The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-02-02
MONOPOLY.
Republican Legislature Sustain
the School Book Monopoly.
Representative Miller Shows Collusiol
and the Way Some Newspapers
are Bought Up.

COLUMBUS, January 27.-With the ex-
ceptiOn of passing the $4,000 State
house appropriation bill the Senate sim
ply lOafed to-day.
At 3 o'clock the committee on schools
in the House recommended the indeii-
mite pOstpOnement of Miller's school
book bill. The resolution offered by
him to investigate Van Antwerp, Bragg
81 Co.'s method of sugaring members,
which was killed last week, was an out
growth of this bill.
At $40 Miller took the floor. The
nOn-sensical gabble indulged in by the
opposition during the past week, seeking
to hide the true animus that has
prompted Miller to raise the question
should fall fiat beside his sledge ham
mer argument of about an hour to-day
Said he: Gentlemen, you charge me
with being interested in the welfare of
some other book firm and that is why
am so anxious to have this bill become
a law. Why the bill | have introduced
provides that the lowest bidder shall
compose and compile the books, to be in
use for five years and that the Governor
Acknowledgement, State Auditor, Secre-
tary and school commissioner shall con-
stitute the Board of State School Direct
Ors, Now, how am | working in the in
terest of any certain book firm? Van
Antwerp, Bragg 81 Co., if they are the
lowest bidders, and satisfy the Board,
have as good show OF being the pub
fishers as any other firm. Van Antwerp,
Bragg 81 Co., are stTaining every nerve
to defeat this measure. 1t has been said
repeatedly that am wasting the yalu-
able time of the House. How very par
ticular! 1t is only few days ago that
we haggled over little So problem half
a day, and no fault was found. This Is
a question in which thousands of dollars
are involved. 1t is case where the
people of Ohio is the plaintiff and this
wealthy book monopoly the defendant.
They are not leaving a stone unturned
to make their case" Here Miller
took up five different newspapers,
published in different parts of the State,
and read the same Identical editorial
each. The Mercer County (Republican)
Standard let the feline out of the sack
completely by publishing underneath
the editorials the following eXplana-
ton: "The above articles were sent to
us by Van Antwerp, Bragg & Co.'s adyer-
tising agent and paid for. This will
explain to our readers why they appear
in our paper"
"What do you think of that way of
doing business, gentlemen" continued
Miller, "and that isn't a drop in the
bucket. Members have asked me to
drop this book fight. | will not yield
an inch. | have declared war on this
book firm, their exOrbitant prices, and
their low, scurvy method of doing busl-
ness. AS long as l am member of this
house | shall continue the fight. l will
fight any and every monopoly that rears
its head alOft, regardless of the cOnse-
duences. Members may charge me with
what they will. Immediately after in
trOduced the resolution to investigate a
telegram was sent them, and this gigan.
tic firm formed literary bureau, letters
agents and circulars were put out, and
newspapers were bought up; yes, six
newspapers, some of the milk-anG-wateI
blanket sheets. Some of the largest
papers of your largest cities were
bought. l know | am on the unpopular
side of this Legislature, and the bill
will be laid away tenderly in an early
grave, but | have fought the good fight
and if L fail I'll go under in glorious
style, with a parting kick at Van Ant
werp, Bragg & Co. The West Virginia
Legislature took the matter into its owl
hands in 1877, and to-day yOU
can buy in that State the very
same books from the same firm B:
per cent. cheaper than in Ohio. EX
plain that, you gentlemen of the OppOsi
ton. The schools are the wards of the
State, under the jurisdiction of th(
General Assembly, whose duty 1T tt
step in and interfere when such firms
as Van Antwerp, Bragg u Co. are prac
ticing imposition upon them. Gentle
men, all | ask is, let this bill be engrOss
ed on its first reading and come up OF
its regular passage and give us an Op
pOrtunity to vote upon II" Lost by
vote of % to 30.