National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-05-23
SCHOOL-BOoK QUESTION
COMPLETE YINBfCAqI0N OF E1E
9ENTLENEN ACCUSED.

MR.. HARRIS F,ALsEHooDs EAILEp> AND
HE NARROWLY ESCAPES CESsURE :
STATEMENT OF THE FIRM OF p. APPLE
TON & CO. AND THEIR AGEEC-''MUCH
ADO EBo5T NoTHINs."
Last nigkt the Board Of Trusteesof the Public
Schools held its meeting pursuant to the follow
ing resolxsicn sdoptedo by tho board on MONDAY
Rcsolyed, That when this board adiourns II
shall be TO meet again on Friday, the I'd instant,
at O'Clock M Tor the purpose o. i19y ,ss
by A. Hart esp, and that he DO requested to be
present al that time to sustain the charges made,
and thai he present, before the 2lst instant,
to every member he proposes to imPlicate the
specific nature OF the charge and evidence, and
names , o. smSsrs 81 The board yero present ex.
'H Major Richards called the meeting TO order,
and the secretary read the resolution OF Mr.. bet
ricE under which the board was convened.
Major Richards stated that under the resolution
Mr. Hart said he had previously stated that he
had no charges to make. He had made reference
to the Encyclopedia question, and Mr.. Harris was
the gentleman he referred to In that matter, He
had notified him in writing, as provided by the
resolution, but he was not there. He was satisfied
that Mr. Harris would make a statement to the
board which he had heard him make previously,
and this would be satisfactory to him
MI. Champlin called on Mr.. Hart to present bis
proof as 70 the e5o0-oe alleged to have been ten
tered to him as trustee by the book agent.
| Mr.. Hart said this was q personal matter; but
If the board wished to go into II, no had no OBJ
MI. Detrick Thought the charge would operate
| against Mr.. Hart as q member OF the board, al.
though made by himself, and the matter should
MT Hart handed to the clerk the following afa-
Districf o. Columbia. County Of Washington, IS:
| ], the Undersigned Abraham Hart, Of the city
Of Washington, District OF Columbia, upon my
oath make the following statement OF facts: That
about the time when the proposition was made in
the board of trustees to change Biographies by
received a letter from d. Appleton & Co.,
| of New York, informing me that they had sent
by express set OF Their anu aisO
Dictionary" and "KohlrSnschc's History of Ger
many" translated by James d. Haar. A day or
two after met Mr.. Sopsr, the agent for ID. APP
pIeton Co., who as ked me " whether had received
| some books, excusing himself for not sending
any to me sooner stating that he had had for ~
Tised him to send them. ! told him that there
were two books among those sent which, not being
taken them on the day they arrived to the Frank
lin School building, where had placed them In
! the library belonging TO the First district. MI
Super at the time said that II they had any book
that desired he would send It to me, when told
| him that If he did should feel compelled to re-
from aschooI-book publishing house, or its agents
| except textbooks for examination. A short time
after, and before the question Of changing geogra
phies was decided I'm the board, one afternoon
met Mr.. Soper at the Franklin school building.
| Mr. VIM. L. Cowan, treasurer Of the board. was
| also there. MI. SOper look al intermediate
| Geography of the COrnelrs series and commenced
to show me what he termed the superiority of said
book over that of Warren. We had an argument
about 1t for about ten or fifteen minutes, when he
closed the book and put IL away saying, " see
| / can't convince you, or words to that effect. i
remained at the franklin building until past 8
Mr. Soper left the building with US, and we walked
| to Pennsylvania avenue and towards Four-and-a-
half street, then my place OF residence. When
We came in front of the Metropolitan hotel, Mr.
Soper insisted upon our going In with him, when
1 told him that it was against my rule 70 dine
| away from home. He then informed me that no
had already sent waitef to my house TO inform
| my wife that would not be home to dinner. He
insisted much on our staying to dinner, that we
| to his room, where We found MIR. Goodwin, who
left the room as soon as We entered. He then said
do anything by talking with you on the merits
| OF these Biographies; you know as much and more
about Il than l do. Now, we are both business
$500 in the job, and besides this thing lie worth to
me great deal in the position hold in the
can't make the $500 dollars want to make as
much as can. Now, what can you do for me by
not opposing the changer This Is the language
told him that he had the wrong man before him;
that could not be bought: that should act in
the matter as my Judgment prompted me, ad-
mOnishing him never to approach me again with
any such offers If he did not want to make per-
sonal enemy OF me. This happened all in the
presence of MIR. Cowan. When We left the hotel
Mr.. Cowan remarked to me: THAT was q square
offer. but you stood it like q man."
