Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-10-20
made up. 1t can now be understood why
% MUCH AGITATION

made up. 1t can now be understood why
there was
so MUCH AGITATION
Recently. when our Board of Education in
sisted that an old book readopted must
come in at introduction prices. This was
a phase of the matter the ringsters had
not dreamed of, and it created consterna-
ton in the ranks. 1t may be news to them
to learn that they are about to be sued by
the city of Sacramento for violation of their
agreement in this respect. The ring con-
tract provides that every publisher shall
give bond to keep the ageement, and pay
the penalty, but as this is against public
policy and cannot be recovered on in Court,
the ring provided Court of its own to try
offenders, and some of these are now on
trial before this secret tribunal, because
their books displaced ring books by force of
merit. Before the ring was formed, how
ever. the claims of the books had been adj
vocated, but it is not too much TO assume.
that the publishers Court will hold that
the offending members on the formation
of the ring should have prevented the
adoption of thesebooks by putting up the
prices. so as to insure the retention of the
displaced books But this would only have
had the effect of giving the whole business
away. 1t will be seen that
THE RING METHOD is INFAMOUS,
Because it forces an offender to pay over
prospective profits for three years, at rate
far beyond real profits, and leaves him but
one year of the four in which to g get
eyen,n and at the expiration of that period
he is liable to be again thrown out by the
displaced book, since his violation permits
the publishers of the latter to come in at
the end of the fourth year, and play the old
game of "open competition" which is the
equivalent for jobbery and fraud There
is, however, one good feature in all this
ring business; it makes educational offices
less desirable, and keeps in the publishers
pockets the money heretofore disbursed for
corrupt purposes. 1t explains also a re-
markable change in the tactics of book
agents Recently when our Board of Edu-
cation adopted books, the agents for East
ern houses astonished even the most
experienced in the ways of the class, by
not opposing certain books NOV known to
be ring books. IF asked about a book
they did not represent, the agents had
nothing to say against it, but were ready
and anxious to refer to the price lists of the
other book. But not syllable would they
utter against it, nor would they advocate
their own books as superior to any other
ring books. They were agents only to state
prices when requested" evidently. The
secret of their marvellous change of heart is
now understood.
PRoTEsTANTs.
Some of the firms in. the ring are parties
to it under protest; they do not hesitate in
private to declare that it is wrong in every
feature except so far as it prevents ruinous
competition. But it Will suggest itself to
every mind that honest and fair dealing
and high commercial principle would
prevent that without any ring compacts.
Among the Eastern publishers great bit
terness of feeling exists, and universal
suspicion prevails. We have it from
sources of highest authority that this is 50
great that the trade is severely injured by
it, and self-respecting and conscience
obeying man can not remain in the bust
ness, except under the rebuke of his own
judgment Less than quarter of CEN
fury ago things were very different,
and there was no business in which
a higher moral tone prevailed; III which
uprightness was more a distinguishing
characteristic. As it now is it is game Of
grab all get the best who can" sus-
picion. cheat, corruption and piracy. There
are publishers Of long standing who do not
hesitate to testify to this effect, and these
arc the few who still try TO do business
afterthe
OLD AND HONORABLE METHODS.
So soon as the ring was formed instruc-
tons were sent out TO all the agents 10
Immediately cease all work" against any
books represented by the ring houses, and
TO not seek, directly or indirectly, to dis
place the publications Of any of said houses,
nor solicit their displacement by any
party or person, but leave them en-
tirely undisturbed wherever they are
in use Of course, it will be seen that if
any educator produces a new and better
book, he must become the slave OF the ring
before he can publish it, for no house out
side the ring, except perhaps one or two,
can afford to fight the combined publishers
of the United States. Thus handicap pro-
hibitive in character is placed upon genius
and ability. When, therefore, the Teach
ers' Convention talks about "open compe-
tition," it discourseS folly and exposes its
own ignorance of the ways of publishers
The whole scheme above sketched is in
tended to perpetuate the system under
which. in this State, we NAV have fifty-
eight different sets Of school-books il: use
at the same time. If the State prints her
own books there viii be but one set To
prevent this contamination is of the high
est importance 10 tne DOCK puDlSnerS, and
it is not unreasonable to conclude, there
fore, that one of the objects in forming the
syndicate we have described. is to concen-
trate the effort being made to prevent the
adoption of the constitutional amendment
Failing in this, the syndicate will bend its
energies to mold the Legislature to It's will,
and thus defeat legislation necessary to
carry the amendment into effect, which
they have already openly declared they
will do. 1t would be just as well for the
people TO interrogate legislative candidates
as to their position in this matter
THERE Is BUT ONE POWER
Able to cope with the new ring, and that is
the State Of California. 1t can adopt books
presented by authors, who need not fear
the publishers syndicate; it can publish
the same, when adopted, perfectly noncha-
liant regarding the gnashing of teeth and
gnawing of files in which the school-book
publishers at the East will engage. But all
this depends upon the people voting for the
Constitutional amendment, against the
adoption of which the ring is pitting all its
power at this time