Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-04-10
The School Book Question.

Concerning the proposition before the
Legislature to cheaper the expense of
school books, and to break up the mo-
nopoly controlling the present system,
the Mt. Vernon Banner offers the fol-
lowing editorial remarks:
'This proposition strikes us favora-
bly,, and it is matter ofsurprise that it
was not proposed and enacted into law
long ago. While our schools have been
free, and an excellent system of educa-
tion provided for the youth of the land,
school books have been enormously
high-costing parents three or four
times more than they ought to cost, by
reason of the unconscionable operations
of the book rings, who enjoy monopoly
of furnishing books at their own prices;
and every attempt toput an end to their
1windling operation, by legislative ac-
ton, has been defeated, through the
cunning devices of the hired lobby of
the ringsters, who pour into Columbus
and spend thousands of dollars every
year to defeat the wishes of the people.
There is one school book publishing
house in Cincinnati that has become
nearly as great a monopoly as the
Standard Oil Company. They employ
an army of lobbyists and solicitors, who
by bribing school teachers and boards
of education by presents of elegant
books, fancy stationary, writing desks,
gold pens, etc., manage to keep their
high priced books in nearly every school
in Ohio. This concern has become so
bold and daring that they send their
agents abroad over the State to control
the legislative nominations of either
party, so that they can have a reliable
majority in the legislature, who will OPP
pose and defeat any measure intended
to break up the monopoly and give tn e
people cheap books. The book ring has
become more powerful than the legis-
lature, and every bill intended to re-
lieve the people from the onerous bur-
dens imposed by the monopolists, has
been regularly voted down. We know
whereof we speak, having served on the
committee on schools and school lands
in the Ohio Senate for two years.
'"To break up this odious and oppres-
sive monopoly, it is now proposed that
the State shall not only print and pub
lish the school books, but furnish them
free to the people. The State already
owns printing office and book bindery,
which are operated in the deaf and
dumb institution, which can be en-
larged as public necessity requires. By
the State doing its own work, school
books that now sell at from fifty to
eighty cents can be printed at cost of
from ten to twenty cents; and at this
price the State can well afford to furn-
ish them free to the people.
"There is law on the statute books
requiring parents or guardians to send
their children and wards to school; but
it is well known fact that this law has
never been enforced, for the very good
reason that you cannot compel the at
tendance of children when the parents
or guardians are too poor to buy the
high priced books, which are yearly
changed by the teachers and directors,
through the friendly solicitations of the
hired agents of the monopolists. Big
school houses are built and high priced
teachers are employed by the money
derived from taxation; but the children
of the indignant poor are not permitted
to enjoy the benefits of education, be-
cause they have no books. Let the
State print and furnish the books free
of charge, and then not only will the
iniquitious book ring be destroyed, but
the poorest child in the State will have
an equal chance with the rich mans
child in the battle of life."