The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-02-04
THE SENATE SCHOOL BOOK
RING.
Senator's and School Directors Engage il
RObbing Poor Children.
" Vote or Starve !"
Let Us Stop the Outrage.


gang, and, by the way, is said to be an III
d naturalized Englishman, was employed on
b salary by Messrs. A. S. Barnes ( Co.. pul
4 lisherssof New York city, to act as an agel
/ for their books, which the School Boar
8 are attempting to force upon an unwillin
and already oppressed people.
This Wharton Immediately began to pros
titute his fraudulently obtained Office in tn
interest of his employers He formed rim
; of pliable Senators, and began deliberat
system Of influencing and intimidating mem
bers of the city School Board.
Some of these members of the School Boar
were members of the Legislature or were ex
pecting appointments or combinations from
the same.
i The ring went to these members and de
manded them to vote for the Independent
Readers. When any of them refused to vote
as they were hidden. the ring threatened
vengeance and communication. With
others the ring exchanged votes. The leader
Of the ring would say to member of the
board: "Now, you have little bill before
the Senate in which you are interested.
have been paid to have certain books adopted.
You vote for my little job and will vote fol
your bill" This plan promised to be quite
successful, but is said to have been frustrated
by de .facto (negro) Brown, who was opposed
to this rascally business
One specific case will indicate the tactics OF
the ring. A certain member Of the School
Board had been appointed to an important
Office by Kellogg but lacked confirmation
by the Senate.
Wharton, ever on the alert to prostitute his
Office to his own personal gain, saw at once
that he might get vote for his readers. He
went TO this member of the School Board and
told him plainly that if he did not vote for
the Barnes Histories he would defeat
his confirmation in the Senate. This member
was an honest man, and was opposed to a
change Of books. But his bread and butter
depended on his confirmation. He protested
in vain. 1t was vote or starve. He compro-
from the meeting at which the vote was
taken. This is only one instance.
Wharton and his ring are at work again
At the last meeting Of the School Board at
which the Independent Readers were adopt
ed, thesring was present in force and stood
over the board as with a club.
Since the appearance Of the above in our
evening paper of yesterday, the School Board
has had a meeting.
The Solons assembled in solemn council,
last night, at Boothbys Office, City Hall, and
the following proceedings were had.
The Board did not at all like the idea Of
meeting in Boothby's room, and Dibble, who
presided, was very indignant because the
Council Chamber, the usual place of assem-
bling, had not been opened for the reception
Of the body. He suggested an adjournment
and an investigation to ascertain why the por-
ter of the building was not on hand with the
keys of that room. He seemed to think that
his absence was in accordance with instruc-
lions from the city authorities, and reiterated
hat he wanted an inquiry of the cause of the |
motion was made to adjourn, but was
killed. by Ingraham, who insisted on some
Iction by the board on the question Of the
lew school readers. He moved suspension
# the rules to allow the matter to. be con-
idered. His motion prevailed.
Dumont moved to reconsider the vote by
which the resolution adopting the Inde-
'endent Reader was passed.
motion to table, made by Carey, received
70 second.
Gaudet took the floor and favored the mo-
ion to reconsider because it was placing
urden on the parents of children that they
ould find hard to bear. He had been ap-
called to to prevent the change.
Ingraham also favored the reconsideration
n the same reasons. .
Billings wanted to know how many Of these
NV books had already been introduced in the !.
hools, and Dibble said, expecting that tie i,
lestion of text books would be raised, he
ID instructed the. secretary to visit each 2
hool and ascertain how many pupils had !;
e new reader.
The secretary reported the result Of his
Dor, and the amount was something over
rent y-two hundred.
A number Of petitions from parents of pu
Is, asking reconsideration, were received
e reading dispensed with, and orders to
int them in the journal given.
At the instance Of Dibble, an indorsem ent
o number of teachers OF the new readers N
IS read. -
Billings made a speech. He wanted no re- :,
nsderation. He understood that the books y
re for new class; that the pupils who N
'uld use them had advanced and would have IL
purchase books anyhow, and this Independ- Al
t Rea Ter was good book.
He remembered when he went to school
y used Porter's Rhetorical Reader; it was an ht
,ellent book. containing selections from the tn
st beautiful classical works in the English no
guage, commencing with speeches from
tons Paradise. and going ON to speeches "a
Daniel Webster. He regretted very much Al
t Porter's Rhetorical Readers were not 70
" in existence r.,