Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-06-25
Befogging the Tert Booh: Lar.

Befogging the Tect Book Lar.
To the Editor of the Globe.
The daily GLOBE of the Goth contains what
purports to be an answer of the attorney
general to F. A. Fogg, superintendent of
schools of Ramsey county.
Three questions are submitted to the at
torney general, relating to the text book law,
which any school boy of ordinary capacity
could have answered by careful reading of
the law, and which are plainly answered in
the words of the law itself.
With all due respect for the above named
officers, must protest against the misrepre-
sensations of the law as printed. In quoting
from section four of the text book law, had
the whole section been quoted, the true
meaning of the section would have been ap-
parent. The law reads as follows:
Sec. 4. It shall be the duty of each district
clerk of the several school districts of the
State Of Minnesota, to make out an estimate
of the number of school books required for
one years supply of his school district desig-
mating the number of books of each kind
wanted, and forward the same on or before the
fifteenth day Of March of each year. to the
| county superintendent OF his county; and it is
hereby made the duty of the county superin-
tendent of each county Of this State, upon re-
ceiving the estimates from the school district
clerks of his county, to make out his requsition,
ON or before the fifteenth day of April follow
ing, upon the State superintendent of public
instruction, for the total number of books of
each kind required by his county; said books
to be forwarded to the county auditor of his
county. The State superintendent of public
| instruction shall, on or before the fifteenth
day of May, make his requisition upon the
contractor for the whole number of books
required throughout the State.
The clerk Of each school district shall make
returns quarterly to the director of the nun. Der
| and amount OF books sold and shall pay over
to the treasurer the amount Of money received
from such sales. He shall keep a detailed ac-
count Of the books received aud sold, and on or
before the fifteenth day of March of each year.
shall transmit to the county superintendent
statement showing the number and amount
sold, and the number of each kind of books on
hand. 1t shall be a misdemeanor for the clerk
! to refuse or neglect to perform the duties
above designated, punishable by fine not to
exceed twenty-five dollars, or imprisonment
| not to exceed thirty days.
The first part of the section relates to the
mode of procedure in ordering books, and
! the duties of different officers in preparing
and forwarding said orders to the contractor.
the last part relates solely to the duties of the
district clerks, and the protection of the dis
| trict from loss by his neglect, dishonesty or
| mismanagement. The printed decision of the
attorney general leaves out the most import
! ant part of the section, conveying the idea
that the misdemeanor is against the contrac-
| tor, and not in the safe keeping and care of
| the books after they into his hands
! In the notes to the ''Iext book law" as
sent out by the State in 1877, the ''penalty
for neglect or refusal'' was applied to the
proper return of sales.
That the penalty was not intended to
apply to making out and forwarding
acquisitions for books is evident from the
fact that no other officer is to be punished
| for neglecting or refusing to Perfoarn the
duties IN ordering, although the other are
salaried officers and the clerks are not; pro-
vision is also made in the bill of last winter
! that in case the clerk refuses or neglects to
order books, the director or treasurer can
order them, and in case enough books are
not ordered in the first order, the clerk or
any citizen can order more direct from the
contractor at State list prices.
| Schools using other than State text
books, have the right to- use them for
two years without being compelled to dis
card them and adopt the State books, giving
them the privilege of using up books of the
old series.
|
of the old series, the clerk has the right to
withhold orders till new ones are needed,
when he can order through the county SUI
perintendent, or direct from the contractor
at any time.
There is an evident intention on the part
| of the Merrill book ring to mislead and bull
doze district clerks into ordering books not
needed. Had thsir books possessed the
merit claimed for them, threats of fine and
imprisonment would not have been necessary
to get them introduced into our schools.
| The infamous tactics resorted to last win
ter to procure the passage of the supple
mentary text book bill are. now being used
to force the books into the st. Paul schools :
because the present superintendent would
not become the tool for the ring and de-
grade the schools for their benefit, plan
was matured months ago to get him out OF
the way, and the present warfare against
him, participated in by the Press and DIS
patch and unprincipled tools of the Merrill
book ring, is the result of the plan Matched
up long ago for that purpose.
As the book ring has, through Prof. Fogg
declared war against school clerks, they may
as well buckle on their armor, prepare fol
the conflict, and manfully maintain their
rights, or basely surrender to the perfdeous
foe. Look out for scalps.
DANIEL GETTY.
! WHITE BEAR, June %.