The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-02-28
The School Text Book Bill.
Speech Of Hon. II. Is. Wilson Of GOodhuc,
Delivered in the Minnesota House of Rep
reSent;.t YES, Feb. 2ls,, 1877.

Delivered in the Minnesota House of Rep
resent.t YES, Feb. 2ls', 1877.
MIR. SPEAKER:-rhe friends of the
''bill under consideration seem to as.
sumo that those who oppose it are
actuated by interested motives; and
are consequently opposed to ar-duc-
ton in the price of school books. Now.
80 far as am concerned, nothing can
be farther from the truth than such
an assumption and think I am au-
thorized in saying the same thing, for
every gentleman on this floor who is
opposed to the adoption of this unpre-
cedented measure. Those who oppose
this "bill'' believe, sincerely and hon.
estlv, that its provisions are radical,
mischievous and fraught with evils to
the State, which will retard the prog
ress of our public schools for years to
come. They regard it as dangerous
experiment an experiment which has
hitherto never been tried in any State
in the Union; an experiment, which
if entered upon by the State under the
provisions Of a solemn contract, in
which the State binds herself for a
period of fifteen long years to use a
given series of books, in all her pub.
lie schools, and no others and these
books are to be furnished at a speci-
fed and unalterable price, for that
period of time, no matter how
much school books may decline in
price within that period; and no mat
ter how much labor, and the materials
which enter into the mandatory of
books may decline in price within that
period, the State is to become irrevoc.
ably bound to this wild scheme, unless
In the future she shall repudiate her
plighted faith as set forth in her
contract.
Believing AS do, that this is an I'm.
wise measure which must inevitably
result disastrously to the best inter-
ests of the State, and is one which
every one who may have anything to
do with inaugurating. will live to re-
greet, the duty which owe to the
State and the cause of education com.
pels me to oppose it's adoption.
With the indulgence of the House,
propose to examine some of the ex-
traordinary provisions of this bill.
First. It creates a monopoly A
monopoly in favor of one individual
for the long period of fifteen years
The boy or girl now in infancy. will
arrive at nearly the state Of manhood
and womanhood before the expiration
of this contract. Our State will have
advanced through one-half of an en-
tile generation; a period equal to
more than thi ee-quarters of the past
life time of the State, before the ex-
piration Of the provisions of this ex-
traordinary and unheard of scheme!
The gentleman who is understood
to be the father OF this bill, although
another assumed to be it's Godfather,
has 3een preaching loud and most Wig
orously for the past half-dozen years
against monopoly. His voice has
rung out long and loud all over this
State against the oppression of the
people. He has taken upon himself to
champion the rights of the down trod.
den, and oppressed of all classes, and
conditions of the human
family. So earnest and per.
sistent have been his denuncia.
lions of rings and middle men, that
all those who have heard him have
been verify persuaded that the people
of Minnesota were the worst abused
and most terribly gulled human beings
on the face of the whole earth. He
has been for some years. and is now
editing a newspaper called the Anti
Monopolist, and yet, this same man
seeks with all his might and power to
foist upon the people of Minnesota the
most gigantic monopoly ever heard of
within the annals of this generation,
for period of fifteen years. History
tells US that Madam Roland while
standing upon the scaffold waiting
her execution, cast her eyes upon
lofty column upon which stood the
emblem representing the goddess of
liberty crowned with her liberty cap,
and she exclaimed, ''Oh, Liberty, lib
erty, what terrible deeds have been
performed in thy name - So we NAV
we'll exclaim, Oh, consistency thou art
jewel!
There is a constant cry about the
r. hn