The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1875-10-27

k4oWln4ss s,sse1sshlls outrage is said to be
the, work, of j. ID. Robertson, a
carpet-bagger of tho deepest dye;
III all that the namo implies. The
way in which the thing was worked
is shown in the following extract
from a Now York letter to the
Neecs ,ec Co,~ier. Aftor'mcntioning
that Robertson went North some
time since, the letter says ..
THE PLAN OF OPERATIONS. .... .
He proposed in behalf of the
State to make a contract with such
houses as would join him, by which
the State would be bound for ten
years to the adoption Of such of
their books as tho commission
should select. The consideration
for this was that these houses
should appoint his brothcr-in law as
the solo distributing agent for
their publications, and thnt central
depot should be established say at
Columbia, in charge of this brother
in law where tho books should be
sent on commission, and that the
brother in-law should got percent
ago on all tho books distributed
from this depository. Robertson
himself said he should be elected
State superintendent of education
ut the next election, and that he
would then use the influence of kis
Office to.torce tho books into the
schools. In this vcrybold and i'm
pudont schomc he did not succeed
as well as he expected. Ho found
that tho large houses, whom ho
supposed would be eager to lump
ut his bait, splrncd him and his
proposition, and 50 he returned
homo much discounted.
1t was not long, however, before
an idea struck him which he evident
ly to DO
| HAPPY THOUGHT,
and 80 ho wrote letter to NOM
bcr OF tho we'll known publishing
house of Ivison, Blakoman, Taylor
q Co., in which he showed his hand
Enthusiastically. This firm is one of
the largest educational publishing
houses III tho country, and Robert
son made Il bold dash for their safc.
Here is what he says in his lette1,
which was written ust before the
meeting Of the commission
TIE CONFIDENTIAL NOTE.
"Of course all my communications
must be deemed confidential, so that
| may write freely to you. IF SO.
infolm mo, and then 1 can tell you
what steps are taken in tho board
OF commissioners from time to time.
Tho interest of your house will not
suffer IN this matter, SO long MS left
to me, and one attorney inside tie
con'''tS%iom qctU he Worth halt q
dozen 0MtSitle."
Now tho impudenco of this letter
is most refreshing. The gentleman
to whom it was addressed is not in
the habit Of receiving such confiden
tlal letters, and so he made no
reply to it whutevor, but most cheer
fully laid it before your correspond
ent neglected to say that on his
visit to New York, already rcforred
to, Robertson made great profess
ions OF friendship for tho house OF
lvison Il Co., on the score that both
MIR. lvison and himself are Scotch
mon, but MIR. Ivison determined ut
once to have nothing whatever to do
with him,
| TIE BRIBERY FUND.
1t was on this occasion also that
no stated to tho manager of tho
introductory department of ono of
the school book houses he was visit
ing that it would be necessary for
linn to have five hundred or thou
sand dollars to bribe his colored
co Leagues on tho commission, and
when it was suggested to him that
possibly Mr.. r.. b. Elliott, the
speaker of the House, might use
his influence for the books repre-
sentcd by this manager, &c, out of
regard for old acquaintance sake,
Robertson replied that mot a word
must be said to Elliott on the sub
ject, because if ho heard of the
movement he would upset it unless
he got
THE LIONS SHARE
of tho money i'll the job" Of tho
principal books recommended by
tho State Board in 1870, Messrs.
Ivison g. Co.'S. SANDERS Readers" -"
Mcssrs. Appleton & Co.'S. "Cornclls
Biographies, and Mcssrs. Barnes
X Cos. Davies Arithmetics," have
boon displaced by tho present com
mission and books substituted, with
ono exception, that are hardly
known outside Of tho house from
which they emanatc. Neither of
the above named firms mot the
views" of Mr.. Robertson, and so
their books arc ignored almost
wholly. What Influences the houses
nsod whose books arc adopted arc
not apparent, but under the circum-
stances there can be but one opinion
on the subject.
| -s---.-..