, 1860-09-11

the pubic schools OF Philadelphia It will be
necessary to state that Messrs. Mason Bros, Of
New York, are publishers Of some Of Webster's
School D!ctioaaries, under Iease from the
Aessrs. Merriam Psesuning that zone Of the
firm Of Messrs. E. Cowperthwait i Co.. the
publishers Of Warren's Biographies, WIS not
co operating with them in making 'sNatioual
STANDARD" }" they addressed the following let
ter:
MEssRs. CowrxRruwA1r / Co., Philsde1phia:
Gen!l<mn-1f you are interested in Worces-
ters Dictionaries. or are using your influence
for them, ne and the other publishers Of Web.
Btcr would like to know it. The matter low
comes to us in such shape, however, tha. ope
OF your firm dppears to be acting as an agent
Tor the Worcester publishers.
work for these books or any others, but 1ouid
like clear undertaking in the mater, IS we
arc disposed to reeiprocate favors in these book
matters: Please to show yeur flag.
Pos1cairr.-Among the publishers aow hay-
ing important pecuniary interest ia th. success
Of Webster are: ". B. Smith 4 Co., C1ucinra-
ii; sanboT9 Z Carter, Boston: Iv1son T. Phtn-
ney., New York; 4. s Barnes 1 Co., New York:
Appletone. New York; G. / e. Aerriau, Nor.
TON & Gris~old, Louisville; Phillips, San pson
l. Co., Boston.
fyou have joined hands with tho Worce.ter
interest, ne should like to have these parties
know it, as their agents are able incidentally to
DO eome'hlng IN geography matters without
reply waa made:
"AEssRs. AAsoS 4 Bnos.-Gents: We should
have great pleasure in defining our position
W1threterence to WoTcestes'a Dictionaries. vern
1t not for the implied threat which accomnaniea
your letter. As it is, decent self respect pze-
vents our replying to it.
We do not believe you are authorized 10
speak for the firms Whoae name Won use. va
expect cur competitors in business viii DO what
they can honorably to:secure the Introduction
and sale Of the books t.ey publish; but we do
not believe those of them who do not publish
geographical works will instruct their a1enta
adversely to our Biographies, as you intimate
Will be the case, Hbatever may be our course
with reference to Joining hands with the Wor-
cester interest,"" Yours truly,
"H. CowrknruwA,r Co.n
4 short time previous to othlscorrespoadeuce.
the School Committee Of Boston had Yoted
with great unaninity to introduce " Warren,a
Biographies" to be used exc.usirely ia a
their schools, to take the place Of" Mitchelrn
Biographies"
In acoot danes with the threat contained in
the letter, an unsuccessful attempt YVES made
by the agent Of Webster's Dictionaries to dis
place Narreu's Biographies {published by
Messrs. II. cowperthwait l. co., in the Bostoa
schools. A vigorous attack Was made upon the
pook through the columns Of the press, and the
subject was discussed at several successive
meetings OF tue school committee Of tho city,
brought forward. md the eoaspsstois we're ERE
thus exposed to the ridicule Of the community.
We ought in Justice to state, from the hichest
authority, ttat with the exception Of Ms4srx
". B. Smith 4 Co., and the Messra. Merriam.
the very respectable firms alluded to had no
completely IN the mas.ar, and that Messrs. Ma
son Bros. were not authorized to use their
names in The correspondence.
The Boston Daily -4drerliser. in sI1ud:np tn
these TRANSACTIONS, says:
I'VE doubt if the history Of mercantile mor
ality contains blacker page than is here dis
closed. The closing sentence Of the postscript
Of the first letter, it it means anything, means
that the hostility Of the publishers named there
in will be invoked against the geography pub.
show their Tag in ta1or Of Webster's Dicti3n-
ary. We hare now the key to the extraordina-
II popularity which it is preteuted that Web
ster's Dictionaries have attained. It appsars
that number Of leading publishers have. or are
said to hAve .imoortant pecupiary interest in
the success Of " ebster;'--a7d this fact, or al.
legged fact, is secretly used Is q lever, in a man
ner which the public would not have been ike
II to have suspected had not this corresoou-
denca happened to be disclosed. The preciae
connection between dictionary and Reo1ra.
ply does not appear upon The eurface; but it
seems that man who refuses the abominations
Of Noah Webster's spelling. cannot be allowed
persecution Of parties who hare important be.
cuniary interest in the success Of Webster.f
This is the explanation Of the extraordiua.
II attempts whic- have been made to deprec.-
ate Warsen's Geography In tho public estima.
tion 10 this city. This book has been introduced
into the Boston schools By th deliberate W ed
Of the school committee, and two concerted st
tion to this effect hare failed Nov, vhhat il
the reason Of the outcry against Warren's &c.
o8raphy? Nothing more nor less. it a-ems
ths- that ths Messrs- Copperthrait, who publish
it, are suspected OF that which is of course :
heinous offence in the eyea Of Of MessYs. Masen
spelling words instead Of the abnormities pro.
posed by Noah Wob3ter, which the most peril.
nac1ous efforts thus far hare signall5 failed to
introduce into general use, notwithstanding The
extraordinary efforts made to promote III !
success Of Webster of the character Of ThMh
efforts the public now hare most astorishlne 2
specimen.
ave ought to say that we do not believe
that the very eminent publishing houses whose
names are mentioned in the postscript to the
letter first printed above, ere gutltY of com.
plicity in the attemp: to n1eld the Influence oi
their names to promote tbs success Of Webster
"a cause, By the way, that must be- laboriuc
very hard Il may be that the use of these
names TO act upon the publishers Of Warren'a
Geography was made without authority, and We
shall hope to see it disavowed iu their behalf
Some, ut least, Of these partiee, ne know, have
cared an honorable distinction By refusing to
yield t. tie pertinacious efforts made to induce
them to introduce Web.ter's falsa orthoxraphy
into their publications.
at is gratifying to think that in this case. as
in many others Of the undertand movements
the very epgiueT employed 10 effect the desir.
ed object has reacted agairst is accomplish.
ment- Wasren's Geography holds it, place
among tho studies Of the Boston schools, despite
the influence Of publishers who have *im.
portant pecuniary interest In the sutcess ol
Webster"
These "signi6csnt facts" show The value oI
the certificates alluded to. They show con.
clusive1y that these parties not only had au
important pecuniary interest" in the success
of Webster, but that The publishers oil Webster
attempted to eoercs others in an opposition to
Worcester: But happily for the world Of let.
ters, t4ey did not succeed. Worcester's Royal
Quatto Dictionary il not only signiican,
fact, but its success il q fred fact"
SwAx, BREWER 4 T1LEs1ox.