The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1878-02-14
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

COUNTY
some time since: "Resoloed, That we are
heartily in favor Of faithfully and honestly
carrying out the law passed by our last
Legislature, providing for uniform and
cheap textbooks for the schools of Min
nesota, and that we recommend the coun-
ty superintendent of common schools of
Ramsey county to procure the necessary
acquisitions from the district clerks for
State books for the use of the schools in
our county at the earliest possible day."
What was the occasion for that? Why.
Mr.. Wells, who was the county superin-
tendent, had taken ground against it.
He had labored
UNDER THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE STATE
SUPERINTENDENT
to prevent the operation of the law; and at
last the board of county commissioners
passed resolution of that kind.
took action of similar sort. l think 1t
was upon that occasion that Mayor Max
field made the significant remark ''that
the book agents were ready with all kinds
of arguments against the law, and when
all other arguments failed they went down
for their weasel SKINS" Great laughter.
The
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF DODGE COUNTY
were beset in the same way. What was
their action? They addressed the follow
ing to their county superintendent of
schools:
''Dear Sir: AS you state in your circular
issued on the 25th of September
that our attention has been called
to the subject of directing the
clerks of school districts to make requlsi-
tions for school books through you of the
State contractor, D. D. Merrill of St. Paul,
and that we refused to so advise you to do.
Now we, upon fuller information and fur
ther deliberation, believing said contract
advantageous to the people of the State
who have been compelled to submit to fire.
quent changes in text books for schools,
and to pay from two to three prices for
the books they have purchased, therefore
advise that the requisition of district
clerks be made and the law be
honestly carried out without hin
drence and the books brought into use in
this county at once, or as soon as the law
can take practical force"
Now we turn to newspaper extract as to
WASHINGTON COUNTY.
''From Mr.. F. S. Meilicke, one of the
county commissioners of Washington
county, we learn that at the meeting of
the board day before yesterday they unan-
imously urged their county superintend-
ent to get the orders from the district
clerk and procure the State books at the
earliest possible day"
Now this action was taken after they
had been besieged by the agents of the
book ring to oppose this law.
And subsequently, as my friend from
Washington county knows, they have
Used the strongest resolutions on the
subject, even going so far as to demand
that their representative on this floor vote
against the confirmation of Mr.. Burt for
school superintendent, if that confirma-
ion Gomez before the Senate again.
Here have resolution from
FARIBAULT COUNTY REPUBLICAN CoNvEN-
TION,
passed unanimously in that strong repub-
lican county.
''Resolped, That we regard with favor
and appreciation, the act passed by the last
Legislature known as an act to provide
uniform and cheap text books for the pub
lie schools of Minnesota, and earnestly urge
county, strict and faithful compliance
with the law"
IN POPE COUNTY
the county commissioners last May apprO-
priated the money to pay for these books.
have many extracts here from news
papers in favor of the law, but l
to-wit: the Farmers Union, be-
cause it is distinctively farmers paper,
and if this law was meant for anything ii
was meant for the benefit of the rural
population.
1t says, sswhy i'll our own family, it costs
us more to supply three of our children
with school books, than it would ten
scholars before the war.
NEW SERIES WE'RE CONSTANTLY BEING m
TRoDUCED.
The old ones that had perhaps been in
use six months, were thrown aside to
make room for the new ones. Thus mat
tiers went on Every parent in the lane
was undcr the influence Of the
infamous book swiudler.
There was no help for them. But there
is an end to all things.
"a great hue and cry is being raised by
the bloated parties who have grown rich
out of the hard earnings of the farmers of
this State, against the law. These fellows
find that their Occupation is gone"
More than two hundred Thousand dollars
per year will be gained to the State by the
action of the Legislature, with every
probability that we shall get . better class
of books"
And so might go on with many other
extracts.
The board of county commissioners of
BROWN COUNTY
by resolution approved the law and or
dered their superintendent to introduce it.
The board of Sibley county have done the
same thing; the board Of Carver county
have done the same thing; the board Of
Faribault county have done the same
thing. The books have been introduced
upon requisition of county superlntend-
ents of Dakota, Farihanlt, Warrington,
Nicollet; Carver, Sibley, Brown, Ramsey,
Lincoln, Grant, Anoka ard LIE Sueur
counties, and nineteen out Of the thirty
two towns in Innti county.
These very books to-day are
in use IN hundreds of schools in the State:
they are in use in nearly every county in
the State, and they have net been placed
there under the regulations of their
county superintendents, because Of the
persistent operations against the law
whose head centre was in this very build
ing in the once Of the
SUPERINTENDENT Or ruBLIC EXTRACTION
He frst demanded that the hw should
NOT 20 into force without tho board Of
county commissioners approved the -.