Sworn and subscribed to before me this 2lst day
JOS T. K. PLANT, Notary Public
1, the undersigned, VIM. L. Cowan, Of the city
Ct Washington, District Of Columbia, to hereby
Hart in the annexed affidavit, far relates to
what passed between him and Mr.. Soper in the
Franklin building and Metropolitan hotel, is sub
stantlally correct, 1 having been present at the
Subscribed and sworn to before me, this list
day OF May a. D. lH JOS Eo *; PI phil.
Mr.. Hart called on Mr. Allen to state whether
he had ever heard OF this, and through what
Mr.. Woodward objected to secondary evidence
just now.
NJ oR5IssS called attention .s the absence
M i,art saiu ~ was Al the winter OF ls7I-'72
Mr.. ChamplIn thought the board wished to get
at facts, and advised that the members be not too
critical about teehnicalities. He desired full
expression Of opinion and that chance be given
Mr.. SOper the book agent referred TO, who was
present, to make such statement rs he deemed
Nj. Wolf called on Mr.. Cowan to make his
statement Of the facts as known to him.
Mr.. Cowan said he had interpreted the offer as
Mr.. Lloyd asked Mr. Cowan through tho Chair
what hour OF the day it was when he was at the
hotel, and how long he remained there?
Mr. Cowau said he could not tell. He was
Mr. Champlln asked Mr.. oOwan what response
Mr.. Hart made to Mr.. Soper's proposition?
Mr. COwsn. ut has been over two years ago,
and Il would take q man ofextraordinary memory
to tell.''
Mr.. Woodward thought If he could remember
all the things stated In Mr.. Harris AFFIDAVIT he
could remember the response. He demanded a
Major Richards thought there was no offer or
bride set forth in the affidavit, and ordered that
part Of the affidavit read.
SRahpS SSs s18E as door G s Gssred to put
few questions TO Mr.. Cowan, which were as fol-
lows: mWill you state the words used by Mr..
Mr.. COwan. "The statement is in writing; that
is all know" II ..- i
Mr. Champlin thought this was o mere general
standardization. and asked him TO state the inter-
view IN his own language.
Mr.. COwan declined to say anything more than
Mr. Harris asked Mr. Cowau VIZ. s..,; ,, n
mr. naEt lEsr tnHs las ~: Mr. s0Pcf a the hotel.
M - ..fner. Mr.. Cowan remem oers the offer,
but nothing Of the reply, although he spent
:. MT. Mcclellan asked Mr.. Cowau II he thought
Mr; Sober inyited them there for the purpose Of
Mr. 6owan could not state Mr.. soper's object.
| They were talking Of the matter all the way
da seS esisd on Mo- a ssan state
ment Of whom and from whom he heard the mat
| ter, F.-%y 7=LEzEy-E ~
DIR. woodward objected, II Mr.. Allan heard II
4 from Mr. Hart or from any one whom MI Hart
told. 1t was giving Mr.. Harris evidence several
times and palming 1t of as that OF other parties.
| The board desired the statement OF MT. Allan,
and he said that he never heard anything OF II
until after the text book had been adopted, and
| after Mr.. Soper had left town. He heard V then
as mere rumor, and could not state the names Of
his inforfners. -
MI. Wn:SSs.i Inquired why Mr.. Soper was pres
ent. - ~ ~ p
Mr.. Richards said It was public meeting, and
Mr.. Soper had q right to be there.
Mr.. Harris said Mr.. Soper stood branded by
Mr.. Hart as bribsr, and he insisted that Mr..
Soper be heard. Mr.. Soper was invited TO make
o statement.
Mr. Soper handed to the secretary the follow.
ing letter, which was read: .
| NEW YORK, May 16. 1874
To tbs Board Of Education, Washington, ID. c.:
An anonymous communication has Just ap-
peared in the Washington Star which conveys the
Information that We have given money and copies
OF the Cyclopedia TO influence their votes. We
desire, without delay, to place ourselves right in
: regard to this matter, as we feel insulted thai
such IN accusation should be made against oul
house, whose name has been kept unsullied By
father and sons to this day, and we trust that the
day may never come when any Of US, either II
person or by their agents, resort to any sucf
means to introduce books or keep books in any o.
our schools. We therefore pronounce the state
ment q falsehood, and challenge the promulgated
| OF It to prove 1t.
d ! With great respect We beg to remain, very re
= spectfully, .-.-- ID. APPLETON & Co.
d Mr.. Soper. deny, On my solemn oath, the i'm
K plication contained In. the efidavit Of Truste,
4 Hart. He then handed to the secretary the fol
flowing Rfidayit which was read: