Daily globe., 1878-02-16

WHICH HAu Just sent IN large petition In favor
OF law which didn't apply to them and of
which they knew nothing, to be forced to take
little OF her own medicine. The speaker then
proceeded to make an eloquent and forcible
protest speech against the bill.
Mr.. Hicks withdrew, after further discussion
section 2, adding after the word taxation, the
words 'voted for that purpose.
Mr.. Ladd combated the position of Mr..
Dresbach as to the school textbook bill being
monopoly and was replied to by Mr.. Dresbach
in elucidation of this point.
Mr.. Campbell, Of Wabashaw, endorsed Mr.. |
Hicks amendment in an able and considerate |
speech. The money paid into the State treas
ury is there for specific purpose, to pay the |
teachers for instance, and ought not to be di-
that the principle of the Merrill bill was class
legislation, and therefore wrong. He had
voted for it because the county districts wanted
it and only on the ground that the special dis
trlcts be exempted from its operation. He rid
iculed the idea advanced by some of the
speakers that the House ought not to make any
amendments to the bill because 1t would then
have to go back to the Senate and there con-
front the tender mercies Of the book ring.
Messrs. Hyslop and Bowler opposed the
amendment
| Mr.. Edison urged the adoption of the amend
ment, and alluded to the fact that he repre-
sented an independent district and was willing
to extend the same privileges to all other dis
tricts. He also alluded TO the parade with
which the st. Paul petition, stretching from
the lobbies to the clerks desk, had been ex-
hibited before the House, and asked why was
this so? St. Paul was only seeking to thrust
upon Others what she refused to accept her
SELF and that certainly could arise from no
other than selfish and interested motive.
The question recurring upon the adoption Of
and nays, and the roll being called, the vote
resulted, ayes, 46, nays 81. So the amend
ment was lost.
At this point it was ascertained that the re-
port of: the committee had not been accepted
! and that the House had been acting somewhat
irregularly in reference thereto.
! MIR. Rice thereupon moved that the report be
accepted and the bill read second time. The
motion prevailed and the bill was read second
time, when MIR. Morse moved to add to the last
two lines of section three, the following. sin
that portion of the State where this act or the
act supplementary thereto, is to be enforced
Mr.. Hicks offered an amendment making the
law obligatory upon every school district in the
State. He contended that such lasting benefits
which were to accrue from this bill, according
to its friends, should be universally diffused.
and he made this motion with the view of Civ
ing the whole State the blessings of the Merrill
text book law.
i Mr.. Purdie wonld like to vote for the bill
but he thought the friends of the measure were
determined to prevent his doing SO. He did
| which half the State was exempt, and which
half was still endeavoring to thrust upon the
other half what it wouldn' t accept for itself.
What was sauce for the goose Yves sauce fol
the gander, and he favored the amendment fol
that reason.
Mr.. Hicks offered the amendment in good
faith, for the good of the whole people. The
. gentlemen Of the independent districts who
were supporting the bill here, did not mean it
: should affect themselves, and did not intend it
to apply to themselves who stood outside and
shouldered the bnrdcn upon others.
Mr.. Robinson, of Winona, followed in the
same strain. He deprecated the show and
: ostentation made by that st. Panl petition
which was in the interest of certain individuals
> to be thrust upon the country districts.
= Hr. Hicks thouSht the rural districts ought
to have the same chance as the independent dis.
trlcts. Some years ago the grangers of Henne
: :, pin county had, by banding together, obtained
y their text books very nearly cheap as they
can now be obtained under the Merrill law
The Merrill law was wrong in principle. Plow.
y to-day were sold at twice as much as they coulc
: be purchased on the same principle as that in
: corporated in this Merrill law. They are trying
" to force upon the rural districts what they hav,
not themselves accepted.
: Mr.. Robinson made the point that the grea
cry of the friends of this measure was tn,
: cheapness and uniformity. The Merrill Law
was the greatest humbug. AS early as 1877!
school books were sold in 430 districts, as cheal
= as they are sold now under the Merrill law. H,
gave the names of several Of the parties wht
u were publishers heretofore belonging to the as
3 sociation, but now, strange to say were her
hand in hand with d. D. Merrill.
!. Mr.. w. NJ. Campbell made an earnest speecl
= IN opposition to the amendment. He though
the Merrill bill had proved of. incalculable ad
vantage to the State and should be sustained
, Mr.. Bowler figured up the cost of the Merrill
> text book series at not over $4 and not $5 48
J claimed by Mr.. Robinson of Winona, but h
: : failed to answer whether the prices he ha,
figured on were wholesale or retail He thel
= proceeded to make a vigorous onslaught on tn
- opponents of the Merrill bill, and said that
the law was as claimed, hnmbug, it was a bu
= which had the sweetest hum to it of any he had
heard and he wanted more of it.
MIR. Robinson-The Merrill contract was tn
. best ever offered to any publisher in the Unite
le States. He took the contract under existin
law, but to-day he comes into the Legislator
. and asks additional advantages.
MIR. Miller was open to conviction, and if
e could be shown that any other publisher ha
% ever offered in this State books as cheap a
under the Merrill law, he would vote against i,
Mr. Bohan substantiated the statement mad
L by MIR. Robinson that books were sold in 1876
as cheap as they can now be secnred.
a MIR. Feller said that early as 1873, schoc
~ ~ books were being sold for forty per cent. dit
u count from the usual rates at sixty to ninet
days time
le Mr.. Colvill said if the Merrill bill is goo
for the county, it is good for the city, and o
u the plea of uniformity, the attempt will b
as made to force it down the throats of the cities
O. Mr.. Purdie said his friends from the cite
:, would have nothing to do with the bill then
~ ~ selves, but still wanted to have it saddled
III Freeborl county.
Mr.. McCrea denied that the frontier district
IS were in favor of the Merrill bill. He shoul
vote for Mr. Hicks amendment.
at Mr.. Bowler alluded to the charge that he ha
been in company with the author of the bill
T. Senator Donnelly, and said it was so, but didn
y feel bit contaminated. Laughter. e
wanted any defect in the bill perfected, br
Mr.. West moved the previous question on til
p, amendment.
e. Mr.. Hicks said it was no time for gag-law an
NJ moved to adjourn, and the yeas and nays wei
demanded.
at Mr.. Kinds appealed to both gentlemen
1g withdraw their motions but both refused
The vote on adjournment resulted, yeas 8
ne nays SO.
ae The vote on the previous question was beir
ne taken when the attention of the speaker W,
called to the fact that motion for call ,
"a the House had been made by Mr.. Robinson
~. The roll call was then stopped and the Gle,
proceeded to call the roll after which the do,
y; was ordered closed.
III Further proceedings under the call were di
ag pensed with.
gs Motions for recess were made, when Mr.. Co
will moved to adjourn, and the motto
a being amended to adjourn to 8 o'clock tn
morning, was carried-yeas, So, nays 36.
~ THE CUBAN REBELLION.
Reported Suspension of HOstilities to A
range Definite Peace.