Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-01-31
WHY IT SHOULD BE REpE41ED..

WHY 1T SHOULD BE REpE4LED.
The friends of the Merrill textbook bill
are continually urging that the bill should
have trial. Let it be tried one year or
five years, and if it is not satisfactory, then
repeal it, say the advocates of the measure.
With this specious argument they seek to
toll along the unthinking, and prevent any in
reference with the scheme. Even more
they hope to place the one mill tax, or sub
stantially 100000, at the service of the
contractor, and compel the people to pay it
whether they will or no.
The GLOBE maintains that it is inexpedi
ent for the State to enter into any contract
(even if good one) continuing fifteen years,
and having made a mistake by SO doing the
sooner the error is corrected the better.
The contractor has certain rights and equi-
ties which must be respected. The State
cannot reGnquish the contract without COM
pensating him for SO doing, and one year or
five years hence it will be a very much more
expensive and difficult matter. What
the friends of the measure hope to
secure by pleading for trial is the
committal of the State 50 deeply that the
steps cannot be retraced. We do not
know that the present Legislature will be at
all inclined to abrogate this contract, but we
believe that long before the contract shall
have half expired there will be universal
demand for its repeal or the adoption of
such legislation as to render it absolutely
imperative. The GLOBE simply desires to
go on record as being opposed to this specific
contract, and also to the entire system of pa
ternal government.
The argument that this bill has reduced
the price of school books and worked a won.
derful saving to the people is untrue. The
letter Of Winona county district clerk, pub
lished in another column, demonstrates the
incorrectness of this statement. That CLERK
shows that as long ago as 1873 they obtained
school books at 40 per cent. discount by ap
plying direct to the publisher, avoiding tn,
profits of the jobber and retailers. A,
long ago as 1875, two years before the Mer
rlll bill was passed, over four hundred schoo
districts in this State were buying direc
from one eastern publishing house at fort,
per cent. discount. Probably hundreds o
others were doing the same, with othe
houses, and in any event sufficient humble
secured the discount, to prove that it wa
practicable, and that the Merrill law was no
necessity to reduce the prices of schoo
books.
Perhaps the majority of the school dis
tricts did not avail themselves of their ad
vantages and secure these concessions, but i
was their privilege to do SO; and their fail
ure to do what hundreds of districts prove,
to be possible, makes no reason why tn
State should throw herself into the breach
The law, as it exists, places an immens
fund at the mercy Of single publishin!
house, subject only to the manipulations O
school district clerks. 1t is certain t,
ultimately entail heavy loss upon tn
people, to supply unsatisfactory books, t,
build up gigantic and oppressive schoo
book monopoly and generally damage tn
cause of popular education. If allowed t,
remaini1 force it will be so universally con
demned and execrated that no one will wisl
to admit having aided in inficting it on tn
public.