The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-01-18

IpetsoHuReh IN tue eyes OF the publishers
and would receive the assiduous attention
Of their agents,
Further than this, the whole school sys
TEN Of the State would be unsettled. Par
ents would have to pay something for tn
new books, as no publisher would ex
change new books for old ones, book 70
book. Nothing but dissatisfaction ant
suspicion would come OF 1t, and the fina
result would be that our school book
would not be one cent cheaper and per
haps higher, for the very simple ant
unanswerable reason that we now hay,
the cheapest school books published II
the United States. Our Delegates ant
Senators must remember that the whole
sale. and Introductory prices Of schoo
books are fixed facts and will not bs
lowered to secure the patronage OF Wes
Virginia or any other State. Because the
price in our place must be the same as IN
every other, Just as our glass aud iron
men have the same price In Maine rs In
California for their products. Nothing
else would be fair or business like.
AS to the merits OF the different books
that Is question that no Legislature car
decide, and always will be a matter OF opin.
ion. Much more depends on our teachers
than on our text books. | do not suppose
you could see much difference in a man
educated by Rays Arithmetic and one
who was brought up on Stoddard. The
same thing runs through the whole cata.
logue of Readers, Biographies, &c, &c,
It Is not intended or expected to cram an,
their contents into the pupils brain, but
70 give them o little chance to understand
the affairs OF life without text books. Now
II We cannot get any better or cheaper
books by opening up the school book war
IN that way, could we do any better by
the second method2, Perhaps by buyinr
the books direct from the publishers and
selling them ut cost to the pupils. This
sounds like Granger doctrine and NAV
capture some votes on this ground, unless
they look through the theory and study
the practical workings Of the idea. In the
first place has the State the right TO
90 into the book buying and selling
business to the detriment OF yery
respectable class OF dealers all over
the State? Fit has the right, would Il be
a profitable business for the State and
save the taxpayers any money? As to the
legal right, we suppose our Solons could
make 1t legal, but 1t would establish a
precedent that might prove hurtful, and
lead to more class legislation. Why not
advertise for bids 70 supply the pupils
with shoes and stockings? Have shoe.
makers and dealers any more rights under
the law than book seller? You might as
well take the sale OF coffee and sugar from
the grocery as to take the school book
trade from the book store. Not that the
profits elarge, for likestaples in every bus.
iness, they aresubjeCt to the sharpeSt COM
petition, but asstaples they form the larger
amount Of the business and lead TO more
profitable sales. However, suppose Won
conclude to sacrifice the book stores. pro
bono puJltco, would it pay the State to run a
State book store? We do not think Il
would, for several reasons. In the first
place the State annotbuy any books with.
out the cash to pay for them, because it is
not business corporation. and publishers
could not credit 1t, or at least could not
collect their accounts by law. Itwould take
$125, 900 worth of hooks to supply the
schools oil the State with a compile outfit Of
new books, and to raise this amount
would require tax which the people
would rather not pay, in order to try an
experiment. 'pr- Is.
But aside from all this, consider the
books bought and paid for. How are you
going to distribute them through the
State? Each county, perhaps each school
district, would require an agent to peddle
out the books. We can hardly suppose
all this process Of distribution to be accom-,
plished without some costs in com
missions, freights, stealings, &c. In
fact, we would find ourselves in u very
Improbable line Of business, and one moi
free from temptations 10 fraud and corrup
ton, and we would have to conclude thai
the proposition to buy and sell school
books would not pay, and besides would
be Unfair to class of our merchants who
could run business more economically and
with no risk to the State, besides selling
as low. as the sharpest competition de-
mandsin every business.
The third proposition, to leave to each
county the choice Of their own text books
is so utterly wild and foolish as TO scarcely
merit moments consideration at tho
hands Of suitable committee. The rcaI
trouble about the school book business
and the one that has caused most com
plant from the people is that school books
arc changed too often. II this idea Of
county rights" should prevail and each
Superintendent and School Board decide
latter due attentions from AGENT upop thu
books TO be used during their term o.
ofhce) the probability is that every bool
in the country would be represented in thu
schools, and every time man moved int
the next county or district with children
TO educate he would have now books Il
buy, and his old ones could 10 to the
paper mill.
II the Legislature does not want Yves
Virginia over RIM with horde OF bribing
swindling book agents, who would teacl
more trickery and corruption 10 GU
honest mountaineers than years OF stud,
in their text books could eradicate, theI
will look well to the consequences OF sucl
O change,
Therefore 9Tt for what good is all this agi
tationH The books now In use have beol
reduced In price, at leasttwice since 1874
until theyarc now one.third less than the,
were ut that time. While am not inter
ested nor influenced by any publishing
house, ! think It nothing more than iai
. that | should say That publishers Of gu
text books are able at all times to meet al
: demands, md have been found honest an
!, fair in all their dealings with the public
But aside from this ] have only 10 ad
that what is contained in this article III
writer knows to be fair statement OF III
case, and Is written from tho standpoin
OF a citizen and
.H " poo,s,,,,n
8 The ReFoslous Reputation Of Major Jlr