for, say, 8 per cent, of those enrolled in any one building to demand a vote upon the question of recalling a classic,- at least as often as once n quarter, or.perhaps when the iirst third of the took has been studied. Opinions based upon /'reading ahead" should, of course, have no recognition. It would bo unfair to leave the impression that our rilnloisinvflstig.itor , is governed solely by IJ'iW*?'"' of ha .". da lultyniemocraticUs sficWcoMn'et'."would lie. After some cogitation, ho was reirarded by the emergence of n principle ivhich, all unconsciously, guided the selections presented to him;: That, principle lie states as follows, in his account of the sxperiment in tho "English Journal":— "That the popular books in this list ire uniformly books coiltaining 'vivid aiid Jramatio presentations of human life, ivith strong ethical import,' ,'whilo the books .'that are distinctly disliked are those in which the lirimary appeal is lesthetic, stylistic, which convey their message indirectly through their beauty jr humour, or "which present human life, lot with told plainness, but delicately, lightly, subtly.'' . , There 's one consideration which might »e advanced by partisans of tho books that aro low on the list,..and that is fhat :hey have beeKpoorlj; .'taught. But what is this except to-explain- a candidate's failure by the mistakes of-his'managers? And liow is it possible to criticise managers who have had' such , brilliant suc:e.sses as those who have won the general ulmiration for Dickens and Scott, for j'o'jpor and Shakespeare? We may as ivell admit the substantial truth of our professor's analysis, aud proceed to commiserate the teachers who have had to recommend, and to congratulate the stu? Lents who have 'had' the discrimination :o reject books which are so stupid as :o undertake to convey their message inlirectly through their beauty or humour, ir to present- human life, not with bold plainness, but delicately. In taking this iosition, they are merely aligning themselves with the great mass of untrained •eaders who have never attended high ehool. Could there be better evidence if the soundness of their judgment? Even xirnest teaching has been powerless to ivarp their native, taste. Thero will be Jiose to urge that delicacy of beauty oi , iumour, instead of being an .argument igainst. a book, is the very reason why ipecinl ipnius: should be taken to insure lupreciation of it Such persons may go io far as to assert 'that "Ivauhon" is M-rtain of attention anyway, and that it s the masterpieces which are shi'b to he. jverlooked that it i» the business of the ligh school to introduce to the futiyo •ducated public of the country. TJmlemo;ratic as ,thi.< policy is, it hn.s a largo iilnce in our public school system. Yet is it not high time for tlio adoption, not ;nly in reference to English, but throughHit the curriculum, of the initiative, re■eiendum, and recall of courses?

TM-EW BOOKS. NEW; BOOKS. ■RECENT POPULAR NOVELS. ELIJSABHTH IN RETKKAT, by Margaret Wostrup, author of "Elizabeth's Children," 3s. fid.; postage 6d. A fascinating novel, marked by real power; a novel of distinction. —"Pall Mall Gazette'." ' THB PEN POGS, by Stephen Foreman, 3s. Gd.; postage (id. ' A spirited story of Englishmen a hundred years ago, commencing in Spain with the retreat to Corunnn, and ending when a sweet Spaniard finds her English mate iii Lincolnshire. A. story of rude men in turbulent time?, written in a high, rough strain to match their deeds, and writton well. The author has historical grasp and social insight; he takes the modern view of Napoleon, a great liberating force that moved men through blood to freedom, "The Ven Dogs" deserves readers.— BoDkfello\v\ Till'; TENNESSEE SHAD, by Owen Johnson, author of "The Varmint," 3s. Gd.; postnge 6d. THIv AVhXGS OF .DESIRE, by If. P. Willcockr-,, lis. (Id;; postage (id. An able novel for those who liko literary quality anil at the same tinio a readable novel; in fine n-bpok worthy of Miss Willcocks.—"Daily Chronicle." THE KNIGHTLY YEARS, by W. It. Ardagh, a historical novel, 3s. Gd.; postage fid. 'The Knightly Years" has a style, motif and movement that grip and carry the reader on. —"Fcilding Star." POMANDER WALK, by. Louis N. Parker, illustrated, 3s. Gd.; postage (id. An entertaining tale of romance and comedy which is genuinely amusing and most enjoyable. The illustrations by Mr. .). Scott Williams are excellent. —"Literary World." HKOTOH GRAEME, by Evelyn Brentwood. 3s. Gd.; postage Gd. A brilliant and-most artistic piece of HUrary craftsmanship.—"Liber" in "New Zealand Times." BEGGARS .AND SORNERS,-by Allan •. M'Anlay, 3s. Gil.; postago.Gd'i Mr. M'Aulay's namo to a novel is a gunrante-3 that it is worth rending, and we , are grateful for a delightful novel.— ''Lilcrai'v World.',' . . '. WHIfCOMBIO AND TOMBS, LTD., WELLINGTON. And All Booksellers.